Game Thread: LADY VOLS AT NO. 21/22 TEXAS A&M

[Undercovervol]

Evina has excellent court vision. If Tennessee had any sort of offensive structure, she would be a great facilitator. Since Tennessee's best offense is to brick a bunch of shots at the rim and use their height/athleticism to get the rebound and putbacks, you don't really need a true PG for that.

I agree that we throw up a lot of bricks, but that's our version of passing it to the post basically. Because Greene has a poor post up game, we resort to throwing it up hoping she can get a put back. Miss State does something similar with McCowan but at a higher level.
So, we basically still run a traditional offense, although extremely poorly.

 

[djtee]

Evina has excellent court vision. If Tennessee had any sort of offensive structure, she would be a great facilitator. Since Tennessee's best offense is to brick a bunch of shots at the rim and use their height/athleticism to get the rebound and putbacks, you don't really need a true PG for that.

The one that i would see that Annie Hayes was a better finisher at the rim the Westbrook. Not saying she was better player then Westbrook but when Annie went the rim she didn't leave shots short like Westbrook. If Andy Landers said she needs to make those shots.

 

[Undercovervol]

I agree that we throw up a lot of bricks, but that's our version of passing it to the post basically. Because Greene has a poor post up game, we resort to throwing it up hoping she can get a put back. Miss State does something similar with McCowan but at a higher level.
So, we basically still run a traditional offense, although extremely poorly.

That's also why our team struggles to get truly open 3 point looks. Open three pointers come from drive and dish, off ball screens, or quick ball reversals. We do all three extremely poorly.
Many posters on here comment on our poor three point shooting. That's not just because we don't have good shooters; it's also because our offense doesn't create open looks. Many of our shots are contested.

 

[brassie]

"That's not just because we don't have good shooters; it's also because our offense doesn't create open looks. Many of our shots are contested."

Absolutely, and that's a coaching thing. The team has to be taught how to screen and how to move the ball to get the outside shooter open.

 

[Amb3096]

I agree that we throw up a lot of bricks, but that's our version of passing it to the post basically. Because Greene has a poor post up game, we resort to throwing it up hoping she can get a put back. Miss State does something similar with McCowan but at a higher level.
So, we basically still run a traditional offense, although extremely poorly.

MSST uses it as their last resort because they have players that can finish at the rim and hit jumpshots consistently. Sadly, that's Tennessee's bread and butter play.

Poor Holly has yet to learn how to coach anything g besides "Inside OUUUTTTT!!!"

 

[Amb3096]

That's also why our team struggles to get truly open 3 point looks. Open three pointers come from drive and dish, off ball screens, or quick ball reversals. We do all three extremely poorly.
Many posters on here comment on our poor three point shooting. That's not just because we don't have good shooters; it's also because our offense doesn't create open looks. Many of our shots are contested.

In fairness to Holly, that has never been a hallmark of Tennessee basketball. Even when Pat had Bjorklund, I don't think she ran nearly enough plays to free her up. Tennessee's three point records are pretty pedestrian when you compare them to other teams. Fun trivia: who holds the record for most 3's in a game?

 

[Undercovervol]

In fairness to Holly, that has never been a hallmark of Tennessee basketball. Even when Pat had Bjorklund, I don't think she ran nearly enough plays to free her up. Tennessee's three point records are pretty pedestrian when you compare them to other teams. Fun trivia: who holds the record for most 3's in a game?

Not sure! I'd guess Shekina Stricklen, Ariel Massengile, or Taber Spani

 

[teacherdean]

Someone posted earlier that with a better coach Davis would be an AA! Wrong! She may have the the physical skills but thats it! If she hits a couple shots early she plays better and is envolved mentally if not she has no desire to be out there! She is a selfer not a fighter! NO HEART!

With this coaching staff, it is very difficult to throw players under the bus. It is coaches that notice player weaknesses and demand excellence. Holly can't even call a timeout when she sees games getting out of hand and her player development is next to zero. Maybe part of the problem is Holly can't deal with the fact that players are different from the way they were twenty years ago.

 

[brassie]

Not sure! I'd guess Shekina Stricklen, Ariel Massengile, or Taber Spani

Bjorkland?

 

[Coach Jumper]

I think this is part of the problem, Holly is still recruiting Pat type players, like Holdsclaw and others that really needed someone to be tough on them to shape them up. Someone to lift them up and make them a more confident person on and off the court. Holly does not have that ability. She seems like a nice person, but she clearly doesn't have the belief in herself to demand excellence from someone.

I can be there tomorrow

I believe Jackson was guarding Carter and it was pretty even contest in the first half. But, the failure to close out on 3 pt shooters really hurt the LVs because they were dominating Texas A&M in the paint. In the second half, Texas A&M ramped up their effort while the LVs seemed to check out. Inexplicable.

They were in matchup zone and switching,,,No one was designated on her except for the few times they ran some face-guarding at her..........I woulda faced her the whole game,,The moment she got comfortable she smiled and laughed her way to near 30 points.
Not on my watch!

Why is it that year after year we hear"x is being brought in because of her skill at outside shooting" only to find out X is unable to shoot from outside once she comes on campus?

We've had marksman players under this admin (Kortney, Alexis, DD..all of them could hit 3's),,,like timeouts, they were only used as emergency weapons, not in game weapons.

 

[PG1]

With this coaching staff, it is very difficult to throw players under the bus. It is coaches that notice player weaknesses and demand excellence. Holly can't even call a timeout when she sees games getting out of hand and her player development is next to zero. Maybe part of the problem is Holly can't deal with the fact that players are different from the way they were twenty years ago.

It’s not the Coach fault that a player is not hustling or lazy! It’s the fault if he or she does not put them on the dang bench and leave them there!

 

[teacherdean]

It’s not the Coach fault that a player is not hustling or lazy! It’s the fault if he or she does not put them on the dang bench and leave them there!

Exactly, in the end, whatever is going on on the floor is the responsibility of the coach.

 

[Amb3096]

Bjorkland?

Simmons with 8 her junior year. Bjorklund and (gasp) Meme tied for 2nd with 7.

 

[teacherdean]

We have to see what Coach Holly can cook up for the second half, right now it is ass kicking 101. Our starters just do not seem into the game.

 

[glv98]

Simmons with 8 her junior year. Bjorklund and (gasp) Meme tied for 2nd with 7.

Wow great stat! I might have guessed Zolman. Well Simmons obviously just by unlimited opportunities. I bet she was 8-30 from 3 that night. Her sister in Streakyhood would exactly be MeMe I guess. Bjorklund was the most pure shooter of those three, but she seemed a little mentally fragile sometimes could press too hard if she missed a few.

 

[Coach Jumper]

Wow great stat! I might have guessed Zolman. Well Simmons obviously just by unlimited opportunities. I bet she was 8-30 from 3 that night. Her sister in Streakyhood would exactly be MeMe I guess. Bjorklund was the most pure shooter of those three, but she seemed a little mentally fragile sometimes could press too hard if she missed a few.

bout time for another streak for Meme

 

[Amb3096]

Wow great stat! I might have guessed Zolman. Well Simmons obviously just by unlimited opportunities. I bet she was 8-30 from 3 that night. Her sister in Streakyhood would exactly be MeMe I guess. Bjorklund was the most pure shooter of those three, but she seemed a little mentally fragile sometimes could press too hard if she missed a few.

8-17 on a tidy 11-20 shooting night. She finished with 32 points. One of her best games as a LV.

Bjorklund would have broken all sort of records if they designed plays to free her up from deep.

 

[JFP]

In fairness to Holly, that has never been a hallmark of Tennessee basketball. Even when Pat had Bjorklund, I don't think she ran nearly enough plays to free her up. Tennessee's three point records are pretty pedestrian when you compare them to other teams. Fun trivia: who holds the record for most 3's in a game?

Agreed that plays for 3's have never been a hallmark of Tennessee basketball. A long time frustrating fact. It has often seemed players who practically never shoot 3's, but jealous of playing time, have played 'keep away" from good 3 point shooters on their team. The thing about 3's is 1/3 more misses can be reasonably allowed for 3's. A 3 is worth 1/3 more than a 2 on the score board. Simple arithmetic. Trying to win for a no 3 team means the 2 only team must make 1/3 more goals in a game than the opposition. Quite a hill to climb. If two teams are closely matched in 2 shooting the odds become almost impossible for the 2 only team to win. The added value of
3's is very evident when a team gets far behind.
But far behind is when desperation 3's are shot often by teams who have made no effort to develop good 3 point shooting throughout the season. UT has had really outstanding 3 point shooters who have not been given confidence to develop this strength. Increasing numbers of women basketball players have become amazing in their 3 point out puts. You see them shining bright when needed. Look at Mississippi State's defeat in last years NCAA final.
3 pointers can be giant killers.

 

[glv98]

To be fair, as far back as Kara Lawson I remember be dismayed that they almost never even ran screens for her to be open for a 3! Capt Obvious reminds us that shaking the Corn Fed chicks offense that was the building block of the dynasty has been a major problem for the LVs since the day the last unstoppable one on one player, Candace Parker, drove down Kingston Pike toward LA.

The surprise for me is that after all this time and all this disfunction, failure, and criticism, CHW has been so thoroughly unable to be blasted out of the past. Seems she'd consider it for her own survival, but I guess she is simply mindset and skillset unequipped to do so.

Which is why she should spend her retirement, starting in April, watching VHS tapes (of course Holy still has a VCR!) of rebounding and putbacks winning games and titles.

 

[aurabass]

Not sure! I'd guess Shekina Stricklen, Ariel Massengile, or Taber Spani

The UT Sports site no longer has access to the stats for 2006 - 2008 but I would guess that Shanna Zolman and Sidney Spencer rank very high in the list of made 3's over their careers. Shanna was particularly a 3 point specialist and I think she won a competition shooting 3's at some point.
Sid was also an excellent 3 point shot

 

[JFP]

Frankly, Simmons reached the point where she played with a chip on her shoulder. Many players the last few years have also done so. It hurt her and made her a low draft choice.
She seemed to begin reacting to her lack of support. Even then she made plays at blazing speed including very accurate lay ups. She began shooting 3's without her feet set to
offset lack of openings for her shots from teammates. She appeared streaky but had reason for being streaky. There were games when she was absolutely "on" with her shots and
had the ability to score 40 points if she wasn't wearing herself out struggling to make open shots entirely on her own. To use and old term I don't think she was trying to "show out."

 

[Amb3096]

The UT Sports site no longer has access to the stats for 2006 - 2008 but I would guess that Shanna Zolman and Sidney Spencer rank very high in the list of made 3's over their careers. Shanna was particularly a 3 point specialist and I think she won a competition shooting 3's at some point.
Sid was also an excellent 3 point shot

Kara Lawson was the career leader in 3's when she wrapped up her career. Her record was broken by Shanna Zolman, and then Angie Bjorklund became the current record holder (300 career makes).

Spencer was a good 3 point shooter, but didn't play as many minutes as these three, especially for her first 2 years.

NCAA career leaders are Mosqueda Lewis from UConn (398) and Laurie Koehn from KS State (392). Neither player was fast, particularly athletic, or able to create their own shot, but by God did their coaching staff devise plan after plan to get them open for good looks from deep. I think Bjorklund could have been up there if Tennessee valued the 3 as a weapon.