Tenn vs Vandy

[HuskyNan]

LVs 52-49 with 4:25 in game

 

[Twolf]

“Tennessee defense turned on the jets” said the announcer. LOL. Game is tied because Vandy can’t shoot

What an awful display by a ranked team. Vandy is bad but the Commodores are trying hard, hustling for loose balls and beating the LVs to rebounds. Russell just watches the smaller Vandy players grab the ball.her body language is not good

Anyone watching the Lady Vols play against teams that have even the weakest of a basketball pulse that can’t see they are severely lacking discipline and motivation need to ditch the orange blinders and beam back down to planet earth. Talent is not even remotely their biggest issue. Effort beats talent when talent doesn’t play hard.

 

[HuskyNan]

Tenn decided to put some effort into their game and are now up by 6. Too bad it took them almost 37 minutes to decide to play with effort.

 

[Centerstream]

This is weird...I am getting this game on ESPNU.

 

[HuskyNan]

Vandys Center has fouled out but does Tenn go to Russell? Why, no, of course not. Let’s heave up a three instead.

LVs 60-53 with 1:36 left in the game. Commence the gushing over the LVs. How long until we hear what a tough conference the SEC is?

 

[EricLA]

Big games by Russell and Nared - Tenn fans who think they will "be even better next season" are delusional. Big 4th quarter put the game out of reach, but again, Vandy is 6-17 this season.

 

[HuskyNan]

Tenn giving up late threes. LVs up 67-61. Vandy is swapping foul shots for threes

 

[Sifaka]

Lady Vols: the insatiable quest for not too awful.

 

[HuskyNan]

Announcers say Tenn is “back”, i.e. Final Four/championship contender. They make it sound like the LVs have been playing with a bunch of no-names with limited talent. The female announcer says recruiting has picked up. Tenn had two #1 ranked high schoolers in Diamond DeShields and Mercedes Russell. The announcers are idiots.

 

[stwainfan]

That gym at Vanderbilt is weird. I have been in there for some games. I don't like it.

 

[EricLA]

Tenn, more than maybe any other team I've ever seen, has a tendency to play down to the competition. They played tough against SC, ND, Texas and Stanford, then struggle against teams like LSU, Mississippi and Vandy (BTW it was a 10 point win, but really, before the fouls started it was a 6 point game).

Not sure what to ever make of them, but a disciplined mid major (ie. Ball State, teams in the past like Marist, or current teams like GB-Wisc (or FGCU or even Belmont) would give them fits this year...

 

[stwainfan]

Announcers say Tenn is “back”, i.e. Final Four/championship contender. They make it sound like the LVs have been playing with a bunch of no-names with limited talent. The female announcer says recruiting has picked up. Tenn had two #1 ranked high schoolers in Diamond DeShields and Mercedes Russell. The announcers are idiots.

The #1 class followed by #3 class.

Big games by Russell and Nared - Tenn fans who think they will "be even better next season" are delusional. Big 4th quarter put the game out of reach, but again, Vandy is 6-17 this season.

The number 3 class coming in next year. This years freshman will be better also.

 

[bballnut90]

Tenn, more than maybe any other team I've ever seen, has a tendency to play down to the competition. They played tough against SC, ND, Texas and Stanford, then struggle against teams like LSU, Mississippi and Vandy (BTW it was a 10 point win, but really, before the fouls started it was a 6 point game).

Not sure what to ever make of them, but a disciplined mid major (ie. Ball State, teams in the past like Marist, or current teams like GB-Wisc (or FGCU or even Belmont) would give them fits this year...

It’s been this way for the last several years...last year’s team was probably the most unpredictable, as they went 3-1 against Final Four teams and also beat Notre Dame. Against the rest of the schedule they went 16-11 including losses to Alabama twice, Georgia, Auburn, Ole Miss, Virginia Tech and Penn State. Clearly highlights inconsistent focus and effort which is a reflection of their coaching IMO. When Pat was coaching there’d be close games and an upset here and there, but her teams always had stellar records and played the toughest schedule every season.

 

[EricLA]

The #1 class followed by #3 class.

The number 3 class coming in next year. This years freshman will be better also.

Hang on to that post then come back and visit us next March when Tenn has 10 losses and ends up a 5-seed next season. Seriously, you guys same the same thing every single year. You had Deshields, Russell, Nared, Cooper, etc on the court together over the past 3-4 or so years and weren't able to do any better than the elite 8 under Holly. Now on paper you have less talent, but better chemistry, and the same lack of coaching, but somehow hope springs eternal.

 

[stwainfan]

Hang on to that post then come back and visit us next March when Tenn has 10 losses and ends up a 5-seed next season. Seriously, you guys same the same thing every single year. You had Deshields, Russell, Nared, Cooper, etc on the court together over the past 3-4 or so years and weren't able to do any better than the elite 8 under Holly. Now on paper you have less talent, but better chemistry, and the same lack of coaching, but somehow hope springs eternal.

Tennessee would have to lose the remaining games. To have ten regular season games.

 

[Bayareahusky]

Anyone watching the Lady Vols play against teams that have even the weakest of a basketball pulse that can’t see they are severely lacking discipline and motivation need to ditch the orange blinders and beam back down to planet earth. Talent is not even remotely their biggest issue. Effort beats talent when talent doesn’t play hard.

Well said. We got the game out west here on ESPNU.... Didn't seem to be a question of what Vandy was doing well... but what the LVs were not doing...

But they won so good for them and happy for our Tenn posters

 

[eebmg]

TN has really poor help defense. What they do reasonably well is play pressure defense but if it's broken, look out. Shooting in general must improve if they are to get even to the E8.

 

[Bayareahusky]

Hang on to that post then come back and visit us next March when Tenn has 10 losses and ends up a 5-seed next season. Seriously, you guys same the same thing every single year. You had Deshields, Russell, Nared, Cooper, etc on the court together over the past 3-4 or so years and weren't able to do any better than the elite 8 under Holly. Now on paper you have less talent, but better chemistry, and the same lack of coaching, but somehow hope springs eternal.

Yes another good comment here.... if you look at the players Holly has had since she took over the reins in 11-12 Hollys final season.... she has always been loaded.... Burdick Massengale... Stricklen (love the way she brought it).... and all the players since.... .... the ones named by Eric within and others.... Holly has actually recruited very well no argument there.... but how has she made these players better.... and the assistants as well..... I feel badly for the TN fans actually.... it has been a decade now since last Final 4....

I have from the start that first year of Holly.... seen that she had roles in her coaching makeup.... and have not been fans of some players that LV fans went crazy for.... Diamond... that is good example... until she left early, and TN mood changed on her.... I never have been a big fan of Mercedes..... better than average maybe but too weak on some basic skills.... and with a low rev motor.... how will she take her team this year to great heights?

And pure watchability index.... I have seen more Ms State games this year than SC or TN games... they love to play... and they give it their all.... even if they were not undefeated... I would still be watching them.....

 

[MSSportsGuy]

LV fan but not a homer by any means. This team is better than what we've seen the last two years. Nared and Russell are having good senior seasons. Westbrook, Davis and Hayes are all solid freshmen and I think Westbrook will end up being a very good player by the end of her career. Green isn't bad off the bench for a Juco who sat out a season with a knee injury. Their chemistry is much better. Sure they struggled against LSU and A&M but ND and MSU are both top 4 teams with good rosters. Not many teams besides UConn can dominate every opponent each night.

Everyone knows Holly isn't Pat and if fans think Pat's going to walk through the door they are wrong. I've said the last few years the fans have a right to be disappointed in some of the happenings with the program and some of that is on Holly. I've had disappointing moments as I've seen the team go from top 2-3 to 10 to 20 but it was going to happen at some point.

I'm not sure who UT fans, or even fans of other boards, think should replace her. Dawn isn't going anywhere. Neither are Kim, Muffet, I'm loving Vic at MSU but think he could head to A&M when Blair retires. There are some good coaches out there but Holly is the coach for now. I don't like all her moves and think the play could be better but she just isn't going anywhere for now.

 

[mbr33ct]

I briefly caught Nel Fortner during a half time show, she needs to stay away from the Espresso. She was doing this "NELL YES" feature. Cringing came to mind.

 

[Phil]

LVs up 30-26 at the beginning of the third half over a bad Vandy team

Game is on the SEC network. I have no idea why I get that channel

I don't get the SEC network but I watched the game on ESPNU. Is it possible you were on that station?

 

[JordyG]

Tenn, more than maybe any other team I've ever seen, has a tendency to play down to the competition. They played tough against SC, ND, Texas and Stanford, then struggle against teams like LSU, Mississippi and Vandy (BTW it was a 10 point win, but really, before the fouls started it was a 6 point game).

Not sure what to ever make of them, but a disciplined mid major (ie. Ball State, teams in the past like Marist, or current teams like GB-Wisc (or FGCU or even Belmont) would give them fits this year...

Losing to a disciplined Mid-Major, meaning in the NCAA's. Which is what I said would be their fate in the 2nd round.

Man, this is coaching, pure and simple. Consistently gets great players while the team underachieves? Coaching. Players don't sell out? Coaching. Recruits players that rarely sell out? Coaching. Stagnant or unimaginative offense? Coaching. Team consistently turns the ball over? Coaching. Every year they play well against good teams and poorly against mediocre teams? Coaching? Every year gets a top rated class yet never produces an AA? Coaching, coaching, coaching. To me it's indisputable.

 

[stwainfan]

Mercedes now #24 on scoring list at Tennessee.

 

[JordyG]

I don't get the SEC network but I watched the game on ESPNU. Is it possible you were on that station?

I too watched the game on ESPNU.