Jillian Hollingshead commits to Tennessee

[Hexad Vol]

I think Key will have a really good year because she can relax and play without worrying about fouls as much since Hollingshead and Striplin provide quality backup now.

 

[lvocd]

I think Key will have a really good year because she can relax and play without worrying about fouls as much since Hollingshead and Striplin provide quality backup now.

Excellent point. After Keyen went down last year, so did Tamari's ability to play loose most games. Noone could ever convince me last year's team wouldn't have reached at least the Elite 8, and had a decent shot at the Final Four, if Keyen had stayed healthy.

 

[Coach Jumper]

I think Key will have a really good year because she can relax and play without worrying about fouls as much since Hollingshead and Striplin provide quality backup now.

excellent observation. I have watched JuJu for a year+,,,ever since we were thinking of picking her up out of HS and saw her play for GA 2X. ...She is athletic and moves pretty gracefully for a Big...Being under Tamari will add a "perfecting the shot-block" yearlong seminar. She has a good elbow jumper and isn't easily moved in the post. Can play tough if she gets challenged.

Striplin I saw at war games and she played against bigger, taller and faster posts,,,but not smarter. And certainly not with Karo's timing. (Which I am sure Daddy (Jimbob) being a football coach, knows timing and angles is how you beat speedier people).

Karo will turn out to play a "Graves" role
JuJu wants to fashion her game out of Candace.
And thats just two of TK's in the paint subs.

 

[ttharp]

Excellent point. After Keyen went down last year, so did Tamari's ability to play loose most games. Noone could ever convince me last year's team wouldn't have reached at least the Elite 8, and had a decent shot at the Final Four, if Keyen had stayed healthy.

I think Tamari's presence in the paint on defense was a big reason last years squad got off to that 18-1 start. After Rae went down early, they reallllyyyy had to rely on defense to get wins. I also agree that Keyen would've really helped us in postseason.

 

[37620VOL]

According to MY annual eye tests we haven't had a post player with a significantly high ratio of fast-twitch muscle fibers since Isabelle Harrison. Before her, Glory Johnson and Vicky Baugh. Bashaara Graves and even Jaiden McCoy looked, to me, to be a bit quicker than TK. NOT that I don't have tremendous appreciation for Key and her abilities on both ends of the court, but I don't see a "fast-twitch"-enabled skill set there. Her length and good timing makes up for what she lacks in quickness. She's not at ALL slow, though. Don't think I'm suggesting that because that's not the case.

I am greatly looking forward to seeing the improvement she's making in her final offseason, because there is one thing we can all agree on: Key has made incremental improvements every season since she arrived. I have no reason to believe she won't be even better this season, and she had a pretty terrific junior year. I'd like to see her use her length to far greater advantage this season.

In fairness, TK is a true center and most of the players you mentioned are not. She is also much more dominant on defense than any of the players you mentioned.

 

[lvocd]

In fairness, TK is a true center and most of the players you mentioned are not. She is also much more dominant on defense than any of the players you mentioned.

You are absolutely right, of course. But still, the players I mentioned were all used as post players, and all were pretty darn stout on defense. Did any of them have a wingspan on par with those of NBA posts? Only TK has that. But then, you have to admit TK has a little less quickness than any of them. And I don't know if much, if anything, can be done about that. Can she learn to be more explosive? Possibly, but I have a strong feeling that, unless she's going to be a late bloomer strength-wise and priority-wise, that she may have just about topped out for this level.

Who knows, though? Once she leaves college and has had time to actually experience the realities of a professional athlete who is fully in charge of her own health and fitness, that maturation may make her a lot more serious about it all. I've expressed my feelings about all this before, so some of you know I've always thought she appeared to me to have not yet decided to make basketball a top priority and that, if she ever DID she'd be unstoppable.

Sure would love to see that happen! I'm already convinced, even if that were not to happen, that TK will have an all-American senior season. But if she actually were to become Parker/Catchings-level focused in her final season? She'd not merely be super good, she would annihilate opponents.

 

[37620VOL]

Very true. Imo TK is 2 polished post moves away from being the #1 overall pick.

 

[Volfaninfl2]

You are absolutely right, of course. But still, the players I mentioned were all used as post players, and all were pretty darn stout on defense. Did any of them have a wingspan on par with those of NBA posts? Only TK has that. But then, you have to admit TK has a little less quickness than any of them. And I don't know if much, if anything, can be done about that. Can she learn to be more explosive? Possibly, but I have a strong feeling that, unless she's going to be a late bloomer strength-wise and priority-wise, that she may have just about topped out for this level.

Who knows, though? Once she leaves college and has had time to actually experience the realities of a professional athlete who is fully in charge of her own health and fitness, that maturation may make her a lot more serious about it all. I've expressed my feelings about all this before, so some of you know I've always thought she appeared to me to have not yet decided to make basketball a top priority and that, if she ever DID she'd be unstoppable.

Sure would love to see that happen! I'm already convinced, even if that were not to happen, that TK will have an all-American senior season. But if she actually were to become Parker/Catchings-level focused in her final season? She'd not merely be super good, she would annihilate opponents.

Tamari Key will have a FANTASTIC Senior season, book it!

 

[Volfan2012]

Tamari Key will have a FANTASTIC Senior season, book it!

it could be her best season even if she doesn't average 10 points per game because this team is not lacking in players that can score a lot of points quickly.

 

[xtpsrh08123]

What sucks is no matter how fantastic or how many triple double TK gets this senior season along with blocks the media will still give DPOY to Boston smh . Last year TK got robbed big time. She was the biggest game changer in the SEC and everybody knew it. Get her in foul trouble and your chances tripled to win . Now she gets in foul trouble here comes Franklin , Puckett , Hollinghead , Marta , Jackson , Striplin...YOU NAME IT

 

[Coach Jumper]

yesterday,,,

 

[VA_VOLFAN]

What sucks is no matter how fantastic or how many triple double TK gets this senior season along with blocks the media will still give DPOY to Boston smh . Last year TK got robbed big time. She was the biggest game changer in the SEC and everybody knew it. Get her in foul trouble and your chances tripled to win . Now she gets in foul trouble here comes Franklin , Puckett , Hollinghead , Marta , Jackson , Striplin...YOU NAME IT

Now she will go even harder and that means TROUBLE for the other SEC posts. I remember Dawn playing Boston at the 4 more against us and i think TK had to do something with that. NO I'm not saying Boston was scared of TK but as a coach I think it was smart to use her more at the 4 so she wasn't at risk to pick up fouls against TK guarding her.

AGAIN, this is not an attack on Boston (before any visitors try and jump on me). I think TK is a game changer like you said! Now, on that, I said what i said

 

[Coach Jumper]

Now she will go even harder and that means TROUBLE for the other SEC posts. I remember Dawn playing Boston at the 4 more against us and i think TK had to do something with that. NO I'm not saying Boston was scared of TK but as a coach I think it was smart to use her more at the 4 so she wasn't at risk to pick up fouls against TK guarding her.

AGAIN, this is not an attack on Boston (before any visitors try and jump on me). I think TK is a game changer like you said! Now, on that, I said what i said

Every Shaquille,, has its "Jon Konchak",,, Every Karl Malone has its Dennis "The Worm" Rodman,,,Boston has Key and before struggled with Mercedes,,,its a TN thang

 

[dapeak]

Every Shaquille,, has its "Jon Konchak",,, Every Karl Malone has its Dennis "The Worm" Rodman,,,Boston has Key and before struggled with Mercedes,,,its a TN thang

Agree. Same could be said for Pringle and Candace(for comparison sake) I’ve long said I think TK has a higher ceiling than a Latoya Pringle but is a similar player in how they disrupt the game defensively and even offensively in how they score.