Down goes Tennessee!!

[UCONNfan1]

At least the final 4 will only have 1 team I can't stand (Notre Dame in case you were wondering)...

 

[magical2]

At least the final 4 will only have 1 team I can't stand (Notre Dame in case you were wondering)...

AMEN TO THAT
3 BE TEAMS going to NO
We are going to win SUN NIGHT 81-61
Bring it on
Go Huskies
IRA

 

[VAMike23]

[As illustrated by another guy from Louisville]

 

[JS]

Congrats to L'ville for returning to the FF, post-Angel.

A better season than expected for the LVs, and congrats to
them for that.

As regards a sizable portion of the internet-posting TN fans,
well . . .

 

[cferraro04]

Yep, the National Championship game is Sunday night with Tuesday being the consolation game. 3 Big East Teams...Neither one of them will be permanent members of the New Big East. Ironic, fitting and a heck of a way to finish of what has been historically a great basketball conference. I was thinking that seeing as though ND has beaten us 3 times this year...it really wouldn't be right winning a national championship without going through them. Now, of course, I say that with a fair amount of trepidation...as it is quite possible that Notre Dame is a team of destiny and that this could be Diggins' year. However, Louisville has shown that they have been a spoiler for both Baylor and Tennessee. Denying Griner her second national championship, beating a senior laden team was big...then to deny Tennessee their 6th straight final four appearance was also big...

It would be great to send the Irish home early...let's hope that the "luck of the Irish" has worn itself out.

We are going to our record breaking 6th consecutive final four...can we translate that into a championship. Notre Dame is an imposing obstacle and in my opinion was going to be our toughest opponent in the tournament. Given how competitive the last three games have been...I expect nothing less in Game 4. I think our team needs to adopt the following slogan..."The past doesn't have to equal the future". This was my rallying cry in my 20 plus years of competitive Karate. Every time I would lose to an opponent, I always knew that I would be fighting that opponent again...so I focused on that phrase...and it worked...I never lost twice to the same opponent. If I had...I just would have repeated the slogan and made sure that I changed the outcome in the next meeting. That is exactly where we are with ND...the past doesn't have to equal the future...it is time to change the out come...do our girls have it in them? I think they do!

Our freshmen are playing great. We know that Dolson is playing injured, Bria is not playing on the same par she played at last year, if I didn't know better I would say that Kelly is playing injured too. KML is being hounded by the defenses, Doty, Kiah, Heather...anything they give is is bonus...will it be enough...well, it will have to be...it is one and done...and I don't want this season to end...

GO HUSKIES!

 

[ghostmutt]

Will UConn and Tennessee ever meet again? With Baylor gone, this seemed like the best chance since the end of the series.

UConn's rounding into form, and I started to imagine a Team of Destiny that would beat ND and Tennessee for a triumphant run to the title.

It just wasn't in the Cards.

 

[Olde Coach]

Yep, the National Championship game is Sunday night with Tuesday being the consolation game. 3 Big East Teams...Neither one of them will be permanent members of the New Big East. Ironic, fitting and a heck of a way to finish of what has been historically a great basketball conference. I was thinking that seeing as though ND has beaten us 3 times this year...it really wouldn't be right winning a national championship without going through them. Now, of course, I say that with a fair amount of trepidation...as it is quite possible that Notre Dame is a team of destiny and that this could be Diggins' year. However, Louisville has shown that they have been a spoiler for both Baylor and Tennessee. It would be great to send the Irish home early...let's hope that the "luck of the Irish" has worn itself out.

Our freshmen are playing great. We know that Dolson is playing injured, Bria is not playing on the same par she played at last year, if I didn't know better I would say that Kelly is playing injured too. KML is being hounded by the defenses, Doty, Kiah, Heather...anything they give is is bonus...will it be enough...well, it will have to be...it is one and done...and I don't want this season to end... GO HUSKIES!

Wonderful play by the Schimmel sisters -- and all the L'Ville players.

I think L'Ville may beat Cal. But UConn or Notre Dame will win the final game.

What a great Tournament The Regionals have been.

Go Huskies.

 

[EricLA]

I have to admit i was very surprised by the play of Jude. I saw her in the BET and was NOT impressed at all. In fact, I was surprised she got as much PT as she did. But she played well tonight. Couldn't be happier Tennessee lost as they are the team I hate the most and it's not even close. Unlike Milford, I just can't work up the dislike for ND that he has. Still, I wanna beat em bad in the final 4...

And BTW, while we are on the topic, I wanted to point out the 2 best players for Tennessee in the NCAA's were their seniors - Williams and Spani. I know Tennessee fans like to opine that this season was a "rebuilding year" and next year they are a final 4 or NC team, but I still don't see them as one of the top 4 teams in the nation and losing Williams and Spani will impact them more than they'd like to admit.

I will say I think they are definitely a top 10 team. But even with all that paper talent, I put them behind UCONN, Notre Dame, Duke, Maryland, Kentucky, Stanford, and probably aTm.

 

[msf22b]

Duke was pretty pathetic tonight; Maryland Kentucky...about the same as UTenn, Stanford next year: have no idea.
Tennessee will be better than this year.

Spani played her heart out tonight; great kid.
She was all broken up after the game.
Kamiko wasn't as dominant as she had been.
for the first time in a while, the team was a late-Summit Katzenjammer Kids/Keystone Cops mess for most of the game.
Then they got some boards, some stops and hit a few.
but the Cards kids had the answer again.
Team of destiny...
Err..until they face us or Notre Dame in the final.

I have to admit i was very surprised by the play of Jude. I saw her in the BET and was NOT impressed at all. In fact, I was surprised she got as much PT as she did. But she played well tonight. Couldn't be happier Tennessee lost as they are the team I hate the most and it's not even close. Unlike Milford, I just can't work up the dislike for ND that he has. Still, I wanna beat em bad in the final 4...

And BTW, while we are on the topic, I wanted to point out the 2 best players for Tennessee in the NCAA's were their seniors - Williams and Spani. I know Tennessee fans like to opine that this season was a "rebuilding year" and next year they are a final 4 or NC team, but I still don't see them as one of the top 4 teams in the nation and losing Williams and Spani will impact them more than they'd like to admit.

I will say I think they are definitely a top 10 team. But even with all that paper talent, I put them behind UCONN, Notre Dame, Duke, Maryland, Kentucky, Stanford, and probably aTm.

Duke was pretty pathetic tonight; Maryland Kentucky...about the same as UTenn, Stanford next year: have no idea.
Tennessee will be better than this year.

Spani played her heart out tonight; great kid.
She was all broken up after the game.
Kamiko wasn't as dominant as she had been.
for the first time in a while, the team was a late-Summit Katzenjammer Kids/Keystone Cops mess for most of the game.
Then they got some boards, some stops and hit a few.
but the Cards kids had the answer again.
Team of destiny...
Err..until they face us or Notre Dame in the final.

 

[DaddyChoc]

good for Tennessee... but that damn Notre Dame scares me

 

[sivad40]

Whenever Tennessee lost it was Spani and Williams that carried that team and Massengale and Simmons had some of their worst games ever. Tennessee's most consistent Graves and Harrison would often be no shows in these games because the guards won't feed them the ball consistently. Some the the LV fandom realizes that Massengale isn't the answer at point and want Carter or Reynolds to start over her but Holly has to be the one to recognize it for that to happen.

 

[hoopfan515]

good for Tennessee... but that damn Notre Dame scares me

I agree. Notre Dame is playing like they are on a mission and we seem to bring out the best in them. But if our freshman continue to play like they did in Bridgeport, I like our chances. Stef will probably have to play close to 40 minutes or all 40 minutes and that worries me.

On the flip side, I think we could beat Cal without Stef!

 

[DaddyChoc]

those dang ticky tack fouls

 

[DobbsRover2]

Incredible run by Louisville, and they have now been to 2 in the last 5 years, while UTenn has been to 0. Great job by Walz at picking the strategy and for Schimmel and company for being on fire.

Might even be possible that all of those who have derided the Cardinals as underachievers for falling short in past years when they were saddled with injuries might actually have something nice to throw their way now. But probably not.

 

[vtcwbuff]

Congrats to L'ville for returning to the FF, post-Angel.

A better season than expected for the LVs, and congrats to
them for that.

As regards a sizable portion of the internet-posting TN fans,
well . . .

Too many fingers.

 

[meyers7]

Down goes Tennessee!!

So very happy.

Credit to Louisville. Didn't think they would be able to rebound from their Baylor win.

 

[Phil]

I gotta believe that Walz is on the OSU radar, and they are just waiting for the season to end. But I'm not sure he would consider it a step up.

 

[Phil]

Louisville was awesome. I confess, when the lead got down to 3 with 4 minutes left, I thought it was over, but credit to the Cardinals, they pulled it out, and with panache.

 

[doggydaddy]

I believe Tennessee performed right around the level I expected. They competed well in a mediocre SEC, winning the regular season title. They lost in the second round in the SEC tourney and now in the Elite Eight.

Nice season.

Now, I'm not saying they won't do better going forward. But the last 5 years, Tennessee has been just another top 10 team.

 

[JS]

Too many fingers.

Now, now. Let's not be rude. There are some quite reasonable TN fans who post here.

After all, I'm only referring to those posting elsewhere who will go to their graves muttering about Geno's:

(a) cheating,
(b) diminutive stature,
(c) low moral character,
(d) nasty humor,
(e) sideline antics,
(f) disrespect for Pat,
(g) homophobia,
(h) Napoleonic tendencies,
(i) alcoholism,
(j) presumed religion (repeated sins enabled by repeated confessions),
(k) anatomical endowments,
(l) ethnic background, and/or
(m) general qualifications as a human being.

And that's without getting into what they've said about certain former UConn stars and even their family members.

Come to think of it, you're right. Four fingers too many.

 

[pap49cba]

Key stat: Tennessee's starting backcourt of Meighan Simmons and Ariel Massengale was just about as ineffective shooting Tuesday as it was Sunday in the win against Oklahoma. It didn't hurt the Lady Vols against the Sooners because their defense was so good, but it did hurt against Louisville. Simmons and Massengale were a combined 7-of-41 from the field in the two games, with a combined nine turnovers. (Mechelle Voepel)

 

[speedoo]

Key stat: Tennessee's starting backcourt of Meighan Simmons and Ariel Massengale was just about as ineffective shooting Tuesday as it was Sunday in the win against Oklahoma. It didn't hurt the Lady Vols against the Sooners because their defense was so good, but it did hurt against Louisville. Simmons and Massengale were a combined 7-of-41 from the field in the two games, with a combined nine turnovers. (Mechelle Voepel)

Worst backcourt in the sweet 16.

 

[Bestiarius]

I put the TN loss to Louisville on Holly. I think she's a decent coach but not a nimble one. If their pre-game strategy is working, all is fine. But if a problem crops up during the game, she is unable to adjust on the fly. Her in game solutions appear to be too general. More likely to be "knock down your shots, rebound better, etc.) rather than detailing specific changes that will address specific issues. With a few minutes left in the game she might figure it out, but, by then it's too late.

Her tolerance of Simmons lack of discipline is a good example. After one off balance 3 attempt with 25 on the shot clock, I'd expect her not just to be on the bench, but on the bus out in the parking lot.

It's only the superior raw talent UT has that makes Holly look like she's doing a decent job. We'll see next year if she can keep Mercedes' development from being a train wreck. All those air-bags could come in handy.

 

[Cheddie]

if a problem crops up during the game, she is unable to adjust on the fly. Her in game solutions appear to be too general. More likely to be "knock down your shots, rebound better, etc.) rather than detailing specific changes that will address specific issues. With a few minutes left in the game she might figure it out, but, by then it's too late.

That's right out of Summit's book - "play harder."

 

[Cheddie]

I gotta believe that Walz is on the OSU radar, and they are just waiting for the season to end. But I'm not sure he would consider it a step up.

At this point, it would not be a step up. Unless Louisville declines to match a possible offer (and they can certainly afford it) doesn't make sense to leave a strong, high profile program going to an improving women's conference