Game Thread: (16/14) Lady Vols 54 - (8/8) LSU 57

[creekdipper]

Coach Mulkey is worth the price of admission. She must be Greek. They invented drama, you know.

But, alas, not fashion.

 

[Coach Jumper]

But, alas, not fashion.

Makeup...if some is good, more must be better
Not

 

[37620VOL]

I'm not mad after this game. We simply did not shoot well enough (21-67 2-11 10-17 Yuck!). Even with the awful shooting percentages, we were still a missed shot in the post by Key away from going to OT.
After the 1st Q our defense was excellent.

 

[madtownvol]

Who would you replace her with?

[Speaking in conspiratorial tones] "Jeff Walz would be the LV head coach except the bluehaired mafia intervened by ..oh, no they are here to silence me help, help he.. AAAARGH" [End scene]

Aside from Elvee/Darth's predictable performance art (The New York Times, writes "damn, haven't we seen this same [expletive deleted] before?)........

In a head to head coaching match, Kellie made defensive adjustments that Mulkey could not effectively counter, and, furthermore, KJH compensated exceptionally well for the absence of the team's leader in points, rebounds, and assist. (Get well soon, Jordan Horston!)

In the first quarter, LSU did slice and dice us on the perimeter (Jordan would have helped a lot there) and they were red hot. Once Kellie made the decision to keep shifting between a man-to-man and the 2 -3 zone (which means her team is well drilled in defense sets), it was a different game. The LVs held LSU to 7% shooting in the 3rd quarter. The LVs even won the game's TO battle with 15 versus LSU's 19. Our new look press, with Kaiya, Miles, and Jordan W. looked fierce!

But, the fatal problem was that during that absolutely stellar defensive 3rd quarter the LVs only cut the 16 point lead to 10. On the one side, LSU played good defense as well so that was a conributing factor. But the LVs missed a staggering number of open shots, some from almost point blank range (29% shooting in that quarter). The "missing open shots" pattern continued in the 4th quarter but the LVs managed to generate more baskets from TOs and offensive rebounds (and the 4th was the team's best shooting quarter at 44%).

On the whole it is hard to win games shooting 31% overall (not to mention missing 7 FTs-- 10 for 17 = a substandard 58%)

Rae shot 4 for 18, Dye was 5-15 and Puckett was 2-9. Most of these misses were "good look" shots that you would expect them to make. And Jordan Walker was 1 for 4 from behind the line and all those shots were uncontested.

The LVs really should have won this game based on their defensive effort (and success in disrupting LSU's offense) but you have to put the little round ball in the dang hoop to get the W.

Shooting woes have been the season's recurrent theme and this shortfall is magnified with Jordan being out.

I am Kellie supporter and think she is doing a stellar job (as pointed out by other posters, she has a much less experienced team to work with than Mulkey) but responsibliity for night in and night out poor shooting (fairly or not) falls on the coaches' shoulders.

Honestly, we are not likely to see a magical transformation where this team (this season) becomes the "splash brothers." But going forward, Kellie has to find a solution to these shooting woes or else her teams will not become legit final four contenders.

 

[lilesrt]

Who would you replace her with?

Coach from Louisville would have been a good hire.

 

[Aladywhovolunteer]

Don't know what Coach Mulkey is paid. What ever it is...it"s probably not enough. The women's game needs her personality and eccentricities.
Some have said she outcoached, Coach Harper. I didn't see that. Coach Mulkey is a three time National Champion. Good for her. However, that should not buy her extra deferrence from the Referees. She received extra deferrence at least once, when Walker hit a layup and got an and one. Referee who called the play was emfatictic...score an and one. Mulkey complained... call was changed to two shots. Walker could make only one..
leaving two points somewhere in the wake of 3 time National Champion Mulkey. Kellie's questions were ignored. Could not risk a technical, but what happened is unfortunate...eccentricities or not.

 

[madtownvol]

Coach from Louisville would have been a good hire.

So would have been Tara van de Veer (Stanford) or Muffet McGraw (retired coach from Notre Dame) or Gene Hackman who was awesome in Hoosiers but none were interested in the job. Unfortunately, Fulmer could not hire a fantasy.

By the way, Kellie was a great hire.

 

[lilesrt]

So would have been Tara van de Veer (Stanford) or Muffet McGraw (retired coach from Notre Dame) or Gene Hackman was awesome in Hoosiers but none were interested in the job. Unfortunately, Fulmer could not hire a fantasy.

By the way, Kellie was a great hire.

Your post is a matter of opinion.

 

[madtownvol]

Your post is a matter of opinion.

Second line yes, first line no.

 

[Volfaninfl2]

Who would you replace her with?

So apparently you and darth are going to make sure this conversation comes up monthly, weekly, or at least after every loss. You act like you are against darth, but you are more like a tag team. Congrats. I see you.

 

[Lucy]

If you want to accept unnecessary losses have at it. This team is better then LSU. Holly Jr can’t prepare this team to play and she was out coached.

So our top score, rebounder and assist leader was out along with our first sub in and you think this was an unnecessary loss? We could have won for sure. Better first quarter and we walk away with the W. LSU is number 8. A loss to them while disappointing is not “unnecessary”. Holly JR? You are just yanking chains there, grow up.

 

[Rickster]

Your post is a matter of opinion.

So is yours.

 

[Lucy]

Coach from Louisville would have been a good hire.

I thought I blocked jackwgon Darth!?! Note to you. Jeff W. is a jerk. He would have been a disaster here and he is not leaving Louisville. It is way too easy for him there. He uses every major open positron to get a raise.

 

[creekdipper]

So is yours.

Sometimes a little research into posting history yields enlightening perspective. In this case, the critic has only posted about the LSU game over their last 10 pages. That goes back to early January including the period during which we were ranked 4th nationally with a record of 18-1. Not even a mention of LV, either good or bad.

90% of the posts are about Vol football (during the off-season!) with a smattering about men's bb. Now, does that sound like anyone even vaguely interested in LV bball (or other women's sports)?

The poster does appear to be a dedicated fan of TN football, and it even seems we might have something in common theologically. But I just don't get the impression that they really care much about whether the Lady Vols win or lose.

 

[creekdipper]

I might be wrong, but I thought I saw that Jordy was also leading in steals in addition to rebounds, points, and assists. That's a lot of offense and defense sitting on the bench, as well as our best creator and someone who draws a lot of opponents' defensive efforts. Jordy could disrupt passing lanes, use her height to help break pressure, and could open up the floor for teammates...in addition to wearing down opposing defenders and drawing fouls.

 

[madtownvol]

Sometimes a little research into posting history yields enlightening perspective. In this case, the critic has only posted about the LSU game over their last 10 pages. That goes back to early January including the period during which we were ranked 4th nationally with a record of 18-1. Not even a mention of LV, either good or bad.

90% of the posts are about Vol football (during the off-season!) with a smattering about men's bb. Now, does that sound like anyone even vaguely interested in LV bball (or other women's sports)?

The poster does appear to be a dedicated fan of TN football, and it even seems we might have something in common theologically. But I just don't get the impression that they really care much about whether the Lady Vols win or lose.

Thanks for the research. Hard to figure why an indifferent poster would suddenly feel compelled to belch out "Jeff Walz" at this precise moment. I wish there was a solution to the serious societal problem of "drive-by postings".

 

[Rickster]

Sometimes a little research into posting history yields enlightening perspective. In this case, the critic has only posted about the LSU game over their last 10 pages. That goes back to early January including the period during which we were ranked 4th nationally with a record of 18-1. Not even a mention of LV, either good or bad.......

I bet that's because he is from Louisiana. Agree that he probably knows little about our team but he sure can pull a name out of the hat. Anyone can do that. If they followed WBB, they would know that Jeff is not the right coach.

 

[madtownvol]

So apparently you and darth are going to make sure this conversation comes up monthly, weekly, or at least after every loss. You act like you are against darth, but you are more like a tag team. Congrats. I see you.

It is hard to judge intentions from a message board but I do believe youcancallmeAl is a genuine LV supporter. The problem is that when someone challenges a troll on a regular basis, it does create a tag team effect.

 

[Rickster]

It is hard to judge intentions from a message board but I do believe youcancallmeAl is a genuine LV supporter. The problem is that when someone challenges a troll on a regular basis, it does create a tag team effect.

Agree. Al is all Vol. The tag team effect is why I put Jeffy boy on ignore. No value in anything he says.

 

[creekdipper]

"Jeffy boy."

Classic!

 

[Rickster]

"Jeffy boy."

Classic!

Best I could do on short notice.

 

[Volfaninfl2]

It is hard to judge intentions from a message board but I do believe youcancallmeAl is a genuine LV supporter. The problem is that when someone challenges a troll on a regular basis, it does create a tag team effect.

It is not hard to judge intentions when the question Al put forth is not only asking for critics of Kellie to post, but he asks it often. I stopped looking after saw the question by him 3 times just yesterday.

 

[Rickster]

It is not hard to judge intentions when the question Al put forth is not only asking for critics of Kellie to post, but he asks it often. I stopped looking after saw the question by him 3 times just yesterday.

Al asks for clarifications. Nothing wrong with that.

 

[Aladywhovolunteer]

Madtown....Gene Hackman might have been the right choice for our resident detractor. Remember, the Hoosier's Coach from Milan, Indiana in 1952, had several unbreakable rules. First was three passes before you shoot.
Our Jimmy Chitwood would be in the transfer portal before the sun set with that kind of nonsense. However, that's the level of basketball knowledge from Kellie's detractors. I got my knowledge from watching Hoosiers...ok. Perhaps, Kellie's detractors know if they list their basketball accomplisments... their minimal credibility would be gone.

 

[Rickster]

Madtown....Gene Hackman might have been the right choice for our resident detractor. Remember, the Hoosier's Coach from Milan, Indiana in 1952, had several unbreakable rules. First was three passes before you shoot.
Our Jimmy Chitwood would be in the transfer portal before the sun set with that kind of nonsense. However, that's the level of basketball knowledge from Kellie's detractors. I got my knowledge from watching Hoosiers...ok. Perhaps, Kellie's detractors know if they list their basketball accomplisments... their minimal credibility would be gone.

I'm sure you noticed that the "detractors" like to flame with headlines but rarely offer substance explaining their negativity. As you pointed out, most appear uneducated about the game. They repeat what they saw in a movie or what some talking head said on ESPN.