How far will the Lady Vols go in the NCAA Tournament?

[1morevol]

Nah, they're just completely decimated by injury and were already undermanned. Thats the kind of team the LVs have feasted on.

LOL always room on the conspiracy bus. My question is if Danny White is the super macho earth shattering AD he's made out to be why does he let this vast plot, widely known and involving hundreds of people, go on? You'd think he'd at least call it out in public.

Don't think our tired legs are the same as other teams'. Trapping presses, followed by hard sprinting to catch up if the ball crosses half court, are way more wearing. Also, remember the amount of preseason running the LVs did has been bragged on as enough to make a marine cry. The head coach herself has blamed overuse and fatigue, said it was a management mistake which she'll learn from.

I suspect there's also a 'tired of it' factor which explains the repeated flat starts. Kim demands a very high level of mental intensity that she may have also mismanaged. Don't think there's necessarily something wrong internally, just mental fatigue and lack of focus. Not sure if two weeks can restore that. Hope so, we'll see.

Hope so also. I've noticed some of our players just standing around watching another player dribble while in the half court offense. Are they catching a quick breather or is that due to the design, or lack of, a discernable half court offense scheme?

 

[glv98]

IMO, they’ve ended up without a discernible half court offense or defense.

On offense, I think the original plan was 3 chunking enabled by winning the possession and attempts game. But we ended up without a shooter consistent enough (esp against good teams) to pull that off. Kim publicly abandoned that after the Vandy loss, but never really replaced it with anything. Coop gets called out for too much hero ball, but as you said, there’s usually nothing going on around her, no movement or cutting, to give her any alternative.

On defense, intense backcourt pressure was supposed to render half court D unnecessary. That obviously hasn’t gone well.

I’m sure both will be emphasized more next season

 

[1morevol]

IMO, they’ve ended up without a discernible half court offense or defense.

On offense, I think the original plan was 3 chunking enabled by winning the possession and attempts game. But we ended up without a shooter consistent enough (esp against good teams) to pull that off. Kim publicly abandoned that after the Vandy loss, but never really replaced it with anything. Coop gets called out for too much hero ball, but as you said, there’s usually nothing going on around her, no movement or cutting, to give her any alternative.

On defense, intense backcourt pressure was supposed to render half court D unnecessary. That obviously hasn’t gone well.

I’m sure both will be emphasized more next season

Agreed. Posed that as a question to be gentle. Thanks for taking the hit for me. Live by the press. Die by the press, especially against well- coached teams with elite guards who have great court awareness and understand passing, not dribbling, is the key to beating a press.

 

[LadyVol1908]

I just wish our press wasn’t so 1 dimensional! If that’s a pillar of your system, I feel like one should have presses we’ve never even heard of!

“Yes, we decided to run the Diamond Glove 3/4 court press in the first 3 minutes, and then we decided to switch to our Listerene Water full court press to throw them off!”

 

[glv98]

I just wish our press wasn’t so 1 dimensional! If that’s a pillar of your system, I feel like one should have presses we’ve never even heard of!

“Yes, we decided to run the Diamond Glove 3/4 court press in the first 3 minutes, and then we decided to switch to our Listerene Water full court press to throw them off!”

I mean how many different ways can you trap? And that’s where the t.o.s come from. I think that’s all they care about.

 

[LadyVol1908]

But sticking to the topic, I feel like we’re out the 2nd round unless Jewel, Ruby, and Spencer come to play! Cooper seemed to gain some poise in the midst of our late season meltdown, I think she’s ready, but she can’t do it all by herself!

 

[LadyVol1908]

I mean how many different ways can you trap? And that’s where the t.o.s come from. I think that’s all they care about.

Traps aren’t the end all, be all of a press. There’s 4 good spots on the court for a trap, but a press should also attempt to get the ball handler to throw to a specific area, where someone should be waiting in anticipation to pick the ball off.

Turnovers are a big part of what Kim cares about, but she also likes the wear and tear of her press. It’ll make the defense way less predictable if she throws some wrinkles in her press playbook.

 

[37620VOL]

I don't see us beating any of the #1 seeds unless we just shoot out of our minds.

 

[Volfan2012]

Traps aren’t the end all, be all of a press. There’s 4 good spots on the court for a trap, but a press should also attempt to get the ball handler to throw to a specific area, where someone should be waiting in anticipation to pick the ball off.

Turnovers are a big part of what Kim cares about, but she also likes the wear and tear of her press. It’ll make the defense way less predictable if she throws some wrinkles in her press playbook.

She should be thinking about springing some traps in the half court defense a lot less area to cover and a lot harder to pass out of a trap there than in the full court. Plus one of our players picking off the pass has a lot better odds. She is going to need to play some possessions straight up defense. If she wants to press all the way down court to try to burn some shot clock that is better than trapping in the back court where your defense gets to spaced out and you give up layups. Never knowing what you are going to do with any one possession on defense is better than doing the same thing over and over again. Got to have variety even a zone occasionally or a match up zone just keep the offensive team off balance.

 

[GameTime]

With fresh legs the girls will raise a lot of defensive hell and cause chaos, at least for the first game....After the first game victory, anything goes.

The positive press the LVs will receive will help bring even more talent to the incoming class of blue chip freshmen...Even a loss can be a recruiting victory.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it....

 

[lvocd]

I agree, Volfan2012. The full court press isn't working most of the time, and the wide-open layups opponents are getting is giving THEM extra adrenaline "energy" and confidence, and only draining ours. You can see it. Opponents are running on fresh Energizer batteries, while we're out there on some Dollar Tree specials.

I don't know if there's enough of the already limited practice time left after the team rests a bit to install any new options. It'd be nice if the team had something different to give them some confidence will work.

 

[J-Dog 1313]

I don't see us beating any of the #1 seeds unless we just shoot out of our minds.

Well, the LVs beat UConn when folks thought it was impossible. So, I think beating a 1 Seed in the NCAAT is possible. GBO.

 

[KnoxLikeUs]

I agree sending the full-court trap without a disguise or counter defensive scheme isn’t the most strategical decision at this level. Teams have coached their PG to move laterally and not directly into the trap, while keeping their dribble with their eyes up to find the unguarded player (s). The LV defenders are moving/running forward so the percentages of getting their hands up and deflecting passes is low. It’s either a steal or layup. I’ve only seen Kaniya, Alyssa, and Talaysia deflect those overhead or cross court pass attempts consistently. Everyone else is going for a steal and more times than not getting beat off the dribble. The only wrinkle left is to play Favor Ayodele. I assume Destinee Wells won’t play at all this season. Both have the ability to move their feet defensively, force steals, and run the court. The offense is scoring points it’s the defense that is the problem.

Traps aren’t the end all, be all of a press. There’s 4 good spots on the court for a trap, but a press should also attempt to get the ball handler to throw to a specific area, where someone should be waiting in anticipation to pick the ball off.

Turnovers are a big part of what Kim cares about, but she also likes the wear and tear of her press. It’ll make the defense way less predictable if she throws some wrinkles in her press playbook.

 

[OrangeBeachVol]

There is a lot of film now for our NCAA opponents to study so I agree with you all that some new twists need to be added if that's possible at this stage of the season.

 

[madtownvol]

IMO, they’ve ended up without a discernible half court offense or defense.

On offense, I think the original plan was 3 chunking enabled by winning the possession and attempts game. But we ended up without a shooter consistent enough (esp against good teams) to pull that off. Kim publicly abandoned that after the Vandy loss, but never really replaced it with anything. Coop gets called out for too much hero ball, but as you said, there’s usually nothing going on around her, no movement or cutting, to give her any alternative.

On defense, intense backcourt pressure was supposed to render half court D unnecessary. That obviously hasn’t gone well.

I’m sure both will be emphasized more next season

Live by the three; die by the three is great when you are living and really brutal when you die.

The idea that they could consistently get 30+ more possessions against top tier SEC teams was, shock of shock, a bit naive. Perhaps, John Adams was not the devil incarnate when he ask "The QUESTION."

After facing the reality of the Vandy game, I feel like CKC wanted to run a spread offense with lots of off the ball movement but when a team is worn down, you get stagnation and isolation hero ball with Coop and Whitehorn and sometimes Spencer putting up hope and prayer shots against bigs.

Ironically, a classic post who can score down low and pass the ball can really help with this kind of offensive set. I am a fan of Spearman but that is really not her game. She can be a great 4 but she is not really built for the post role.

 

[lvocd]

Ironically, a classic post who can score down low and pass the ball can really help with this kind of offensive set. I am a fan of Spearman but that is really not her game. She can be a great 4 but she is not really built for the post role.

One of the things I'm most excited about next season is seeing how both Spearman and Latham come back. I agree Spearman is (at least currently) better suited to be a 4, and I think Latham could be a strong post who could be our top rebounder. I look at Spearman's frame and think she's unlikely to get much more bulk on her, but I can see her developing some nice footwork. Latham has the potential for power, PLUS she can move her feet and is a strong leaper.

I have a feeling we'll be a lot better off down low next season, especially if the staff finds and signs a true post out of the portal. My dream add would be a post who could be an intimidator in the lane without constantly fouling. Harper's teams were best when the healthy version of Tamari Key was down there daring those beeotches to go ahead and try it. Lol Those dominating GTSOOH-block moments sucked the air right out of players who, like Higginbottom and Amoore (and many others) do now, would dare to enter her territory.

I doubt there's gonna be one of those available, but that would be my dream pickup. And if y'all will remember, before Tamari's serious health issues limited her, she could run the floor, too. I remember lots of times Tamari sprinting the floor for long passes for easy buckets.

*Sigh*

 

[madtownvol]

One of the things I'm most excited about next season is seeing how both Spearman and Latham come back. I agree Spearman is (at least currently) better suited to be a 4, and I think Latham could be a strong post who could be our top rebounder. I look at Spearman's frame and think she's unlikely to get much more bulk on her, but I can see her developing some nice footwork. Latham has the potential for power, PLUS she can move her feet and is a strong leaper.

I have a feeling we'll be a lot better off down low next season, especially if the staff finds and signs a true post out of the portal. My dream add would be a post who could be an intimidator in the lane without constantly fouling. Harper's teams were best when the healthy version of Tamari Key was down there daring those beeotches to go ahead and try it. Lol Those dominating GTSOOH-block moments sucked the air right out of players who, like Higginbottom and Amoore (and many others) do now, would dare to enter her territory.

I doubt there's gonna be one of those available, but that would be my dream pickup. And if y'all will remember, before Tamari's serious health issues limited her, she could run the floor, too. I remember lots of times Tamari sprinting the floor for long passes for easy buckets.

*Sigh*

I could definitely see Latham leading the team in rebounds. As a post, unless CKC has some magic growth potion, she is always going to be 6'2 which in todays game would make her a very undersized post. There are examples of undersized post being successful, so it is possible. I would rather see Latham, like Spearman as big wing players and for CKC to a find a Shakira Austin unicorn type post player in the transfer who has size, speed, agility, and can shoot. Not hard right?

 

[chuckiepoo]

I could definitely see Latham leading the team in rebounds. As a post, unless CKC has some magic growth potion, she is always going to be 6'2 which in todays game would make her a very undersized post. There are examples of undersized post being successful so it is possible. I would rather see Latham, like Spearman has big wing players and for CKC to a find a Shakira Austin unicorn type post player in the transfer who has size, speed, agility, and can shoot. Not hard right?

No problem…

 

[BallsVolls1]

I honestly think if this team play the way they played against UConn and the way they played in the early part of the SEC against the Elites, I honestly think they can reach a Sweet 16, and the sky is the limit after that!

 

[knoxvol52]

Lady Vols prolly go to Chapel Hill or Waco, Texas... That's not too far.

 

[Volfan2012]

I saw two Ohio St and Baylor exactly what we deserve after losing to Georgia and Vanderbilt. Saying Bama is the last 5 seed and will get to go to North Carolina.

 

[BowlBrother85]

I think we get to the 2nd round. The wind has left our sail. I still can't believe that Georgia loss. That one really gnaws at me. I still believe in Kim Caldwell though. Go Lady Vols!

 

[gule]

first round at least. 84-82 lol

 

[lvocd]

I think we get to the 2nd round. The wind has left our sail. I still can't believe that Georgia loss. That one really gnaws at me. I still believe in Kim Caldwell though. Go Lady Vols!

If for no other reason than her and her staff's recruiting abilities, she'd be a keeper, right?! The energy that surrounds Caldwell is really good, and I believe like others do that she'll use the hard lessons she learned this season to make teams going forward better. She now more fully understands the assignment.

 

[BowlBrother85]

If for no other reason than her and her staff's recruiting abilities, she'd be a keeper, right?! The energy that surrounds Caldwell is really good, and I believe like others do that she'll use the hard lessons she learned this season to make teams going forward better. She now more fully understands the assignment.

I'm not making excuses for her but next year should be better. A year under her belt and no pregnancy to cope with. I like what I've seen from Prawl and Civil too. Better days are ahead.