Tenn up by 2 at the half against unranked Arkansas

[pap49cba]

LINK

 

[RockyMTblue2]

So maybe the half they are going to play is the second half?

 

[pap49cba]

NCST up by 2 with 6 to go against Terps.

Duke up by 1 with 11 t/g against Miami

 

[Fiftyish]

LINK

Yeah, but what really matters is who is up at the end of regulation.

 

[stwainfan]

With out Massengale, and Graves sick. Burdick and Carter stepped up. Russell getting better.

 

[wire chief]

And Kentucky is getting agita from GA. One pt game at half.

 

[doggydaddy]

With out Massengale, and Graves sick. Burdick and Carter stepped up. Russell getting better.

I'm sure some will consider this nitpicking but what about Russell's play tonight makes you think she looked better?

She was 3-3 on lay ups, so that is good. How tall is she? No rebounds? No blocks?

I will say that Burdick had a real nice game. As did Carter.

 

[triaddukefan]

I'm sure some will consider this nitpicking but what about Russell's play tonight makes you think she looked better?

She was 3-3 on lay ups, so that is good. How tall is she? No rebounds? No blocks?

I will say that Burdick had a real nice game. As did Carter.

Im not sure where Coates from South Carolina was rated compared to Russell......... but Coates looks to be the real deal. Russell not so much.

 

[stwainfan]

I'm sure some will consider this nitpicking but what about Russell's play tonight makes you think she looked better?

She was 3-3 on lay ups, so that is good. How tall is she? No rebounds? No blocks?

I will say that Burdick had a real nice game. As did Carter.

Russell is 6'6" the tallest player. She also had a block that got the crowd excited. She is running the floor better. With a little more experience and strength she will be really good. She is also playing behind Harrison and Graves they are both pretty good players. Burdick said after the game that she got back to having fun. At the start of the season she put a lo of pressure on herself.

 

[EricLA]

Russell is 6'6" the tallest player. She also had a block that got the crowd excited. She is running the floor better. With a little more experience and strength she will be really good. She is also playing behind Harrison and Graves they are both pretty good players. Burdick said after the game that she got back to having fun. At the start of the season she put a lo of pressure on herself.

I once led a cheer that got the crowd excited too.

 

[Icebear]

I once led a cheer that got the crowd excited too.

Having everyone yell, "No, no, no, put your clothes on, put your clothes back on," is not leading a cheer.

 

[doggydaddy]

Russell is 6'6" the tallest player. She also had a block that got the crowd excited. She is running the floor better. With a little more experience and strength she will be really good. She is also playing behind Harrison and Graves they are both pretty good players. Burdick said after the game that she got back to having fun. At the start of the season she put a lo of pressure on herself.

As the tallest player, you don't think she should grab at least one rebound? I missed the block. Wow...one. The crowd went nuts because they were shocked she actually blocked one.

Playing behind them? Sorry but that is really a weak excuse. She is getting around the same minutes. It's about production.

It wasn't a good game for you to point out her improvement.

 

[sawxfan23]

IMHO Russell is the most overrated #1 recruit I have seen in a long long time. She is extremely slow, lacks agility, and plays a lot smaller than her 6'6 size.

 

[LadyVols9]

I think you guys are being a little harsh on MR. keep in mind, players like Coates and Jackson are centerpieces to their team. other named players on this list are working themselves into an already talented team. much in the same way as Chong is doing for you all. right now, MR is learning and does not have to be the focus of the game. Stewart struggled quite a bit until the tourney last year. she is adjusting to being a center in a very physical league. one off season of weights will change everything for her. I am very glad she is a Lady Vol.

 

[Phil]

I think you guys are being a little harsh on MR. keep in mind, players like Coates and Jackson are centerpieces to their team. other named players on this list are working themselves into an already talented team. much in the same way as Chong is doing for you all. right now, MR is learning and does not have to be the focus of the game. Stewart struggled quite a bit until the tourney last year. she is adjusting to being a center in a very physical league. one off season of weights will change everything for her. I am very glad she is a Lady Vol.

I am sure you are well aware of why there is a bit of an edge to posts about the LVs.

As for the comparison to Stewart, I'll make you a deal. If Russell earns the MOP in Nashville, I'll personally apologize for any and all Boneyarders who have failed to put her on the pedestal.

 

[LadyVols9]

I am sure you are well aware of why there is a bit of an edge to posts about the LVs.

As for the comparison to Stewart, I'll make you a deal. If Russell earns the MOP in Nashville, I'll personally apologize for any and all Boneyarders who have failed to put her on the pedestal.

did Stewart not struggle? were there not many threads and posts about it? my point is that some talented players need time to adjust. that is my point. nothing more or less. you can disagree if you want but that is a fact.

 

[Ozzie Nelson]

did Stewart not struggle? were there not many threads and posts about it? my point is that some talented players need time to adjust. that is my point. nothing more or less. you can disagree if you want but that is a fact.

If grabbing a rebound(s) is "adjustment", she is in big trouble.

 

[EricLA]

did Stewart not struggle? were there not many threads and posts about it? my point is that some talented players need time to adjust. that is my point. nothing more or less. you can disagree if you want but that is a fact.

Come on, for real? I'm stunned that you would even mention them in the same breath for comparison purposes. Stewie averaged 13.8 PPG as a freshman, was the 2nd leading scorer on the team, averaged 6.4 RPG, led the team in blocks (74) and had 4 double doubles.

Russell is averaging 7 PPG, 5 RPG, shoots FT's at a 36% clip, and is the 6th leading scorer on the team. she's a solid player. That's it. She has potential. Maybe she will achieve what Stef Dolson has achieved, but even Dolson as a freshman averaged 10 PPG, shot a better FG%, and was over 80% on her FT's. And Stef was a composite ranking of about 20 coming out of HS. No matter how you slice it, Russel's #1 ranking was based solely on potential.

It's been discussed on here before. She never dominated ANY US national team she played on. She was never the leading scorer, or even leading rebounder in spite of being a starter and the tallest player on the team. She has had nowhere near the impact of kids rated around the same range as her, and has been thoroughly average to date. Again, lots of potential. Not saying she can't be a great one, but she's just an average player at the moment.

 

[doggydaddy]

I think you guys are being a little harsh on MR. keep in mind, players like Coates and Jackson are centerpieces to their team. other named players on this list are working themselves into an already talented team. much in the same way as Chong is doing for you all. right now, MR is learning and does not have to be the focus of the game. Stewart struggled quite a bit until the tourney last year. she is adjusting to being a center in a very physical league. one off season of weights will change everything for her. I am very glad she is a Lady Vol.

First of all, we were just responding to the LV fan that said after this game that she was getting better.

Maybe she is. But this sure was a lousy game to mention it. No rebounds in 20 minutes? Are you kidding me?

Secondly, You give us a hard time for comparing her to players that are the centerpiece of their teams. Yet Russell has started 5 times and Coates only once. Russell also averages more minutes. So, at least in that case, you are incorrect.

If you are using the excuse of who is more the focus of their teams play, Russell is certainly more of the focus than Chong. You can't have it both ways.

No one here isn't saying she won't be a great player. It is certainly possible. Just don't keep pumping her up unnecessarily as Stwainfan is prone to do.

 

[stwainfan]

As the tallest player, you don't think she should grab at least one rebound? I missed the block. Wow...one. The crowd went nuts because they were shocked she actually blocked one.

Playing behind them? Sorry but that is really a weak excuse. She is getting around the same minutes. It's about production.

It wasn't a good game for you to point out her improvement.

She leads the team with 29 blocks.

 

[triaddukefan]

She leads the team with 29 blocks.

Thats really not that impressive if you ask me. One of our freshman posts... Cooper averages just 8 minutes a game... and she has 22 blocks for the season.

 

[doggydaddy]

She leads the team with 29 blocks.

That is more of an indicator of the lack of any other inside defensive presence.

A closer look shows that she had 19 of those 29 against five teams. MTSU, Troy, Tennessee State, Lipscomb and Ole Miss. No one on any of those teams regular rotation has anyone over 6'1.

That means she had 10 blocks in the other 16 games.

 

[stwainfan]

That is more of an indicator of the lack of any other inside defensive presence.

A closer look shows that she had 19 of those 29 against five teams. MTSU, Troy, Tennessee State, Lipscomb and Ole Miss. No one on any of those teams regular rotation has anyone over 6'1.

That means she had 10 blocks in the other 16 games.

Harrison has 23, and Moore 13 blocks.

 

[meyers7]

She leads the team with 29 blocks.

Now THAT is funny.

 

[meyers7]

Come on, for real? I'm stunned that you would even mention them in the same breath for comparison purposes. Stewie averaged 13.8 PPG as a freshman, was the 2nd leading scorer on the team, averaged 6.4 RPG, led the team in blocks (74) and had 4 double doubles.

Well for Stewart, that kind of is struggling.