TENN vs SCAR

[HuskyNan]

They have had playing time experience from the start of the season. That helps. However, we'll see how well rounded their games will be compared to UCONN's freshmen in two years.

Also, Holly has no choice but to play the freshmen. Geno has played, and started, freshmen in those circumstances, too.

 

[donalddoowop]

I'd call it a great win..it's the best win of the season so far for Tennessee. Beating South Carolina on the road by 16 is going to be big for their NCAA resume come March, regardless if Wilson played or not. The fact that the players didn't crack and kept their composure when SC made their run was a great sign after the faltered pretty bad against A&M.

Your resume right now is outstanding and Tennessee should have no problem getting a high seed unless they completely fall apart. The one thing I would like to see is when they play a team with good guards who pressure your freshmen guards and guards who have no problem breaking your press. SC's defense was very porous today and Tennessee's defense was not a lot better. However, your team did play with confidence. It will be interesting to see how they respond to a team that has an in your face, pressure defense and has a good post player.

 

[donalddoowop]

Also, Holly has no choice but to play the freshmen. Geno has played, and started, freshmen in those circumstances, too.

Also, also, I don't believe any of their freshmen would start on this year's UCONN team.

 

[Gus Mahler]

Through it all, Ty Harris was pretty impressive today. She's a good player.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

They have had playing time experience from the start of the season. That helps. However, we'll see how well rounded their games will be compared to UCONN's freshmen in two years.

Maybe they get playing time because they don't play scared. Chicken, egg.

Westbrook, Davis, and especially Hayes are all aggressive.

 

[bballnut90]

Your resume right now is outstanding and Tennessee should have no problem getting a high seed unless they completely fall apart. The one thing I would like to see is when they play a team with good guards who pressure your freshmen guards and guards who have no problem breaking your press. SC's defense was very porous today and Tennessee's defense was not a lot better. However, your team did play with confidence. It will be interesting to see how they respond to a team that has an in your face, pressure defense and has a good post player.

Should get a good dose of that when they play Mississippi State. McCowan is as good as they come and William shouldn't have trouble facing pressure.

 

[triaddukefan]

We played hard today, but we gave up too much size inside. I do think this will help us after A'ja is back because Lele got some valuable playing time. It's also time for the NCAA to decide, one way or the other, if Te'a Cooper can play this season.

Did you see the post game handshake line? I assume Cooper sits with the team at home games.

 

[Rocket009]

Maybe they get playing time because they don't play scared. Chicken, egg.

Westbrook, Davis, and especially Hayes are all aggressive.

Sure - but in the style of Kentucky teams. Push the ball up the court as fast as you can to beat the defense. Neither team ran half-court offense very well and too many dribble drives allowed. SC needs to learn not to foul so much They bailed out TN over and over again, turning a forced shot into foul shots.

SC needed to stop the ball coming up the court instead of allowing TN to sprint it up. Lots of time the defense (all of them) were running back facing their own basket as TN simply followed them up the court. Led to lots of easy baskets.

I think it would have been a very different game with A'ja Wilson playing.

TN freshmen are talented, the big question in how far will that take them. Are they improving as a team? Hard to tell so far. We will see as the season progresses.

 

[DefenseBB]

I think this is a UConn board and the LV fans probably aren’t going to get the love they think they deserve here.

After looking at the VolNation when they lost in OT to Texas A&M, I think the more positiveof the fans do get more love here than over there. Virtually no one here wants Holly Fired!

 

[Wbbfan1]

Margo on So Carolina win:

 

[Sluconn Husky]

Sure - but in the style of Kentucky teams. Push the ball up the court as fast as you can to beat the defense. Neither team ran half-court offense very well and too many dribble drives allowed. SC needs to learn not to foul so much They bailed out TN over and over again, turning a forced shot into foul shots.

Tennessee leads the nation by a mile in free throw rate. They have a knack for getting to the line.

 

[ocoandasoc]

To beat South Carolina you usually have to beat Aja Wilson (although Notre Dame did it differently!). This year Wilson is an even bigger part of SC's offense and defense. Missouri took her out of the game and the rest of the team -- with the exception of Ty Harris -- didn't respond. It was even easier for Tenn today when Wilson didn't play. Without Wilson, SC could fall to almost any team on their remaining schedule.

Tenn has their best team in years. Maybe not the best five individual players, mind you, but the best TEAM. And not only are their freshmen playing, but they're playing against Top 20 competition. The SEC is loaded as usual. They might have as many as six teams among the Top 16 seeds in the NCAA Tourney. I don't expect any SEC team to come through unscathed. TN falls to A&M then beats SC. Georgia beats A&M. Etc. Holly is mature enough now as a head coach to know what she has, and to know that what's important is how this team is playing at the end of the season, regardless of their won-loss record.

When you hear this Tenn win over a Wilson-less SC played up by ESPN remember: 1) ESPN's fondest wish is a resurgent Tenn team and 2) ESPN televises ALL the SEC games and they are looking for storylines to pump up their ratings. Based on current AP rankings, we just had the #6 team beat the #9 team whose star player didn't play. Hardly an upset for the ages.

Are any of the SEC teams as good or as consistent as UConn right now? Nope. And maybe not even by March. But there'll be at least a couple SEC teams come April that might prove the adage "On any given night..." just like Miss State did last year.

Fortunately, UConn still has Texas, SC and Louisville on the schedule. (Texas may be a tougher game than some on this board are thinking!) But other than that they're cake-walking, even through their conference tournament. Whatever teams emerge from the SEC will be battle-tested, for sure.

 

[iri10]

They could be and maybe thats why she was! However the recording got out!

Would it be terribly barbaric if I pointed out that I wish I had seen the infamous recording?

I'm curious who won the fight.

 

[cockhrnleghrn]

Did you see the post game handshake line? I assume Cooper sits with the team at home games.

Yes, I sit 4 rows behind the scorer's table at the end by the visitors' bench.

 

[triaddukefan]

Come on ESPN..

I wanted to see Tea Cooper in the hand shake line after the game against her former teammates particularly Nared and Jackson!!!!!!

Glad I wasnt the only one who wished to see that

 

[cockhrnleghrn]

Glad I wasnt the only one who wished to see that

There were no fireworks, if that's what you guys were trying to ask. Remember, I'm a Jersey native, there's no need to beat around the bush.

 

[sivad40]

Also, also, I don't believe any of their freshmen would start on this year's UCONN team.

UConn's freshmen don't even start for their own team. Tennessee's freshmen wouldn't have been starting either if Diamond, Coooper, and Middleton had stayed.

 

[stwainfan]

UConn's freshmen don't even start for their own team. Tennessee's freshmen wouldn't have been starting either if Diamond, Coooper, and Middleton had stayed.

I think Westbrook would have started over Middleton. Westbrook is quicker and her court vision and passing ability are better.

 

[Justavisitor]

UConn's freshmen don't even start for their own team. Tennessee's freshmen wouldn't have been starting either if Diamond, Coooper, and Middleton had stayed.

Haye's doesn't start now, but even if the others had stayed, Diamond is the only one that would have started. Davis and Westbrook would both be starting.