Tenn loses to worst of SEC

[amb3096]

Who? Really who?

I'm not sure if you all are minimizing the loss of Green, but it's a significant one. She was the only proven backup for Tamari Key. Green was quite productive in her minutes on offense and defense, and allowed Key to either get some rest or weather out some foul trouble. Now that's gone, and there's only an undersized freshman and a non-Div1 caliber upperclassman to back her up. Key cannot come out of the game without there being a huge hit to post productivity on both ends of the court. She was much more tentative on defense last night, and that was probably the easiest that any team has scored inside vs. Tennessee all season. I figure she will find that balance at some point so she can continue to anchor the Tennessee defense without putting herself at risk for foul trouble.

Tennessee still should have beaten Auburn, but the loss of Green will make things more difficult for Tennessee down the stretch.

 

[Bayareahusky]

hey injuries are part of the game.... to state the obvious..... we have 4 losses this season..... have you seen our injuries? we will not pout though..... we have games to play!!!! Yes Green is a backup post player.... doesnt even start.... the fact that her absence is potential crippler to the LV fortunes is .... or should be an overstatement.....

earlier this season, I saw Mizzou beat South Carolina without its best player and leading scorer Blackwell.... Didnt see any fright in their eyes....

going into our matchup.... no green oh well no paige oh well we will still play the game

 

[LwrcasefaN]

ON Volnation it was said that the players were emotional over the loss of Green, a backup post.

In all fairness...she's their friend and not a backup post. Having said that...when they were winning, they weren't emotional regarding Rae? TN has been walking a fine line all year and they would never admit it, but they overlooked Auburn.

 

[amb3096]

hey injuries are part of the game.... to state the obvious..... we have 4 losses this season..... have you seen our injuries? we will not pout though..... we have games to play!!!! Yes Green is a backup post player.... doesnt even start.... the fact that her absence is potential crippler to the LV fortunes is .... or should be an overstatement.....

earlier this season, I saw Mizzou beat South Carolina without its best player and leading scorer Blackwell.... Didnt see any fright in their eyes....

going into our matchup.... no green oh well no paige oh well we will still play the game

Look back at posts here and you'll see quite a few posters talking about how much the loss of Griffin (a backup, doesn't even start) hurt them vs. SC. After the GA Tech game, same was said about Muhl (a backup, doesn't even start). Maybe those were overstatements as well?

The Tenn-UConn game is a week away. Hopefully there will be no new injuries for either team and both will be ready to play the game with the players they have available. May the best team win.

 

[Mdoggie]

Look back at posts here and you'll see quite a few posters talking about how much the loss of Griffin (a backup, doesn't even start) hurt them vs. SC. After the GA Tech game, same was said about Muhl (a backup, doesn't even start). Maybe those were overstatements as well?

The Tenn-UConn game is a week away. Hopefully there will be no new injuries for either team and both will be ready to play the game with the players they have available. May the best team win.

Point taken. @amb3096 , if you’re a Vol fan, you are a rarity. Common sense and living in todays basketball world not yesteryear.

 

[Bayareahusky]

Look back at posts here and you'll see quite a few posters talking about how much the loss of Griffin (a backup, doesn't even start) hurt them vs. SC. After the GA Tech game, same was said about Muhl (a backup, doesn't even start). Maybe those were overstatements as well?

The Tenn-UConn game is a week away. Hopefully there will be no new injuries for either team and both will be ready to play the game with the players they have available. May the best team win.

yeah maybe fair..... but cutting to the chase, Lady Vol nation is good at looking for reasons they do not win....

and then amplify and accentuate those reasons.....

a lot of talk ALWAYS about the officiating, or injuries or any number of other excuses.

Just my experience as an observer

 

[FridaFriend]

I have seen the same kind of reasoning for losing on this board from time to time:

Injuries, officiating, any number of other excuses.

 

[Bayareahusky]

I have seen the same kind of reasoning for losing on this board from time to time:

Injuries, officiating, any number of other excuses.

Totally agreed..... my contention is in the accentuation of the reasoning on the other board.....

 

[UcMiami]

It is more amazing every day that Uconn had a decade long run without losing to an unranked team - most top 10 WCBB teams are just happy if they get through a single season without losing to one. 8 of the top 12 ranked teams have already lost to an unranked team this year.

Oh and those 2 Uconn losses are now ranked 14 and 19, similar to the previous unranked winning team - St Johns in 2012 which was ranked #14 by the end of 2012.

OT but this post got me thinking ... (dangerous I know!)

On top of the unranked streak, Uconn also had a streak of not losing to a team ranked outside the AP top 10 that started after the St. Johns lost on 2/18/2012 and lasted until last year's loss to #19 Arkansas 1/28/2021. We compounded that black mark by losing to #11 Arizona in the final four. Twenty one days short of nine years. Pretty cool, and no one noticed it.

 

[Littlemin]

Look back at posts here and you'll see quite a few posters talking about how much the loss of Griffin (a backup, doesn't even start) hurt them vs. SC. After the GA Tech game, same was said about Muhl (a backup, doesn't even start). Maybe those were overstatements as well?

The Tenn-UConn game is a week away. Hopefully there will be no new injuries for either team and both will be ready to play the game with the players they have available. May the best team win.

Of course Muhl has started every game at Uconn that she has not been injured for but obviously she has replaced Williams and Ono as the favorite player to be “hated” on by all the omniscient armchair coaches.

 

[HuskyNan]

yeah maybe fair..... but cutting to the chase, Lady Vol nation is good at looking for reasons they do not win....

and then amplify and accentuate those reasons.....

a lot of talk ALWAYS about the officiating, or injuries or any number of other excuses.

Just my experience as an observer

We did/do the same after a loss, especially the complaining about refs. We even complain about the refs when we win. VolNation is a mirror to the Boneyard. We just like the blue better than orange.

I’m not sure why you’re going after @amb3096 . There are many LV fans that support their team but are, at the same time, realists and this poster is one. I’d rather not chase him off, please

 

[Boxerpups4me]

Continue? It was 1 game. They’re still a top 5/6 team , and will be favored against UConn.

Maybe/maybe not. Tennessee still has Arkansas and @ Florida left before the Huskies. They could very well lose both. It’s basically a UConn home game, and I’d be willing to bet Evina will be ready to go. The last two games vs Tennessee she has been very good. Along with the return of Fudd and my personal pick for FOY, Caroline Ducharme..it will be an uphill climb for Tennessee. Also, Massey has UCONN favored to win…

It’s also not been just one game. Tennessee has started out slow against a number of teams and have had to fight their way back.

My prediction, and you can take this with a grain of salt, is that Tennessee will struggle against UConn early and get down at least 10-15 points by halftime. I can see Tennessee cutting the lead back down to single digits, but in the end just to much offense from UConn.

 

[Plebe]

We did/do the same after a loss, especially the complaining about refs. We even complain about the refs when we win. VolNation is a mirror to the Boneyard. We just like the blue better than orange.

The outsized outrage over Aneesah Morrow in the post-DePaul discussion really drove home this point for me. Some went so far as to call her a "dirty" player—a true insult to the actual dirty players we all know, who shall remain unnamed.

There are a number of constants on the Boneyard, but none are constant than the complaints over allegedly unfair officiating.

 

[amb3096]

Maybe/maybe not. Tennessee still has Arkansas and @ Florida left before the Huskies. They could very well lose both. It’s basically a UConn home game, and I’d be willing to bet Evina will be ready to go. The last two games vs Tennessee she has been very good. Along with the return of Fudd and my personal pick for FOY, Caroline Ducharme..it will be an uphill climb for Tennessee. Also, Massey has UCONN favored to win…

It’s also not been just one game. Tennessee has started out slow against a number of teams and have had to fight their way back.

My prediction, and you can take this with a grain of salt, is that Tennessee will struggle against UConn early and get down at least 10-15 points by halftime. I can see Tennessee cutting the lead back down to single digits, but in the end just to much offense from UConn.

IMO, the game comes down to if Key can stay on the court for 30+ minutes, if UConn can hit their threes, and if Tennessee can keep their TOs under control. UConn cannot stay with Tennessee on the boards, and Tennessee (Auburn notwithstanding) makes it very hard to score on anything other than fast breaks (where limiting TOs is key). If Key is patrolling the paint and UConn isn't able to get good looks at the three, you will have a hard time scoring against their halfcourt defense, and you won't get a lot of 2nd chance opportunities.

If Key gets in foul trouble early, then yes...I don't think Tennessee will be able to slow down UConn's offense and won't be able to put points on the board themselves. My prediction is that Tennessee will win a close game, but they are going to be pretty evenly matched and I wouldn't be surprised if it went either way. The ARkansas game will be good preparation for them because they have a lot of the same strengths and weaknesses as UConn.

 

[FridaFriend]

I think that Green is a much bigger loss to Tennessee than statistics show. I watched several Tennessee games in which Key was in foul trouble. Green would come in and settle the team down. She always seemed to have an immediate effect on team chemistry and came up with timely rebounds or points. She seemed to bring confidence and relieve panic.

I recall the 101st game of UCONN's 111 game win streak. Kia Nurse had aggravated a sprained ankle in the win over South Carolina and was out. We stlll had Collier, KLS, Gabby, Saniya, and Crystal, but struggled to beat Tulane, surviving a last second shot to tie the game. It takes some time to make up for the loss of a key player.

 

[Bayareahusky]

We did/do the same after a loss, especially the complaining about refs. We even complain about the refs when we win. VolNation is a mirror to the Boneyard. We just like the blue better than orange.

I’m not sure why you’re going after @amb3096 . There are many LV fans that support their team but are, at the same time, realists and this poster is one. I’d rather not chase him off, please

yes Nan, I thought I was keeping level head but i shall deferentially withdraw.....

 

[Rixxx]

IMO, the game comes down to if Key can stay on the court for 30+ minutes, if UConn can hit their threes, and if Tennessee can keep their TOs under control. UConn cannot stay with Tennessee on the boards, and Tennessee (Auburn notwithstanding) makes it very hard to score on anything other than fast breaks (where limiting TOs is key). If Key is patrolling the paint and UConn isn't able to get good looks at the three, you will have a hard time scoring against their halfcourt defense, and you won't get a lot of 2nd chance opportunities.

If Key gets in foul trouble early, then yes...I don't think Tennessee will be able to slow down UConn's offense and won't be able to put points on the board themselves. My prediction is that Tennessee will win a close game, but they are going to be pretty evenly matched and I wouldn't be surprised if it went either way. The ARkansas game will be good preparation for them because they have a lot of the same strengths and weaknesses as UConn.

Appreciate your comments, I think, from a TN point of view (fan).

 

[amb3096]

I think that Green is a much bigger loss to Tennessee than statistics show. I watched several Tennessee games in which Key was in foul trouble. Green would come in and settle the team down. She always seemed to have an immediate effect on team chemistry and came up with timely rebounds or points. She seemed to bring confidence and relieve panic.

I recall the 101st game of UCONN's 111 game win streak. Kia Nurse had aggravated a sprained ankle in the win over South Carolina and was out. We stlll had Collier, KLS, Gabby, Saniya, and Crystal, but struggled to beat Tulane, surviving a last second shot to tie the game. It takes some time to make up for the loss of a key player.

Her numbers aren't bad at all either...around 7 pts and 3+ rbds in 15 min/game. And yes, she is a stabilizing presence, doesn't make many dumb mistakes, and gets at it on offense and defense. Key's backup in Thurs had zeros across the board in her 8 min of play, to the point that Kellie went small ball instead. They've had a week to adjust, so hopefully they are ready for their next game on Sunday.

 

[The CDR-Ret]

Listen up people : this is the only correct response.

I see it as a confidence upcheck for our woman to open a new can of whoop-as_ on the Evil Orange {less than} Empire on Sunday, 2/6/2022. Particularly Muhl & Evina, along with the usual "assassins" from beyond the arc & our pair of 6'5" women in the paint....

 

[JoePgh]

IMO, the game comes down to if Key can stay on the court for 30+ minutes, if UConn can hit their threes, and if Tennessee can keep their TOs under control. UConn cannot stay with Tennessee on the boards, and Tennessee (Auburn notwithstanding) makes it very hard to score on anything other than fast breaks (where limiting TOs is key). If Key is patrolling the paint and UConn isn't able to get good looks at the three, you will have a hard time scoring against their halfcourt defense, and you won't get a lot of 2nd chance opportunities.

If Key gets in foul trouble early, then yes...I don't think Tennessee will be able to slow down UConn's offense and won't be able to put points on the board themselves. My prediction is that Tennessee will win a close game, but they are going to be pretty evenly matched and I wouldn't be surprised if it went either way. The ARkansas game will be good preparation for them because they have a lot of the same strengths and weaknesses as UConn.

Let me echo the comments of others -- it is a pleasure to have a Tennessee fan on this forum with whom one can have a low-decibel, rational discussion about the strengths and weaknesses of the two teams, without personal attacks. I read, but don't post on, VolNation -- primarily because it's obvious that such discussion is not possible there.

With regard to your game analysis, I find it plausible and quite possibly correct. But I don't think it is completely correct, the the following ways:

• You say "UConn cannot stay with Tennessee on the boards ...". I'm not at all sure about that. As I see it, Liv and Tamari Key are nearly identical in size, rebounding skill, and propensity to commit fouls. Tamari is more reliable at putting back offensive rebounds, and Liv is a better passer. If one of them spends more time on the bench than the other because of foul trouble, the team that has their big on the floor for more minutes will have a major advantage.
• I think UConn has a big advantage at the 4 position with Dorka opposing Alexis Dye. Dorka has 5 inches and years more experience at a top collegiate level than Dye does. I can see Dorka have a big game in scoring, rebounding, and assists. If she does, I'm not sure who KJH can bring off the bench to stop her. Of course, she also has a tendency to foul, and if her minutes are limited by that, it will certainly help the LV's.
• I think UConn's offensive success will come down to how well they can hit 15 to 18 foot jump shots. In last year's game, TN was quite willing to give Liv and Christyn all the midrange shots they wanted, betting that they wouldn't make very many of them, and in that game TN won that bet. This year they have both been shooting better from that range, and Caroline and Azzi have recently shown that they can also hit from there. If UConn hits a lot of mid-range jumpers in the game, they will score all the points they need to win. (By the way, I watched the TN-Vanderbilt game a couple of weeks ago. Vandy was getting all the midrange shots they wanted, and they weren't making them after the first quarter. If they had, it would have been a close game.)
• Do you expect TN to play any zone defense against UConn? TN doesn't usually do that, but it might be the best option for those wearing orange, since UConn often struggles against zones. If TN plays man defense for the whole game, then I think Geno will find a way to attack it successfully, especially if those midrange shots are falling.
• It will be interesting to see how Christyn and Caroline match up against Rae Burrell and Jordan Horston at both ends of the court. In calendar year 2022, I think Caroline has been the most consistent player of those four, but she also has a tendency to foul. Those are definitely four talented basketball players, all of whom should have good WNBA careers after they graduate.

I think the worst case for UConn is a 10-15 point loss in this game, while the best case is a 20-25 point win (helped by a lot more TN turnovers and no big difference in the number of offensive rebounds). I would therefore guess that a UConn win in the mid single digits is the most likely outcome.

As is often the case in games between UConn and SEC opponents, a crucial metric will be whether UConn's transition points equal or exceed Tennessee's second-chance points. If those two stats are about equal, then UConn should win fairly easily.

 

[JellyBean]

I just like seeing this thread at the top of the Yard.

 

[SCNCHuskie]

We did/do the same after a loss, especially the complaining about refs. We even complain about the refs when we win. VolNation is a mirror to the Boneyard. We just like the blue better than orange.

I completely disagree. I read both boards regularly. All fan sites understandably struggle with objectivity, however the “orange” board is so ridiculously unobjectionable it is palpable. They are so over the top critical of officiating and other peripheral complaints that there is no comparison to the BY. It seems to me that in the history of college basketball there has never been a bad call that has gone in the favor of Tennessee, and although Rutgers fans might disagree, it is common knowledge on VN. Every call against the volunteers is a bad call and every call against the opposition is correct. The same is true of their assessment of UConn games, as every call against UConn is a righteous call, while every call against the opponent is a horrible call. The refs are intentionally out to get Tennessee, ESPN was solely created to aid and assist UConn in their recruitment, and without their positive press UConn would not be ranked, the Olympic selection committee is solely run by Geno who hates all things Tennessee and therefore doesn’t permit Tennessee players on the team (they conveniently forget Catchings), and every person with negative comments about Auriemma speaks the gospel. And, let’s not forget that if UConn was in the SEC they would have a losing record every year.

 

[McFly]

VolNation is a mirror to the Boneyard.

That's giving them way too much credit. There are a number of posters there who are idiots, and a number who are hateful, and some who are a combination.

 

[HuskyNan]

That's giving them way too much credit. There are a number of posters there who are idiots, and a number who are hateful, and some who are a combination.

I completely disagree. I read both boards regularly. All fan sites understandably struggle with objectivity, however the “orange” board is so ridiculously unobjectionable it is palpable. They are so over the top critical of officiating and other peripheral complaints that there is no comparison to the BY. It seems to me that in the history of college basketball there has never been a bad call that has gone in the favor of Tennessee, and although Rutgers fans might disagree, it is common knowledge on VN. Every call against the volunteers is a bad call and every call against the opposition is correct. The same is true of their assessment of UConn games, as every call against UConn is a righteous call, while every call against the opponent is a horrible call. The refs are intentionally out to get Tennessee, ESPN was solely created to aid and assist UConn in their recruitment, and without their positive press UConn would not be ranked, the Olympic selection committee is solely run by Geno who hates all things Tennessee and therefore doesn’t permit Tennessee players on the team (they conveniently forget Catchings), and every person with negative comments about Auriemma speaks the gospel. And, let’s not forget that if UConn was in the SEC they would have a losing record every year.

I guess @SCNCHuskie hasn’t read the board after a Notre Dame game in which Skylar Diggins played? The whining and keening about refs could be heard all the way out to South Bend. It continues to this day. And there are still people on the Boneyard that hate Tara VanDerVeer for not playing Rebecca Lobo much on the 1996 National Team, just despise her. The LV fans aren’t the only ones crying about perceived slights and holding grudges.

In the 20 years I’ve been an administrator on the Boneyard, I’ve seen the obsessed, the obscene, the arrogant, the mean, and the spiteful. Of those, 90% have been UConn fans. You don’t see them because one of mods has bounced the jarring voices from the board. Fans are fans, and there’s not a huge difference between fan bases, but the rules the mods set in place for each board are different. I think the mod on VolNation has a higher tolerance for some things although my sense is that the mod watches a lot of boards and doesn’t have time to read everything. Here on the ‘Yard, there’s me, JS, Biff, and temery, the site owner. We’re more hands-on so you guys don’t see the VN-like posts that get pruned.

Don’t hate on people you don’t know. Give them a chance to be a human being rather than just a screen name. I don’t hold out a lot of hope on that happening, though, because there are people on both boards who want to be angry, to see the slights and give their outrage full voice. I don’t know why, seems awfully fatiguing to me, but there are. So sad.

 

[LwrcasefaN]

I guess @SCNCHuskie hasn’t read the board after a Notre Dame game in which Skylar Diggins played? The whining and keening about refs could be heard all the way out to South Bend. It continues to this day. And there are still people on the Boneyard that hate Tara VanDerVeer for not playing Rebecca Lobo much on the 1996 National Team, just despise her. The LV fans aren’t the only ones crying about perceived slights and holding grudges.

In the 20 years I’ve been an administrator on the Boneyard, I’ve seen the obsessed, the obscene, the arrogant, the mean, and the spiteful. Of those, 90% have been UConn fans. You don’t see them because one of mods has bounced the jarring voices from the board. Fans are fans, and there’s not a huge difference between fan bases, but the rules the mods set in place for each board are different. I think the mod on VolNation has a higher tolerance for some things although my sense is that the mod watches a lot of boards and doesn’t have time to read everything. Here on the ‘Yard, there’s me, JS, Biff, and temery, the site owner. We’re more hands-on so you guys don’t see the VN-like posts that get pruned.

Don’t hate on people you don’t know. Give them a chance to be a human being rather than just a screen name. I don’t hold out a lot of hope on that happening, though, because there are people on both boards who want to be angry, to see the slights and give their outrage full voice. I don’t know why, seems awfully fatiguing to me, but there are. So sad.

I'm relatively new here, so I'll certainly defer to 20 years. Having said that, I believe it's the responsibility of the person doing the typing behind the screen name to consider how they will be perceived based on their post. If someone posts something hateful, I'm left with no choice, but to conclude...they are a hateful person. So far, my approach has been to just ignore the person/post unless it's a severe case because my babysitting days are in the rearview mirror. I don't envy anyone who has to read all these posts.

 

[HuskyNan]

I'm relatively new here, so I'll certainly defer to 20 years. Having said that, I believe it's the responsibility of the person doing the typing behind the screen name to consider how they will be perceived based on their post. If someone posts something hateful, I'm left with no choice, but to conclude...they are a hateful person. So far, my approach has been to just ignore the person/post unless it's a severe case because my babysitting days are in the rearview mirror. I don't envy anyone who has to read all these posts.

Yeah, that jumping to conclusions thing is one of the reasons the LV fans hate Geno. They remember the hothead yelling on the sidelines and believe him to be a jerk. Geno is warm and genuine, with tremendous charisma and humor but if people judge him based on how he acted at work for 2 hours, 10 years ago (he’s much more mellow now), they’ll come to a wrong conclusion.

Only a tiny percentage of people are all good or all bad. Most are much more complicated than that.

 

[TCC Kid]

My mind agrees with you, but my heart and soul rejoice.

OH you are bad!!! Giggle Giggle.

 

[Dove]

Who you callin old?

By BY WCBB standards I’m quite young! I’m not even eligible for social security.

Have you ever posted a song that was recorded before 1965?

 

[visitingcock]

BTW, Tennessee’s best win was over Texas.

The Longhorns - who are also above UConn in the Committee Reval, lost to Oklahoma yesterday.

One team just below UConn and two teams above have fallen since the reveal!

 

[HuskyNan]

Maybe we should let that be the final word here. UConn/Tenn threads can turn testy quickly