Summitt expects to cut down the nets this year

[EricLA]

i love tony's posts when it comes to tennessee because he just puts it all out there. i tend to disagree with him a tad when it comes to how "bad" tennessee is going to be this year and going forward, but it's hair splitting.

it's hard for many UCONN fans to be objective when it comes to tennessee since so many can't stand their coach or their program, but that's the nature of rivalries, and i have so much more respect for UCONN fans in that you don't see the constant lies & trash spouted with comments like "cheater" and worse when referencing the other coach.

tennessee fans have every reason to be optimistic. but this is essentially the team who was thumped by ND - a team UCONN beat 3 out of 4 times. but i don't buy into the "Massengale will be fine but she's only a freshman and can't be relied on to lead the team". i have no doubt she will make mistakes. and by the end of the year, you would hope she would be solid under presser. she was an absolute must get recruit for Pat. having said that, Simmons wilted under the pressure having one of her worst games ever vs. ND. lack of experience. just like Hartley and Dolson had their freshman moments too. u never know what you are going to get with freshmen in big moments.

and tony's right - Vicki may feel 100%, just like Caroline feels 100%, but a WCBB season is grueling and hard on players. not only do they hope she has no re-injury, but also that she has the stamina, strength and skill to do what she needs to do. after the multitude of injuries, there is no way she's the same player. we saw first hand with Kalana Greene, and it's been reported with Caroline Doty, that players are simply not the same after an injury like that, never mind 2 injuries. Vicki will need to learn to play smarter and rely less on sheer athleticism. i have no doubt she's working on it, but i think everyone will be disappointed if they expect her to be the best player on the team.

i still expect them to make it past the elite 8. unfortunately for tennessee fans, too many things need to go just right for them to win it all. and after this year, they won't be winning it for the next 3 at least so this is their best last chance for a while.

 

[doggydaddy]

Yes to your first question. I can't tell if you were being sarcastic thinking someone can play 35 minutes a game or if you were just seeking clarification, but i would expect either Johnson or Simmons to play 35 minutes in a close game if Baugh or Massengale can't go the distance.

And I'm not expecting massive playing time or improvement from Bass, but she will play and will likely play in situations like those I said.

What problems are there going to be with their minutes?

Why do you come here with such an attitude? It's just my opinion.

I think that playing Johnson at the 5 is a problem. It weakens their perimeter defense and she struggles against larger players. You saw that Simmons was not an effective point. Or maybe you didn't see that?

Yes, Bass will get minutes against lousy teams. Great. Congrats.

Good luck this year.

 

[Jmpenn]

I cant beleive you think Vicki is coming back to 100%. First shes been out of commission for how long?? Shes had how many injuries?? and you think any player can come back after sitting out pretty much 2+ seasons back to where she was at the height of her youth a couple of years ago. Really. So I guess if she dosnt Bass will play the post at 6'9 or is it 5'9 Come on. TN should win the SEC but remember this bunch couldnt beat Ball State when they were healthly and had depth. Ariel will be a great player and will show signs of it this season especially in the weak SEC. When TN plays some real teams, those good teams will exploit TNs weaknesses. TN has 3-5 years to rebuild but first they need to get a coach that will attract kids. Nobody is going to TN as a first choice not knowing if Pat will be there a year from now.

Vicki played all of last season but her time was limited and there was still pain. She is very close to 100% now and pain free. I believe she is as healthy as anyone that has had multiple ACL injuries. Doty tore her ACL July 2010. Baugh tore hers Feb 2009 but had surgery for a meniscus tear Jan 2010. So Baugh has had 22 months to recover. I wish both Doty and Baugh no more injuries and hope that they both play pain free for as long as they want to play.

 

[doggydaddy]

Come on doggy. Let just say it. TN is living in the past. A has been. With all the problems at TN and now Pats illness. Tn has along way to go to get back to where they were 3-4 years ago. It aint happening. TN is now counting on a freshman point guard and a post player who has been injured for the past 2+ years and even one post said she back to 100% . After this senior class graduates it will take a couple of years of good recruiting to get TN back in the top 5. Yes they have the talent...just like the past 3 years and it hasnt materialized. Heck they lost to Ball St with a team better then what they have this season. Ariel will make a difference but lack of post play, lack of depth, lack of chemistry and continunity will take its toll. Next season if TN gets a coach to work with Pat and who will take over for Pat at least will give TN the ability to say to recruits hey this is who will replace Pat. But having no one in the wings means to recruits there is no one in the wings.

I was trying to be nice....lol.

 

[Icebear]

TN loses in the elite eight, I still see a flawed team. I've been right the last two years about their limited success and I expect more of the same.

 

[tnvolfan65]

Why do you come here with such an attitude? It's just my opinion.

I think that playing Johnson at the 5 is a problem. It weakens their perimeter defense and she struggles against larger players. You saw that Simmons was not an effective point. Or maybe you didn't see that?

Yes, Bass will get minutes against lousy teams. Great. Congrats.

Good luck this year.

Lol how have I had an attitude? I was just arguing points you made. Simmons and Johnson spent most of their time last year playing out of position, and while they are better suited at the 2 and 4, respectively, they are more than capable of handling the 1 and 5 in a backup capacity. They will still see most of their time at their natural positions.

 

[tnvolfan65]

Eric, no one expects Massengale or Baugh to be our best player, but their arrival/return allow our 3 best players to return to their natural positions which is why they are so important.

 

[Jmpenn]

No matter how TN plays during the season it will be hard for anyone to predict how they will do in the post season. IMO their main problem is that they let the pressure and nerves get to them. If they are to win it all they need to stay healthy and play with composure in the post season.

 

[doggydaddy]

Lol how have I had an attitude? I was just arguing points you made. Simmons and Johnson spent most of their time last year playing out of position, and while they are better suited at the 2 and 4, respectively, they are more than capable of handling the 1 and 5 in a backup capacity. They will still see most of their time at their natural positions.

I detected an attitude. My apologies of none was intended.
will
So, how do you see the minutes distributed in a game where Pat shortens her bench to 8?

200 minutes

PG - Massingale
SG - Simmons, Spani
SF - Stricklen, Spani, Manning, Burdick
PF - Johnson, Manning, Burdick
C - Baugh, Johnson

That's my guess on the positions these 8 will cover. What minutes do you see them playing to make up the 40 for each position?

 

[UConnCat]

No matter how TN plays during the season it will be hard for anyone to predict how they will do in the post season. IMO their main problem is that they let the pressure and nerves get to them. If they are to win it all they need to stay healthy and play with composure in the post season.

Better perimeter defense is also a key. Tenn's perimeter defense was very porous last year. Teams with decent guards were able to penetrate at will. Against most of those teams (e.g., FL in the SEC tournament, Marquette, Ohio State), Tenn was able to score more points. But against Notre Dame, Tenn struggled to score points and couldn't stop Notre Dame's guards. That will need to improve.

I also think the issues you raise about pressure and composure are important ones. Against Notre Dame, I watched Tenn players who played as if they weren't sure who needed to get the ball at critical times in the game.

 

[Jmpenn]

Better perimeter defense is also a key. Tenn's perimeter defense was very porous last year. Teams with decent guards were able to penetrate at will. Against most of those teams (e.g., FL in the SEC tournament, Marquette, Ohio State), Tenn was able to score more points. But against Notre Dame, Tenn struggled to score points and couldn't stop Notre Dame's guards. That will need to improve.

I also think the issues you raise about pressure and composure are important ones. Against Notre Dame, I watched Tenn players who played as if they weren't sure who needed to get the ball at critical times in the game.

I agree. Defense has to improve and it has been a major focus in practice. I don't expect Ariel to come in as a freshman and fix everything but as a true point guard I hope she can fix some of the issues we had and give us a more fluid offense. I think she can help us improve with assists and turnovers and also give Simmons and Strick more time at their natural positions.

 

[MarieM]

Alot has to go right for Tennessee to win another National Championship. First, they have to stay healthy; one more major injury, especially to a post player and it will be game, set, match. They can't afford to lose a post player like Glory. Second, Vicky has to be close to the way she was before the ACL injury. It is highly doubtful, and I hope I'm wrong, that Vicky will be anywhere near the player she was before the injury. Also, like Caroline, Vicky is one bad fall from another season ending injury. Third, Tennessee is putting all their chips on a freshman point guard. Not to many teams win championships with a freshman point guard.

so true we saw it with uconn tennessee and baylor all had freshman point guard and no championship...

 

[MarieM]

all i want to see is a uconn vs tennessee game in the ncaa tourney this season

 

[tnvolfan65]

In a big game I would expect something close to the following

Massengale: 30 min at pg
Simmons: 25 min at sg, 10 min at pg
Stricklen: 35 min at sf
Johnson: 25 min at pf, 10 min at c
Baugh: 30 min at c
Spani: 15 min at sg
Manning: 5 min at sf, 5 min at pf
Burdick: 10 min at pf

Obviously, there will be some fluctuation but these estimates are more than fair. If fouls or fitness becomes an issue, any of our bench players can pick up more minutes. Reports on Izzy have been surprisingly encouraging, and she is a big body available if we need her. Bass too, hasn't played much but she has speed and knows the system. I expect her to play more as a senior. She came in as Pat switched defenses to a zone because of our size, and a 5'2" pg at the top of it wasnt very hard to pass over, but now that we've gone back to a man, I feel like her minutes will increase.

 

[blackbird]

This is probably going to be one of Pat's last decent years of coaching. I can't believe I'm saying it, but if Uconn doesn't win, I hope Summit does.

 

[Husky68]

In a big game I would expect something close to the following

Massengale: 30 min at pg
Simmons: 25 min at sg, 10 min at pg
Stricklen: 35 min at sf
Johnson: 25 min at pf, 10 min at c
Baugh: 30 min at c
Spani: 15 min at sg
Manning: 5 min at sf, 5 min at pf
Burdick: 10 min at pf

Obviously, there will be some fluctuation but these estimates are more than fair. If fouls or fitness becomes an issue, any of our bench players can pick up more minutes. Reports on Izzy have been surprisingly encouraging, and she is a big body available if we need her. Bass too, hasn't played much but she has speed and knows the system. I expect her to play more as a senior. She came in as Pat switched defenses to a zone because of our size, and a 5'2" pg at the top of it wasnt very hard to pass over, but now that we've gone back to a man, I feel like her minutes will increase.

That is a pretty heavy load on starters for big games 30, 35, 35, 35, 30. Not a particularly good outside shooting team. Fouls on bigs will be a problem when occurs.

 

[tnvolfan65]

i mean how many big games will we have? 5-8...otherwise i expect our bench to average more minutes all the way across.

and simmons and stricklen will be one of the best 2/3 combos in the country. strick can shoot from anywhere and simmons has the tennessee record for three's in a game. we may not have a "pure" shooter like bjorklund, in that starting lineup, but they are as good of a shooting perimeter trio as there is on any other top 10 team.

spani is a pure shooter however, and she will be our designated gunner off the bench.

 

[Justavisitor]

Tony,

Vicki did not sit out 2+ seasons. She played her freshman year, then missed a large portion of her sophomore year and all of her junior year. Last year, Vicki played. That's less than 2 years. For reference, look at the return of Devereux Peters, who returned to the court somewhat limited in 2009 - 2010 (latter part of the season) and she was only a shell of herself, but this past season (2010 - 2011) she was a major contributor to NDs success. I recall Candace Parker going through the same multiple surgeries on her knee, but when she returned, there were no limitations. Anyway, I will go by the video footage that I've seen and the in person reports that I've heard. All indications are that she's back.

Some will resort to Ball State. It will remain a part of their history, as it should, but it does not define who they are today. TN was NOT healthy and the team was supposed to consist of Cain at the 5, Baugh at the 4, Fuller at the 3, and Cait at the point, with the freshmen filling in. Instead, it was a court full of freshmen due to necessity with only 1 upperclass leader. This year, players will finally be in their natural positions.

 

[UConnCat]

I think the Peters analogy is a good one, though Peters was still not quite herself at the beginning of last year. She clearly played better as the season progressed. Hopefully that will be the case for Baugh as she seems like a great person.

Short of a team-wide influenza attack, there really are no circumstances in which a Tenn team should ever lose to a team like Ball State in the first round of the NCAAs. Having said that, I believe it is well past time for fans to stop bringing up that game. It's time to move on.

 

[DaddyChoc]

I think the Peters analogy is a good one, though Peters was still not quite herself at the beginning of last year. She clearly played better as the season progressed. Hopefully that will be the case for Baugh as she seems like a great person.

Short of a team-wide influenza attack, there really are no circumstances in which a Tenn team should ever lose to a team like Ball State in the first round of the NCAAs. I agree Having said that, I believe it is well past time for fans to stop bringing up that game. It's time to move on. well said but I hope you dont get any heat for saying it

 

[EricLA]

i dunno, Cat. my dislike for tennessee is higher than for any other "rival" in any other sport i follow. i dislike them more than the Yankees, Duke men, or the Oakland Raiders. so while i agree they are NOT the same team who lost to Ball state, from a historical perspective for all time low moments in a NCAA tourney, i think we will continue to mention Ball State for many many years. after all, while tenn-BSU was not a 1-16 matchup, people still talk about Stanford-Harvard umpteen years after it happened. i have no doubt the tenn-BSU game will be referred to along the "can you believe it" lines... in fact, it's the only time tennessee lost in the first round since 1982. pretty amazing streak which was stopped in 2009...

 

[DaddyChoc]

what happened with Stanford & Harvard... which sport

 

[doggydaddy]

what happened with Stanford & Harvard... which sport

Stanford lost to Harvard on a 1-16 matchup in women's basketball. A couple of injuries left Stanford stunned.

 

[UConnCat]

i dunno, Cat. my dislike for tennessee is higher than for any other "rival" in any other sport i follow. i dislike them more than the Yankees, Duke men, or the Oakland Raiders. so while i agree they are NOT the same team who lost to Ball state, from a historical perspective for all time low moments in a NCAA tourney, i think we will continue to mention Ball State for many many years. after all, while tenn-BSU was not a 1-16 matchup, people still talk about Stanford-Harvard umpteen years after it happened. i have no doubt the tenn-BSU game will be referred to along the "can you believe it" lines... in fact, it's the only time tennessee lost in the first round since 1982. pretty amazing streak which was stopped in 2009...

I just don't think it adds anything to the conversation about this year's team. Now, if we're talking about a thread devoted to the top losses suffered by a team you don't like, it'd be high on my list. But that's an entirely different conversation.

 

[DaddyChoc]

Stanford lost to Harvard on a 1-16 matchup in women's basketball. A couple of injuries left Stanford stunned.

oh thanks DD