LSU Tenn thoughts

[Cuango]

This game proved Kim Mulkey is over rated as usual. LSU is not top 20 caliber

Yeah, I don’t think Kim is overrated. She’s a hell of a coach. I think she’s a top three coach for sure. Her team is overrated on paper, but I wouldn’t be too surprised if they actually beat SC. Even if they don’t, I doubt you will see the 20 point MoV some posters are predicting.

 

[Cuango]

I thought the “show” that Angel put on after her breakaway basket was just obnoxious! Should have been T’d up.

Geno wouldn’t put up with that kind of stuff, but he never has to deal with it due to the kind of players he recruits. The more I see some of these self-aggrandizing, “look at me” kinds of players, the more I respect and appreciate Geno & CD’s unswerving dedication to recruiting a certain kind of player for their program.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

Geno wouldn’t put up with that kind of stuff, but he never has to deal with it due to the kind of players he recruits. The more I see some of these self-aggrandizing, “look at me” kinds of players, the more I respect and appreciate Geno & CD’s unswerving dedication to recruiting a certain kind of player for their program.

If you're talking about Reese, UConn offered her a scholarship.

 

[tigers4ever]

Kim's non-conference schedule at LSU is similar to the ones she used to have at Baylor. Weak. It doesn't seem to hurt her teams in the polls but it may come back to bite them in March.

Agree that Kim has historically scheduled weak OOC and relies on conference schedule to get tournament tough. Worked to perfection 3 times at Baylor and pretty good in every other year. Hoping it works to perfection at least once at LSU.

 

[tigers4ever]

One thing I noticed in this game was several moments when Reese was in Flaujae’s face. Was it friendly or encouraging? Or was it scolding? It’s hard to tell, but watching it I wondered if Flaujae might not be a transfer candidate. She gets plenty of minutes, but she may not like playing second fiddle to Reese and

The portal is a possibility for any player on any team. To think otherwise is naive these days. Having said that, Flau' Jae has been in several post game pressers with Reese and Mulkey and the rapport between them all is really good. Good rapport between players with each other on social media as well.

 

[Big12wbbFan]

Kim's non-conference schedule at LSU is similar to the ones she used to have at Baylor. Weak. It doesn't seem to hurt her teams in the polls but it may come back to bite them in March.

It came back to bite Kim several times at Baylor when she lost games in Sweet Sixteen to lower seeded teams,

 

[LETTERL]

Agree that Kim has historically scheduled weak OOC and relies on conference schedule to get tournament tough. Worked to perfection 3 times at Baylor and pretty good in every other year. Hoping it works to perfection at least once at LSU.

I thought it was part of her scheduling philosophy to play the smaller teams in her region to give them a chance to play a big-time team.

 

[sun]

What happened to Jordan Horston? She played so well against UConn, then was terrible agsainst LSU. Did they give any reason during the game?

According to Kim in the post game presser, she credited Flau'jae for only being a rookie yet holding Horston to 11 points and 1 rebound.
I doubt that LSU is as strong as they need to be to win a NC and Kim probably knows that too.
But she says that her players are fighters with an elite will to win which sets them apart from other teams.
Whatever they can accomplish should be able to help her to keep recruiting good players.
Kim heaps praise on her players, they praise her and LSU benefits from all of the ratings hype.
She's a master at using the national spotlight.
That's her job, to motivate players and to grow her program.

 

[RedStickHusky]

What's the largest point spread ever for a matchup of top three teams?

 

[RedStickHusky]

Yeah, I don’t think Kim is overrated. She’s a hell of a coach. I think she’s a top three coach for sure. Her team is overrated on paper, but I wouldn’t be too surprised if they actually beat SC. Even if they don’t, I doubt you will see the 20 point MoV some posters are predicting.

If LSU stays within 20 of SC, I'll be very encouraged about UConn's chances.

 

[hoopsfan22]

What happened to Jordan Horston? She played so well against UConn, then was terrible agsainst LSU. Did they give any reason during the game?

I mean you could say the same for Lou, right? They're human. It happens.

 

[tigers4ever]

I thought it was part of her scheduling philosophy to play the smaller teams in her region to give them a chance to play

I thought it was part of her scheduling philosophy to play the smaller teams in her region to give them a chance to play a big-time team.

She probably does do that and rotates which schools she plays but I don't see that she does it anymore than any other P5 school does. I'm sure much of that is also do to travel costs. This year there were 4 Louisiana opponents scheduled but UNO cancelled. They might have cancelled last year as well.

 

[GoCardinal]

I do not think LSU is a top 5 team. Watching the game, Reese struggled finishing over the size, speed, and strength of Tennessee. The foul situation was interesting all night, I understand having "home-court" advantage but from what I saw there is no way LSU only fouled 14 times all night. A 31-12 FT margin indicates some of what others have mentioned about the officiating. Similar to last year, I think LSU still has some trouble defending the 3. Tennessee hit 8 last night, and really could have been more because they missed a few wide open ones.

I think LSU is good, but I would be surpised if they are able to hang with South Carolina simply because of the size, depth, and defense on the other side. Beal will likely make things hard for Morris as well. Tennessee's issue is coaching and consistent effort. I just don't understand Striplin starting at this point and during game action I think they went away from Puckett too early. She started taking advantage of her mismatch and they just stopped. Horston also just didn't have it until late either.

 

[SECbbfan24]

What happened to Jordan Horston? She played so well against UConn, then was terrible agsainst LSU. Did they give any reason during the game?

I thought Flaujae's defense on Horston was simply outstanding. She missed entirely way too many layups and easy shots she normally makes but to lock down Horston as a true freshmen is encouraging and it bodes well for her development in the long run. Flaujae is 5'10 but she is super long, quick, athletic and strong.

I still believe LSU is a year or two away. If their shots are clicking (Flaujae AND Morris especially) they can be dangerous to be competitive with almost anyone but its obvious they aren't there yet. I won't name names but there are players who are playing who are place holders until better talent comes along eventually.

Reese as gifted as she is needs to learn the value to the basketball offensively. I simply think she is way too carless with her shooting half the time and misses way too many easy layups assuming she will just get most of these misses. She also needs to work on more consistency with her mid range jumper. She has that open look every single game.

 

[dabears17]

Didn’t Charlie have UConn ranked as a 1 seed and LSU as a 2 seed last Friday? Today he has UConn as a 1 seed with LSU as the 2 seed in that regional.

AP has them over ranked some. Massey has them as 4th with UConn as 2nd. An undefeated team coached by someone who has won 3 national championships is going to be ranked pretty high when every other school ranked below them but Indiana has 2 or more losses.

 

[JellyBean]

I thought the LSU/Tennessee was pretty darn good. Another great game for SEC basketball and for women's basketball. It was worth watching. Like Coach Mulkey said in her post game presser, there are questions about her LSU squad. Heck, they have questions as well. But those questions and naysayers fuel their fire. Her presser was powerful. Remember, folks picked the Lady Vols ahead of LSU. As a competitive team, they wanted that smoke, and they handled Tennessee. It was a pretty darn good game.

 

[tigers4ever]

I mean you could say the same for Lou, right? They're human. It happens.

Kim gave the reason. Flau'jae on defense

 

[Dwilliams02]

Lol this thread needs to be named LSU hate

 

[Dwilliams02]

I thought Flaujae's defense on Horston was simply outstanding. She missed entirely way too many layups and easy shots she normally makes but to lock down Horston as a true freshmen is encouraging and it bodes well for her development in the long run. Flaujae is 5'10 but she is super long, quick, athletic and strong.

I still believe LSU is a year or two away. If their shots are clicking (Flaujae AND Morris especially) they can be dangerous to be competitive with almost anyone but its obvious they aren't there yet. I won't name names but there are players who are playing who are place holders until better talent comes along eventually.

Reese as gifted as she is needs to learn the value to the basketball offensively. I simply think she is way too carless with her shooting half the time and misses way too many easy layups assuming she will just get most of these misses. She also needs to work on more consistency with her mid range jumper. She has that open look every single game.

She ran way more plays for Morris similar to last year. Something we haven't seen much of this season. This was the Alexis Morris I expected. Get that out of her more often. The team becomes more dangerous.

Flau'Jae gonna get better in time. Her defense was definitely a sight to see. Carson is a hit and miss sometimes. When she involved. She's a great asset. I assume her defense is why she didn't see much minutes

 

[Coler]

If LSU stays within 20 of SC, I'll be very encouraged about UConn's chances.

Well UConn plays SC before LSU does, so….

 

[triaddukefan]

What's the largest point spread ever for a matchup of top three teams?

I have a guess, but I'm not gonna say it here.

 

[TheGOAT23]

Alexis Morris was on point last night. Reminds me of the freshman Alexis at Baylor. That high pick that she ran continuously in which Jolly failed to have her BIGS hedge was Tennessee’s undoing amongst other things. I’m not sure what Hollingshead was thinking on those high picks, but she continued to sag in the lane and Alexis scorched them. Was that the coach’s defensive plan. I Don’t care who my coach was/is, I would have hedged after the first dagger. Alexis was the fastest player on the court last night and she showed why she was the player of the game.

 

[MSGRET]

Stanford beat Tennessee by 7 at home and LSU beat Tennessee by 8 at home.
UConn beat Villanova by 5 at home and Tennessee by 17 away.
That info and $1 would buy me a cup of coffee.

Cheap coffee

 

[sun]

Here's the 31:58 condensed game so folks can make their own decision.
It was an exciting game with the bad calls shown not affecting the score.

 

[MSGRET]

LSU is going to bomb in the second round of the NCAA, just like they did against tOhio State last year, after Kim barely coached them past Jackson State in the first round 83-77.