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Message: [QUOTE="UcMiami, post: 3001236, member: 199"] I wrote a critique of HW a few years ago and I remember a really frightening interview she gave her first year in which she said: My plan is to do exactly what Pat did, I watched her for so many years and that is exactly what I am going to do [because I have not one original thought in my head.] So here is a recap: 1. In game I get the sense she doesn't actually understand what is happening on the court beyond when the ball goes in the basket at either end. She will invariably wait until a player starts to heat up for her to be substituted out of the game, and will stick with a player until she starts to heat up. 2. She has embraced the tried and true offensive philosophy of chuck it and rebound like crazy. (This was to a large degree Pat's offensive philosophy as well.) I really wonder if they practice any type of offensive plays beyond perhaps on ball screens. They never seem to run anything and their players have no idea of what a good (or bad) shot looks like except again based on if the ball somehow goes through the hoop. And absolutely no sense of how to attack a zone. 3. The extent of defensive philosophy seems to be 'getting down in a stance' and showing 'intensity'. Weak side help, different specific plans to deal with defending screens, any type of team defense seems to be a mystery to her and her teams. 4. Individual teaching of skills let alone team skills seems to be anathema - certainly a lot of promising talent has regressed seriously during four years at TN. A few players had enough skill coming in that four years of stagnation still has allowed them to recharge as pros, but ... So back to that interview and what has followed - I imagine Holly has a book she compiled from Pat's last few years of coaching that outlines exactly what each practice Pat ran during the 'average season' contained, and sticks to it religiously - if this is day 12 of preseason, we spend 10 minutes in warm ups, followed by 20 minutes of practicing zone defense, followed by 20 minutes of 5 on five, followed by ... And that is exactly what happens whether they have actually accomplished anything during any of the sessions. And they rarely accomplish anything because HW doesn't actually understand what is supposed to be taught, or learned, or what is actually happening on the floor during those sessions (beyond whether the ball goes through the hoop.) I do enjoy the angst overwhelming Volland, but do feel sorry for some of the players - Graves a few years ago had a brilliant run on one of the USA basketball teams and I really liked what I saw, but her last years at TN were terrible and someone who should have been a solid pro, lasted two disappointing years on the bench. [/QUOTE]

Verification: First name of men's bb coach

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