Tennessee at Notre Dame Thur | Page 8 | The Boneyard

Tennessee at Notre Dame Thur

The announcers were Kara and Rebecca and the entire discussion had me personally fuming at Mercedes. Kara started the discussion by saying that Mercedes has been basically MIA since the first half. The discussion continue that one of the announcers actually asked mercedes in times like these when your teamates are basically ignoring you; "Do you ever get mad enough to demand the ball and are you willing to strangle your teamates when you don't get it." "That's not really my personality was the response from Mercedes".
My positive intrepretation of that answer is, Mercedes is a very nice young lady.

Who needs to be coached into being a little more assertive?
 
Who needs to be coached into being a little more assertive?
This is one area where I might be tempted to give Holly a pass. That kind of assertiveness should have been coached into Mercedes back in middle school.
 
This is one area where I might be tempted to give Holly a pass. That kind of assertiveness should have been coached into Mercedes back in middle school.

She might be a very nice young lady, but part of the reason she seems to disappear in games is that she really doesn't seem to push herself really hard. Comparing her to Tina Charles, Tina hustled up and down the court on every play - her goal was always to beat her defender to the other end. I don't think I've ever seen MR really hustle. It could be injury, or it could be conditioning - either way it really reduces her impact on the game.
 
This is one area where I might be tempted to give Holly a pass. That kind of assertiveness should have been coached into Mercedes back in middle school.

I bow to your clearly superior basketball and coaching knowledge (absolutely no sarcasm). But, I’d bet that even only one year under Geno and/or CD you would see a different Mercedes.
 
She might be a very nice young lady, but part of the reason she seems to disappear in games is that she really doesn't seem to push herself really hard. Comparing her to Tina Charles, Tina hustled up and down the court on every play - her goal was always to beat her defender to the other end. I don't think I've ever seen MR really hustle. It could be injury, or it could be conditioning - either way it really reduces her impact on the game.
She did score on a few occasions (not in this game) in the past because she was slow to pass the center line and her teammate threw the ball after a successful defensive rebound!
 
What baffled me about this game was how well UT moved the ball in the first half and how stagnant they became in the 2nd half.

I would really like to see Russell moved to the high post some more. It would free her up from the double teams that clog up the paint, thus giving her more space to maneuver and also giving the guards more opportunities to drive to the rim.
Agree! She is athletic enough to move back from high to low if needed, maybe not as agile as AZ, but she is more than able.
 
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She might be a very nice young lady, but part of the reason she seems to disappear in games is that she really doesn't seem to push herself really hard. Comparing her to Tina Charles, Tina hustled up and down the court on every play - her goal was always to beat her defender to the other end. I don't think I've ever seen MR really hustle. It could be injury, or it could be conditioning - either way it really reduces her impact on the game.
Was trying to stay "positive" by sarcastically saying she's a nice young lady.
I'm also not sure I agree with you on her never really hustling. I just think she has one speed. I'll just put it out there: I would like to see Mercedes jack up one of those numerous TN guards that are determined to ignore her. She been on that campus for almost 5 years now. I bet she only has to do it one time! That is not something that someone else should have to do for you.
 
Agree! She is athletic enough to move back from high to low if needed, maybe not as agile as AZ, but she is more than able.
Been watching Mercedes for a while now both at TN and before in USA basketball. Playing in the high post is not in her skill set as @HuskyNan as already suggested. With the defense ND was playing against against TN, reversing the ball or taking the mid range jumper and living with the consequences who have been far better options-as Margo's video accurately pointed out.
 
Don't see many TN games, but most teams would love to be 16-2, ranked in Top 10 and have great players. Overreaction? Geno was not considered more than an above average coach until Lobo, etc. came on board.
Not sure I understand your segue here with the Geno reference. Holly took over a Rolls Royce with Pedigree and has done nothing. She did not build that program. Geno took a nothing program with 1 winning season Andy built it.
So all due respect, explain how Holly’s coaching the last 3 years warrants positive excitement?
 
Not sure I understand your segue here with the Geno reference. Holly took over a Rolls Royce with Pedigree and has done nothing. She did not build that program. Geno took a nothing program with 1 winning season Andy built it.
So all due respect, explain how Holly’s coaching the last 3 years warrants positive excitement?
Because even though she has proven time and again that she is at best an average coach she somehow she continues to convince 5 star recruits to come to UT. Make no mistake this team down on Rocky Top is Talented and could, given time, stumble on a formula all by themselves that can win a championship. Maybe. Possibly, in spite of Holly. Maybe. Or some FF's. Maybe.
 
She might be a very nice young lady, but part of the reason she seems to disappear in games is that she really doesn't seem to push herself really hard. Comparing her to Tina Charles, Tina hustled up and down the court on every play - her goal was always to beat her defender to the other end. I don't think I've ever seen MR really hustle. It could be injury, or it could be conditioning - either way it really reduces her impact on the game.

Or is it a lack of passion? The interview question about do you ever get mad is what prompted my question to Boxer - and thanks Boxer for responding.
 
I think many vol fans, myself included, get tired of the poor fundamentals, lack of discipline, the befuddled press conferences, the insane amount of turnovers game after game, season after season, losing double digit leads, and poor player development that seem to plague a holly coached tennessee team. Its not just one game here and there, this is a constant issue with her teams.

For the record, i still support holly as coach, but issues like these will eventually hurt recruiting and all of a sudden, there will be that season where tennessee isnt relevent anymore.

16-2 is a great start no doubt and im happy about that, but not happy on how tenneseee was coached in those 2 losses, especially the nd loss. That loss could turn what started out as a great start into a dismal finish. We will see tommorrow how they respond with a extremely tough msu team..
I'm sure you be in awwww when you watch a UConn game... and wonder why is Geno doing it but no other coach can get their players all in (Muffett is pretty close, Tara use to be good too)
 
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Or is it a lack of passion? The interview question about do you ever get mad is what prompted my question to Boxer - and thanks Boxer for responding.

True - it could easily be that. I thought that last year it may have just been the chemistry issues that were impacting the rest of the team, but MR seems to be playing pretty much the same as last year - maybe she's getting the ball a little more, but apart from that, something seems to be lacking.
 
7:00PM ET on ESPN

It's No 5 vs No 6
Last year the Irish had a 4th period meltdown and handed Tenn a win. If that wasn't enough to motivate them they are coming off a beat-down by Louisville last week in which they gave up 100 points for the first time in ages to a Cardinal team that shot over 70% in the first half.

Tenn is coming off a big road win against a Wilson-less S Carolina.

I expect a high scoring up and down game and two exhausted teams late. The one that sucks it up wins. I see the home crowd spurring the Irish to victory.

So THIS year Tenn experienced the meltdown and fell apart. The naddering nabobs on Vol Nation were quick to lay the blame at the feet of Coach Warlick, screaming for her immediate (if not sooner) termination. As always, time will tell.
 
True - it could easily be that. I thought that last year it may have just been the chemistry issues that were impacting the rest of the team, but MR seems to be playing pretty much the same as last year - maybe she's getting the ball a little more, but apart from that, something seems to be lacking.
As I said all of last year and at the beginning of this year, it ain't and wasn't DD. It was never "addition by subtraction".
 
As I said all of last year and at the beginning of this year, it ain't and wasn't DD. It was never "addition by subtraction".

I thought it was bizarre how quickly the fan base turned on her, after how much they hyped her for 2 or 3 years. The only constant has been the coach, if there is a problem in the program, that's probably where it begins and ends.
 
I bow to your clearly superior basketball and coaching knowledge (absolutely no sarcasm). But, I’d bet that even only one year under Geno and/or CD you would see a different Mercedes.

ABSOLUTELY!!!!!! ;)
 
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I thought it was bizarre how quickly the fan base turned on her, after how much they hyped her for 2 or 3 years. The only constant has been the coach, if there is a problem in the program, that's probably where it begins and ends.
When DD entered UT with her UNC classmate the amount of talent on that team was about what it is now. It is remarkable (not really) how Holly's teams continue to show the same offensive inadequacies and how her teams react to pressure. While rewatching the game it was easy to tell by the middle of the 4th quarter the UT players were gassed and ND was just flying by them. They weren't just being beaten up and down court, but couldn't stay with their marks off the dribble. Davis, Hayes and Russell were particular joggers time and time again on offense and defense. It's Holly and it has always been Holly.
 
I haven't seen any indication that Russell is effective in the high post as she doesn't seem to know what to do there. She hangs around the low post, hoping for a pass, but if she gets bodied out into no man's land she is completely out of the game.

I wish the kid had gotten some better coaching. She accomplishes what she does on raw talent.

I agree. She is pure talent and will be a better pro than college player.
 
I was finally able this morning to go back and watch the second half of this game. Really a stunning turnaround and comeback. I thought there was a very key sequence early in the 4th quarter, when Tennessee was up by 11, Russell missed two consecutive free throws and then Jackie Young got the rebound and went coast to coast for the layup to cut the lead to 9.

It was so much fun watching Tennessee collapse in the final 8 minutes of this game.

Question: When was the last time Notre Dame lost at home to anyone other than UConn?
 
Nurse has been crashing the boards a lot the last few games.
 
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Spectrum is playing not nice with my picture today.
 
Temple is one well coached team. I wonder how that came to be?
 

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