Poll Lady Vols vs Notre Dame

[dtbtbtb]

This is a very important game for TN...If they are blown out by over 25 points, it will be very hard for the players to believe that they are getting anywhere this season and the spiral downwards will continue. If TN can make a game out of this and lose by a respectable margin, they can still hope to improve and still have some hope for a reasonable season. If TN wins it will be a shocker!
I see ND winning this game by 15 points....

 

[cockhrnleghrn]

You know... I'm gonna admit... Up until this year I never really cared that much about TN. Maybe it is because I'm too young to have been really invested in the rivalry at the time that it was still burning hot. I was like 8 years old at the time that anything between the two teams really mattered. However, this year I have found myself almost feeling joy when they lose. Maybe that says I am a bad person..... but I can at least admit it if that's the case. I prefer to see TN lose over ND. Don't particularly like Muffet (still holding a grudge for her not clapping for Stewie) but she gets the job done and her style of play pleasing to eye. Even when TN loses tonight they can always say "We play in the toughest conference in America. This was just a lesson to come prepared every night." Then it will happen all over again the next time they play anyone worth a darn. The crazy part is.... they could tank everything between now and 2/15 and if they beat SCar on that day and get to the SEC Championship game they still will end up with a seed higher than they deserve.

I feel that way about Clemson and Georgia in most sports; Tennessee, Kentucky and Florida hatred is just behind. In WBB, though, I hate Kentucky the most (MBB, too), because I can't stand their coaches. Mitchell whines incessantly and Calipari stays one step ahead of the NCAA.

 

[topogigio]

I see a blow by the Irish. Tennessee has a ton of talent, but for various reasons they are a terrible TEAM, and their true rankings are below the top 20. Holly has lost complete control of her charges, and the majority of their players, led by the Diamante, play only to get "mines"!

 

[Beemer]

Holly Warlick isn't in the same coaching class as Muffet McGraw. Notre Dame by at least 15.

 

[Bayareahusky]

i expect Tenn to show well only because the volume has been cranking in KVille.... we even heard from Elzy...... early practices...... think we probably will see some hustle from the LVs..... ND by 12

 

[JellyBean]

The Lady Vols are about lose their 3rd game in a 4-game span. They will play hard but ND's hot 3-point shooting and the Lady Vols poor ability to take care of the ball, is going to be too much for the Vols to handle.

ND: 82
Lady Vols: 64

 

[Gus Mahler]

You know... I'm gonna admit... Up until this year I never really cared that much about TN. Maybe it is because I'm too young to have been really invested in the rivalry at the time that it was still burning hot. I was like 8 years old at the time that anything between the two teams really mattered. However, this year I have found myself almost feeling joy when they lose.

I'm an odd duck in this regard. My dislike for TN goes way back, and it has nothing to do with UConn.

So I'm enjoying the struggles of their WBB team. I don't wish to see a complete, long-term collapse, but I'd be very pleased if they were to drift along as just another pretty face.

 

[Orangutan]

I'm a little nervous about this game as an ND fan. Tennessee will be embarrassed at having lost to Arkansas and they will be highly motivated. They certainly have the talent to trouble ND.

However, they would need to turn the ball over far less and shoot much better than they have been in order to beat ND. I don't see how they can suddenly make that happen. Also, even if Tennessee does experience some success early on in the game, Muffet can and will change the game plan. This has happened against Duke in the past where Duke had a good game plan but couldn't counter Muffet's response. This seems to be a problem for Tennessee. When Plan A doesn't work, they don't have a plan B.

Finally, the received wisdom on Tennessee is that they struggle against teams who a) can break their press & b) play an effective zone. ND has done very well against presses this year. For example, see the DePaul game. DePaul tried to press in the first half and ND ended up with a 26-point halftime lead. Zone is always a part of ND's defensive arsenal and they probably have more practice with it this year than in most year's because they used it a quite a bit when Turner was out. I don't know if they'll run it from the start but they certainly won't hesitate to use it if need be.

If they depend on the press generating turnovers and on man-to-man defense to score, I don't think they'll score much more than usual. And if they don't score more than usual, I don't see them winning.

So I'm nervous but from a rational perspective I expect ND to win by high single digits or low double digits. I think Tennessee's best chances to win are for ND's bigs to get in foul trouble and/or DeShields to catch fire.

 

[Gus Mahler]

I'm a little nervous about this game as an ND fan. Tennessee will be embarrassed at having lost to Arkansas and they will be highly motivated. They certainly have the talent to trouble ND.

However, they would need to turn the ball over far less and shoot much better than they have been in order to beat ND. I don't see how they can suddenly make that happen. Also, even if Tennessee does experience some success early on in the game, Muffet can and will change the game plan. This has happened against Duke in the past where Duke had a good game plan but couldn't counter Muffet's response. This seems to be a problem for Tennessee. When Plan A doesn't work, they don't have a plan B.

Finally, the received wisdom on Tennessee is that they struggle against teams who a) can break their press & b) play an effective zone. ND has done very well against presses this year. For example, see the DePaul game. DePaul tried to press in the first half and ND ended up with a 26-point halftime lead. Zone is always a part of ND's defensive arsenal and they probably have more practice with it this year than in most year's because they used it a quite a bit when Turner was out. I don't know if they'll run it from the start but they certainly won't hesitate to use it if need be.

If they depend on the press generating turnovers and on man-to-man defense to score, I don't think they'll score much more than usual. And if they don't score more than usual, I don't see them winning.

So I'm nervous but from a rational perspective I expect ND to win by high single digits or low double digits. I think Tennessee's best chances to win are for ND's bigs to get in foul trouble and/or DeShields to catch fire.

Relax. It'll be like an ape with an orange: Chomp it up and spit out the rind.

 

[mrmojack]

Notre Dame is a 14.5 point favorite against the LV's

 

[reno tony]

Notre Dame is a 14.5 point favorite against the LV's

Lay the 14.5 and enjoy the game

 

[easttexastrash]

ND by 20ish

 

[baggerbob]

I'm thinking this is a make-or-break game for TN. If they get embarrassed tonight, are out of the game after 5 minutes and lose by 30, Warlick will lose total control of the team. In that case, TN loses 15 games this year and Warlick gets canned. If Warlick can gather the team and put up a good fight, she may be able to save the season, and herself.

I can't see TN throwing in the towel...yet. I'm thinking ND by 20. TN will make a run, but in the end they are just not in a position to compete at this level.

Diamond is in control of the team, and has been all season, Holly is only the coach.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

They certainly have the talent to trouble ND.

How do you define that talent ? You are not playing a High School AA game tonight. Most of that Tenn. team has not showed up since they matriculated at the Orange Academy. The only thing they have been good at, intermittently, for the last 3 years is helter skelter defense and steal lay ups on the shaken team unable, for reasons that escape me, to handle that defense. If ND is vulnerable to that in the 4th quarter, well shame on ND.

 

[vtcwbuff]

Early exit poll results from the BY experts ND wins 123 votes, UTenn wins 2 votes. That makes UTenn a lock for a blowout win.

 

[Orangutan]

How do you define that talent ? You are not playing a High School AA game tonight. Most of that Tenn. team has not showed up since they matriculated at the Orange Academy. The only thing they have been good at, intermittently, for the last 3 years is helter skelter defense and steal lay ups on the shaken team unable, for reasons that escape me, to handle that defense. If ND is vulnerable to that in the 4th quarter, well shame on ND.

I guess what I mean is that if they play at their maximum they can beat ND. A good number of teams ND plays probably can never beat them even if they play as well as they possibly can. The problem is that Tennessee's maximum is mostly theoretical. That's sort of what I was getting at. Tennessee makes me nervous as an ND fan but all the empirical evidence indicates that they really shouldn't.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

I guess what I mean is that if they play at their maximum they can beat ND. A good number of teams ND plays probably can never beat them even if they play as well as they possibly can. The problem is that Tennessee's maximum is mostly theoretical. That's sort of what I was getting at. Tennessee makes me nervous as an ND fan but all the empirical evidence indicates that they really shouldn't.

Bingo.

 

[easttexastrash]

Diamond is in control of the team, and has been all season, Holly is only the coach.

What have you seen from DD this year that would make you think she is not being anything other than a good teammate and, player for the coaching staff?

 

[Orangutan]

What have you seen from DD this year that would make you think she is not being anything other than a good teammate and, player for the coaching staff?

Warlick after Virginia Tech loss: "We are not living, we are dying by the three-point shot. We went 1-for-19. Come on, use your basketball sense. Get a two-point shot." DeShields was 1-8 from 3 in the game, took twice as many 3s as any other LV (Cooper was 0-4).

Warlick after Florida loss: "The other quarters we were 4-22 from the three-point line. That was not our game plan. So, we were on our own agenda tonight. I'm telling the drive and they were shooting three's." DeShields was 0-5, tying for the most 3-point attempts (Cooper was 1-5, Carter was 3-5).

I don't know about being a good teammate but her coach has on multiple occasions criticized the team for taking too many 3s and DeShields has taken 22 more 3s than any other Tennessee player.

 

[Zorro]

It should be a blowout, but I'm saying ND more than 10, just 'cuz there are so many Vol fans standing at the edge of a cliff or contemplating the tailpipe of a running car.

I think they are more inclined towards pitchfords and torches, Rocky.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

I think they are more inclined towards pitchfords and torches, Rocky.

LMAO! But probably closer to the truth.

 

[ed4ourgirls]

If Tennessee didn't have any talented kids on the roster it would be easy to predict a
Notre Dame blowout. I took the ND by fewer than ten option because I just have a
feeling that Tennessee will pick tonight to start hitting some shots, thereby keeping
themselves in the game.

 

[Ctpaul0825]

The team goes the way Diamond goes. If Diamond hits early shots then UT will at least make it a game. If Diamond is off and she pouts it will be a blow out..

 

[BlueDevils]

I am currently one of the four who chose Lady Vols by less than ten. Talented stars perform in big games when their team needs them the most. Could potentially be a breakout game for DD against a former ACC opponent.

Lady Vols 68
Notre Dame 67

 

[BlueDevils]

The Westbeld vs Graves matchup is one to watch for.