SEC 21-22 | Page 12 | The Boneyard

SEC 21-22

Status
Not open for further replies.
And the hits just keep on coming for Mississippi State. Prayers for a speedy and full recovery to starting “center” D Carter.
 
militarydog said:
And the hits just keep on coming for Mississippi State. Prayers for a speedy and full recovery to starting “center” D Carter.
Expand ...


Guess it's time to give Charlotte the starts and see if she can improve. She played pretty well after the injury yesterday.
 
garddog said:
Guess it's time to give Charlotte the starts and see if she can improve. She played pretty well after the injury yesterday.
Expand ...
R Farley has been out with either an injury or illness. Coach Novak discussed postgame that he asked her if she was ready to “give it a go” and she said yes. She was able to play some limited minutes. Once she is completely recovered I think she will push C Kohl to start or at least for a good share of minutes. However I agree C Kohl played much better last game.
 
Jmsdawg said:
Shocking to me that Kentucky and TA&M are in the bottom 4, SEC record wise. Both of those teams have the talent to be in the top 4. Sometimes talent is just not enough, you need talent that works together to achieve team greatness.
Expand ...
TAMU is surprising. I wondered how Kentucky would do without Matthew Mitchell.
 
militarydog said:
R Farley has been out with either an injury or illness. Coach Novak discussed postgame that he asked her if she was ready to “give it a go” and she said yes. She was able to play some limited minutes. Once she is completely recovered I think she will push C Kohl to start or at least for a good share of minutes. However I agree C Kohl played much better last game.
Expand ...
At this point Farley is nothing but a backup. She is gone at the end of the year. I would let Kohl have 25 to 30 mins and see if she swims or sinks.
 
militarydog said:
And the hits just keep on coming for Mississippi State. Prayers for a speedy and full recovery to starting “center” D Carter.
Expand ...

I don’t know if cursing is allowed here but I’ve done it mentally a few times since reading this. What a season. Hope they keep fighting.
 
.-.
MSSportsGuy said:
I don’t know if cursing is allowed here but I’ve done it mentally a few times since reading this. What a season. Hope they keep fighting.
Expand ...
Agreed. The sense I've gotten is that they'll find a way to persevere. Rooting for them.
 
militarydog said:
And the hits just keep on coming for Mississippi State. Prayers for a speedy and full recovery to starting “center” D Carter.
Expand ...

Denae certainly will be missed and hopefully she comes back stronger that ever. This team is one I am very proud to support. I loved it when these women refused to quit, to keep giving max effort, and to come together when things got tough. MSST has had some great teams in the recent past but this team is special to me because they show what heart and team work can accomplish. I LOVE THIS TEAM!
 
MSST has won last 3 SEC games now 5 wins, 4 losses. Next game, Florida who just beat Tenn. the way these ladies are playing I think the Florida game will be one to watch!
 
Jmsdawg said:
MSST has won last 3 SEC games now 5 wins, 4 losses. Next game, Florida who just beat Tenn. the way these ladies are playing I think the Florida game will be one to watch!
Expand ...
First game after losing his leading rebounder, shotblocker, and post defender, Coach Novak did a great job adjusting to the strengths of C Kohl. She is more of a high post player and did a good job of passing on back door cuts and high post screens. She also played more of a one woman zone so she didn’t have to chase players on defense. R Farley played better tonight too. However the most impressive player for me tonight was Ashley Jones. She was out for an extended time with COVID. She didn’t come in until mid-third quarter but played unreal defense and in control on offense. Coach Novak subbed her in for M Taylor at the end to guard the top. Very impressive game plan by the coaching staff and effort by the players for the road win.
 
militarydog said:
First game after losing his leading rebounder, shotblocker, and post defender, Coach Novak did a great job adjusting to the strengths of C Kohl. She is more of a high post player and did a good job of passing on back door cuts and high post screens. She also played more of a one woman zone so she didn’t have to chase players on defense. R Farley played better tonight too. However the most impressive player for me tonight was Ashley Jones. She was out for an extended time with COVID. She didn’t come in until mid-third quarter but played unreal defense and in control on offense. Coach Novak subbed her in for M Taylor at the end to guard the top. Very impressive game plan by the coaching staff and effort by the players for the road win.
Expand ...
Mil, in your opinion what is Coach Novak doing that has these players so determined to keep giving max effort. I looked at Rickea stats line and they were not bad but it appears team chemistry without Rickea has remarkable improved. Is the max effort a results of Rickea gone or does Coach Novak just know the right buttons to push?
 
Jmsdawg said:
Mil, in your opinion what is Coach Novak doing that has these players so determined to keep giving max effort. I looked at Rickea stats line and they were not bad but it appears team chemistry without Rickea has remarkable improved. Is the max effort a results of Rickea gone or does Coach Novak just know the right buttons to push?
Expand ...
Obviously Coach Novak knows basketball. The players have been around basketball nearly their whole lives so they have seen good and bad coaches. Multiple players in interviews have stated it was apparent at the first practice Coach Novak knew how to help them be better. I also think Coach Benton, Coach Knight and Coach Thornton have done well as assistants. What Coach Thornton has done with the posts is unreal. I also think Coach Novak is a likeable guy with an even presence.
Credit also has to go to Coach McCray-Penson for bringing in some competitive players. The Hayes sisters, D Carter, J Jordan, and A Jones are all aggressive and mentally strong players that are willing to do the dirty work. M Taylor might be strongest of all if you consider what she has endured over her career.
Finally I think the R Jackson situation is badly overblown. R Jackson is an alpha and incredibly talented. She is also basically a kid. She is going to make decisions based on her life experiences. Anastasia Hayes is also an alpha and incredibly talented. She is generally been seen as the “good guy” in the alleged feud that lead to the transfer. However years ago she was dismissed from Tennessee after being one of their highest ranked recruits. I applaud her growth as she is team leader. She can will herself to score when the team needs it and raises the play of her teammates.
I’ve met both young ladies and I fully expect both will grow to be wonderful adults. In fact both are very nice people now. I wish R Jackson the best of luck. However a fresh start for her is definitely the best thing for her and Mississippi State.
 
.-.
Interesting that Annie is viewed as the "good guy" in the feud. Over on the Tennessee boards, we just assumed it was the usual Hayes family drama resurfacing. She's a top notch player, though. It's a shame that injuries and defections have hurt MSST so badly. You guys would have been a top 4 SEC team with Jessika, Jackson, and Hayes leading the way. Frankly, it's amazing what MSST has accomplished this season with all of the adversity. Your schedule is about to get really brutal, and things could go downhill quickly, but I hope that Coach Novak gets the interim tag removed. He proved this year that he could motivate players and pull of wins that they had no business getting. He's much closer to Vic than McCray Penson was even on her best day.
 
I think making Coach Novak permanent is about the easiest decision that John Cohen has had in recent years.

I know it seems I have been critical of R Jackson but part of the problem is when these players get tagged as a 5 star (in her case), 4 star etc., I am one to be a bit dubious of the criteria that is used to determine the ratings. I say that because they are unfair to a player like Rickea Jackson. She was a glorified as the best player that State ever signed. But truthfully, she was an eighteen year old young lady who was a good basketball player in high school. How that translates to the college level is a complete unknown. No doubt that she was talented but the expectation was that she was going to be a great college player from the start. It happens in other sports but it is much more pronounced in basketball (in this case Women’s Basketball) because you only sign 2-3-4 players a year and only 5 play at a time time so the spotlight shines brightly on individual players.
Unfortunately, in her case she did not shine from the beginning (not unexpected mind you), then you throw in the coaching turnover, players leaving and instead of excelling, her game (IMO) has declined significantly from her freshman season.

That said, I agree with MilDog, that a fresh start for her will do her wonders and I am pulling for her to be that great player wherever she lands.
 
.-.
visitingcock said:
Florida coul end up SEC #2.

Nail this coach to a contract NOW!
Expand ...

Is Florida the 2nd best team in the conference? Seeming that way ....
I had them #30 in my last BY poll. If I were ranking them now, they'd be top 15 if not higher.
 
Vowelguy said:
Is Florida the 2nd best team in the conference? Seeming that way ....
I had them #30 in my last BY poll. If I were ranking them now, they'd be top 15 if not higher.
Expand ...
I don’t know whether they are or not but they may end up there. There are still a lot of games to be played. I just want SC to win - doesn’t matter who else does what. There are still a lot of games to be played.
 
SECbbfan24 said:
Florida schedule is pretty light to end the year
Expand ...
Look at Florida flexing! 5 consecutive games against ranked teams and they win 4 of the 5 with the only loss coming against South Carolina. Ok I'm just gonna go ahead and ask: was Briggs that much of a problem for this team? They have really taken off since her departure and that can't be a coincidence. Some of the UCONN staff was following her last year when she was in the portal and I thought she would be a great addition to UCONN but I guess I needed to take a closer look.
 
SECbbfan24 said:
Florida schedule is pretty light to end the year
Expand ...
They play LSU and that’s it for the the upper half of the standings. Tennessee and LSU still have a couple of big ones and so does SC.
 
CocoHusky said:
Look at Florida flexing! 5 consecutive games against ranked teams and the win 4 of the 5 with the only loss coming against South Carolina. Ok I'm just gonna go ahead and ask: was Briggs that much of a problem for this team? They have really taken off since her departure and that can't be a coincidence. Some of the UCONN staff was following her last year when she was in the portal and I thought she would be a great addition to UCONN but I guess I needed to take a closer look.
Expand ...
I don’t know if she was or not. Sometimes when there’s a really good player the rest of the team stands around and waits for them to make a play. Rhyne Howard, Rikea Jackson, Lavendar Briggs, even Rae Burrell. Tennessee was doing great until their “superstar” came back. It has changed their entire team dynamic.
 
.-.
CocoHusky said:
k I'm just gonna go ahead and ask: was Briggs that much of a problem for this team? They have really taken off since her departure and that can't be a coincidence.
Expand ...
Of note I would say so has Miss St has been better as well since losing Rickea. Sometimes its how things end up working, chemistry matters. Just plugging in a talented player doesn't always equate to success.

Idk if Briggs was a problem though, but she almost left last summer for Baylor but ended up staying.
 
From the contender standings here are the remaining schedules.
South Carolina-@UK, @UGA, Aub, TN, @TAM, @OM
Tennessee-MO, Vandy, @AL, @SC, MissSt, LSU
Florida- @MissSt, @Aub, Ark, @LSU, @Vandy, MO
LSU-@OM, UGA, @TAM, @MSU, FL, AL, @TN
Ole Miss-LSU, @MSU, TAM, @Vandy, Ark, @Aub, SC
Georgia-@LSU, SC, MO, @Aub, @Ark, TAM
Mississippi State-FL, OM, @UK, LSU, @MO, @UT, Ark
Missouri-@TN, Ark, @UGA, MSU, UK, @FL

I don’t see anyone catching South Carolina. However Tennessee has a favorable schedule. The game versus SC and then LSU are big. Likewise Ole Miss has two big games. Tonight’s game against LSU is big to see if they can stay top three. Florida only has one big game left although they have a lot of road games. I’ll be interested to see if LSU can regain their earlier form. They too have a lot of road games left.

I don’t see any of the remaining teams with enough winnable games to climb into the top three.
 
The conference has been very, very interesting this year to say the least. I've reached the conclusion there is the exceptional team, SC, a couple of good teams in UT and LSU, decent teams like Ole Miss, Georgia, Arkansas, and one incredibly surprising team in FL. There are also very disappointing teams in A&M and KY.

The league should have 7 tournament teams fairly easily. Right now I would only think 1 is a second weekend threat.
 
militarydog said:
I’ll be interested to see if LSU can regain their earlier form. They too have a lot of road games left.
Expand ...
I will probably get attacked for this but LSU has not looked good in weeks, even in their win verses Kentucky they didn't look like themselves until the last 7 minutes of the 4th quarter. Defense has gone downhill big time the last few games, they aren't having issues scoring the ball this year ironically but they are letting teams score at ease. I don't know what the deal is but they just don't look super comfortable playing man to man but I know most of the team has been playing in a zone based system the last 4 years. Its gonna be a make or break for them this week, facing Ole Miss, Georgia, and A&M
 
SECbbfan24 said:
I will probably get attacked for this but LSU has not looked good in weeks, even in their win verses Kentucky they didn't look like themselves until the last 7 minutes of the 4th quarter. Defense has gone downhill big time the last few games, they aren't having issues scoring the ball this year ironically but they are letting teams score at ease. I don't know what the deal is but they just don't look super comfortable playing man to man but I know most of the team has been playing in a zone based system the last 4 years. Its gonna be a make or break for them this week, facing Ole Miss, Georgia, and A&M
Expand ...
Why should/would you get attacked? No one was exactly sure how LSU was going to fare at the start of the year with all the changes that happened.

Switching to a man defense from a zone is a learning curve, especially if they haven't played such a defense in years. Communication is key and may not be something the players are used to, but I'm guessing on that.
 
.-.
Status
Not open for further replies.

Forum statistics

Threads
168,263
Messages
4,560,485
Members
10,452
Latest member
WashingtonH


Top Bottom