Cooper

#76
#76
This is really hard to answer. I can't speak for Kim or how things ran in the locker room or behind closed doors. But several things were very clear.

1) For the most part, Kim recruited athletes who weren't great at putting the ball in the basket (hence the plethora of O-boards we were fortunately able to get and sometimes put back in)
2) The kids she recruited did not mesh well. Some of that is on them (attitude especially Barker IMHO), and maybe others.
-But some of that is on Kim for not fostering a team environment and constantly pitting them against each other (ie. starter plays poorly just 1 game, you are coming off the bench the next game)
3) Kim taught almost no offense. A few passes, jack up a 3, crash the O-boards. As a team we shot just over 30% from 3. Not good enough to make that your primary offense.
4) The front of the press was solid. The rest of the defense was like swiss cheese.
5) The hockey line sub pattern was a disaster. Not the right players and IMHO not effective for a high-end WCBB team. There's a reason literally no other team in the top 50 plays that way.

I'm disappointed for sure, but at this point, just beaten down. The hits just keep coming. Just sad.
i completely understand. I miss the days when the final four came around you could just about always pencil in the baby blue and orange for one spot.
 
#77
#77
i completely understand. I miss the days when the final four came around you could just about always pencil in the baby blue and orange for one spot.
I mean, that was a lifetime ago. I remember being disappointed that Holly couldn't get past the E8. Never did I envision that that would be aspirational 10 years later.
 
#79
#79
Don’t be surprised if Civil leaves or one of the two Incoming freshmen.

Idk any definites but it’s a real possibility.

I agree this is a horrible situation and think Coach is in over her head.

My hope is our AD and/or a successful head coach w/in women’s basketball fraternity is helping her.
 
#81
#81
I always respect and enjoy reading your comments - even if I disagree.

You’re spot on. It will be difficult. And next yr may be worse. If so, Caldwell is gone.

But that locker room was a mess and it started early. A lot of resentment towards one another. Players not wanting to lost to coach or so called “leaders” on the team.

It’s a mess. And Coach is the leader of the team. She is aware of the situation and who is leaving and staying- though the entire rites may flip.

Things were so bad that it was beyond repair w/ the roster. And it was NOT all
Coach’s fault. But, she made a lot of mistakes and owning them.
There are always two sides to this, and the team wasn’t blameless. A lot of fans didn’t really see it until things boiled over—players arguing in the huddle at South Carolina, and Cooper caught on camera dropping an “F you” toward Kim. Those weren’t isolated moments… they were warning signs of where things were heading.

I still think it really started with Ruby’s dismissal. That didn’t sit well with a tight group in the locker room, and from there it just kept building. Once that kind of divide takes hold, it snowballs—and it’s incredibly hard to stop.

At some point, it felt like they quit on her after she quit on them. And then there was that one moment that shifted everything—the heartbreak loss to Texas. That game didn’t just sting… it changed the trajectory of the season, and honestly, the trajectory of a lot of careers. I think a win there would have brought them all back together. It was clear at the end of the season, (to me anyways) that Kim wanted to win. She just couldn’t coach them.

Maybe a more experienced coach reads it earlier or handles it differently, but at this point, that’s all hindsight.
 
#82
#82
I get it the players are leaving. But name one of them that didn’t play with their own agenda this year. Not one of them acted like they were playing with a teammate they wanted to be on the court with other than the sisters.

If the coach isn’t willingly or smart enough to implement a system where involving individuals to rely on each other to achieve a team goal isn’t a priority, can anyone really blame them? At some point in time, competitiveness and self survival overrides any team goals when said team goals were really never established (offensive sets, half court defense).
 
#84
#84
The definition of a Cluster. Kim has her coaching style and has shown no inclination to change it. Would Pat have changed her style in this contentious atmosphere? Doubt it but she had the cred to back it up with players and fans alike. Kim doesn’t ,so what does she do?
 
#87
#87
The definition of a Cluster. Kim has her coaching style and has shown no inclination to change it. Would Pat have changed her style in this contentious atmosphere? Doubt it but she had the cred to back it up with players and fans alike. Kim doesn’t ,so what does she do?
Go watch “Breaking Glass” on Hulu. The movie that was just released on Pat Summit. She changed her (coaching style) once she realized she needed to adapt to win championships. She adjusted again in 96 after the team started falling apart .. and they won the national championship that year. It gives a lot of insight into things that I think most fans never knew.
 
#88
#88
Good. Hope not. Selfish and lazy. Looked like she gained alot of weight & was out of shape. Defense was trash unless she was playing against horrible teams. Was only about her stats on the offense side of the ball. Yall are absolutely nuts. Giving the time of everything nowadays. Its easier to blame someone else/authority than the person, in this case, player for being lazy & undisciplined.

Every player thats left combined averaged maybe 25-30pts total?. Yall acting like they're losing CC, Candace Parker, Sue Bird, & Paige Bueckers 😂😂 then again.. 95% of yall would probably argue with a wall if it was the wrong color & not to your liking 🙄.
Taking shots at players—past or present—isn’t it, no matter where you stand on the coach. Do better.
 
#89
#89
If she does not step down, CKC has locked herself in as LVHC for decades. Next season, she is likely to have a team 100% from the portal. So, many can say that the teams 3-30 record actually was not bad and she can build around this team. Then everyone transfers; new team from portal; then the team finishes 4 and 29. Hey big improvements! Moving in tight direction! Then entire transfers and process continues ad infinitum. The Peter principle is dead; long live the Caldwell principle!
 
#91
#91
As fans and donors we dont deserve this debacle. Needs to be dealt with immediately.
Will the well heeled Power Boosters accept any responsibility? The ones that refused to fund Kellie in a changing landscape? I recall not so long ago pointing and laughing at the Florida Athletic Department and their lack of alignment regarding their football team. So i guess you can blame all this on me…

😐🤙🏼🧡
 
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#92
#92
<< Tennessee Lady Vols Forum
Good. Hope not. Selfish and lazy.

Every player thats left combined averaged maybe 25-30pts total?. Yall acting like they're losing CC, Candace Parker, Sue Bird, & Paige Bueckers. They're not.
Of the 77 points that Tennessee averaged this season, they are losing 70.6 between graduation and transfers...and that's only if Civil stays (unlikely).

They're literally losing their entire team. That's not particularly easy to replace.
 
#93
#93
There are always two sides to this, and the team wasn’t blameless. A lot of fans didn’t really see it until things boiled over—players arguing in the huddle at South Carolina, and Cooper caught on camera dropping an “F you” toward Kim. Those weren’t isolated moments… they were warning signs of where things were heading.

I still think it really started with Ruby’s dismissal. That didn’t sit well with a tight group in the locker room, and from there it just kept building. Once that kind of divide takes hold, it snowballs—and it’s incredibly hard to stop.

At some point, it felt like they quit on her after she quit on them. And then there was that one moment that shifted everything—the heartbreak loss to Texas. That game didn’t just sting… it changed the trajectory of the season, and honestly, the trajectory of a lot of careers. I think a win there would have brought them all back together. It was clear at the end of the season, (to me anyways) that Kim wanted to win. She just couldn’t coach them.

Maybe a more experienced coach reads it earlier or handles it differently, but at this point, that’s all hindsight.
Your work is done.

Next few weeks will be an interesting study on organizational rebuilding. Starts at the top. Randy and Donde got involved to address the AD. Their AD gave/is giving all the leash in the world to Kim. That poll a few weeks back was as surprising as it was telling.
 
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#95
#95
Will the well heeled Power Boosters accept any responsibility? The ones that refused to fund Kellie in a changing landscape? I recall not so long ago pointing at the Florida Athletic Department and their lack of alignment regarding their football team. So i guess you can blame all this on me…

😐🤙🏼🧡
I found the report that 5 million was on spent on this roster when we had a self-proclaimed insider repeatedly stating that Kellie had just a teensie-Weensie less than Kim in funding support. The decision to throw Kellie under the bus will haunt this program for a long time.
 
#97
#97
If she does not step down, CKC has locked herself in as LVHC for decades. Next season, she is likely to have a team 100% from the portal. So, many can say that the teams 3-30 record actually was not bad and she can build around this team. Then everyone transfers; new team from portal; then the team finishes 4 and 29. Hey big improvements! Moving in tight direction! Then entire transfers and process continues ad infinitum. The Peter principle is dead; long live the Caldwell principle!
Yes I’m beginning to think Danny will never get rid of her. If this year doesn’t make him do it, then i don’t know if he ever will
 
#98
#98
There are always two sides to this, and the team wasn’t blameless. A lot of fans didn’t really see it until things boiled over—players arguing in the huddle at South Carolina, and Cooper caught on camera dropping an “F you” toward Kim. Those weren’t isolated moments… they were warning signs of where things were heading.

I still think it really started with Ruby’s dismissal. That didn’t sit well with a tight group in the locker room, and from there it just kept building. Once that kind of divide takes hold, it snowballs—and it’s incredibly hard to stop.

At some point, it felt like they quit on her after she quit on them. And then there was that one moment that shifted everything—the heartbreak loss to Texas. That game didn’t just sting… it changed the trajectory of the season, and honestly, the trajectory of a lot of careers. I think a win there would have brought them all back together. It was clear at the end of the season, (to me anyways) that Kim wanted to win. She just couldn’t coach them.

Maybe a more experienced coach reads it earlier or handles it differently, but at this point, that’s all hindsight.
A player or now an employee that says F u to the coach or boss is and should be gone unless a real humble apology that is sincere is done. And they better be worth the trouble. Regardless, happening multiple times, no way I won’t kick your tail out the door. It’s hard but if you replaced the coach, these players would have to still go. Not all of them but most of them.
 
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All this talk about KC leaving and possible 5 in the transfer portal I’m just wondering if Iowa State is as negative as us for losing 10 to the portal.
I would not want to be a HC in today’s era of sports. The majority of them are having to rerecruit their own players every single year due to the lure of the portal, more money etc
 

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