The Kim Caldwell System

[madtownvol]

A little division one college called Quinnipiac used to use this same strategy and achieved relative success. I believe they called it a gold rush, or something similar. They were definitely undermanned but in 2017 they made it to the Sweet 16 before losing to number one seed South Carolina in a nailbiter (OK that part is not true). I watched them defeat the number four and number five seeds and was pretty impressed with their team.

Great historical recall.

This example also raises the question of why Geno, Dawn, Vic, Kim Mulkey, and other elite coaches have not adopted some version of "this system". We can raise the same question on the men's side, where you find periodic attempts to run something lilke this but few sustained example of success.

Are these elite coaches just too set in their ways or just not visionary enough to "see" the genius of "the system?," which in one form or another has been around a long time.

For a school like Quinipiac or say Marshall, who are always recruiting from the mid to lower tier of the talent pool, going kamikaze might be a decent strategy. If you can create a enough chaos, maybe you can throw a more talented team off their game and get the occasional upset.

I think we have seen with the LVs, that once good teams have a scout on this chaotic, mad scramble approach, they figure out how to manage it pretty well and exploit its gaps. So, then we are in a trade-off situation. Does chaos factor create enough positive plays to outweigh the "exploited" weaknesses?

Another relevant question is this: When you can recruit from the upper levels of the talent pool, does this system, which may maximize the collective potential of "workhorse" players, get the best out of "race horse" players?

We have some preliminary data points from the pre-season but the conference games should give us a more definitive answer.

 

[glv98]

And go back and look at those losses. Most were by HIGHER ranked teams and soooooo close.

Texas by 8 and 4
LSU by 2 and 5
Oklahoma by 1


Now I know, gotta win big games, gotta finish.

But damn year 1 and already doing that.

Man last year was fun lol

this exact post could’ve been made regarding Kellie Harper in her last year. So achingly close but no cigar. She was not getting blown out.

“I was hired to do this,” says Caldwell, now 36, perched on a couch in her office shortly before the start of the season. “If this is what you want me to come here and do, then I’m going to come here and do it. If you want me to come here and do something else, I’m not the person for the job.”

Kim Caldwell Believes in Her Unconventional Basketball Style—And So Does Tennessee

The second-year coach runs a fast-paced system with "hockey subs" that some might think is gimmicky, but is the bold strategy the school was looking for.

www.si.com

Well there you go. Lol who wants to tell KnoxLikeUs?

Kims not wrong here. She deserves to have her wretched system play all the way out. We always knew it was a high ceiling/low floor gamble. It’s possible that the floor is going to get really low based on recent results. Or maybe there willl be the miracle turnaround that confirms her genius.

Painful as it may be to watch, it is exactly what she was hired to do and she deserves at least the rest of this year to do it fully. May God have mercy on us.

 

[glv98]

For those more familiar with CKCs past teams, did the early season struggles result in blowouts? Was she actually losing games she shouldn’t or just looking ragged? How did she schedule? Play other top teams in her division?

Has she ever brought a team back into contention that suffered early season blow outs? Im curious if she’s ever been in this spot before with a worst case scenario pre conf season.

 

[madtownvol]

this exact post could’ve been made regarding Kellie Harper in her last year. So achingly close but no cigar. She was not getting blown out.

Well there you go. Lol who wants to tell KnoxLikeUs?

Kims not wrong here. She deserves to have her wretched system play all the way out. We always knew it was a high ceiling/low floor gamble. It’s possible that the floor is going to get really low based on recent results. Or maybe there willl be the miracle turnaround that confirms her genius.

Painful as it may be to watch, it is exactly what she was hired to do and she deserves at least the rest of this year to do it fully. May God have mercy on us.

Her quote is an interesting interpretation of her job. If I recall, White said she was hired to win a national championship. I don't recall him saying she was hired to run "a system" come hell or high water.

I know, he wanted more up tempo, exciting basketball (I am mean didn't we all?) but lots of schools can play "fast" within a more conventional structure.

CKC seems very ego-invested in "the system" and I sort of wish she was more ego-invested in winning a NC (and she has a D2 title on her resume).

One thing that stood out to me in the Louisville game was a short stretch, where Mia Pauldo played absolute lock down half court defense. She stayed tight to the Louisville PG, kept her squared up and kept hands up to avoid fouling. Unfortunately, the PG made a pass and then another pass led to a wide open back door cut because only one person playing lockdown defense creates a four on one mismatch (in any system).

So, Pauldo as a freshman knows how to do it. If you have natural lateral quickness, as pretty much all the LVs have, it is not that hard to learn to stay low, tight and not touch foul. Could you imagine what this team could do if they got Coop, Pauldo, Zee, Latham, and Civil all playing half court defense with that intensity?

It is kind of tragic that all the defensive effort is spent chasing ghosts in an easily broken high press.

 

[glv98]

Her quote is an interesting interpretation of her job. If I recall, White said she was hired to win a national championship. I don't recall him saying she was hired to run "a system" come hell or high water.

It seems implicit that he hired “a system’ when he hired her since she’s frequently said its what she does and all shes ever done as player and coach. That’s not to say he wouldn’t encourage her to change it if necessary for a natty.

While her ego may be tied up in this system particularly, I’d say his is just tied to his hire being successful whatever it takes

 

[RetroVol]

For those more familiar with CKCs past teams, did the early season struggles result in blowouts? Was she actually losing games she shouldn’t or just looking ragged? How did she schedule? Play other top teams in her division?

Has she ever brought a team back into contention that suffered early season blow outs? Im curious if she’s ever been in this spot before with a worst case scenario pre conf season.

Not at Glenville, but at Marshall she lost 4 of her first 6.

 

[glv98]

Not at Glenville, but at Marshall she lost 4 of her first 6.

Any blowouts?

 

[spojo13]

Any blowouts?

Largest loss all that season was 11 points to Wright State. No blowouts at Marshall.

 

[VOLINVONORE]

The system is sound. However, many of the ladies have not yet learn the basics of passing, shooting. and playing inside defense.

 

[glv98]

The system is sound. However, many of the ladies have not yet learn the basics of passing, shooting. and playing inside defense.

Why is that? The season is 1/3 over. A sound system should include those basics annd shouldn’t be this hard to teach and learn. You can’t just sacrifice the first few months every year.

 

[knoxvol52]

Why is that? The season is 1/3 over. A sound system isn’t that hard to teach and learn. You can’t just sacrifice the first few months every year.

 

[KnoxLikeUs]

Anybody that knows sports will tell you if there’s a team full of highly ranked and highly recruited players struggling 10 games into the season to execute basic fundamentals and playing undisciplined that’s a coaching issue not a players issue.

 

[chuckiepoo]

It seems implicit that he hired “a system’ when he hired her since she’s frequently said its what she does and all shes ever done as player and coach. That’s not to say he wouldn’t encourage her to change it if necessary for a natty.

While her ego may be tied up in this system particularly, I’d say his is just tied to his hire being successful whatever it takes

One good thing here. Danny is a basketball guy.

 

[RetroVol]

You can’t just sacrifice the first few months every year.

Actually, CKC hasn't done that in the past. She's talked about not being happy with how her teams were playing in November and December, but at Glenville they won and at Marshall, after a 2-4 start, they turned it around. As far as I can tell, she's never had a start like this one. Will be interesting to see how she can get this team to respond.

 

[glv98]

Actually, CKC hasn't done that in the past. She's talked about not being happy with how her teams were playing in November and December, but at Glenville they won and at Marshall, after a 2-4 start, they turned it around. As far as I can tell, she's never had a start like this one. Will be interesting to see how she can get this team to respond.

Definitely interesting. I thought she’d probably never been in this spot.

Not unrelated, she’s also never competed at this level.

 

[lvocd]

CKC seems very ego-invested in "the system" and I sort of wish she was more ego-invested in winning a NC (and she has a D2 title on her resume).

What I was thinking about earlier today was that Kim has yet to have a season where things didn't eventually work out in the end, including last season. Some people would disagree, but I felt like that team fared much better than what was predicted at the time Kim was hired.

So I guess I can't blame her in a way for wanting to see if this season turns around like all her other seasons of being a coach have.

Unfortunately, IF she experiences her first deeply disappointing season as a coach it'll come at the expense of one of the most impressive records in college basketball : being the only program (women's or men's) to reach the NCAA Tournament every single year of its existence.

Gosh. I hated even typing that.

 

[KrazyVolFan]

What I was thinking about earlier today was that Kim has yet to have a season where things didn't eventually work out in the end, including last season. Some people would disagree, but I felt like that team fared much better than what was predicted at the time Kim was hired.

So I guess I can't blame her in a way for wanting to see if this season turns around like all her other seasons of being a coach have.

Unfortunately, IF she experiences her first deeply disappointing season as a coach it'll come at the expense of one of the most impressive records in college basketball : being the only program (women's or men's) to reach the NCAA Tournament every single year of its existence.

Gosh. I hated even typing that.

If this team doesn't make the tournament I suspect we may be having a ehhhhh I ain't gonna say it. We will be in trouble.

 

[glv98]

If this team doesn't make the tournament I suspect we may be having a ehhhhh I ain't gonna say it. We will be in trouble.

They’ll make the tournament.

I’d just like to see some progress year by year.

 

[RetroVol]

Not unrelated, she’s also never competed at this level.

Except 23-24 at Marshall (D1) and last year at Tennessee. Both pretty good results. But, no, other than that, no experience.

 

[KrazyVolFan]

They’ll make the tournament.

I’d just like to see some progress year by year.

I agree with seeing the progress not sold on the tournament yet. We play really streaky/ bad whatever you want to call it against equal competition. Not gonna lie I'm still pretty down from the previous game. Very Disappointed in the performance and lowered my expectations. Coping mechanism I guess.

 

[AllVols3]

Anybody that knows sports will tell you if there’s a team full of highly ranked and highly recruited players struggling 10 games into the season to execute basic fundamentals and playing undisciplined that’s a coaching issue not a players issue.

You can't coach effort. You can't teach it either. These girls need to play as hard as Civil does and they'd be a much better team. Playing hard is all on the players. It’s the coaches job to get in that tail when they're not meeting your expectations of effort.

 

[RetroVol]

This is unquestionably a year that's going to show us something we've never seen about CKC -- how she coaches a team that really starts rough. @chuckiepoo mentioned Pat's 10-loss national championship team. Similar challenge, but different era. There are just a lot more teams that can compete today. And this team faces a killer road schedule. Plus there are real questions about their ability to put the ball in the basket. So far it seems to me that they've scored when they've dominated teams on steals or had great 3 point shooting nights, usually both.

The only thing that I really look back on and take comfort in is that even against UCLA and Louisville, we were competitive for a significant portion of each game. It wasn't that we looked like we didn't have any business being on the floor with them. Then we just came apart. Neither game was one where I could say they played their game and just got beat. They didn't play their game either time.

I don't have the expertise to analyze the way they are playing at a deep level, but I saw more energy tonight on offense. Passes were quicker and they made the extra pass. The freshmen are continuing to settle in and improve. But overall, this team has a long way to go, and that journey is going to show us something new about Coach Caldwell.

 

[KnoxLikeUs]

If you think it’s about effort you telling me all I need to know. The coaches need to take a look in the mirror.

You can't coach effort. You can't teach it either. These girls need to play as hard as Civil does and they'd be a much better team. Playing hard is all on the players. It’s the coaches job to get in that tail when they're not meeting your expectations of effort.

 

[KrazyVolFan]

If you think it’s about effort you telling me all I need to know. The coaches need to take a look in the mirror.

Coaching carries some blame but they aren't the ones collecting the rebounds, shooting quick 3 pointers, laying off on defense and missing freethrows. Plenty of blame to go around to this point and the coaching needs to step up as well and make adjustments in game. It seems like your giving these players a pass cause they are suppose to be awesome, they are as flawed as any Freshman in the country but are making progress settling in to their games. I hope to see more improvement soon.

 

[swampfoxfan]

I have confidence and trust with Kim Calwell. In two seasons LVs will be cutting down the nets.