Will the Lady Vols be Improved next Season?

#26
#26
Well if this is the roster we are a Top 10 team but winning a Championship would require a shooting guard who can also create offense for others. Looking at early Top 10 Iowa at 4th? They have the best guard in women's game in recent memory but the only other players that could play at this level are gone and they were the worst Defense I've seen in final 4 so that tells me if they are 4th then. Uconn has elite skills but truly the rest of the Top 10 is up in the air. We will see what all teams look like by May. In CHRIST Alone
 
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#28
#28
I think we need a center, post player and shooting guard. I don’t think we have what we need on roster now. If Key Jackson and Hollingshed all get in foul trouble what then.
 
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#29
#29
turbovol said:
IMO, putting Jackson in the paint and getting her the ball close to the basket was one of the smartest moves our coaches made all year. She
knows how to score from in the paint, and so long as she didn't have to worry about a shot-blocker or big close to her, she could operate. And she did. Any
natural scorer can score inside--if s/he has some space--because it only takes a basic move or two and the ability to get your shot off quickly. Now, that may be more problematic next season if Key is back, as she'll be in the paint and it would be harder to isolate Jackson, and you don't really want to pull Key out from the paint as then you lose her rebounding.
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The problem with that is it doesn't work against the biggest and best teams. In the routine SEC (not LSU or SC,) Rickea was an instant basket in the post. Her ability to get position, spread out and seal off is incredible, as is her ability to finish. That's why Kea in the post was the go to when scoring times were desperate. But she's too dang small, too slight to do it against the Allayah Edwards' and Bostons of the world. It's why RJ's scoring against the lessers was about 25, but against the uppers was about 17 or 18.

Also, she deserves to play the position she's most likely to play in the WNBA, the wing. From there she can still slash to the rim, use that incredible mid range game, plus if there is a basketball god, begin to reliably hit 3s. All with that improved handle she's working on even as we speak!

One thing about next season, our SEC sched is going to be more difficult. We'll have road games at SC, Ole Miss, Georgia and Alabama.
 
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#30
#30
glv98 said:
The problem with that is it doesn't work against the biggest and best teams. In the routine SEC (not LSU or SC,) Rickea was an instant basket in the post. Her ability to get position, spread out and seal off is incredible, as is her ability to finish. That's why Kea in the post was the go to when scoring times were desperate. But she's too dang small, too slight to do it against the Allayah Edwards' and Bostons of the world. It's why RJ's scoring against the lessers was about 25, but against the uppers was about 17 or 18.

Also, she deserves to play the position she's most likely to play in the WNBA, the wing. From there she can still slash to the rim, use that incredible mid range game, plus if there is a basketball god, begin to reliably hit 3s. All with that improved handle she's working on even as we speak!

One thing about next season, our SEC sched is going to be more difficult. We'll have road games at SC, Ole Miss, Georgia and Alabama.
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Those are going to be tough games to win
 
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#34
#34
The thread gives a number of folks, once again to stand on a cardboard soapbox and articulate on what they know to be absolutely true.

I can interpret the question from several perspectives: will the Lady Vols win more games than last year? Will the Lady Vols go further in the NCAA March madness?
WIll the team host next year? Will individul players improve noticeably between last and the coming year? Will the team institute an offense that is acceptable to ME, rather than performing in a manner I personally do not like? Will the defense be better and perform in a manner tha t is acceptable to me?

I watch on television, don't go to practices nor actual games - so the answer for me to the thread - Will I enjoy watching the Lady Vols on television next year. Yes I will as I have always. You can bank on it!
 
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#35
#35
If we could somehow land a player like Coulibaly and another sharp shooting guard, I think we are good.
 
#36
#36
DarkPhoenix said:
If the roster stays the way it currently is, I don’t think we are a top 25 team at all, but if we can get 2 elite guards to fill out the roster, we can be top 5. Jefferson/Donarski/Padilla if we can get 2 of them I think that’s what we need.
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we will come in ranked in the top 25 with or without the players you mentioned... So we will be a top 25 team off a sweet 16 appearance and players we have coming back.
 
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#37
#37
RAVOL said:
Well if this is the roster we are a Top 10 team but winning a Championship would require a shooting guard who can also create offense for others. Looking at early Top 10 Iowa at 4th? They have the best guard in women's game in recent memory but the only other players that could play at this level are gone and they were the worst Defense I've seen in final 4 so that tells me if they are 4th then. Uconn has elite skills but truly the rest of the Top 10 is up in the air. We will see what all teams look like by May. In CHRIST Alone
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With the current roster we are not a top 10 team, maybe 20-25 at best, the roster still has too many holes. If we can get 1 elite guard we could be top 10 and if we get 2 we will be top 5.
 
#38
#38
Deebowbear said:
I think we need a center, post player and shooting guard. I don’t think we have what we need on roster now. If Key Jackson and Hollingshed all get in foul trouble what then.
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And we still only have 1 big time scorer in Rickea, we need 2 more.
 
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#39
#39
VA_VOLFAN said:
we will come in ranked in the top 25 with or without the players you mentioned... So we will be a top 25 team off a sweet 16 appearance and players we have coming back.
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Maybe but we know those rankings mean nothing, I’m being realistic here, top 10 teams have multiple scoring options and quickness all around, we have 1 scoring option and still very slow.
 
#42
#42
DarkPhoenix said:
Yes, and I’m asking about big games, in those games who can u give the ball to get a bucket when needed besides Rickea. If u don’t believe me, let this be the final roster and u will see.
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Key? Wells? Hollingshead?

All we need to do is run a system that takes advantage of our players. We have shooters. We just need to do a better job of getting them open.

Look at Iowa (and other smaller teams who couldn't overwhelm with size). They couldn't get as far as they did by relying upon one star. It's like the Stockton & Malone Jazz teams. They won a lot of games and appeared in back-to-back finals by maximizing their strengths. They used a lot of role players who did their jobs.


We'll see if improved offense happens to go along with improved defense. It's more fun to be optimistic, though. No need to be Eeyore all the time.
 
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#43
#43
stllvf said:
The thread gives a number of folks, once again to stand on a cardboard soapbox and articulate on what they know to be absolutely true.

I can interpret the question from several perspectives: will the Lady Vols win more games than last year? Will the Lady Vols go further in the NCAA March madness?
WIll the team host next year? Will individul players improve noticeably between last and the coming year? Will the team institute an offense that is acceptable to ME, rather than performing in a manner I personally do not like? Will the defense be better and perform in a manner tha t is acceptable to me?

I watch on television, don't go to practices nor actual games - so the answer for me to the thread - Will I enjoy watching the Lady Vols on television next year. Yes I will as I have always. You can bank on it!
Click to expand...

I think the most relevant questions from your post are will the LVs have more wins, go further in march Madness, and if those events transpire, that probably implies some degree of individual player improvement. You are right we don't know the answers to those questions any more than pre-season seeders know how the final season rankings will turn out but they make some inferences based on available evidence and do so because it creates conversation.

Just me but I thought it might be worth changing the subject from LSU players' hand gestures, the evils of Caitlin Clark, and Kim Mulkey's wardrobe to have a thread that discussed what the LV's line-up might look like next year with the current rostered players.
 
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#44
#44
Key/Wells might score against lesser competition but I’m talking about against the elite teams, Maybe Hollingshead can be that because I see the potential. We need at least 2 more elite guards.
 
#45
#45
Tennessee's offense look better when massangale who transfer to ky . you not been great score to be good point guard. make good passes know when you can not thread the needle on pass. and get get ball up court when other guards press . when your point guard can beat one on one press you get more teams press your team. wells best point guard coming in kellie had so offence will be better . only seen wells play once.
 
#46
#46
With the Way too Early Rankings having us at 11th, I do believe we need help. The addition of Ms. Wells solidifies and upgrades our backcourt to a point, we're still not big, long, or athletic enough to neutralieze the likes of UCONN, SC and LSU guards. At the post postion we a have diamond in the rough with Hollingshead, she has to get much stronger physically and become a better finisher. Ms. Striplin and Ms. Puckett will be of major importance next season, while Ms. Key is still a mystery. Finally on the wing we need more offensive production with the 3 ball to help Rickea and Tess, maybe that is Ms. Pissott, but we do need more help at the wing. I do beleve we are long overdue for big get, whether that the transfer portal or by flippiing someone from another school.
 
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#48
#48
As we are constructed with the current roster, and with reasonable expectations of growth/improvement of these players in the off season, here's what I see at the beginning of next season:

5) Key/Hollingshead/Striplin
4) Hollingshead/Striplin &/or Puckett
3) Jackson/Pissott/Puckett
2) Darby/Wynn/Powell
1) Powell/Wells/Miles
 
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#49
#49
youcancallmeAl said:
As we are constructed with the current roster, and with reasonable expectations of growth/improvement of these players in the off season, here's what I see at the beginning of next season:

5) Key/Hollingshead/Striplin
4) Hollingshead/Striplin &/or Puckett
3) Jackson/Pissott/Puckett
2) Darby/Wynn/Powell
1) Powell/Wells/Miles
Click to expand...

I hope we can find an upgrade for Darby she has shown us in 3 yrs she can’t deliver when needed.
VTech put her in the pick and roll and she was getting toast on defense, that’s why she couldn’t play in the game.
 
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