Evauating a Good Road Win

[Nute Gunray]

I assume that Holly is the one who called for a press in the 2nd quarter, which was a great move and helped the LVs regain control.

Her half time interview was spot on; she said the LVs need to attack the paint more and cut back on the on forced errors (Fairly obvious but sometimes the game is simple, particularly when you have match-up advantages).

I agree with armchair that the half court offense does not flow as well as it needs to for this team to be contenders. Having said that, the LVs get a lot of open shots but miss too many. Does being a poor shooting team reflect on the coach?

But, the team has come a long, long way from their bottom out against Baylor, so you have to give Holly credit on the positive trend.

For all the criticism that the LVs can't develop players, Russell and Nared have developed considerably (as have Middleton and Jackson). And I think Diamond's all round game is better than last year. So, there are positives to be seen.

But, the LVs are coming up on a tougher game stretch and that is where we will be able to get a better gauge on how the team stacks up.

Thanks, madtownvol.

 

[ladyvosl23]

Middleton came into the game in the first half and looked shaky, and there was no reason to be. It /is/ probably mental with her. We need her to be better. She's got skills, she can shoot the ball, so it's about confidence. Take note of this: She is shooting 47 percent from three-point range--47 percent. Is there any doubt what her offensive/scoring role must be?

We're just not the smartest, most well-coached team--by a long shot. Last night was actually a pretty solid performance by our standards--and that's just the problem: Our standards have fallen quite a bit in recent years, which is why a lot of the diehards are so enthused because we are winning games we should be winning. The team has talent, but it just can't stay focused and confident and active and smart enough on offense from one period to the next.

We still need better, faster ball movement--and we simply have to shoot better.

DeShields is UNDERACHIEVING, significantly. If I had her talent and analyzed my performance last year and this, I'd be embarrassed. At 40 percent, she has the second lowest shooting percentage among the regulars. Only Reynolds is worse--another offensive underachiever. DD has nice form--but she often seems a bit off-balance when she shoots; she's leaning, or just doesn't have the focus. She also leads the team in TURNOVERS by a wide margin. She played good defense last night--at least in the first half--but overall, last year and this, she's been a drag on the team when she should be our turbo-charged engine. She certainly seems more engaged this year, which is nice to see, but still FAR too erratic. She had at least 3 baskets in the first quarter last night--ended the night with 5, on 18 shots.

Individuals need to play to their potential for a team to maximize its potential, and that's not the case with her or Reynolds. Reynolds can get in the lane and has a very nice pull-jumper from 12 feet or so. She's got to do it--and make it. We simply got to keep improving offensively if we hope to start making noise as a program again. Coaching.

To reply, we did play well to a lot of ppl look at the comments from announcers as bad as Paul wanted the lady vols to lose he tried to find anything but gail kept telling the truth. Also, If you listen to holly after the game and post press , she stated over and over that we had lapses. It is not like sheor teh staff don't see them . Also, with diamond she is sometimes quick shooting and 40% is not great , but Diamond Played GREAT DEFENSE which I don't see you mentioning the positives about her game she was a leader out there. But male no mistake . Diamond and Mercedes are our best players hands down. and yes she was 5-18 but it was not bad offense she missed layups and shots. that she can make. Also, with jordan . we need jordan to have an aggerssive mindset , That does not mean everytime she is in the lane she needs to shoot , it means look for your shot , but her first job is to run the offense , control the team, and get the ball to the right ppl. Lets call a spade a spade . Holly deceived to go to the press and it paid dividends , That is a part of coaching ,

 

[LVJeff]

To reply, we did play well to a lot of ppl look at the comments from announcers as bad as Paul wanted the lady vols to lose he tried to find anything...

Paul Sunderland is a Southern California LA born Olympic volleyball gold medalist and LA Laker announcer. I doubt he cares too much whether the Lady Vols win or lose.

 

[FrozenLVFan]

I think a lot of the criticism directed at Jordan Reynolds is undeserved. Her current stats:
7.3 PPG, 6.6 PRG, A:T ratio 3.26, 1.6 steals per game
That's currently the 8th best A:T in the country.
Granted, she's not our best shooter, but she's been more aggressive offensively in the last few games such that other teams can't back off from her anymore. She needs to keep running the team like she has been, and let DD, Nared, Russell, and the outside bombers do their thing.
Composure doesn't show up in the stats.


NCAA Statistics

 

[ladyvosl23]

Paul Sunderland is a Southern California LA born Olympic volleyball gold medalist and LA Laker announcer. I doubt he cares too much whether the Lady Vols win or lose.

Listen to the comments and you can count on how many positive comments were made by him bout lady cold , then listen to win he talks about Vanderbilt a team that is losing just because he is not from Tennessee does not me he is not bias . I'm not from Tennessee either but I would not be happy had we lost

 

[LVJeff]

Listen to the comments and you can count on how many positive comments were made by him bout lady cold , then listen to win he talks about Vanderbilt a team that is losing just because he is not from Tennessee does not me he is not bias . I'm not from Tennessee either but I would not be happy had we lost

He isn't biased. You can believe as you wish but Paul Sunderland has no skin in whether the LV's win or lose.

 

[ladyvosl23]

He isn't biased. You can believe as you wish but Paul Sunderland has no skin in whether the LV's win or lose.

And neither is Carolyn peck when she was an announcer or Rebecca lobo

 

[blackv]

vandy will be good ! they have put together a great coaching staff! lady vols would be great with this staff! final 4 for sure.

 

[ladyvosl23]

vandy will be good ! they have put together a great coaching staff! lady vols would be great with this staff! final 4 for sure.

Vanderbilt will be a solid team in the further I see top 15-25 consistently in the next few years. I will see how they do it about 3 years, will be tell us everything =Sometimes Coming to college is not as easy.

 

[T_Vol376]

I think a lot of the criticism directed at Jordan Reynolds is undeserved. Her current stats:
7.3 PPG, 6.6 PRG, A:T ratio 3.26, 1.6 steals per game
That's currently the 8th best A:T in the country.
Granted, she's not our best shooter, but she's been more aggressive offensively in the last few games such that other teams can't back off from her anymore. She needs to keep running the team like she has been, and let DD, Nared, Russell, and the outside bombers do their thing.
Composure doesn't show up in the stats.


NCAA Statistics

Wholeheartedly agree with this! Jordan has appeared to work though whatever was affecting her play and is doing a much better job running the team. I think her starting to get her spark back has been a big factor in the difference we are seeing in this team than how they were earlier in the season. That, more confidence from Meme, Qui stepping up, more communication and encouragement between all of them, each of them continuing to step up and give more - just seems like things are clicking...and going in the right direction. Forward together!!! 💙🍊🏀✨

 

[LVJeff]

And neither is Carolyn peck when she was an announcer or Rebecca lobo

That's a poor comparison. The backgrounds, life experiences, and announcing duties of Lobo and Peck were/are nothing like Sunderland's. Just because one announcer may be anti-lady vol doesn't mean they all are.

Or, in Sunderland's case, he's anti-lady vol because he said they had a cold shooting night.

There's an old proverb: There's the truth, and then there's what you believe. It applies here.

 

[armchair]

Nothing shows how parochial some of our fans are than their constant carping about TV announcers who supposedly don't show enough deference to the Vols. Such small-town thinking. Commentary generally reflects what is going on on the court; when teams play well and have a winning reputation, the commentary will reflect that. When teams are mediocre and have lost their reputation, the commentary may reflect that. If the Vols played UConn tomorrow, I'm pretty sure the announcers would speak more highly of the huskies than UT--and why shouldn't they: They've won 90 straight games and, what, three straight national titles while we've stumbled around for years playing mediocre basketball, haven't even been to the final four for a DECADE, much less won it, and yet the diehards think the announcers should still heap praise on Tennessee.

Play better basketball, win more games. Stop being parochial. I heard Sunderland--he was fine. He's a good announcer. He's a California guy whose real speciality is volleyball--I think he was a volleyball player and then a volleyball announcer who now does multiple sports. So, no, he's not a guy from, say, Jackson who's going to pay homage to Tennessee because of what we did in the 1980s. He called a fine game.

RE Reynolds: Someone hit on it above: She's playing better because she's been more aggressive--and good grief, why shouldn't she be? It's rather sad that our athletes really struggle to play to their potential. Underachievement is the word that describes this program for a long time--coaches, first and foremost, and players.

 

[Nute Gunray]

First off, Vandy is a tough, though undersized team. I agree with commentator Gail G. that they could be very dangerous by the season’s end. So, the LVs beating Vandy at home is a good win.

And it’s a good win when two of our big three were not on their “A” games and Mercedes was limited by a very effective double team strategy, though overall she still had a strong game.

So, some performance assessments:

Mercedes – dominated the paint defensively; was a force on the boards; and made some nice offensive plays. I hope this game provide a teaching moment for her in terms of battling against double teams. Overall, she needs to get a little more active and more physical in the post. I will give the LVs credit for generally not forcing the ball into the double team—Alexis had a few down the stretch but on the whole, they did not fall into the double team trap.

Diamond – loved that she upped the defensive intensity in the 2nd quarter when the LVs fell into another of their inexplicable lulls. She also distributed the ball well and really should have had over 20 points. Again, she used her skills and athleticism to get very makeable shots at the rim and mainly missed. Maybe the thumb is creating some problems with her touch. On some misses, though, it looks like she puts a little extra sauce on the shot; an extra shake and bake; kicking the leg up or something else that may too much flash. But, the defensive effort, despite a subpar shooting effort, is a good sign.

Nared – again she could have easily have had 20+ and made this game a rout. It was just not a sharp night for her but she made some key plays on the offense; including her killer assist to Mercedes and was a strong presence on the defensive side.

Meme – an abysmal first half but played very solidly on both ends during the 2nd half. She made some shots that broke Vandy’s momentum.

Jordan –another very good all round game from Jordan. She held the team together when Vandy made runs. [All starters scored in double figures; I don’t think that has happened that often this season]

Nunn – had a really good stretch in the first half when the LVs needed to turn back a Vandy run. She continues to be a very solid role player.

Middleton – another game against better quality guards where she really has not been able to impact the game.

Overall, I think the LVs earn a B+ on the defensive side; had they been able to make some lay-ups and open jumpers, I think a B+ might have been in the offering for the offensive performance. But given the lack of efficiencies and too many possessions where they got stuck in a stagnant half court offense, I think a B- to C is the relevant range.

But the important grade is that LVs have extended their win streak and are 2-0 in the SEC. Go LVS!

Madtown, I hope you can grade the LVs a B+, at minimum, for both offense and defense after the Miss St game. If not, the LV's goose will be cooked and ready to serve!

 

[Nute Gunray]

Nothing shows how parochial some of our fans are than their constant carping about TV announcers who supposedly don't show enough deference to the Vols. Such small-town thinking. Commentary generally reflects what is going on on the court; when teams play well and have a winning reputation, the commentary will reflect that. When teams are mediocre and have lost their reputation, the commentary may reflect that. If the Vols played UConn tomorrow, I'm pretty sure the announcers would speak more highly of the huskies than UT--and why shouldn't they: They've won 90 straight games and, what, three straight national titles while we've stumbled around for years playing mediocre basketball, haven't even been to the final four for a DECADE, much less won it, and yet the diehards think the announcers should still heap praise on Tennessee.

Play better basketball, win more games. Stop being parochial. I heard Sunderland--he was fine. He's a good announcer. He's a California guy whose real speciality is volleyball--I think he was a volleyball player and then a volleyball announcer who now does multiple sports. So, no, he's not a guy from, say, Jackson who's going to pay homage to Tennessee because of what we did in the 1980s. He called a fine game.

RE Reynolds: Someone hit on it above: She's playing better because she's been more aggressive--and good grief, why shouldn't she be? It's rather sad that our athletes really struggle to play to their potential. Underachievement is the word that describes this program for a long time--coaches, first and foremost, and players.

I believe UCONN has won four straight NC's.

 

[madtownvol]

Madtown, I hope you can grade the LVs a B+, at minimum, for both offense and defense after the Miss St game. If not, the LV's goose will be cooked and ready to serve!

I agree. The LVs will need to step it up a notch from their Vandy and Ky performances.

 

[Ladyvolfan4ever]

i believe uconn has won four straight nc's.

and we need to know that why?

 

[Rickster]

Nothing shows how parochial some of our fans are than their constant carping about TV announcers who supposedly don't show enough deference to the Vols. Such small-town thinking.

There are a lot of us who feel the same way about your posts.

 

[Nute Gunray]

First off, Vandy is a tough, though undersized team. I agree with commentator Gail G. that they could be very dangerous by the season’s end. So, the LVs beating Vandy at home is a good win.

And it’s a good win when two of our big three were not on their “A” games and Mercedes was limited by a very effective double team strategy, though overall she still had a strong game.

So, some performance assessments:

Mercedes – dominated the paint defensively; was a force on the boards; and made some nice offensive plays. I hope this game provide a teaching moment for her in terms of battling against double teams. Overall, she needs to get a little more active and more physical in the post. I will give the LVs credit for generally not forcing the ball into the double team—Alexis had a few down the stretch but on the whole, they did not fall into the double team trap.

Diamond – loved that she upped the defensive intensity in the 2nd quarter when the LVs fell into another of their inexplicable lulls. She also distributed the ball well and really should have had over 20 points. Again, she used her skills and athleticism to get very makeable shots at the rim and mainly missed. Maybe the thumb is creating some problems with her touch. On some misses, though, it looks like she puts a little extra sauce on the shot; an extra shake and bake; kicking the leg up or something else that may too much flash. But, the defensive effort, despite a subpar shooting effort, is a good sign.

Nared – again she could have easily have had 20+ and made this game a rout. It was just not a sharp night for her but she made some key plays on the offense; including her killer assist to Mercedes and was a strong presence on the defensive side.

Meme – an abysmal first half but played very solidly on both ends during the 2nd half. She made some shots that broke Vandy’s momentum.

Jordan –another very good all round game from Jordan. She held the team together when Vandy made runs. [All starters scored in double figures; I don’t think that has happened that often this season]

Nunn – had a really good stretch in the first half when the LVs needed to turn back a Vandy run. She continues to be a very solid role player.

Middleton – another game against better quality guards where she really has not been able to impact the game.

Overall, I think the LVs earn a B+ on the defensive side; had they been able to make some lay-ups and open jumpers, I think a B+ might have been in the offering for the offensive performance. But given the lack of efficiencies and too many possessions where they got stuck in a stagnant half court offense, I think a B- to C is the relevant range.

But the important grade is that LVs have extended their win streak and are 2-0 in the SEC. Go LVS!

Madtownvol, please give me your player assessment of the loss to Miss St., if you don't mind.

 

[volman128]

He isn't biased. You can believe as you wish but Paul Sunderland has no skin in whether the LV's win or lose.

I'm not sure I'd say he isn't biased. Broadcasters are just as biased as fans are, for a multitude of reasons. There are many schools I don't like just because I don't like them. Just because he has seemingly no ties to UT doesn't mean he isn't biased. He's been calling our games off and on for a few years now and I've noticed he seemingly casts a negative light on pretty much everything we do.

I seem to recall him coming practically unhinged over something Izzy Harrison did a couple of years ago, and he was practically imploring the refs to throw her out of the game. Upon replay, I had no idea WTF he was talking about because the action he was pointing out was clearly incidental contact.

Maybe he just gets pissed off by how goofy and sloppy we look when he is calling our games. Can't say I blame him. But I'm not exactly a sunshine pumper for this team or Holly. But it's clear as day with Sunderland. To say he isn't biased if pretty laughable. It's clear to most of the audience that he's not a fan. I didn't watch the Vandy game in particular, though, so I don't know about that one. But I've watched and listened plenty over the last couple of years.