Florida Over Tennessee

[choochoo]

How come no one is posting about South Carolina barely beating Vandy last night. They looked like they were playing in slow motion till the last few minutes and won by 10 on free throws. Big sub par effort by the gamecocks IMHO!

 

[Nuyoika]

How come no one is posting about South Carolina barely beating Vandy last night. They looked like they were playing in slow motion till the last few minutes and won by 10 on free throws. Big sub par effort by the gamecocks IMHO!

Mainly because that is who they are. They are a fourth quarter team. They are not elite in the sense that they will be taking people people out in the second or third quarter. When you watch them play, it is almost as if they are more comfortable when the game is close. Keep in mind they spent a lot of last year playing from behind in games vs ranked opponents and in the NCAA tourney. It is just their nature so it is not really all that surprising. They always manage to pull it out though, well for the most part.

 

[sivad40]

Not to single anyone out and there are rumors of injuries in both years but ...
Freshman of the year shooting percentages: .426/.279 while taking 24% of the teams shots and 25% of their threes - A/TO 0.75
Red Shirt Sophomore numbers: .391/.233 while taking 24% of teams shots and 28% of their threes - A/TO 0.76

And the PG of the future that made the Danger superfluous to requirements is second on the team in shots (15%) and three attempts shoots (21%) is hitting at .328/.217 with an A/TO of 0.85.

Those numbers of course look worse than they really are when you consider the whole team shoots .404/.231 with an A/TO of 0.81

A co-worker of mine who is a Tennessee fan is convinced that Diamond in order for to be effective, Holly has has to let Diamond shoot 20 or more shots per game. He realizes that she's a volume shooter but he doesn't mind her going 6 for 20 this game because she might go 12 of 20 the next game. IMO, you won't win a title having your two worst shooters taking over 39% in shots and over 50% in three point attempts. The reason Diamond's stats at UNC could be glossed over is because she had better offensive players around her that made up for her deficiencies. Cooper came in as not being a three point shooter and her AAU foul prone ways have continue on the collegiate level. I also have noticed that Cooper will only look to pass the ball to certain players and overlook others and you don't need your PG to have that type of mindset.

I'm not surprised that chemistry issues that UNC had followed Diamond to Tennessee. Her style of play forces her post players to become putback players or they have to come out to the high posts and become stretch fours or else they won't get their touches. That's the reason why Xylina McDaniel had to go out on the perimeter and start shooting and making threes because she wasn't getting her shots in post and I speculate that some of the reasons why Graves and Russell often have to come out in out high post to get the ball. I said from day 1 that Holly's biggest issue for this team is how will she be able to control Diamond and things aren't going to turn around until she does.

 

[Kaizen]

A co-worker of mine who is a Tennessee fan is convinced that Diamond in order for to be effective, Holly has has to let Diamond shoot 20 or more shots per game. He realizes that she's a volume shooter but he doesn't mind her going 6 for 20 this game because she might go 12 of 20 the next game. .

Well, she might get 3 of 20 the next game also. If a player is so inconsistent she must have problems.

 

[Zorro]

Watching the game last night I was thinking she would leave early... like what would be the advantage for her staying? She will likely already have her degree. I think it is at least 50/50 on her leaving for the WNBA at the end of the 2016-2017 season.

She could leave for overseas earlier than that.

 

[Woof 101]

Excellent point Nan.

And this is why, if the AD fires Holly, the entire coaching staff must go too. An entirely new culture must be brought to the program that includes accountability on the players part.

Yes time for a UCONN protégé! This would put the final stamp on the old battle and have us play them every year to start a new one! We could cheer for Rocky Top except for once or twice a year!

 

[cabbie191]

For those who watched the game, I am curious to what extent Tennessee employed a full court press.

It seems that this has been pretty good for them in recent games resulting in sparking energy and offensive production. Wonder if they threw up this egg despite using the press or if they went away from using a tactic that had been successful. If the latter, then one really has to question the coaching acumen at Rocky Top.

 

[Dougie]

For me it is this simple. With Geno and a healthy Tuck next year I like our chances better than anyone else's. Without Tuck it is a more even race but with Geno as the jockey I would still bet UCONN to win come April 2017.

I don't know whether Geno would like the "jockey" reference. Maybe he'd prefer pilot or something.

 

[Gus Mahler]

I don't know whether Geno would like the "jockey" reference. Maybe he'd prefer pilot or something.

Dougie: Geno used the reference last spring, when asked for the umpteenth time about having the best players, he said something like "the best jockeys ride the best horses." It might have been just an impromptu thought which he wouldn't otherwise use. Who knows?

 

[Samanthabrown3]

One thing I would like to point out is that it's super easy to be a fan of UCONN when they have basically won 50% of the NC's in the past 16 years. We are blessed and lucky as a fan base. Someday Geno will retire and we will be faced with a successor who likely will enjoy not even close to the success Geno has enjoyed. It's even possible that UCONN will never win another NC once Geno is gone. This is what Tennessee fans are facing.

I was thinking that as I was reading Vol Nation. That new coach's first year will be pivotal.

But Pat was having team troubles even a couple of years before she retired. Remember that team that didn't get out of the first round of the NCAAs?

 

[Dougie]

Dougie: Geno used the reference last spring, when asked for the umpteenth time about having the best players, he said something like "the best jockeys ride the best horses." It might have been just an impromptu thought which he wouldn't otherwise use. Who knows?

Thanks. I missed that one.