Tennessee is quite real

[msf22b]

In a warm-up for the upcoming Stanford game the lady Vols (as watched from a free stream from UCLA) had their hottest shooting game of the year (just under 70%) to defeat a scrappy UCLA team by 21.

I was most impressed with Vicki Baugh, finally full recovered from injury who plays with the
aggressiveness of a NBA power forward; a pleasure to watch.

Meighan Simmons had one of her better games; in control, much of the time, some of her crazy shots went in..The Bruins finally pressed her in the last few minutes and she gave up the ball a few times
Shekinna Stricklen and Glory Johnson also had strong games, only once in awhile looking like no one ever taught them the subtleties of the game.

This Tennessee bunch is not a strong defensive rebounding team and the smaller Bruins crashed the boards with alacrity if not much positive result.

Bottom line: they could give Stanford big trouble, or...they could fold.

I liked the close-up view that the UCLA folks provided, a nice change-up.

 

[cardfan]

UCLA's D is very suspect

 

[Kibitzer]

Any message board eulogies posted over the presumed demise of the Lady Vols have been seriously premature. They have a good team and will be a tough out for anyone in the big dance in March.

 

[cardfan]

Any message board eulogies posted over the presumed demise of the Lady Vols have been seriously premature. They have a good team and will be a tough out for anyone in the big dance in March.

Agree. They will only get better as Baugh gets healthier.

 

[stwainfan]

When Massengale gets back that will help. Simmons is getting hot.

 

[cferraro04]

I think UCLA historically doesn't play the kind of defense that could stop a team like TN with multiple weapons from many positions. This is one of those years where TN has the pieces, they have the motivation (they want this one for Pat), all they need is a little help from the basketball gods and they could win number nine. I also think that if they don't win this year...they go into a deep freeze for the next 2 to 3 years...I think they realize this so they are playing with added incentives

 

[Tonyc]

TN shot 69% and won by 21. How many times is a team going to shoot over 60%? Great game for TN lets see if they shoot againest Stanford.

 

[Icebear]

TN shot 69% and won by 21. How many times is a team going to shoot over 60%? Great game for TN lets see if they shoot againest Stanford.

If you shoot 69% you should win by 35+

 

[cardfan]

When Massengale gets back that will help. Simmons is getting hot.

No doubt

 

[alexrgct]

Didnt watch the UCLA game, but I did watch every painful second of the Rutgers game, and in that contest, the LVs didn't look remotely ready for prime time. I'll give them credit for taking it on the chin and not backing down, but Rutgers could have won that game without a post presence or any semblance of a fluid offense.

 

[VAUConnFan]

If you shoot 69% you should win by 35+

Villanova in the 1985 championship game agaisnt Georgetown shot 79% and only won by 2.

 

[itsasport]

I'm too lazy to look at the box scores, but, I bet that Uconn would have lost many games this year if their opponent had shot 69%, including 50% of their threes (7 of 14.)

Despite all their individual talent and height, Tenn. will never get to a final four unless they are taught how to play as a team. Pat's assistants are the de facto head coaches, and it is business as usual.

Just think what a good coach (fill in the blank with any former Uconn player now coaching) could do with the talent on that team.

 

[itsasport]

The Villanova game was an anomaly because in terms of talent, Villanova didn't belong on the same court. Georgetown was so much better than Villanova that it took a perfect game to win. I watched that game and it was the most disciplined game I ever saw a team play.

They did not take one bad shot. They did not let down for a moment on defense. It wasn't
that Georgetown didn't play well (i.e. Uconn and was it, George Mason?- I am still so disgusted that I've tried to erase it from my memory.)

Georgetown played really well, but, Villanova played, literally, a perfect game.

Based on that performance, some of the players made it to the pros, but none of them ever again performed at the level of that game against Georgetown.

 

[Icebear]

Villanova in the 1985 championship game agaisnt Georgetown shot 79% and only won by 2.

I said "shouldanalysis we are talking the women's game and the favored team shooting the 70%. As "itsa" said not an over matched team who used a perfect storm and was dominated everywhere else on the floor. If you don't play defense and both teams simply run lay up drills padding their % you can also get anomalies.

 

[blkkirk]

I could see Tenn winning it all this year. I think they are a legitimate contender. Looking forward to the Tenn/Kentucky game to see how they respond to intense pressure.

I think there full court press is one of the most disruptive presses I have seen. They are very long and hard to pass over. There half court trap also is very good. Strictland has been superb and the true leader of the team.

 

[alexrgct]

I remember last year everyone said how great Tennessee looked as the season wore on, and ND made them look like amateur hour. Marquette and Ohio State gave them games too. I just don't see anything this season that tells me they can be substantially better than last season.

 

[Icebear]

I remember last year everyone said how great Tennessee looked as the season wore on, and ND made them look like amateur hour. Marquette and Ohio State gave them games too. I just don't see anything this season that tells me they can be substantially better than last season.

In the games I have seen TN fails to convince me they do not exit in the Elite Eight just like last year.

 

[stwainfan]

I think this years team is better. 1. A healthy Vicki Baugh. 2. A true point guard who is going to be fantastic.
3. The teams speed and athletic ability. Overall the team is healthy. Look at last year there were some injuries.
If this team stays healthy come March going to be really good.

 

[Phil]

Didnt watch the UCLA game, but I did watch every painful second of the Rutgers game, and in that contest, the LVs didn't look remotely ready for prime time. I'll give them credit for taking it on the chin and not backing down, but Rutgers could have won that game without a post presence or any semblance of a fluid offense.

That game wasn't pretty, but then it was an RU game. Pretty isn't their MO

 

[Phil]

I remember last year everyone said how great Tennessee looked as the season wore on, and ND made them look like amateur hour. Marquette and Ohio State gave them games too. I just don't see anything this season that tells me they can be substantially better than last season.

I think they look better, but I'd eschew "substantially".

 

[connboy77]

I think this years team is better. 1. A healthy Vicki Baugh. 2. A true point guard who is going to be fantastic.
3. The teams speed and athletic ability. Overall the team is healthy. Look at last year there were some injuries.
If this team stays healthy come March going to be really good.

Tennessee is skating on tin ice. They are one major injury to a post player(Vicki Baugh or Glory Johnson) from falling out of contention. If that happens Tennessee will be hard pressed to make it as far as the elite eight.

 

[Kibitzer]

I think they look better, but I'd eschew "substantially".

GEZUNDHEIT!

 

[msf22b]

Ice, as always, I find myself basically in agreement with you but...if they win big time in Stanford, come Tuesday, then all bets are off.

 

[msf22b]

Seems like a lot of people are making assumptions that did not watch yesterday's game...interesting.

 

[speedoo]

Seems like a lot of people are making assumptions that did not watch yesterday's game...interesting.

You seem to be treating a game against a very mediocre UCLA team as some sort of barometer, and I see no reason to do so. I did not see the game so I don't have any understanding of how the LV's shot almost 70%. However I don't see them repeating that kind of shooting against a good defensive team. But I also see from the box score that they had about as many TO's as assists, and the assists were very low relative to their baskets. Also an unimpressive rebound total, and they had a post and a guard play virtually the entire game in a blowout. So my estimation of their team is unchanged:
1. Very thin at guard and in the post.
2. Not a strong defensive or rebounding team, relative to the usual Knoxville variety.
3. Massengale makes them a better team on offense, but not as much improvement as many were expecting.
If they manage to beat Stanford, I will reassess. But beating UCLA provides no real information about the LV's IMO.