Kortney Dunbar ('14) commits to Tennessee

[Boxerpups4me]

I hardly think anyone is underestimating Tennessee. Good grief - they were put at #3 in the most recent preseason poll. Obviously people out there feel they are a final 4 caliber team. On paper, Tennessee has the 3rd most talented team behind UCONN and Duke only (IMHO), but I'd put them behind ND at the very least. It seems they are finally starting to develop post players - something that bodes well for Russell. In fact, I'd imagine Harrison starts over Russell - probably for most of the year. As I said before, I think Tennessee fans, in their giddiness of landing Russell, have projected her to be the next Parker or Griner. I just don't see it based on everything she's done up to now, but who knows how she will develop. Tennessee has a huge history of top 5 recruits not exactly ending up as great NPOY type of players. I actually think Graves has that potential, and probably will be their best player this season.

But it will be a long season and I think Tennessee's relatively weak schedule will allow them to go almost undefeated this year. No Duke, no UCONN, no Maryland, no Louisville. The top 10 teams they play are Stanford and Notre Dame. I think UNC is also top 10 but playing them right out the gate with UNC's strength mostly their freshmen and sophomores will prove not big challenge for Tennessee. Kentucky? I guess they are top 10 as well. But a very favorable schedule for them.

Well thought out post eric..Although I will disagree and say that Russell starts at the 5 spot for Tennessee. She is a true post and that's what Tennessee has sorely needed for a long time. I think Harrison will back up Graves at the 4 spot because that's her natural position. With that said, Harrison will get a lot of playing time at the 5 to spell Russell for some minutes. Nia Moore's development is also coming along quite nicely and she should get some good minutes too.

As far as our schedule strength is concerned, I don't see it being that weak at all. Overall we play 8 teams in the preseason top 25 (#22 Vandy twice). Baylor would have also been in there, but they dropped us for some strange reason. That crazy Kim!!! I will concede that UCONN has a monstrous non conference schedule, but once they get into conference play things should sail smoothly for them..

 

[Tonyc]

The reason imo why Tenn has been loosing is poor perimeter defense and when things get tight they appear not to run plays to get a good shot, to many times somebody just launches a ill advised shot. Russell will need time to develop. Im not sure shes ready to step in to a starting position and take on all that pressure. Graves and Burdick are good players. Harrision will be a good post player. The question comes is how will Tenn fair against the elite teams and we wont know that until the NCAAs as Tenns OOC schedule is a little weak.

 

[Icebear]

To be honest with you, I will be a little disappointed if we fall short of the final four this year. We are more talented and finally have depth and a very talented true post player that seems to be healthy, which we haven't had in a long time. We won't have Griner and Baylor, or ND and Diggins to deal with either. Yes, Moore had more accolades and achievements and there was a ton of excitement about her coming out of high school, but Russell's impact may not be what she accomplishes herself, but what she will open up for our other players, simply because of her size and skill set.

Question though to you and your fellow UCONN fans, since after all this IS a UCONN board. Obviously Faris graduated and clearly has been one of UCONN's best defensive player in years, not to mention the fact she could hit clutch 3's. She literally would come in and provide a defensive spark that I haven't seen from one player in quite a while. Who fill's her shoes? My own guess would be Bria Hartley. She performed very well for the USA team this year.

Geno seems to regularly recruit or inspire players to take on the role of defensive stopper. Kelly was the most recent in a line that includes Kalana Greene and Ashley Battle. Add that to the strength of UCONN's team defense philosophies and I expect the team's defensive prowess to continue. MoJeff and Brianna Banks have great potential to become defensive stoppers on the perimeter. Possibly Saniya Chong will show that ability this year as we move forward. She has the tools but it will take time.

 

[Bestiarius]

Vandy and Kentucky always gives us fits. Although I think this year Kentucky will be particularly stronger this season since they added Harper. She is a beast on the defensive side and will thrive in their press defense. One thing about Kentucky though is their inability to play any kind of consistent half court offense. Vandy on the other hand should have good guard play, but will struggle down low in the post. South Carolina will be tough to beat this year as well. Dawn always puts a good team out on the court.

Tennessee has a lot to prove and it might be a little premature for UT fans like myself to think Russell is our automatic ticket to the final four, and she may not be the second coming of Parker or Griner, but she def at least GIVES us a legitimate shot our first final four in several years, similar to freshman Maya Moore helping UCONN erase their final four drought they had for several straight seasons. So it's not just Tennessee who has struggled to get back to the final four, even mighty UCONN has had their struggles as well. When UCONN struggled, and I use that term lightly since they still had solid seasons, I knew that Geno would bring them back to elite status, and I'm sure Holly will do that with Tennessee. Mercedes Russell is a great start...

Isn't it a great time of the year? When optimism can flourish with no possibility of reality creeping into the picture. When players ranked about #80 can be envisioned to surprise everyone with top 10 performance. Where highly ranked freshmen without a single minute of Div 1 play can be compared favorably with the all time greats of the past. Where players with past limitations can be thought to have erased their failings over one magical summer. Where new head coaches can be expected with surety to perform equal to or better than a former all time great. Yes, it's a wonderful time of the year, and best of all there are another couple of months where these certainties can prevail! Oh Joy!

 

[DobbsRover2]

I will concede that UCONN has a monstrous non conference schedule, but once they get into conference play things should sail smoothly for them..

One should never presume too much, as a quick scan of some of last year's preseason statements would indicate that many of us would currently be understandingly suffering from bad cases of foot-in-mouth disease. UConn has handled the top three teams in this year's AAC flawlessly over the last few years, though Rutgers has been troublesome in the past and of course facing off many times against a multiple-occasion NC runner-up is an experience that has been problematic for the Huskies recently, and hopefully Louisville does not reincarnate itself as ND. With a combined 2013 average of 79.17 in the Sagarin rating for the 2013-14 AAC teams, the conference has some power as the 5th best group, leaving the PAC well behind in the dust. And even the SEC had two teams rated worse than the poorest AAC team, Memphis.

And at this point the BY definitely needs to set up a Kourtney Dunbar Boneyard Preseason Player of the Year award for use in the years ahead. Many freshman players will come and go as the years go by, but I'm sure we'll be saying in 2020 about some up-and-comer, "She's good but she's no Kourtney Dunbar. She won't come close to cracking 13,000 views. " [and counting][to be even more updated].

 

[Bestiarius]

And at this point the BY definitely needs to set up a Kourtney Dunbar Boneyard Preseason Player of the Year award for use in the years ahead. Many freshman players will come and go as the years go by, but I'm sure will be saying in 2020 about some up-and-comer, "She's good but she's no Kourtney Dunbar. She won't come close to cracking 12,000 views." [to be updated].

I'm sure Kourtney will win the MVP award (Most Views Player).

 

[Phil]

The first 2 rounds may well be at TBA if the NCAA goes with letting the top 16 host but the regionals cannot be at a team's home court

They are revisiting this limitation as part of the Ackerman report. Not just the first two rounds, the Regionals as well.

My expectation was that any change in the rule for regionals would apply to future years, not the upcoming one, but every day that they haven't announced the regional locations makes me wonder.

 

[Phil]

...seeing how the FF is in Nashville I seriously doubt anywhere in Tenn will be a regional site.

I agree it is unlikely. It is not unprecedented. In both 1984 and 1999, there were regionals and the Final Four in California.

 

[Alydar]

I think the sites are being named Oct 1.