Next Year TODO?

#1
P

Phatty

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Mar 17, 2010
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8
#1
So, what does this team have to do next year to have a good chance for a National Championship? Baylor has a young team. UCONN will still have Moore. Fortunately we have no Seniors, but we're only 2-2 in the NCAA tournament over the past two years.

My first thought is we need to move Stricklen away from the point and into the 2 or 3 guard. I think Williams can get the job done if she improves and works hard in the off season. I think EVERY player needs to work harder in the off season and improve a LOT. In fact, Glory Johnson in particularly I felt like should be dominating more. She's so athletic and yet she was hardly playing tonight in the loss to Baylor.

What's our incoming class looking like? Who have we signed? Who's not coming back? Who shouldn't be coming back?
 
#3
#3
It would be nice to have a true PG that might free Stricklen up but who would you take out of the starting lineup? Not Cain or Brewer. Definitely not Angie. And Manning is really coming on strong. Too many good players is a good problem to have though.
 
#4
#4
Take out Cain when we play the more athleyic teams. She can't keep up. Her being on the bench with fouls all the time is proff of that. She is dominant when the other team has no post presence. Baugh and Brewer down low will be a very athletic post game.

Hopefully Avant will be able to get minutes at the point and hopefully that Simmons is quick enough to get herself open for threes but I don't expect them to play a lot of minutes. This team is loaded. The only question is can they pull the trigger. They should win two championships in the next two years.
 
#5
#5
WELL TO START WITH ,GET SOME NEW PLAYERS WHO WANT TO PLAY AND WANT TO WIN. GET RID OF PAT AND HER STAFF, THEY HAVE BEEN THERE TO LONG TIME TO MOVE ON AND DOWN SOMETHING ELSE. STALE AND NOT FIRE ANYMORE. THEY WILL NOT WIN ANOTHER TITLE AS LONG AS THINGS REAMIN THE SAME AS THEY HAVE FOR 36 YEARS. TIME TO GO PAT AND EVERYONE ELSE. THEY NEED SOME ONE TO TURN THIS PROGRAM AROND AND GET BACK TO WINNING TITLES. WATCHING THE GAME AND HER STAFF, IT WAS IF THEY DIDN'T EVEN CARE AND WERE THROWING THE GAME JUST NOT TO HAVE TO PLAY UCONN!!! THINK ABOUT THAT!! WE NEED A CHANGE IN K TOWN TIME TO MOVE ON PAT!!!:clapping:
 
#7
#7
CRICKET said:
WELL TO START WITH ,GET SOME NEW PLAYERS WHO WANT TO PLAY AND WANT TO WIN. GET RID OF PAT AND HER STAFF, THEY HAVE BEEN THERE TO LONG TIME TO MOVE ON AND DOWN SOMETHING ELSE. STALE AND NOT FIRE ANYMORE. THEY WILL NOT WIN ANOTHER TITLE AS LONG AS THINGS REAMIN THE SAME AS THEY HAVE FOR 36 YEARS. TIME TO GO PAT AND EVERYONE ELSE. THEY NEED SOME ONE TO TURN THIS PROGRAM AROND AND GET BACK TO WINNING TITLES. WATCHING THE GAME AND HER STAFF, IT WAS IF THEY DIDN'T EVEN CARE AND WERE THROWING THE GAME JUST NOT TO HAVE TO PLAY UCONN!!! THINK ABOUT THAT!! WE NEED A CHANGE IN K TOWN TIME TO MOVE ON PAT!!!:clapping:
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Read this troll's post history. He joined a little over a year ago and has been trashing Coach Summitt in almost every post he's made. Consider the source and ignore the rant.

Oh, to anser the OP, maybe we can find a 6'8" dude willling to wear a skirt.
 
#8
#8
STL Vol Fan said:
It would be nice to have a true PG that might free Stricklen up but who would you take out of the starting lineup? Not Cain or Brewer. Definitely not Angie. And Manning is really coming on strong. Too many good players is a good problem to have though.
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What people keep forgetting is that Williams is the best point for the Lady Vols and this is the reason that Pat recruited her. The only reason Pat will not play her is that the game plan was to put Spani in the line-up and no one else but Strick could handle the ball under pressure. Pat likes to play head games with young athletes. If you can remember when Williams has played the point for them the team has looked very well and she had no turnovers like Stricklen or Manning at the position.

They definitely need to take Cain out of the starting line-up because she is too darn soft to be 6'6" and about 200 plus!! It's a darn shame she let 6'8" about 130 plus push her around, but that was nothing new because it happened all season each time she had someone to challenge her under the basket. Go back and research the tapes.

The starting five should be and always should have been, Williams, Stricklen, Bjorkland, Johnson & Brewer but Pat wants to push those big slow non-athletic girls like Cain, Spani & Manning who can't defend anyone over Brewer, Williams & Johnson.
 
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#9
#9
Well, I think PS's well past her prime--and don't mind saying so. The Vols need to get more athletic! They are too freakin' slow! Cain: very slow. Brewer--slow. Spani--slow. Bjorklund---lacks quickness. Stricklin--ok. Manning--not quick, OK. This is basketball, not big 10 football. What was Summitt thinking--or not!--playing Bjorklund 40 minutes! Are you kidding? That was stupid. Nobody can play 40 minutes against a good opponent and in the regional semis and have anything left in the last 10 minutes of the game. And that's double true for Bjorklund because she works hard on the court--and has to to make up for her lack of quickness. She was fried in the second half--most of the team was. The Vols collapsed in the last 10 minutes.
 
#10
#10
[QUOTE="JUSTHOOPIN";3491696]The starting five should be and always should have been, Williams, Stricklen, Bjorkland, Johnson & Brewer but Pat wants to push those big slow non-athletic girls like Cain, Spani & Manning who can't defend anyone over Brewer, Williams & Johnson.[/QUOTE]I pretty much agree with you except I think Manning was just as fast but more consistent than Brewer. I also agree that Williams is a true point guard and wish she would have been utilized more. I think in the beginning of the season her defense wasn't up to par and then later in the season, she just wasn't seasoned enough to get in the mix the way wanted. So, the players have to own up to the responsibility and step up so they EARN their minutes, too.

Last season, it seemed like Pat went with the more athletic line-up for most of the year and decided to have the offense go through Cain towards the end of the season because it hadn't been working with the smaller girls. For a while, that worked better than it had been without her. Then this season, they picked up where they left off, and I guess you can argue the merits back and forth because they DID only lose 3 games all season and DID get a #1 seed in the bracket, but it just never seemed like Cain got her game where it should have been for her to be such a focal point. Looking back on the Baylor game, I would have much rather seen Stricklen or Johnson log minutes guarding Griner because they can match her quickness and athleticism. Don't get me wrong. I think Cain has a lot to offer, but she seems to get in foul trouble a lot plus the quickness issue makes me think she'd be better suited to come off the bench.

As many good players as we have, I really hope the teams puts emphasis on working really hard to get better in the off season. No one should feel like they have a starting job locked up. Right now, Angie is probably our best player, but I think for this team to win a national championship, she should be like our 3rd or 4th best player. In the last game of the season, she really struggled to get her shot and it wasn't getting done inside to alleviate any pressure for her outside. If other players were stepping up, it would really open her game up even more so she could score more often, but naturally score within the flow of the game - not have to do it by herself.

I don't know much about Meighan Simmons or Lauren Avant, but I hope they are natural point guards and do a good job and I hope Williams gets a shot to shine as the team's point guard.

I'm not going to criticize the coaching staff. I think they have a superb record and they are there every day @ practice and @ the game and scouting. It's too easy to second guess after a loss for us. Nevertheless, I do hope they make the necessary adjustments so we can be successful in the future. For both men and women NCAA basketball, I pretty much only watch the Lady Vols and it was sooo disappointing to have them lose in the round of 16 as a #1 seed :(

Are there any other incoming recruits? Is anyone expected not to come back?
 
#11
#11
armchair said:
Well, I think PS's well past her prime--and don't mind saying so. The Vols need to get more athletic! They are too freakin' slow! Cain: very slow. Brewer--slow. Spani--slow. Bjorklund---lacks quickness. Stricklin--ok. Manning--not quick, OK. This is basketball, not big 10 football. What was Summitt thinking--or not!--playing Bjorklund 40 minutes! Are you kidding? That was stupid. Nobody can play 40 minutes against a good opponent and in the regional semis and have anything left in the last 10 minutes of the game. And that's double true for Bjorklund because she works hard on the court--and has to to make up for her lack of quickness. She was fried in the second half--most of the team was. The Vols collapsed in the last 10 minutes.
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Since you obviously know more about this than Coach Summitt, send in your resume and apply for the job.

I'll be happy to judge your performance compared to the current coach.

But I don't think there is anyone at Tennessee dumb enough to hire you.
 
#13
#13
Let's see here, we can't compete with teams like Baylor. Let me check, didn't we beat Baylor at home first game of the year or was that just a figment of my imagination. Give Pat time, given her knee problems Cain is still very much lacking in experience. Baugh will provide some help if she comes back healthy, and Johnson will improve if she wants to. Getting a true PG will help, but the matchup at the 1 Strick provides is an advantage. I'm interested to see what Faith Dupree can provide as well in the post. Didn't get to see much of her to form an opinion one way or the other. I think this team will be fine, they just need to mature some more. I'm happy to see them make it from 1st round bounce to Sweet 16, Pat will not accept mediocrity from these girls.
 
#14
#14
3 Rocky Top Cove said:
Read this troll's post history. He joined a little over a year ago and has been trashing Coach Summitt in almost every post he's made. Consider the source and ignore the rant.

Oh, to anser the OP, maybe we can find a 6'8" dude willling to wear a skirt.
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Totally agree with you!:eek:k: Pat did seem a little bit out of it. Wonder at what point she quite hollering at them.:aggressive: I said in a previous that when she starts the training next season to get them in the spirit and ask the question: "You know what happened last season! How much do you want to play in a National Championship game?" If you do, then prove it to me out on that court this season. Make me and all the fans be proud of the Lady Vols!! Now go out there and GET IT!":clapping:
 
#15
#15
CRICKET said:
WELL TO START WITH ,GET SOME NEW PLAYERS WHO WANT TO PLAY AND WANT TO WIN. GET RID OF PAT AND HER STAFF, THEY HAVE BEEN THERE TO LONG TIME TO MOVE ON AND DOWN SOMETHING ELSE. STALE AND NOT FIRE ANYMORE. THEY WILL NOT WIN ANOTHER TITLE AS LONG AS THINGS REAMIN THE SAME AS THEY HAVE FOR 36 YEARS. TIME TO GO PAT AND EVERYONE ELSE. THEY NEED SOME ONE TO TURN THIS PROGRAM AROND AND GET BACK TO WINNING TITLES. WATCHING THE GAME AND HER STAFF, IT WAS IF THEY DIDN'T EVEN CARE AND WERE THROWING THE GAME JUST NOT TO HAVE TO PLAY UCONN!!! THINK ABOUT THAT!! WE NEED A CHANGE IN K TOWN TIME TO MOVE ON PAT!!!:clapping:
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Funny a stupid post from a troll.
 
#17
#17
CRICKET said:
WELL TO START WITH ,GET SOME NEW PLAYERS WHO WANT TO PLAY AND WANT TO WIN. GET RID OF PAT AND HER STAFF, THEY HAVE BEEN THERE TO LONG TIME TO MOVE ON AND DOWN SOMETHING ELSE. STALE AND NOT FIRE ANYMORE. THEY WILL NOT WIN ANOTHER TITLE AS LONG AS THINGS REAMIN THE SAME AS THEY HAVE FOR 36 YEARS. TIME TO GO PAT AND EVERYONE ELSE. THEY NEED SOME ONE TO TURN THIS PROGRAM AROND AND GET BACK TO WINNING TITLES. WATCHING THE GAME AND HER STAFF, IT WAS IF THEY DIDN'T EVEN CARE AND WERE THROWING THE GAME JUST NOT TO HAVE TO PLAY UCONN!!! THINK ABOUT THAT!! WE NEED A CHANGE IN K TOWN TIME TO MOVE ON PAT!!!:clapping:
Click to expand...

:banghead2:
 
#18
#18
I think we should be pretty tough in the next couple years. This squad will be even bigger than last year's. Not only do we return this past year's complete roster, but it is possible that both Baugh (6-4) and Gray (6-1) return, as well as Faith Dupree (6-3) coming off of a RS year. We also bring in the #24 (Meighan Simmons) and #28 (Lauren Avant) players in the country. Both are smaller guards (5-8 and 5-9) that excel at driving and defense. Our big issue, imo, will be that we don't have a ton of consistent outside presence. Bjorklund, Spani, and Stricklen will have to step up there. I think that UConn will be down slightly. Yes, they return Moore, but they lose Charles, Greene, McLaren, and Gardler. I see the other two frontrunners for the title being Stanford and Baylor.
 
#19
#19
Consistent outside shooting is a problem, among others. Really, Stricklen is the only player who's a somewhat dependable shooter from 5 to 20 feet. Other than her, the Vols really only have Bjorklund, who spends most of her time running around the three-point perimeter. This is why Baylor was such a bad matchup for UT: Griner took away Caine and the inside scoring, and the Vols had nothing to fall back on for scoring against Stricklen, who had a good game but has to run the offense, and Bjorklund, who had a terrible game (maybe because Summitt never gave her a rest) and who is not quick enough to get open consistently. Summitt should be putting an athletic, open-court offense on the floor. She should have more players like Stricklen--strange that she doesn't.
 
#20
#20
I think we have some mid range game, but alot is unproven. This team was still extremely young this year.
 
#21
#21
armchair said:
Consistent outside shooting is a problem, among others. Really, Stricklen is the only player who's a somewhat dependable shooter from 5 to 20 feet. Other than her, the Vols really only have Bjorklund, who spends most of her time running around the three-point perimeter. This is why Baylor was such a bad matchup for UT: Griner took away Caine and the inside scoring, and the Vols had nothing to fall back on for scoring against Stricklen, who had a good game but has to run the offense, and Bjorklund, who had a terrible game (maybe because Summitt never gave her a rest) and who is not quick enough to get open consistently. Summitt should be putting an athletic, open-court offense on the floor. She should have more players like Stricklen--strange that she doesn't.
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Glad you've settled down a bit. This post is much more rational than your previous "Fire Pat" rants.
 
#22
#22
They will be better. Like it was mentioned earlier, they were still young as a result of graduating so many from the back to back squads 2 years ago. Simmons and Avant will give us two solid ball handlers at the point who can score and create for their teammates. Avant was rated a lot higher, but she suffered a shoulder injury as a result of a car wreck last summer and just started playing again after surgery. Those to and Baugh ( I believe it is) coming back from ACL surgery will make this team deeper.
 
#24
#24
CRICKET said:
WELL TO START WITH ,GET SOME NEW PLAYERS WHO WANT TO PLAY AND WANT TO WIN. GET RID OF PAT AND HER STAFF, THEY HAVE BEEN THERE TO LONG TIME TO MOVE ON AND DOWN SOMETHING ELSE. STALE AND NOT FIRE ANYMORE. THEY WILL NOT WIN ANOTHER TITLE AS LONG AS THINGS REAMIN THE SAME AS THEY HAVE FOR 36 YEARS. TIME TO GO PAT AND EVERYONE ELSE. THEY NEED SOME ONE TO TURN THIS PROGRAM AROND AND GET BACK TO WINNING TITLES. WATCHING THE GAME AND HER STAFF, IT WAS IF THEY DIDN'T EVEN CARE AND WERE THROWING THE GAME JUST NOT TO HAVE TO PLAY UCONN!!! THINK ABOUT THAT!! WE NEED A CHANGE IN K TOWN TIME TO MOVE ON PAT!!!:clapping:
Click to expand...

Easy now, just take a deep breath and swallow a few Prozacs.
 
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