Importance of Improving Throughout the Year

#1

LV renaissance

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#1
I am supportive of Coach Harper and hope she continues to turn our program around. One remaining question about her that has been frequently addressed on this forum has been how good she can be as a recruiter. It may take more time to get the answer for this question, though I have hope that she will eventually flourish here. The other question I still have is that her first two teams she had here peaked early in the season and then slightly regressed after that. This is precisely not the trend you need for the NCAAs and the opposite of what Pat's teams did. There was a stretch in January last year that they looked like a potential Elite Eight team or better. We stomped three really good teams by double digits- Arkansas, Kentucky, and Alabama, and even the meltdown with Georgia happened after one of the best halves of basketball I have seen the LV play since Pat was at the helm. Think if that team kept on improving from there. Instead, our wins became less impressive and we barely won over some average teams. The one change that occurred at the time was that Marta was injured. I like Marta and think she has potential, but I am not sure she was so good that her injury should have changed the season trajectory so much. One possibility was that after Marta was injured, we literally had hardly any quality depth, which could have also been a factor for why we somewhat faded in the first year too. In any case, this year we should have quality depth and it is time for us to peak in March, not January!
 
#2
#2
I am supportive of Coach Harper and hope she continues to turn our program around. One remaining question about her that has been frequently addressed on this forum has been how good she can be as a recruiter. It may take more time to get the answer for this question, though I have hope that she will eventually flourish here. The other question I still have is that her first two teams she had here peaked early in the season and then slightly regressed after that. This is precisely not the trend you need for the NCAAs and the opposite of what Pat's teams did. There was a stretch in January last year that they looked like a potential Elite Eight team or better. We stomped three really good teams by double digits- Arkansas, Kentucky, and Alabama, and even the meltdown with Georgia happened after one of the best halves of basketball I have seen the LV play since Pat was at the helm. Think if that team kept on improving from there. Instead, our wins became less impressive and we barely won over some average teams. The one change that occurred at the time was that Marta was injured. I like Marta and think she has potential, but I am not sure she was so good that her injury should have changed the season trajectory so much. One possibility was that after Marta was injured, we literally had hardly any quality depth, which could have also been a factor for why we somewhat faded in the first year too. In any case, this year we should have quality depth and it is time for us to peak in March, not January!

I agree with this. I rather have some bumps at the beginning and gradually keep improving. I see you mentioned Marta and that was one injury. Don't forget that Rennia was playing on an injury that looking back was worse than u initially thought and it ended up needing surgery and she couldn't make it through training camp. Also, Jordan Horston was injured with both a foot and back injury and she played through it for her team (which required some rest and rehab per her mom). We seem pretty healthy (even Keyen Green) so hopefully we stay that way.

I think another factor to being a team that continually gets better is the communication has to be better and the leadership has to be able to communicate effectively as well as a group as a whole.
 
#3
#3
I agree with this. I rather have some bumps at the beginning and gradually keep improving. I see you mentioned Marta and that was one injury. Don't forget that Rennia was playing on an injury that looking back was worse than u initially thought and it ended up needing surgery and she couldn't make it through training camp. Also, Jordan Horston was injured with both a foot and back injury and she played through it for her team (which required some rest and rehab per her mom). We seem pretty healthy (even Keyen Green) so hopefully we stay that way.

I think another factor to being a team that continually gets better is the communication has to be better and the leadership has to be able to communicate effectively as well as a group as a whole.


your right. All of the main injuries were to the group who were at the height and skill level to play the small forward position, so that position really got wiped out.
 
#6
#6
Dominated in ten games and all the rest were competitive except three. Of the three that we didn't play well Davis was either playing with an injury or was out of the lineup. We won a few close games and lost a few close ones. The first Georgia game should've been a win and after their run we still had a layup by Kashi to win which she missed. In the second game will always believe Davis was fouled on her three attempt which would've meant three free throws and a win there. I think the addition to some actual players that can make a difference as subs will definitely help win more of the close ones down the stretch. The roster is solid if we get some players that can help inside other than Key and we get better point guard play. No doubt the main player we seem to be missing is a strong power forward although we have some candidates to fill that possibly. Point guard has to be better offensively it was our worst position last season.
 
#7
#7
I am supportive of Coach Harper and hope she continues to turn our program around. One remaining question about her that has been frequently addressed on this forum has been how good she can be as a recruiter. It may take more time to get the answer for this question, though I have hope that she will eventually flourish here. The other question I still have is that her first two teams she had here peaked early in the season and then slightly regressed after that. This is precisely not the trend you need for the NCAAs and the opposite of what Pat's teams did. There was a stretch in January last year that they looked like a potential Elite Eight team or better. We stomped three really good teams by double digits- Arkansas, Kentucky, and Alabama, and even the meltdown with Georgia happened after one of the best halves of basketball I have seen the LV play since Pat was at the helm. Think if that team kept on improving from there. Instead, our wins became less impressive and we barely won over some average teams. The one change that occurred at the time was that Marta was injured. I like Marta and think she has potential, but I am not sure she was so good that her injury should have changed the season trajectory so much. One possibility was that after Marta was injured, we literally had hardly any quality depth, which could have also been a factor for why we somewhat faded in the first year too. In any case, this year we should have quality depth and it is time for us to peak in March, not January!

It seems to me there is a trend (may be a better word) in the woman's game that has a more pronounced impact than it does in the men's game. Don't get me wrong it happens in every sport. If a program has and is winning, the coach does not make a real impact. (remember "us" and the coach after Pat) As to Coach Harper, "Lady Vols" will help with recruiting until she gets the program where she wants it.
 
#9
#9
Dominated in ten games and all the rest were competitive except three. Of the three that we didn't play well Davis was either playing with an injury or was out of the lineup. We won a few close games and lost a few close ones. The first Georgia game should've been a win and after their run we still had a layup by Kashi to win which she missed. In the second game will always believe Davis was fouled on her three attempt which would've meant three free throws and a win there. I think the addition to some actual players that can make a difference as subs will definitely help win more of the close ones down the stretch. The roster is solid if we get some players that can help inside other than Key and we get better point guard play. No doubt the main player we seem to be missing is a strong power forward although we have some candidates to fill that possibly. Point guard has to be better offensively it was our worst position last season.

It`s been a minute since i posted, On the road looking at some 2022 players workouts. You are spot on with what you said, The roster is solid if we get some players that can help inside other than Key and we get better point guard play. And for me that will need to come against a good team or one of the top teams in the country.
 
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#10
#10
It`s been a minute since i posted, On the road looking at some 2022 players workouts. You are spot on with what you said, The roster is solid if we get some players that can help inside other than Key and we get better point guard play. And for me that will need to come against a good team or one of the top teams in the country.

They have good frontcourt/wing depth with Suarez and Green that the freshmen won't be relied on as heavily. But they are thin at guard and will have to rely on some raw freshmen or players that are end of bench (Rennie, Darby). If the freshmen don't adapt quickly (I think Wynn has more of an opportunity here), then likely Burrell and Horston will be playing a lot of minutes game in, game out.

Either Walker or Horston need to step up as PG. That's the biggest deficit on the team right now.
 
#11
#11
The team suffered a lot of injuries last year, and the erosion of depth showed in the post season. This team looks like it has been improving it's conditioning and getting stronger in the offseason by design, and that should help stave off the injury bug. If so, they'll be fresher for the post season than last year. With added depth from development of role players and incoming freshman, this team is poised to have a terrific year. To make that step up, we will need better point guard play. There's reason to be optimistic about that, as Walker appears to be moving a lot better, and both she and Horston are a year more experienced and stronger. And there's added depth with Miles. I'm seeing the glass more than half full for this season.
 
#12
#12
They have good frontcourt/wing depth with Suarez and Green that the freshmen won't be relied on as heavily. But they are thin at guard and will have to rely on some raw freshmen or players that are end of bench (Rennie, Darby). If the freshmen don't adapt quickly (I think Wynn has more of an opportunity here), then likely Burrell and Horston will be playing a lot of minutes game in, game out.

Either Walker or Horston need to step up as PG. That's the biggest deficit on the team right now.

I don`t disagree but someone from the wing will need to move to the 4 spot because after Striplin there is no one other then Puckett that can play the 4 ?.
 
#14
#14
I don`t disagree but someone from the wing will need to move to the 4 spot because after Striplin there is no one other then Puckett that can play the 4 ?.
There are 2 other players who can play the 4 and have their entire careers they are just undersized 4 players. Green was showing exactly what she could do right be for being injured for the season last year and Dye put up 26 points and grabbed 11 rebounds (at 6'0") playing against 6'4" Cierra Johnson and 6'2" N'dea Jones in a game that they (Troy) should have won if it wasn't for horrible officiating down the stretch.

And before you say Troy isn't in the SEC, A&M is and Kasi and Key could only manage 18 combined points and 20 combined rebounds against the same tandem. (We lost to A&M by 10 and Troy lost to them by 4 in the tournament with far less talent)
 
#15
#15
There are 2 other players who can play the 4 and have their entire careers they are just undersized 4 players. Green was showing exactly what she could do right be for being injured for the season last year and Dye put up 26 points and grabbed 11 rebounds (at 6'0") playing against 6'4" Cierra Johnson and 6'2" N'dea Jones in a game that they (Troy) should have won if it wasn't for horrible officiating down the stretch.

And before you say Troy isn't in the SEC, A&M is and Kasi and Key could only manage 18 combined points and 20 combined rebounds against the same tandem. (We lost to A&M by 10 and Troy lost to them by 4 in the tournament with far less talent)
I think Dye could be a double double player for us will be interested to see how Kelly uses her. She has quite a bit of speed and quickness and is capable of playing a lot bigger than her height or size. She had the task of trying to guard big Johnson in the A&M game and did fairly well considering she had 50 pounds and four inches on her. I really like how she runs the court, can hit the mid-range shots, and get in the passing lanes for steals. She is a mis-match for big four players and will give them a tough night keeping up with her. I honestly think she can take up a lot of what Davis did for us on the boards, scoring, and defense.
Green has a little more bulk this season and although she is only 6'1" know how to play offensively around the basket. Still not totally convinced how she will rebound, but I think she can score and defend adequately.
 
#16
#16
I don't see us losing much or anything at all in the starting five this season. The main reason is if Key, Horston, and even Walker aren't better players this season then were not getting what we need from development. The real difference will or will not come as to how players coming off the bench can contribute. Our bench was virtually non-existent last season. If they can contribute 15 to 20 points in an efficient way then were on to something this season offensively. You would think all of Key, Burrell, Horston, and Dye would be double digit per game point contributors.
 
#17
#17
I don`t disagree but someone from the wing will need to move to the 4 spot because after Striplin there is no one other then Puckett that can play the 4 ?.
I think that Keyen will be the primary backup at the 4/5 (assuming that Dye and Key are the starters). If the two starters average about 55 min combined, there will be 25 min for the bench. My prediction is that Keyen averages ~20 min, so Striplin won't be as pressured to deliver this year.
 
#18
#18
There are 2 other players who can play the 4 and have their entire careers they are just undersized 4 players. Green was showing exactly what she could do right be for being injured for the season last year and Dye put up 26 points and grabbed 11 rebounds (at 6'0") playing against 6'4" Cierra Johnson and 6'2" N'dea Jones in a game that they (Troy) should have won if it wasn't for horrible officiating down the stretch.

And before you say Troy isn't in the SEC, A&M is and Kasi and Key could only manage 18 combined points and 20 combined rebounds against the same tandem. (We lost to A&M by 10 and Troy lost to them by 4 in the tournament with far less talent)
Troy is an interesting team because they play at such a fast pace and don't play much defense beyond going for steals. It's hard for opposing teams to set up their defenses because they are running non stop and shooting as soon as they are midcourt. I think the adjustment for Dye will be to play at a slower pace and be expected to play a more disciplined style of defense. I don't think she'll replicate her Troy numbers or be a 1-to-1 replacement for Rennia, but I think she'll be productive enough to be the 2nd leading scorer (after Rae) and a solid rebounder.
 
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#19
#19
I think coach Harper may increase the tempo this year. With several injuries that affected mobility and little proven depth, she didn't really have a chance to run much last year, but the improved health and more talented and numerous players on the bench, I believe pressing and running is a real possibility for this year.
 
#20
#20
Troy is an interesting team because they play at such a fast pace and don't play much defense beyond going for steals. It's hard for opposing teams to set up their defenses because they are running non stop and shooting as soon as they are midcourt. I think the adjustment for Dye will be to play at a slower pace and be expected to play a more disciplined style of defense. I don't think she'll replicate her Troy numbers or be a 1-to-1 replacement for Rennia, but I think she'll be productive enough to be the 2nd leading scorer (after Rae) and a solid rebounder.
I believe Dye will be a double-double producer this year. Along with Striplin, the 4 spot will be a huge asset for the LVs.
 
#21
#21
I think coach Harper may increase the tempo this year. With several injuries that affected mobility and little proven depth, she didn't really have a chance to run much last year, but the improved health and more talented and numerous players on the bench, I believe pressing and running is a real possibility for this year.

Kellie did say they would look different this year.
 
#22
#22
My time of year coming up,,,round-ball...,TBS,,,Lady Vols;

Butch and Sundance (Striplin and Puckett),,,watching Kaiya become "Flya",,,Seeing if Coach K is the answer for finding the trigger for Brooklynn,,,Seeing the impact of Alexus Dye,,,Seeing Jordy without the brace,,,Will Jesse find her contribution-spot in shooting,,,Rae, continuing the turnaround and intensity from last year,,,Green. What to expect, what she will bring,,,,Tess ,find a purpose!,,,,Tamari (is a heckuva lot better than she gets credit for being),,,Jordon Horston, is it time for her "Magic" to reach its potential,,,Emily "The door" couldn't be more open,,,will Marta take to the US game.

Stay tuned,,,,,,
 
#25
#25
On the surface this would seem to be a more stable team when compared to all the injuries we had last year, and that is a good place to start. I believe we need a fairly big step up in our guard play, meaning ball security, smart decision making in critical situations, and defending and influencing the opposing guard. Hopefully, Ms. Dye and committee will take some of the pressure off Rae and really free her up, and I hope Ms. Key will become the dominate player I think many of us believe she can become. Finally, I believe Coach Harper has to release her inner "Coach Summitt", in terms of her expectations and demands on the team and each player. With that said, GO LADY VOLS:)
 

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