S. Carolina - Tennessee

[LadyVols9]

if she remains healthy, DD could very well be POY multiple times and one of the best in the WNBA. she is THAT good.

 

[CocoHusky]

if she remains healthy, DD could very well be POY multiple times and one of the best in the WNBA. she is THAT good.

That is an awful tall order for Diamond. To win " multiple" POY would mean winning in her Junior or Senior years because next year she would have to surpass Mitchell reining SEC POY and Lloyd presumptive POY this year and Stewart last year's POY.

 

[DobbsRover2]

Doesn't some of this post about DD remind one of the some outsiders remarks reguardng Taurasi?

Or even more so of the Tennessee sites' remarks about DD last year back when she was a "selfish ball hog," but then of course she signed on with the Vols and they're feeling they'll be living high on the hog.

 

[Tonyc]

One point that sticks out is that UConn is so much far superior then any team in WCBB. As UConn fans we cant compare any team to UConn and this season very few players to UConns roster. UConns roster has been, is, and will continue to be loaded and plugging the new players into Genos system will continue to make UConn the most dominate team in WCBB. Yes I would agree many not all UConn fans are tired of the blowouts. Lets face it there is no competition for UConn. The AAC might not be great but either is any other conference for UConn. Other conferences are good and competitive for each other but not UConn. So as UConn fans, we may tend to judge opponents by comparing them to UConn, which is only human.

As far as the LVs diminishing at the end of Pats career I agree. A lot of that had to do with Geno and Geno being driven to be the best. He imo was the first to compete and aspire to beat Tenn. Geno was not afraid of Tenn or Pat. Other coaches today are afraid of UConn and Geno. When UConn got verbals from EDD Doty and Maya that was what really started the deep hatred starting with the 37 page violation which imo may not have been started by Pat but by fans who I will not mention by name. When UConn got those 3 verbals that appeared to many fans as putting UConn over the top leaving Tenn behind. The 37 pages had a lot to do with Tenns down fall. The players parents and those kids coming up in the AAU programs resented what Tenn conspired to do which was take down Geno UConn UConns fans and anything to do with UConn. For those of us who went through it the 37 pages are still a craw in our side.

As far as blaming the new Tenn coaching staff for where Tenn is. IMO most teams are where Tenn is. Its called parity. Tenn not being as dominate as they once were is due to UConns dominance in recruiting. Other teams are better because they are recruiting from the same talent pool as Tenn. Can the coaching staff be blamed for having good talent and not making the FF? Yeah so can other teams. Next Season Tenn has Diamond and Mercedes. Are they enough to carry Tenn to the FF. IMO Tenn needs players to compliment DD and MR. Much like ND this season with Turner and Lloyd. ND plays a team oriented game where as Tenn is more dependent on their star player.

UConn will continue their dominance next season. Tenn has a chance to be top 4 with Diamond and Mercedes if Mercedes can stay healthy but they will need the supporting players to make an impact too.

 

[cockhrnleghrn]

That is an awful tall order for Diamond. To win " multiple" POY would mean winning in her Junior or Senior years because next year she would have to surpass Mitchell reining SEC POY and Lloyd presumptive POY this year and Stewart last year's POY.

She will have to learn how to play defense if she is going to be a POTY.

 

[VFLfan]

She will have to learn how to play defense if she is going to be a POTY.

Well surely you can see that with Holly's insistance on "being in the stance" that DD has learned how to defend

 

[Geno-ista]

Based on what and how come so certain?

It was obvious to me to- the rebounding and garbage points would have changed dramatically - So Car would have been behind as they tried time and again to give that game away, instead of in front.

 

[Geno-ista]

[If Harrison had played, Tenn would have won]

Take points away from somebody and time ,does not mean a win!!!!!

The whole game changes

Adding 8 -10 rebounds that SC doesn't get and a bunch of garbage Pts that SC doesn't get changes everything- just my opinion. We'll never know.

 

[cferraro04]

I suspect that Diamond will forego her senior year and go to the WNBA following her Junior year. I'm guessing that she will only play two more years of College basketball.

 

[watanabe]

One point that sticks out is that UConn is so much far superior then any team in WCBB. As UConn fans we cant compare any team to UConn and this season very few players to UConns roster. UConns roster has been, is, and will continue to be loaded and plugging the new players into Genos system will continue to make UConn the most dominate team in WCBB. ...

It's looking more and more like Geno has trancended the sport. After so many NCs, and league titles he has simply kept on rising.
After watching the Memphis game tonight, Me thinks we are entering uncharted territory. This team has risen/surpassed beyond what it will take to win the NC this year. Geno does not know how to stop getting better, or how to level out. UConn is achieving a legend status. There will never be a better coach or legacy.

 

[Gate81]

Have to agree with DD being amazing. Saw her games in NCAA's against South Carolina and Stanford and she was spectacular, even with a purple ankle.

 

[Geno-ista]

I suspect that Diamond will forego her senior year and go to the WNBA following her Junior year. I'm guessing that she will only play two more years of College basketball.

I think you're right!

 

[Geno-ista]

Have to agree with DD being amazing. Saw her games in NCAA's against South Carolina and Stanford and she was spectacular, even with a purple ankle.

She's prolific- Gabby's athleticism and a phenomenal shooter. She played so hard and couldn't even get off the floor after getting fouled a few times. I can't wait to see her healthy.

 

[DobbsRover2]

But as the UTenn fans who called DD a ball hog last year, there are certain stats about her that can't just be discarded as necessarily only a legacy of the past. She took 6.3 shots per every assist last year, shooting at 42.6% overall and at 27.9% for the three-pointers she loved to throw up so much.

To put that in perspective, compare it to Baylor's Sims was also known for dominating the ball, but she took 4.7 shots per assist at 44.6% overall and 39.8% for threes. Stewie played a different position for UConn as its leading scorer and took 4.8 shots per assist at 49.7% average and this year is down to 4.1 shots per assist at 53.7%.

Sure, DD may be a totally new player at UTenn, or not.

 

[VFLfan]

But as the UTenn fans who called DD a ball hog last year, there are certain stats about her that can't just be discarded as necessarily only a legacy of the past. She took 6.3 shots per every assist last year, shooting at 42.6% overall and at 27.9% for the three-pointers she loved to throw up so much.

To put that in perspective, compare it to Baylor's Sims was also known for dominating the ball, but she took 4.7 shots per assist at 44.6% overall and 39.8% for threes. Stewie played a different position for UConn as its leading scorer and took 4.8 shots per assist at 49.7% average and this year is down to 4.1 shots per assist at 53.7%.

Sure, DD may be a totally new player at UTenn, or not.

She was also a freshman playing on a team of mainly freshman that had no true identity or go to player. Many top players improve tremendously from their freshman to sophomore years so how about we just wait until DD actually plays next year to see if she is the same player or not?

 

[DobbsRover2]

Sure, but we know what she was, and what some of the UTenn fans said about what they in her saw when she played the Vols, and they could well recognize the ball hog tendencies having a player like Meighan Simmons on the team who also had a 6+ FGAs to assist ratio and was often allowed to run wild by Holly. So if that was the case for a lesser player like Simmons, there's some reason to think that the same coaching style may be bestowed on DD. We'll see if she's tougher on DD than MS.

And of the other 5 players on the UNC team last year that averaged 5 or more points per game, only two were freshman, and all but one shot the ball much better than DD. So despite the picture that so many like to paint of DD being the shepherd of this big flock of freshmen, there were players like McDaniel, Butts, and Coleman who were not freshmen and were getting major minutes with her. So I guess the question is did she shoot the ball a lot because no else was able or willing to shoot, or did she shoot because she thought she should be the one taking the shots?

And of course we shouldn't judge her play in her second year until she is out on the court, but we also shouldn't get all fuzzy about the situation and the stats for a 42.6% shooter whose ability to share the ball has not been shown to be a developed skill as of yet.

 

[Bayareahusky]

Yes, on this DD question..... I am withholding judgment..... Is she the ball hog some folks say, or the savior many LV fans claim her to be..... TIme will tell..... The key to it all will be Holly..... will she allow to run her own show ala what DR2 says, or will she put her coaching stamp on this program and have UT running like a team, a well oiled machine....??

I think we all know DD has incredible gifts..... but unless she has Cheryl Miller, Lisa Leslie, Diana T, or Holdsclaw skills, where you can almost coach herself, the LVs future next year will be dictated by the leadership and coaching acumen of CHW..... I am worried that Holly, admittedly never one to focus on offense, will choose the path of least resistence, i e here is the ball Diamond, go create something good.

 

[DobbsRover2]

Definitely will just have to see. But I was sick of the "DD and the six freshmen" line last year, and that the statement that "she played on a mainly freshman team" line keeps getting trotted out this year is lame. More than half of the minutes on last year's UNC squad went to non-freshmen, and yes, they did have a few older players that knew how to shoot the ball a bit when they got the chance.

 

[VFLfan]

I do apologize for the team of freshman statement. I didn't mean to imply that no older players ever played...but from my recollection without looking anything up, at least 3 of their starters were freshmen (Mavunga, DD and Gray). I see where the comparison with Simmons is warranted just because of number is shots taken but to think that the level of talent is the same between to two is absurd. And yes, while many LV fans might have said she was a ballhog before she came to UTenn, most of those fans still say the same and you can join in on that debate and agree or disagree on VN. I personally was not one of them because I tend not to judge players negatively while they are freshman.

 

[Bayareahusky]

Yes, point well taken, VLF..... for the record.... on my part never never would compare Simmons with DD talent wise..... just from a ball control, individualistic, non-team-based perspective....... my first questioning of Holly's coaching was when I kept seeing UT games and kept asking myself "why is this gal playing one on one ball, shooting without passing or involving teammates, and why isn't the coaching staff sitting her down?"

UT has good players and great players..... and i hope to see them involved in the game, especially offense next year.... No doubt DD will be a great addition to the spectacle of WCBB

 

[DobbsRover2]

I do apologize for the team of freshman statement. I didn't mean to imply that no older players ever played...but from my recollection without looking anything up, at least 3 of their starters were freshmen (Mavunga, DD and Gray). I see where the comparison with Simmons is warranted just because of number is shots taken but to think that the level of talent is the same between to two is absurd. And yes, while many LV fans might have said she was a ballhog before she came to UTenn, most of those fans still say the same and you can join in on that debate and agree or disagree on VN. I personally was not one of them because I tend not to judge players negatively while they are freshman.

Certainly not saying that Simmons' talent is on the same level as DD's potential, though MS had a fairly high class rating as a player, but her reputation and presence also are nowhere near DD's. That is what is going to be the interesting and fun thing to watch for all fans of WCBB, because you have the classic situation of a coach having to work carefully with a player with big talent but also big ego, just as Geno had to find his way with DT. In at least one big case he did not have the same success as he did with DT trying to marshal the talents of a special player. There is definitely going to be times on VolNation next year when there will be grumping back and forth by fans on the DD management situation, and it will be interesting to see what the end result will be.

 

[UcMiami]

What VN is getting and what they haven't had in a number of years is a 'Star Player'. How well they do will be determined by whether there is some serious team play, or if it devolves into what has been happening at TN which is a fair amount of individual one-on-one offense and non-help defense.

UNC has had limited coaching (especially on defense) and last year was a strange situation with the HC off sick so how well DD will respond to the coaching she gets at TN is a question we will not know until next year. How good a coach vs. just a 'manager' Holly (and her staff) are also is at least debatable both her and also on the VN board.

But undeniable is that DD brings that star power to an otherwise talented but pretty quiet team.