Grind for 9 ground to a halt...

[EricLA]

Tennessee fans will blame it on Maryland not deserving a 4 seed, but Tennessee really wasn't a 1 seed. They wouldn't have fared any better against L'ville...

Congrats to Maryland. Tennessee fans must be disconsolate. Final 4 in their own state but they will be watching from Knoxville...

Comment by the announcer "there's an awful lot of dribbling going on - by both teams". Over the last 8 minutes, it seemed like Tennessee's offense consisted of Simmons running around the perimeter looking for a seam to drive to the basket. It's kind of stunning that at this time of the year with that kind of talent that there is no discernible offense...

 

[HuskyFan1125]

To me, this is only surprising to Tennessee fans!

UCONN and ND were obvious #1 seeds. After that I agree it was a toss up, but the lady vols were not the best choice.

The graphic on ESPN about being behind by double digits but winning (Alabama, Virginia, Miss, ect). Difference being Maryland is a better team.

This will be the first of 3 SEC teams to go down today IMO.

 

[Tenspro2002]

Does this make it easier for ND to get to the championship game? Or should we conclude that Tennessee never would have put up a fight anyway?

 

[sarals24]

I never thought Tennessee would make it out of their own region to even face ND.

 

[ctfjr]

Grind for 9
and all this time I thought they were saying bind for 9 - something about being constipated

Just look at their 'game plan' - give Simmons the ball, she never met a shot she didn't like. As long as she is making them you can comeback from almost any deficit. Almost.

 

[HuskyFan1125]

Does this make it easier for ND to get to the championship game? Or should we conclude that Tennessee never would have put up a fight anyway?

ummmmm to question #2, yea

 

[HGN]

Congrats Terrapins.....To me it came down to which team would be less sloppy. There you would find the winner. As it turned out from the first 5 minutes of the game, The Lady Vols was misque prone and Maryland had the advantage.

 

[JellyBean]

Who knows why the Lady Vols earned the #1 seed. The bottom line, at this time of the year #1 seeds are beatable if you come out flat. The Lady Vols came out flat. Their game plan, whatever that was, failed.

 

[Bestiarius]

Hire Folly!

 

[RoyDodger]

Some of the names on that Tennessee team were at the top of the HoopGurlz list before they came to Tennessee. Cierra Burdick, Bashara Graves, and Mercedes Russell. But they seemed rather unimpressive today. Meighan Simmons seemed like the whole team. Could her graduation allow these other girls to blossom? Is it the coach? I know other Boneyarders have expressed doubts about Warlick. Can't say I was impressed by her coaching today.

 

[Bayareahusky]

I cannot say as though I am surprised by this, though I thought Louisville would definitely take them out..... a sad day for the LVs..... with the FF in their backyard...... lots of criticism I could put forth..... but I have offered some during the season.... and today's performance was no different..... Creme de la creme of the recruits..... Mercedes Russell..... she needs to compete.... if you had a choice of nation's top recruit, Russell, or #2 (I think) a couple of years back, Elizabeth Williams..... who would you take? Just shoot me now.

 

[LesMis89]

I never thought Tennessee would make it out of their own region to even face ND.

Neither did I. Don't think South Carolina will get to Nashville either.

 

[VAMike23]

Keys to victory!! going home --

Assists 7
Turnovers: 22

0.32 ratio

 

[UcMiami]

Some of the names on that Tennessee team were at the top of the HoopGurlz list before they came to Tennessee. Cierra Burdick, Bashara Graves, and Mercedes Russell. But they seemed rather unimpressive today. Meighan Simmons seemed like the whole team. Could her graduation allow these other girls to blossom? Is it the coach? I know other Boneyarders have expressed doubts about Warlick. Can't say I was impressed by her coaching today.

With good coaching the post players would be more impressive, but at TN 90% of their role in the 'offense' is to get O boards and make put backs. They don't usually bother fighting for good position down low because they know even if they are wide open they aren't likely to get a pass and they don't seem to be coached to extend their range. I was so impressed with Graves when she was playing USA basketball, but playing at TN with the coaching and the guards they have she is a shell of the player she showed being coached and playing with USA personnel.

 

[baggerbob]

Notice Burdick of the we have the best frontcourt in the country 2 points.

 

[triaddukefan]

.... Creme de la creme of the recruits..... Mercedes Russell..... she needs to compete.... if you had a choice of nation's top recruit, Russell, or #2 (I think) a couple of years back, Elizabeth Williams..... who would you take? Just shoot me now.

Honestly, I'd rather have the #2 or the #4 posts in Russell's class. (2) Cooper of Duke... and (4) Coates of South Carolina

 

[DaddyChoc]

turrrrrible

 

[HuskyFan1125]

Honestly, I'd rather have the #2 or the #4 posts in Russell's class. (2) Cooper of Duke... and (4) Coates of South Carolina

From what I have seen this season, Russell was in NO WAY the #1 player coming out of hs last year. Diamond DeShields #1, Kaela Davis #2

 

[Icebear]

Once again TN does not get out of the round of 16.

 

[Geno-ista]

Tennessee fans will blame it on Maryland not deserving a 4 seed, but Tennessee really wasn't a 1 seed. They wouldn't have fared any better against L'ville...

Congrats to Maryland. Tennessee fans must be disconsolate. Final 4 in their own state but they will be watching from Knoxville...

Comment by the announcer "there's an awful lot of dribbling going on - by both teams". Over the last 8 minutes, it seemed like Tennessee's offense consisted of Simmons running around the perimeter looking for a seam to drive to the basket.

turrrrrible

It's kind of stunning that at this time of the year with that kind of talent that there is no discernible offense...

Doris Burke nailed it with that comment.

 

[VAMike23]

Once again TN does not get out of the round of 16.

Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it, it seems...

 

[Icebear]

Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it, it seems...

So says Carlos Santana....

 

[Geno-ista]

turrrrrible

Thks Sir Charles! Puuuurrrrrfect

 

[EricLA]

I'd be lying if I said I didn't do a happy dance when they bowed out. I totally feel for their players, but bottom line, they decided to go to a school with great history that seems to teach zero offense or team play. On paper, there are only a few teams with more talent than Tennessee. But as Burke pointed out, 1 player dribbling all around the perimeter does not make for good offense.

Tennessee fans will be able to say that next year should be much better. On paper, sure. Look at the HS AA's on their team. Everyone comes back except Simmons, and they basically add Massengale, Tucker, and their freshman class (which is average for sure). BUT the problem remains the same. No matter how much talent you have and no matter how athletic your team is, if you don't teach a team concept and some sort of team offense, you just won't be able to score enough to beat good teams.

For all the "hoopla" over 5 SEC teams making the sweet 16, the relatively average strength of the SEC is starting to show. Down goes Tennessee, Kentucky and Florida, LSU getting blown out, and it remains to be seen how SC does this afternoon. There might only be 1 SEC team in the elite 8.

And Tennessee fans are delusional if they think Maryland was a harder 4 seed than UNC. NC just beat Maryland in early March. And while MD probably should have been a 3 seed, Tennessee should have been a 2 seed. So should South Carolina...

Per Holly - "We had to prove our worth all year. I don't' know why we did but we did."

Well gosh, Holly, I'm no expert, but you lost to LSU, Vandy and Kentucky, and had inexplicably close games against very below average competition (Arkansas, Alabama, Missouri, Mississippi and even LSU).

 

[bballnut90]

Tennessee looked bad--I'd like to think that without Simmons next year Tennessee should improve but I'm not convinced this is necessarily the case. The last 6 years have been seasons of disappointment and lack of execution. They've had bad luck with injuries which could be a partial cause, but even so Tennessee should have made at least 1 Final Four since 2009.

If you look at Tennessee's performance in the NCAA the last 6 years, their best win is against #4 seed Ohio State in 2011. Their exits have come to:
2009-11 seed Ball State (16 point loss)
2010-4 seed Baylor (15 point loss)
2011-2 seed Notre Dame (14 point loss)
2012-1 seed Baylor (19 point loss)
2013-5 seed Louisville (8 point loss)
2014-4 seed Maryland (11 point loss)

I'd give Tennessee a pass for 2011 and 2012, because Diggins was unreal in the 2011 tourney run and 2012 Baylor went 40-0. In the other 4 years, most people felt Tennessee should have won, and none of these games were close nailbiters. In each of them, Tennessee was soundly beat.

In the last 6 years, the following teams have played at multiple Final Fours
Connecticut-6 (most likely)
Louisville-3 (most likely)
Notre Dame-4 (most likely)
Baylor-2
Stanford-5 (most likely)
Oklahoma-2

Even Duke has had more success than Tennessee in the NCAA tournament, making it to 4 Elite 8s, beating two #3 seeds (DePaul and St. Johns) and played opposing teams closely in losses (should have beat Baylor in 2010, played Notre Dame well last year.)


I'm not entirely sure why Tennessee has struggled the last 6 years. The 2008 HS class never had the killer instinct to reach the Final Four, and the last 2 years Tennessee has lacked consistently and looked very up and down.

Graves was an absolute monster last year, establishing herself as one of the best freshmen in the nation. This year, she stopped looking for her shot and looked lost on the court. This is a player I was expecting to contend for a spot on the WBCA All-American team this year.

Izzy Harrison has made huge strides each season but looked lost today. Hopefully she'll continue to improve next year.

Massengale is a player who hasn't been consistently strong for the Lady Vols until this season when she was playing great. Injury bug benched her the rest of the season, but at this point she hasn't lived up to being Tennessee's best point guard prospect since Kara Lawson.

Mercedes Russell was expected to make a big splash this year, she didn't.

Meighan Simmons is a player who never really improved over the course of her career. She never learned how to take a good shot, how to take care of the ball nor how to get her teammates involved.

Cierra Burdick was a top 5 recruit. She's turned into a nice role player, but not the player most hoped she'd be.


Next year they'll bring in another couple of players who could make an impact (Nared/Middleton) and potentially A'ja Wilson, but something just seems off with Tennessee. I don't see them becoming a Final Four team next year despite the fact that they will surely find itself in the preseason top 5 next year.