Holly Explains It or not...

[oldude]

The presser was painful to watch for all the reasons outlined previously on this thread. It looked like Holly was barely holding it together. She was obviously lost in thought and completely missed Reynolds comment that they overlooked Alabama. The players wanted to be anywhere but in front of the press answering questions, and the press seemed almost apologetic when asking difficult questions of Holly and the players.

I have no way of knowing for sure what is going on in Knoxville, but I have a theory. When DD brought her posse to UNC and then left, she helped poison one of the most successful WBB programs in history. Certainly, there are other reasons for the Tar Heels downfall, but the program is now mired in mediocrity, with Hatchell limping along towards 1000 wins, playing their last game of the season yesterday while bowing out to the Cuse in the ACC tournament.

DD is obviously a talented player, but anyone who has ever been on a team knows that one selfish player can destroy team chemistry, particularly if that player is the acknowledged star of the team. TN's up and down play this season mirrors DD's play this season.

If DD has not already decided to head to the pros after this year, Holly should do everything in her power to encourage her to do so. With the #1 recruiting class coming to TN next season and maybe a few holdovers from this year's group that might just be interested in playing "TEAM" basketball, there may still be time for Holly to salvage the program at TN and not see it go the way of UNC.

I am a Husky fan that would really like to see a resurgent TN competing on a national level with UConn. It would be both exciting and very good for women's basketball.

 

[Charliebball]

And just how in hell does a program operate as a spasmodic dumpster fire, yet recruit an incoming class that is so highly ranked?

they each like that neat orange color on their uniforms?

 

[bags27]

You walk into the room with your pencil in your hand
You see somebody naked and you say, "Who is that man?"
You try so hard but you don't understand
Just what you will say when you get home
Because something is happening here but you don't know what it is
Do you, Mr. Jones?

 

[Shenandoah]

As much as I dislike UTenn, I find these types of interviews incredibly painful to watch.
"So, Jordan, you are coming off of a big win against a top 5 team, can you explain why your team played like crap tonight?"...

 

[BobbyJ]

If the highly ranked class has the same lack of fire in their bellies, then they will get the same results. I don't think it's a coincidence that Tennessee and UConn don't seem to get into many head-to-head recruiting battles anymore. They might both be on the early 12-15 schools considered by top players, but when the coaches and players narrow things down to their finalists, Tennessee and UConn candidate lists don't seem to overlap much. They appear to be looking for different things.

You're probably right. I think when Auriemma lets the recruits know about the standards they'll be held to is about the time they start heading for UTenn.

 

[BroadwayVa]

Its a real sad situation at Tennessee. Players thinking its okay to overlook an opponent and not give it their best. Then the coach saying we prepared as we have for all our games. Never going to contend for an SEC title or a National Championship with those attitudes.

What is really really bad is the Coaching staff, AD, Admin think it's ok to "look past" at team that beat you --and then get beaten again by that team---That is SYSTEMIC MENTALITY OF FAILURE--I can just guess what Pat is thinking now, wherever she may be, she is saying==WAKE UP YOU IDIOTS!!
This has nothing to do with Geno---it is not what Geno would do with this team---why??/ Because his teams would never ever get to this point of "taking an opponent for granted". Head would roll long before this point. If one player or 2 were causing the lethargic play---here is your shirt --what's your hurry!!

 

[BobbyJ]

This is nothing new for Tenn. It goes back to when UConn got verbals from Caroline Doty Maya Moore and EDD. It start then and Pat was coaching. The LVs have fallen hard and every season it seems to get worse. It used to be you could out talent teams the LVs have proven with all their talent they cant. IMO it has something to do with big egos with some players. The effort is not there. Team ball is not there. To much one on one and a lack and discipline to play defense. What is need is a strong disciplinarian to coach this team. It can only be the coach's way not the players way. You cant be afraid to sit stars if theyre not playing the game the way the coaches want them to play and the minute they slack off bench them. Hey you either change your players or you change your players. You can lose with your non starters just as well as you can lose with your starters.

As Rick Pitino says, "This ain't a democracy."

 

[BroadwayVa]

No...... Please do not suggest firing Holly ever again. That woman has worked so hard. 1) #1Recruiting Class . 2) The other NCAA coach that has a win over both South Carolina & ND this year is a finalist for Coach of the year, so why are we disrespecting Holly like that? . 3) Last year Holly had regular season wins over 2 of the teams that were in the Final Four and her team made the Elite 8.

I respect your intelligence and knowledge--in this case with losses of this kind and an apparent lack of expectations for the TEAm as a whole or individuals--is this a problem ? With the talent Holly has on the Tn team--I would expect to --walk into their Gym--and without coaching say --go get em and win (yea not in this life time), but you get the idea.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

If DD has not already decided to head to the pros after this year, Holly should do everything in her power to encourage her to do so. With the #1 recruiting class coming to TN next season and maybe a few holdovers from this year's group that might just be interested in playing "TEAM" basketball, there may still be time for Holly to salvage the program at TN and not see it go the way of UNC.

Amen. But I feel Holly has a captive's mentality and does not have either the willpower or acumen to do this.

 

[BroadwayVa]

As Rick Pitino says, "This ain't a democracy."

He's right--it's Democratic Republic---when you pledge allegiance to the flag and the REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS!

 

[1-of-the-6]

Somewhere much earlier in this thread it was said that, when you have a situation such as the one at Tennessee, that "You either change your players, or you change your players." I'd never heard that one before. And I think that the first part, changing attitudes, can be a daunting, or impossible, chore. This seems to be a lesson that the very best coaches, such as Geno, either knew instinctively from the beginning, or learned early on. That being that recruiting only the best talent without properly vetting the people for character will land you in serious trouble. In other words, Geno may have had something to do with making players like Kia, Gabby, Napheesa and the rest great people, but for the most part, they already were.

I coached volleyball for about fifteen years. High school level and J.O. Of all the things that surprised me, tops on the list was that I too often had to coach effort, to motivate. I had thought that the players who chose to play the sport would always give their best. I was wrong.

Geno said in a video that he, at UCONN, does not have to do this, while at many schools they do. This is a tremendous advantage, and one they gain by properly appraising the personalities and character of the girls that they recruit. They have been very, very good at this over the years. Other schools, it seems, not so much..

 

[Bigboote]

Wow. It shows incredible immaturity on the parts of the players to say something like that. Even if you're thinking "sometimes we don't give out best," you never SAY it in public. Also it shows a lack of training and horrible judgment on the part of the coaching staff. The players need to be taught how to handle those questions, and any players who don't get it should never be allowed to talk in the post-game pressers.

 

[OldAlum]

Really a head scratcher how you "overlook" a team that already beat you once!
I don't think UConn will "overlook" Tulane if they play again in this tourney! (And they didn't even lose)

 

[Wbbfan1]

Its obvious that Holly wasn't listening to her players answers as she didn't know what was said by them.

Wow. It shows incredible immaturity on the parts of the players to say something like that. Even if you're thinking "sometimes we don't give out best," you never SAY it in public. Also it shows a lack of training and horrible judgment on the part of the coaching staff. The players need to be taught how to handle those questions, and any players who don't get it should never be allowed to talk in the post-game pressers.

 

[oldude]

Really a head scratcher how you "overlook" a team that already beat you once!
I don't think UConn will "overlook" Tulane if they play again in this tourney! (And they didn't even lose)

Once the Big Dance starts the Huskies don't ignore anyone. Just ask Robert Morris & Duquesne.

 

[ochoopsfan]

Margo gets more than the UT players and coaches. She should be on the bench with the team.

 

[tomcat]

That video is just the picture of failure. TN needs to take a good luck at its WCBB leadership.

 

[j66kicker]

You walk into the room with your pencil in your hand
You see somebody naked and you say, "Who is that man?"
You try so hard but you don't understand
Just what you will say when you get home
Because something is happening here but you don't know what it is
Do you, Mr. Jones?

 

[j66kicker]

You think Geno will use this somewhere in his next locker room speech before the game? Warning the team to not look past their next opponent? Geno has been preaching this all season, but it bares repeating none the less. The Tennessee players admitted to allowing a cancer in their locker room that could never exist in UConn's. Hopefully they will learn from this over site, and play through it.
That admission was embarrassing for the entire program.

I think Geno will use this all week before the game if we get matched up with Tennessee in the tourney - heh heh. (If that does happen I just hope we set a tournament record for MOV - No Mercy!!!!)

 

[LO TRADER]

Most Tennessee teams were not great on the offensive end, but Pat focused on defense and rebounding, while pushing the players very hard. In a sense, they were over-achievers. Since Pat left, under-achieving has been the norm. This year's team is a highly erratic enigma.

Defense & Rebounding can carry you far in the NCAA Tourney.

 

[drweo]

You think Geno will use this somewhere in his next locker room speech before the game? Warning the team to not look past their next opponent? Geno has been preaching this all season, but it bares repeating none the less. The Tennessee players admitted to allowing a cancer in their locker room that could never exist in UConn's. Hopefully they will learn from this over site, and play through it.
That admission was embarrassing for the entire program.

Since last season, I have been convinced that Tennessee has a severe locker room problem. Not that Warlick is a great coach, but I really believe there is something going on in the locker room, among the players, that she cant get under control.

 

[topogigio]

That was very painful to watch; a broken woman with a broken team. Extremely tough time for Vol fans, I'm sure. I'm sure it's time to clean house of coaching staff, rescind a number of scholarships, and start fresh with the new crop of players coming in.

 

[Carnac]

I think Geno will use this all week before the game if we get matched up with Tennessee in the tourney - heh heh. (If that does happen I just hope we set a tournament record for MOV - No Mercy!!!!)

If they do put Tennessee in the Bridgeport Region, it would have to be in the first two rounds (the second game as an 8/9 seed). I don't believe Tennessee will advance beyond the second round. If they can't beat an un-ranked Alabama team that's 5-11 in conference play, how are they going to beat a higher seed with a +.500 record?

According to Charlie Creme's "Bracketology " bracket, the #7 seed (which is what they are currently projected to be), in the BP region would be in the bottom part of the bracket, along with the #2, 10 & 15 seeds. I doubt very seriously if they would meet UConn under those conditions. They would have to defeat the #10, #2 & #3 seeds on neutral courts to qualify to meet UConn in a great 8 match-up in the Bridgeport regional final. Not impossible, but highly unlikely.

 

[oldude]

If they do put Tennessee in the Bridgeport Region, it would have to be in the first two rounds (the second game as an 8/9 seed). I don't believe Tennessee will advance beyond the second round. If they can't beat an un-ranked Alabama team that's 5-11 in conference play, how are they going to beat a higher seed with a +.500 record?

According to Charlie Creme's "Bracketology " bracket, the #7 seed (which is what they are currently projected to be), in the BP region would be in the bottom part of the bracket, along with the #2, 10 & 15 seeds. I doubt very seriously if they would meet UConn under those conditions. They would have to defeat the #10, #2 & #3 seeds on neutral courts to qualify to meet UConn in a great 8 match-up in the Bridgeport regional final. Not impossible, but highly unlikely.

One clarification. The Vols would play the #2 seed on the #2 seed's home court.

 

[DukeOfClinton]

If the highly ranked class has the same lack of fire in their bellies, then they will get the same results. I don't think it's a coincidence that Tennessee and UConn don't seem to get into many head-to-head recruiting battles anymore. They might both be on the early 12-15 schools considered by top players, but when the coaches and players narrow things down to their finalists, Tennessee and UConn candidate lists don't seem to overlap much. They appear to be looking for different things.

This times 1000% The real secret to UConn is quality of recruits. Not just high caliber talent, High caliber character.

 

[arty155]

The LVs have fallen hard and every season it seems to get worse.... .

 

[Carnac]

One clarification. The Vols would play the #2 seed on the #2 seed's home court.

You're right, I stand corrected. That's a game I don't think they would win.

 

[Charliebball]

Raoul‏ @Raoul_000 51m51 minutes ago
Are there Vols fans who really think a new AD will fire a coach w/ #1 incoming recruiting class? Also—ever heard of addition by subtraction?

 

[Charliebball]

Per Raul: Holly in trouble if Vols don't make final four?

John Adams: Hot-and-cold Lady Vols could leave Holly Warlick on hot seat

 

[oldude]

Per Raul: Holly in trouble if Vols don't make final four?

John Adams: Hot-and-cold Lady Vols could leave Holly Warlick on hot seat

Pretty tough article, but probably deserved. I don't know if the conclusion that Holly is on the hot seat is insightful or simply wishful thinking by the reporter who wrote the article.