Tennessee Coach Holly Warlick Says Players Have Lost Passion for the Game

[pacific 44]

Holly just needs to be more forceful with these modern players,kind of show them who wears the pants in the vole family.

 

[stwainfan]

I'm not understanding. It's an untrue statement. How does that make it "good"?

Is it not good to have three players score in double figures?

 

[Kaizen]

I know Maryland played UConn. Have they played any other top ten teams?

Maryland beat #7 LOU at LOU, 12/01/2016.

 

[trb123]

The Tennessee trio of Russell, Nared, and DeShields. Are the only trio in the country. That are all averaging 15 points or more.

How about Northern Illinois? Three players averaging over 16 ppg:

At Knoxville, TN, some threes are less equal than others.
Also 16 < 15 sometimes as well.

 

[Plebe]

Is it not good to have three players score in double figures?

I mean, I think I see what you're getting at, and I'm not questioning that Russell-DeShields-Nared are great players. But the stat is more of a testament to a lack of depth and a huge drop-off between players #3 and #4. How many other teams have three players accounting for 65% of their total scoring?

 

[j66kicker]

Dispassionate lug...

 

[j66kicker]

More unemotional, passionless modern WCBB players...

 

[j66kicker]

Pheesa too - what a robot...

 

[Bestiarius]

Is it not good to have three players score in double figures?

You've been drinking too much of that orange kool-aid. Every school spins the stats to favor their program, but Tennessee outdoes them all.

This is a good example, but not really, because they aren't true stats. It's fake news designed to make TN fans feel good.

It was pretty easy to without much research to find other examples of your premise (as indicated above). If TN's top 3 scorers were able to produce a team that was able to maintain a good ranking, your "pretty good" allegation might mean something. Now, to quote an amazing stat by a TN player, Diamond DeShields, committed 19 turnovers in 2 games. Now, that's something that might be a record.

 

[Checkmate]

Holly and the team need to read;

it is a very good book

 

[Dawson]

The Tennessee trio of Russell, Nared, and DeShields. Are the only trio in the country. That are all averaging 15 points or more.

Listen. Your team has 8 losses, and hasn't been to a final four in 8 years. All the while, recruiting some of the top talent the nation had to offer. It's good they are averaging that amount, but it certainly isn't translating into a quality season.

 

[Phil]

I'm not understanding. It's an untrue statement. How does that make it "good"?

Meet a new generation.

It sounds good, so therefore it is good. What's this nonsense about truth?

 

[Phil]

I read it on Twitter, would they ever lie to me?

 

[Plebe]

I read it on Twitter, would they ever lie to me?

If Maria Cornelius tweeted it, it has to be true. She would never fail to fact-check.

 

[arty155]

I'm the original Holly knocker...

You're a rapper from way back?

 

[Bayareahusky]

Yes 9 yrs since Final 4 is a long time.... but i think they are overjoyed with an Elite 8 finish......

Just wondering out loud..... Holly seems to have a big problem with demanding the best from her players... and demanding effort on an all-the-time basis.... Pat had it inside of her..... she was going to win by sheer will... Holly was and is very pro-player focused..... the rah rah type... will accept whatever her players want to give her.... while Pat was focused strong willed and disciplined.... those are my opinions anyway....

Having said this.... can anyone remember a truly successful coach who was a slave to his/her players..... always there with an atta girl..... and ever present with a pat on the head (double pun not intended) and a cup of juice.

 

[meyers7]

I'm not understanding. It's an untrue statement. How does that make it "good"?

Stat and statement are two different things.

 

[Woof 101]

Is it not good to have three players score in double figures?

It is wonderful and should be a feel good thing. In today's day and age if this was a middle school team they all would get a trophy!

As for NCAA D1 basketball most in this part of the country prefer a team that shares the ball and plays for national championships by doing so.
Individual statistics are not part of playing and winning like a team. It actually saddens me that Tennessee has fallen so far from the top of the game.

 

[Plebe]

Stat and statement are two different things.

The assertion was that no other team in the country had 3 players averaging more than 15 points per game. If the actual statistics belie this assertion, I don't see how that makes it a "good stat."

 

[Bayareahusky]

It is wonderful and should be a feel good thing. In today's day and age if this was a middle school team they all would get a trophy!

As for NCAA D1 basketball most in this part of the country prefer a team that shares the ball and plays for national championships by doing so.
Individual statistics are not part of playing and winning like a team. It actually saddens me that Tennessee has fallen so far from the top of the game.

I am underwhelmed by both Diamond and her turnovers (though mans she has talent) and Mercedes (lazy defender).... Nared though i like her game a lot

 

[Alydar]

Its still pretty good stat.

I it on Twitter this morning. Is there another trio?

Who posted that erroneous tweet? Was it perhaps the LV site?

And does Tenn have 3 starters who are all 50% or better fg shooters?

 

[rvwsleep]

The problem with cherry picking: UConn's top 3 53.8 points per game. Tenn 51. But wait, there is more: Assists UConn 3 219 Tenn. 149. TOs: UConn 115 Tenn 190 Steals UConn 111 Tenn. 77. 4th highest scorer UConn 12.5 Tenn. 7.5 UConn scoring avg. 86.8 Tenn 75.9 Opponents Scg Avg. UConn 53.7 Tenn. 66.6

UConn's 4th highest scorer 12.5 Tenn 7.5.

It's not a complete sweep. Tennessee does lead UCONN in turnovers.

 

[mbr33ct]

The Tennessee trio of Russell, Nared, and DeShields. Are the only trio in the country. That are all averaging 15 points or more.

Stwainfan, wouldn't you rather have 4 or more players averaging double figures than 3 players averaging 15+ a game? What does your post say about the LadyVols team in general? Hint: which team would be tougher to defend against...Team A with 3 players (15+ pts/gm)...or Team B and C with 4 or 5 players (10+ pts/gm)?

Just to get back to Holly, IMO the "passion" starts with head coach. Frankly I lost my passion reading her answers.

 

[cabbie191]

I mean, I think I see what you're getting at, and I'm not questioning that Russell-DeShields-Nared are great players. But the stat is more of a testament to a lack of depth and a huge drop-off between players #3 and #4. How many other teams have three players accounting for 65% of their total scoring?

At least one: Washington Huskies.

Plum and Osahor as the two leading scorers have accounted for 53% (30.5 and 15.5 respectively) of the team's average of 86.3 ppg. There are two tied at third at 9.7 ppg, which all totaled means the top 3 are averaging 64.5%.

Personally, I don't think we should be too hard on our LV guest. Their past several seasons have been disappointing - lots of injuries on top of questionable coaching has caused them to underachieve. Having three players averaging > 15 ppg is something to take as a positive (yeah, I know it means others on the team aren't clicking as well).

I'm guessing that if Kia was averaging a bit more and was above the 15 ppg mark, we'd be proud of having three players averaging that much.

And, anyways, when comparing players scoring ability, it is never a really true comparison because of differences in the abilities of your teammates, the talent level of who you're playing against throughout the season, and how many minutes you average per game.

And to main point of the OP, I like Holly as a person and I enjoyed reading the interview, but man, she does seem to lack the inner fire of Pat.

 

[stwainfan]

Actually of all the returning players from past year. Only Dunbar scoring average isn't more than last year. So all other players have better number than last year. Just not the top three players.