Tennessee basketball, 2023 part I

[Bayareahusky]

All of the above. My opinion is they recruited (signed) the wrong type of player and don’t have a strong demanding coach. That’s a mix that will never work. The inmate run the asylum. I think a stronger coach would make them just a little better or at least teach them team basketball.
Time to throw the baby out with the bath water and star fresh. Call Megan Duffy and let her build. Get out of the shadow of Pat. Don’t forget Pat but let a new regime start. @amb3096 take this to Volnation for opinions

kellie was never a top shelf coach UT was so obsessed with hiring a female and picking from the tree that the blinders were there LVs are not really relevant any longer horston and walker are good but i have never seen them take over a game kellie is too timid and does not know how to take charge

 

[Creature]

Nope, not in the immediate future and not with Tennessee current roster but you could start building a new culture with a coach that new recruits who want to be a part of a legendary program will respect and follow. I’d be Will to bet that if Duffy was the current coach at Tennessee she MAY have landed Caitlyn Clark, Olivia Miles or a Maddie Siegrist type along with other top notch quality players. Just my opinion.

and missed out on Del Rosario and other significant post players which were staples in the Pat Summit era. Other than Clark imo, none of those other players mentioned are game changers.

 

[Creature]

Year one has been mixed but I am not convinced one way or the other yet.

Perhaps I was too harsh..he is better than Novak and at least equal to McCray year one.

 

[MSSportsGuy]

Perhaps I was too harsh..he is better than Novak and at least equal to McCray year one.

I actually think Novak did decent considering his circumstances. Purcell to me has been better than McCray. She had a stacked team ranked #5-8 preseason and missed the tournament completely. Right now MSU is squarely on the bubble and could still win some games with a much less talented team than McCray had.

Yes there was a little showing of his behind during the UT game and he clearly has room to grow but I can't say I've been disappointed so far, just not 100% sold either.

 

[Bayareahusky]

and missed out on Del Rosario and other significant post players which were staples in the Pat Summit era. Other than Clark imo, none of those other players mentioned are game changers.

and those 3 mentioned wouldnt be as effective on the floor at one time

 

[donalddoowop]

and missed out on Del Rosario and other significant post players which were staples in the Pat Summit era. Other than Clark imo, none of those other players mentioned are game changers.

You must not have seen Siegrist play. She is definitely a game changer.

 

[militarydog]

Perhaps I was too harsh..he is better than Novak and at least equal to McCray year one.

As a Mississippi State fan I obviously want him to do well. To date I’ve been overall pleased with the results. He inherited two returning starters off a 15-10 and 6-10 SEC team. J Carter returned from her year suspension and D Carter returned from her knee injury. He added five transfers and two freshmen (one freshman was already committed and stayed). Of his transfers one is a starter and two are key backups. He brought a style very similar to Louisville and in my opinion often complicated things with too many set plays on offense. Starting with the Tennessee game he moved A Hayes to the wing and ran more of a motion. There are still some sets but it’s less than before.
The team ranks third in conference in FG%, fifth in rebounding, second in assists with 16.2 behind South Carolina at 16.3 and tied for third in assist to turnover ratio with Tennessee and trailing only LSU and South Carolina, and third in steals and steals to turnovers. I believe he has the best record of the new SEC coaches.
As a pure coach Doug Novak always seemed to have a great game plan and the team played consistently with great effort. There were times he often played with only six players to include Charlotte Kohl as the post with a back up post being 5-10-ish. The concern with him is the lack of contacts for recruiting. I made no secret that I hoped he would get the job after last year. If he could have brought in a great recruiter to help I really think he would have done well.
I’m still at a loss as to what happened with Coach McCray-Penson. She had a great looking résumé and seem to be on a fast rise. However, in hindsight things really went downhill incredibly fast when she got here.
Circling back to Coach Purcell, as I stated earlier, I am pleased to date and hopeful as to what he can do in the future. He brought in the players to plug some major holes and got them to transfer without knowing if he could be successful. The current class of freshmen are ranked similar to Coach Schaefer’s later classes. However it is too soon to know whether or not he is going to be a good head coach.

 

[stwainfan]

 

[Bayareahusky]

Good for you Tamari and good luck

 

[MSSportsGuy]

I'm glad that Key is healthy and wishes to return to playing. She certainly wouldn't have cured all the ills UT experienced this season but she is an experienced player on what will be a largely new team for them next year.

 

[stwainfan]

Trey Smith who played football at Tennessee. He had a similar issue. He was able to come back. He is in the NFL.

 

[HuskyNan]

For our LV friends

The SEC Dominated The ‘90s … In Basketball

In the minds of college sports fans, the Southeastern Conference tends to conjure up the same idyllic images. A lush, TP’d Toomer’s Corner. A jam-packed Neyland…

fivethirtyeight.com

 

[MSSportsGuy]

For our LV friends

The SEC Dominated The ‘90s … In Basketball

In the minds of college sports fans, the Southeastern Conference tends to conjure up the same idyllic images. A lush, TP’d Toomer’s Corner. A jam-packed Neyland…

fivethirtyeight.com

Good article. I finished high school in 1991, college in 1996 (did the MSU cooperative education program that adds a year) and was just beyond when the LVs 3-peat took off. During the 90s the SEC was incredibly strong. Georgia, Vanderbilt, Arkansas, and Alabama all made during the decade and Auburn, LSU, and Florida weren't easy teams to play against. Ole Miss stayed solid until Chancellor left for the WNBA too. It was a deep, talented conference beyond UT. MSU, SC, KY just weren't able to climb up the ladder.

Much has been written about the LVs but the SEC of the 90s had some terrific players and coaches. The league now isn't half as strong as it was back then. There are simply more top players now spread out across the country and other programs have built terrific teams and legacies.

 

[CBus13]

Rickea Jackson announces she'll be returning to Tennessee for another season.

 

[stwainfan]

 

[DefenseBB]

Wow, never would have expected that! Good for her. Maybe Kellie is teaching life lessons to these young ladies that the LV faithful should admire her for instead of haranguing her. Her hard OOC schedule eventually paid off for them as they are battle tested AND hosting the 1st two rounds.

Congrats KJH and LVs!

 

[cancontent]

Also, considering they do not have anyone signed for 2023, Tennessee needs her scoring. Not sure who could replace her production based on the current roster.

 

[stwainfan]

Jordan Horston your turn now.

 

[stwainfan]

Wow, never would have expected that! Good for her. Maybe Kellie is teaching life lessons to these young ladies that the LV faithful should admire her for instead of haranguing her. Her hard OOC schedule eventually paid off for them as they are battle tested AND hosting the 1st two rounds.

Congrats KJH and LVs!

The team could have easily gave up. When things weren't going well early. I think that speaks to coach Harper. The tough schedule has made them better.

 

[Bayareahusky]

congrats this is important for their program

 

[GoChips20]

WOW, really surprised by that. She’s looked like a surefire lottery pick in what’s been a career season for her. Next year’s draft is better and deeper, too. Good for her and Tennessee tho, they will badly need her scoring.

 

[MSSportsGuy]

I did not see this coming but if she’s happy, then I’m happy for her. I never held ill feelings for RJ leaving MSU and think both she and the program are in better places.


This makes next season very different for the LVs. If Horston comes back it makes things very interesting.

 

[visitingcock]

Wow, never would have expected that! Good for her. Maybe Kellie is teaching life lessons to these young ladies that the LV faithful should admire her for instead of haranguing her. Her hard OOC schedule eventually paid off for them as they are battle tested AND hosting the 1st two rounds.

Congrats KJH and LVs!

That is a LOUD vote for Kellie!

 

[stwainfan]

 

[LwrcasefaN]

If Horston doesn't return and there isn't a sidekick coming that isn't being talked about, then this is an odd decision. They have no 2023 recruits incoming and there's no one on the current team to fill all the voids that will be left by Horston. Key is returning, but that's defense...not offense.