GAME THREAD: Kentucky in Knoxville, Thursday, 1/22, 6:30 pm EST, SEC Network

#703
#703
Go Lady Vols! Keep making tick marks in that "W" column. Who had the two TN schools atop the SEC after the first 6 games......guilty of not thinking the LV's would be. Always a fan but that Louisville game tamed my expectations. So excited for them, winning however they have to, in or out of 'the system.' With Vandy @ SC after a SC loss, Dawn will have them fired up, I'm thinking after Sunday the LV's may be 0.5 game in the SEC lead! I know it's early but I believe in celebrating the small things, while knowing it's a long season.

Glad to see Coach end the Kenny drought. He had her number before.

20 more shots from 2 and 13 more from 3; but 9 less from the free throw line. The forcing of 21 turnovers was nice. I love defense.

Pauldo is Fuh-real-doe! You go girl.

Go Lady Vols!
 
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#704
#704
Seems like Coach is making adjustments and taking accountability which wasn’t evident at the beginning of the season. Was worried she would be too stubborn and not make any changes. Kuddos to her. Think this also has something to do with the improved chemistry. Still need some leadership from someone on the court. Go Lady Vols!
 
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#706
#706
LVBGOTN said:
Seems like Coach is making adjustments and taking accountability which wasn’t evident at the beginning of the season. Was worried she would be too stubborn and not make any changes. Kuddos to her. Think this also has something to do with the improved chemistry. Still need some leadership from someone on the court. Go Lady Vols!
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Perhaps, that leadership is coming from the LVs freshman PG. Mia is the real deal. GBO.
 
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#708
#708
Seems like Coach is making adjustments and taking accountability which wasn’t evident at the beginning of the season. Was worried she would be too stubborn and not make any changes. Kuddos to her. Think this also has something to do with the improved chemistry. Still need some leadership from someone on the court. Go Lady Vols!
 
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#709
#709
Sorry please delete.
LVBGOTN said:
Seems like Coach is making adjustments and taking accountability which wasn’t evident at the beginning of the season. Was worried she would be too stubborn and not make any changes. Kuddos to her. Think this also has something to do with the improved chemistry. Still need some leadership from someone on the court. Go Lady Vols!
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#710
#710
lvocd said:
I had the same thought last night as I remembered Latham's interview several days ago in which she talked about it being a "get-back game" and came across as having probably put quite a bit of pressure on herself in her mind already about facing Kentucky.

And so last night Latham appeared to be going extra hard for boards from the getgo, but a little TOO hard because she quickly piled up fouls. It threw her game way off.

The freshmen, on the other hand, looked totally unbothered. They'd never faced UK and so, to them, it was just another in the "take one game at a time" mentality coaching staffs try to instill.

All that said, a part of me worries that ALL of our players may overlook both Ole Miss, who got curb-stomped by Georgia last night, and Mississippi State since they've already beaten them before, as they look ahead to visiting Connecticut.

"One game at a time" has never been more important because our next two conference games are both MUST WINS because there's such a higher probability that Tennessee has a few league losses looming. We have GOT to beat both Ole Miss and State. they're both trap games.
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I will give you another theory but first let me state the obvious point. Our freshman players are learning their way into the speed and physicality of the college game and mid season they are "getting it." This transformation is particularly evident for Prawl who early in the season just seemed a step behind and now she is getting ahead. And Pauldo is night and day from her debut game to now.

But these freshman (Pauldo, Prawl, and Civil) are simply a cut above in talent level over several of our upper class players (Coop is the only one on their level and I am counting Barker as a new recruit). [I know people hate when I say that but quite honestly, is that not the obvious implication of celebrating that CKC has brought in the best recruiting class the lady vols have had in almost a decade. For that to be true, the new talent has to be better than the existing talent].

The implication is that these players are actually quite comfortable being in the spotlight and having to make big plays and they are better equipped to do so. So, I would suggest that it is not that they yet don't know about the pressure but that the pressure is their natural element.
 
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#711
#711
madtownvol said:
I will give you another theory but first let me state the obvious point. Our freshman players are learning their way into the speed and physicality of the college game and mid season they are "getting it." This transformation is particularly evident for Prawl who early in the season just seemed a step behind and now she is getting ahead. And Pauldo is night and day from her debut game to now.

But these freshman (Pauldo, Prawl, and Civil) are simply a cut above in talent level over several of our upper class players (Coop is the only one on their level and I am counting Barker as a new recruit). [I know people hate when I say that but quite honestly, is that not the obvious implication of celebrating that CKC has brought in the best recruiting class the lady vols have had in almost a decade. For that to be true, the new talent has to be better than the existing talent].

The implication is that these players are actually quite comfortable being in the spotlight and having to make big plays and they are better equipped to do so. So, I would suggest that it is not that they yet don't know about the pressure but that the pressure is their natural element.
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Fun watching them grow. The last big class of freshmen we had was the class with Rennia. They played a weak schedule and entered SEC play 13-0 I think (working from memory here). Then they got their butt handed to them in SEC play and the chemistry got obviously thrown off.

We’re seeing the exact opposite with this group. They played a challenging schedule in the pre-conference with such a young group. Got their butt handed to them a few times and chemistry was iffy. Now they’re coming together as a group and hitting their stride in conference play.

I was definitely losing confidence by the Louisville game but Kim is proving to be a coach imo. Very tough attitude. I also think we’re seeing more of the real her this year. She’s much more serious than I realized. Seems like she was still in “interview mode” last season and was more extroverted.
 
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#712
#712
glv98 said:
I seriously doubt he drew it up to throw it thru Coops legs lol. Morgan has been good this yr but both she and Strack were epicallly awful last night. Credit defensive pressure
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Agree that was not likely the play design but I get the improvising idea.

In soccer, they call that a nutmeg when you pass the ball through a defenders legs and then run past them. Getting "megged" is the ultimate insult play because it renders the defenders completely helpless. Failed nutmeg attempts of course have the opposite consequence.

In last night's game, our defense did a great job in closing off the passing lanes (and I mean world class half court defense) but the "meg" was on. If Morgan had made that pass, she would have found an open shooter. Her mistake was not using a bounce pass to get through Coop's leg. Instead, she tried to thread the needle and Coop, with her insanely fast hands, closed that down.

Good thing too. After Zee missed the FTs which would have effectively sealed the game, I was bracing for a KY 3pt buzzer beater. I spilled my beverage (sadly, a very nice IPA), when Coop made that steal. Never let it be said that I am not willing sacrifice to support this team!!
 
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#715
#715
I'm not sure if the inbounder was trying to throw it between Tay's legs or hoping to bounce the ball off her to have it go out of bounds because she panicked and thought she might not get it inbounded in time. Either way, Talaysia Cooper was NOT the player to try that with. 😀

That's the kind of thing that can be like a booster shot for a player's energy and confidence. Tay spectacularly took one for the team at the very last most terrifyingly tense win-or-lose moment of the game, and she came away ecstatic! I was so darn happy for her and, of course, for Zee. Big moment there that could spill over into the future.
 
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#716
#716
glv98 said:
Garden variety inconsistency.
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I saw a post from you saying Pauldo was the best player or most consistent and posters replying with other players like it’s just fact that who they are naming is the right answer. Pauldo has given you evidence as well as myself to have an opinion that she is the best player on the team.They could have easily replied I can understand how you might feel that way and left it at that.If someone has another player then fine but anyone saying it’s Pauldo is justified in saying so
 
#717
#717
lvocd said:
I'm not sure if the inbounder was trying to throw it between Tay's legs or hoping to bounce the ball off her to have it go out of bounds because she panicked and thought she might not get it inbounded in time. Either way, Talaysia Cooper was NOT the player to try that with. 😀

That's the kind of thing that can be like a booster shot for a player's energy and confidence. Tay spectacularly took one for the team at the very last most terrifyingly tense win-or-lose moment of the game, and she came away ecstatic! I was so darn happy for her and, of course, for Zee. Big moment there that could spill over into the future.
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Wait what? Put your most athletic player on the inbounder in that situation?

If only Kellie Harper had thought of that . . .
 
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#718
#718
LUVMESUMVOL said:
I saw a post from you saying Pauldo was the best player or most consistent and posters replying with other players like it’s just fact that who they are naming is the right answer. Pauldo has given you evidence as well as myself to have an opinion that she is the best player on the team.They could have easily replied I can understand how you might feel that way and left it at that.If someone has another player then fine but anyone saying it’s Pauldo is justified in saying so
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I think its basically stipulated on fan message boards that everyone is stating their opinion and everyone has the right to do that.
 
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#720
#720
glv98 said:
Really classy of Kim to say this. I think she's now learning to coach half court offense, especially at this level. She's never really had to do that before, always depending on offense off of turnovers or quick shooting threes. The adjustment away from her system is a learning curve for her and I think she'll do a good job. Also coaching a player with as much talent but as fragile a mentality as Coop (and Barker and Zee) is new for her too.

I seriously doubt he drew it up to throw it thru Coops legs lol. Morgan has been good this yr but both she and Strack were epicallly awful last night. Credit defensive pressure

Our shooting is just inconsistent. Literally a crap shoot every time out.
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He did say in the presser she thought she was running out of time on the 5 count and was trying to throw it off Coops leg. Sure didn’t look like that though.
 
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#723
#723
alexvol said:
I just returned from Emergency Room local hospital in Alexandria ,Va .I was mostly in a haze watching the game .....from intense pain. Was just mostly happy with the win and Pauldo was star again.....Going to shut it down now and relax .
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Sending good vibes and fast healing for whatever ails you. Sorry to hear you’re laid up, glad you could still watch!
 
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#725
#725
lvocd said:
I'm not sure if the inbounder was trying to throw it between Tay's legs or hoping to bounce the ball off her to have it go out of bounds because she panicked and thought she might not get it inbounded in time. Either way, Talaysia Cooper was NOT the player to try that with. 😀

That's the kind of thing that can be like a booster shot for a player's energy and confidence. Tay spectacularly took one for the team at the very last most terrifyingly tense win-or-lose moment of the game, and she came away ecstatic! I was so darn happy for her and, of course, for Zee. Big moment there that could spill over into the future.
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As mentioned a moment ago, Kenny said she thought she was running out of time on the 5 count and was trying to throw it off Coop’s leg. I’m not sure I believe that narrative though.

Sure looked like she was trying to bounce it between Coop’s legs to Strack.
 
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