NCAA Tournament in jeopardy?

#26
#26
bballnut90 said:
Alright, I'm not going to sugarcoat this--the team looks bad and the start to the season could not have been a whole lot worse than this. I know it's extremely early in the season, but I'm legitimately nervous about the LVs chances of making the NCAAs this year. Look at the schedule breakdown:

Tennessee has a couple of chippy games against Tennessee St, Appalachian St, Troy, and UNC-W which should be gimme wins. Tennessee needs to go 4-0 against these clubs, and I think they will.

During that stretch they also have to play Baylor at home (likely a loss), Texas on the road (loss), and Stanford at home (likely loss.) Nabbing one or two wins would be great, realistically I think UT goes 0-3 unless they can beat Stanford.

If they lose those 3 and win the gimme games, they'll go 4-3 during this stretch, and Tennessee will be 7-5 entering conference play. They'll face ND at home later in the season which is pretty much a guaranteed loss, putting Tennessee at 7-6 for their OOC schedule.

In conference play, Tennessee is predicted to finish 3rd, but looking at their schedule, this is how I see it broken down:

Games they'll likely lose:
-Mississippi State home
-Mississippi State away
-South Carolina away
-Florida away
-Kentucky home


Games that are tossups:
-Florida Home
-Vanderbilt Away
-Auburn Home
-Missouri Home

Games that should be wins:
-Ole Miss away
-LSU home
-Vandy home
-Georgia away
-Texas A&M home
-Alabama away
-Arkansas home

5 games they'll lose, 4 tossups, 7 wins. I think their record will be somewhere between 7-9 to 11-5....probably 9-7 or 8-8 if we take an average. Let's say they go 9-7. They'll likely win a first round game in the SEC tournament and lose in the quarterfinals or semifinals. Say they go 1-1 there.

Their total record is 17-14 entering the NCAA tournament. Is that going to be good enough to get it? Who knows.

Obviously, this is very premature and a lot can change (for good or bad), but early on all signs are pointing toward another rough season in Knoxville. In 2008-09 and even last year, I never contemplated that Tennessee doesn't make the tournament, but the results thus far aren't convincing me Tennessee is a tournament caliber team.
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I wonder if were willing to go to the women's NIT. I don't think 17 and 14 gets you in the NCAA and I have been thinking this team could set a new loss record more than the 14 we lost last year. When all your players are terrible shooters and passers no way you can win against a good team and even an average team.
 
#27
#27
Volfan2012 said:
I wonder if were willing to go to the women's NIT. I don't think 17 and 14 gets you in the NCAA and I have been thinking this team could set a new loss record more than the 14 we lost last year. When all your players are terrible shooters and passers no way you can win against a good team and even an average team.
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I think we will lose more that 14. :thud::thud:
 
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#28
#28
Darth_Vol said:
I can only think of one player who improved significantly under Holly, and that was Isabelle Harrison. Most show minimal to no improvement, or actually regress. Graves was a better player as a freshman than as a senior....
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Izzy only improved because she started working out with Jarnell Stokes at home.
 
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#30
#30
Did anyone ever think that the Lady Vols would rank below the lacks of DePaul, Mississippi State, Florida State, Washington, West Virginia, Colorado, etc.? Especially considering we have more five star players. I know a lot of fans are saying, "Wait until next year", however, what about this coaching staff guarantees that with 3 incoming 5 stars and 1 4 stars we will be any better? I know Cooper and Green will add a lot to the team, however, the coaching philosophy is in need of a major change, especially if we are aiming to be a top ten team. In reality, Nard, Russell and Diamond should be aggressive game changers. Especially against competition like PSU and VT, we should have won those games going away. Diamond D. is no where near the player she was as a freshman at NC. Nard is aggressive most of the time and Russell is aggressive some of the time, she spends a lot of time watching the game when she is on the floor. The bigs are either badly coached or they were simply overrated in high school. I hope next year we are not saying that we still have a bunch of overrated 5 stars and a clueless junior college transfer. Sooner or later the blame has to be the coaching.
 
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#32
#32
teacherdean said:
Did anyone ever think that the Lady Vols would rank below the lacks of DePaul, Mississippi State, Florida State, Washington, West Virginia, Colorado, etc.? Especially considering we have more five star players. I know a lot of fans are saying, "Wait until next year", however, what about this coaching staff guarantees that with 3 incoming 5 stars and 1 4 stars we will be any better? I know Cooper and Green will add a lot to the team, however, the coaching philosophy is in need of a major change, especially if we are aiming to be a top ten team. In reality, Nard, Russell and Diamond should be aggressive game changers. Especially against competition like PSU and VT, we should have won those games going away. Diamond D. is no where near the player she was as a freshman at NC. Nard is aggressive most of the time and Russell is aggressive some of the time, she spends a lot of time watching the game when she is on the floor. The bigs are either badly coached or they were simply overrated in high school. I hope next year we are not saying that we still have a bunch of overrated 5 stars and a clueless junior college transfer. Sooner or later the blame has to be the coaching.
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We'll call it the Holly effect and see if the future players are the next victims or the current players were simply terrible players that got overrated for some weird reason.
 
#33
#33
teacherdean said:
Did anyone ever think that the Lady Vols would rank below the lacks of DePaul, Mississippi State, Florida State, Washington, West Virginia, Colorado, etc.? Especially considering we have more five star players. I know a lot of fans are saying, "Wait until next year", however, what about this coaching staff guarantees that with 3 incoming 5 stars and 1 4 stars we will be any better? I know Cooper and Green will add a lot to the team, however, the coaching philosophy is in need of a major change, especially if we are aiming to be a top ten team. In reality, Nard, Russell and Diamond should be aggressive game changers. Especially against competition like PSU and VT, we should have won those games going away. Diamond D. is no where near the player she was as a freshman at NC. Nard is aggressive most of the time and Russell is aggressive some of the time, she spends a lot of time watching the game when she is on the floor. The bigs are either badly coached or they were simply overrated in high school. I hope next year we are not saying that we still have a bunch of overrated 5 stars and a clueless junior college transfer. Sooner or later the blame has to be the coaching.
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Out of curiosity, those saying 'wait until next year' are saying this why?

IF Diamond and Mercedes jump after this season, we get some great recruits in. #2 and at least 1 or 2 other top 10 depending on who you ask. BUT... Mercedes and DD were ranked 1-2. If we can't win with that kind of talent, what makes anyone think that some talented but raw freshmen will do any better? Sure we get Cooper back but I'm not sure that will be enough to be any better than this season...
 
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#34
#34
UTLadyvolsfan said:
Out of curiosity, those saying 'wait until next year' are saying this why?

IF Diamond and Mercedes jump after this season, we get some great recruits in. #2 and at least 1 or 2 other top 10 depending on who you ask. BUT... Mercedes and DD were ranked 1-2. If we can't win with that kind of talent, what makes anyone think that some talented but raw freshmen will do any better? Sure we get Cooper back but I'm not sure that will be enough to be any better than this season...
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It will address the depth excuse being used this year. Then Kamara Harris will sprain her ankle, and people will blame VTs third straight win over the LVs next season on the fact that Kamara couldn't play in the game...
 
#35
#35
UTLadyvolsfan said:
Out of curiosity, those saying 'wait until next year' are saying this why?

IF Diamond and Mercedes jump after this season, we get some great recruits in. #2 and at least 1 or 2 other top 10 depending on who you ask. BUT... Mercedes and DD were ranked 1-2. If we can't win with that kind of talent, what makes anyone think that some talented but raw freshmen will do any better? Sure we get Cooper back but I'm not sure that will be enough to be any better than this season...
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This is exactly why I'm not particularly excited that we have a #1 class because a #1 class without a good coach doesn't mean much. Four years ago, we would have been high as a kite to get Diamond and Mercedes who were both considered the best players in that class. Now we have them and we're already looking to the next class and (spoiler alert) until the coach is replaced we're going to always look to next year because this coaching staff can't deliver. It's just the fans that either don't pay attention or don't understand sports that are excited and that excitement will soon turn to disappointment.

The question I always ask and wonder about to anyone still supporting Holly is: how bad does the program have to get before you acknowledge there's a problem?
 
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#36
#36
clkou said:
This is exactly why I'm not particularly excited that we have a #1 class because a #1 class without a good coach doesn't mean much. Four years ago, we would have been high as a kite to get Diamond and Mercedes who were both considered the best players in that class. Now we have them and we're already looking to the next class and (spoiler alert) until the coach is replaced we're going to always look to next year because this coaching staff can't deliver. It's just the fans that either don't pay attention or don't understand sports that are excited and that excitement will soon turn to disappointment.

The question I always ask and wonder about to anyone still supporting Holly is: how bad does the program have to get before you acknowledge there's a problem?
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Yes indeed ...just how long will they wait ? That is rhetorical since they are prepared to wait until the Lady Vols no longer will be rated in Top 100 in the country and will no longer make the NCAA tourney.So the next Coaching staff will really have a tough job resurrecting the program to even respectable and competitive status with the UConn's,Notre Dame's,Stanford's,Baylor's of the BB world.
 
#37
#37
A poster was concerned over our number one class for next year leaving if the Lady Vols change coaches, hell will freeze over before Holly will be fired. For the sake of an argument let us say that Holly gets the boot. To retain our recruits the LV's would need a big named coach, or a big name former LV player to halt any possible defections. I can't see Coaches coming from the top 5 programs to coach the LV's it would be a great job with the talent already in place. I would think a WNBA coach like the Minnesota coach could retain our players. A lot will depend upon how much Tennessee is willing to pay a top notch coach. Tamika Catchings might be able to retain our recruits, however, being a good player and being a good coach does not always workout, present LV case and point. I think that we need a known coach that has proven themself as a head coach. Another five year experiment could kill the house Pat built. That would be worse than a shame to see a once storied and class program turn into shambles, presently, we are not far from that arena.
 
#38
#38
I find this whole thread pretty unbelievable. I don't see how any fan (real fan) not only doesn't think that the LV's have a chance in EVERY game they play but also that they will win those games. Will they? Of course not but I go into every game thinking we are going to win. The season has just begun. Jeez, give me a break. I'm no Holly fan but I have no doubt we are going to make the tourney.
 
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#39
#39
meekfan said:
I find this whole thread pretty unbelievable. I don't see how any fan (real fan) not only doesn't think that the LV's have a chance in EVERY game they play but also that they will win those games. Will they? Of course not but I go into every game thinking we are going to win. The season has just begun. Jeez, give me a break. I'm no Holly fan but I have no doubt we are going to make the tourney.
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Hope you are right, but I suspect they might if and only if because of who built WBB from the bottom up.

I will predict we will lose as many as 14 this year.
 
#41
#41
I really don't think people are on the ledge. Most of us are just being realistic. Nothing seen to make us think that this team will not lose 14 games at least.
Many of the orange sunshine pumpers here had said that our LVs will 3 or more of the upcoming games against: Baylor, Texas, Stanford and ND. I would be more than happy to win 2 of them and even 1. I don't see this team winning any of them. Just my honest opinion and nothing more. Hope they win all 4!!
 
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