Tenn should have won this game

[jsloanjr]

Teams that schedule cupcakes early are not ready for teams like Stanford early.......Tenn lost its composure early and they had no help for Chiney.......IMO, Tenn should have won this game if they made some free throws and played better defense......Why UCONN wins these type game is discipline and coaching before the game.

Tennessee has lost its last four matchups at Maples Pavilion since its last win on Stanford's home floor on Dec. 4, 2005. The Lady Vols have lost 13 straight road games against Top 10 teams dating back to 2008. This tells you why they have struggled the past 4 years...You can have all the AA's like Duke, but when coaching is lacking, they cannot get over the hump............
On a neutral court Tenn wins.........

 

[UcMiami]

Not sure court would have mattered - didn't get the sense the officials were influenced and ... I just don't think home court is that important unless the clock malfunctions or something!
Agree about being prepared and used to playing on the road. Lots of teams seem to never leave home during OOC and many more never challenge themselves.
And I thought Stanford missed a lot of free throws as well so I think that is a concern for both teams.
Biggest difference in my eyes was coaching and player discipline.

 

[Bayareahusky]

Wow that is an incredible stat..... lost that many road games to top 10 teams..... because we all know top 10 in WCBB is not same as mens game..... after top 2 or 3, the competition gets soft.... IMHO..... LVs have to learn how to win.... part is within them and part is definitely coaching.....

 

[Tonyc]

You cant out talent teams anymore, and grab the big players and out rebound them. There are a lot of teams out their like Marist who learn the fundementals and how to play the game and beat more talented teams because they know how to play smart. There are teams like Tenn that cant compete because they don't know how to play the game as a team and certainly don't have the defense to play top caliber teams. When the NCAAs begin you will see mid majors beating top ranked teams and giving them all they can handle because they know what to do and don't rely on physical skill.

 

[Ctpaul0825]

10 Assists for UT, 15 for Stanford, unimpressive stats for both teams.

 

[UcMiami]

10 Assists for UT, 15 for Stanford, unimpressive stats for both teams.

15 assists on 28 made is 54% which is probably average for a top 10 team, 10 on 24 is 42% and below average. But you also have to look at shooting percentage - you can't get the assist if the shot is missed, and Stanford shot only 42% and TN only 36% so a lot of scoring was done on rebounding which doesn't come with an assist.

 

[UcMiami]

You cant out talent teams anymore, and grab the big players and out rebound them. There are a lot of teams out their like Marist who learn the fundementals and how to play the game and beat more talented teams because they know how to play smart. There are teams like Tenn that cant compete because they don't know how to play the game as a team and certainly don't have the defense to play top caliber teams. When the NCAAs begin you will see mid majors beating top ranked teams and giving them all they can handle because they know what to do and don't rely on physical skill.

Nice Tony - and I think the other side of this is that the general talent level of women athletes is increasing so mid-majors are getting better raw material to work with. There is still cream at the top, but their is more milk in the middle and at the bottom of the recruiting pool instead of water.

 

[Stray Cat]

On a neutral court Tenn wins.........

This is a moot point, since IF Tenn & Stanford play again this season it will be on Stanford's home court in the Regional. Otherwise, Tenn will have to beat ND or Louisville on their home courts in the Regional. The only hope Tenn has of playing a team on a neutral court is UConn in the Nebraska Regional or Duke/Kentucky in Louisville, if the Cards get bounced.

In other words, IF Tenn wants to advance to the Final Four this season they are going to have defeat a top ranked team away from their home court -- something they haven't been able to achieve for over 5.5 years.

 

[jsloanjr]

Why isn't the Tenn and Stanford game on National TV?..........ESPN, FOX both missed the boat and they wonder why WCBB does not attract flies outside the core teams home markets. UCONN is the only team in America that draws National press and national TV coverage........Today the Garden will have 12,000 + at the game on a beautiful Sunday for December.
IMG, UCONN's marketing partner misses the boat, as well. More future recruits will be watching this game to see if and why they want to play at UCONN........

 

[Adesmar123]

On a neutral court Tenn wins.........

Except for the score, coaching and team play...that's quite accurate.

 

[DobbsRover2]

Except for the score, coaching and team play...that's quite accurate.

Yes, again on the neutral court what-if, what-ifs are always useless, and any team that schedules five weeks early in the season without a road court game can't be a candidate for a top team. You need to taste some of the opponent's home-cooking in the heart of that development period even if it's against a top-50ish range team like Marist or Chattanooga before you bump up against top 5 teams and hit your conference schedule. Whether or not the SEC is that good, there are a bunch of teams with lousy SOSs but gaudy records who will have the confidence to think they can be on UTenn's level in conference games as long as they play the Vol the smart standard way. UTenn actually has had a very well rated schedule, it just wasn't set up with the three road games clustered around that long core of home-neutral games.

 

[easttexastrash]

Not sure court would have mattered - didn't get the sense the officials were influenced and ... I just don't think home court is that important unless the clock malfunctions or something!
Agree about being prepared and used to playing on the road. Lots of teams seem to never leave home during OOC and many more never challenge themselves.
And I thought Stanford missed a lot of free throws as well so I think that is a concern for both teams.
Biggest difference in my eyes was coaching and player discipline.

I think that traveling 2,000 miles with a three hour time difference, disrupting your regular routine, being out of your comfort zone and playing in front of the opponent's fans does have a big impact on a team.

 

[Adesmar123]

I think that traveling 2,000 miles with a three hour time difference, disrupting your regular routine, being out of your comfort zone and playing in front of the opponent's fans does have a big impact on a team.

Don't forget the refs too...they are always a reason the Lady Vols lose.

 

[easttexastrash]

Don't forget the refs too...thy are always a reason the Lady Vols lose.

I thought the refs were pretty good. I don't remember any calls or non-calls that had an impact on the outcome of the game.

 

[easttexastrash]

Yes, again on the neutral court what-if, what-ifs are always useless, and any team that schedules five weeks early in the season without a road court game can't be a candidate for a top team. You need to taste some of the opponent's home-cooking in the heart of that development period even if it's against a top-50ish range team like Marist or Chattanooga before you bump up against top 5 teams and hit your conference schedule. Whether or not the SEC is that good, there are a bunch of teams with lousy SOSs but gaudy records who will have the confidence to think they can be on UTenn's level in conference games as long as they play the Vol the smart standard way. UTenn actually has had a very well rated schedule, it just wasn't set up with the three road games clustered around that long core of home-neutral games.

Yet with this extremely poor scheduling they were within 2 points of Stanford with 36 seconds left in the game on Stanford's home court. What you are saying is that if UT had had a couple of good road games before this one that they probably would have won?

 

[Adesmar123]

Yet with this extremely poor scheduling they were within 2 points of Stanford with 36 seconds left in the game on Stanford's home court. What you are saying is that if UT had had a couple of good road games before this one that they probably would have won?

Excuses are quite useful after a loss. The one I do think holds some water is that if the Lady Vols had scored more points than Stanford, they would have one. Lets use the away from home game excuse after they play a good game against a top 10 team.

 

[easttexastrash]

UT fans, what is the chatter on Tucker playing next semester?

I think the ND game will really tell us a lot more about UT than a road game to Stanford.

 

[easttexastrash]

Excuses are quite useful after a loss. The one I do think holds some water is that if the Lady Vols had scored more points than Stanford, they would have one. Lets use the away from home game excuse after they play a good game against a top 10 team.

I thought UT didn't play well and still came close at the end. I think the outcome will be different the next time around.

 

[doggydaddy]

Excuses are quite useful after a loss. The one I do think holds some water is that if the Lady Vols had scored more points than Stanford, they would have one. Lets use the away from home game excuse after they play a good game against a top 10 team.

They are 6-18 against top 10 teams since 2008. I don't know why anyone would think Tennessee should have won that game.

 

[Stray Cat]

They are 6-18 against top 10 teams since 2008. I don't know why anyone would think Tennessee should have won that game.

Because in their Orange blooded hearts, er minds, they have the best overall talent in most of the games they play, and its just beyond belief they continue to be so unlucky, screwed by the refs and whatever else so often against the top-ranked teams.

 

[wallman]

And how about the excellent coaching by both, hopefully you know I am JK

 

[DobbsRover2]

Yet with this extremely poor scheduling they were within 2 points of Stanford with 36 seconds left in the game on Stanford's home court. What you are saying is that if UT had had a couple of good road games before this one that they probably would have won?

No, what I'm saying is that if they had set up a more optimal schedule, the Vols might well have been able to halve both of those differences to get within 1 point and end up losing by 3. But just think how much more confident the players would have been going forward with only a 3 point loss that could serve as a moral win since they would be almost a winner with the 4 point bonus they get for playing on the road (once in a long while).