Tennessee Mizzou Handhakes

[SCspur]

Evina Westbrook would have 8-10 more PPG if she could finish her shots. She can get by anyone and get her shots up but the amount of them that go half in and out or roll around the rim is what drives me crazy.

Watch next game and see how many shots TN misses in the paint. If they can get some people who can finish and are finesse they'll be set.

Experince may help? Jordan Horston adding another dimension along with Tamari Key who is 6'6'' and multiple recuritng services ranked her the best shot blocker (ahead of Austin, Prince, Egbo, etc) could help as well.

Again this could all be with coaching too, but lets not dive there.

She wasn’t even in the same class as the players you mentioned and she isn’t even a top 10 center in her current class.

 

[Justavisitor]

They are playing well and certainly have potential to be AAs, but whether they'll get to the point of being recognized as a top 10-15 player in the country is a different matter. Players just don't improve under Holly. Keep in mind Holly has coached the following players, and none of them developed into All-Americans:

Bashaara Graves-former NFOY and top 5 recruit
Diamond Deshields-former #3 recruit and NFOY
Mercedes Russell-former #1 recruit
Ariel Massengale-former #3 recruit
Cierra Burdick-former #4 recruit
Jaime Nared-former #6 recruit


AA honors are heavily reliant on team success. Tennessee is a borderline NCAA tournament team with 3 really good players on the roster in Westbrook, Davis and Zaay Green. Will Tennessee get over the hump once Horston comes on board and the young players are upperclassmen? On paper they're a top 5 team in the country next year, but Holly's history says they'll continue under perform if she is still coaching. This is 4 straight years of abysmal results despite coaching 9-10 top 10 recruits over those 4 years. If Tennessee isn't a top 10-15 team, none of their studs will make an AP team.

Graves - didn't help herself. I don't recall her spending countless hours improving her shooting distance. She had the post player skills, but was undersized. Needed to do more to extend her own range.

Deshields - came in with a horrible leg injury, but I won't disclose the details to that injury. Even today, she is not the player that she could have been. Her own father has acknowledged how the injury impacted her.

Mercedes - probably would not have been #1 had anyone known she was entering college with 2 horrible feet and both required surgery. Her movement isn't that great. It's not a matter of skill, but something no coach can fix.

Ariel - lost a year and half due to concussions. I recall her being voted NCAA Player of the Month prior to the head injury and she never was the same after. Her minutes had to be watched her senior year, even.

Cierra Burdick - displayed the skills her senior season, but face it, she had slow foot speed. Coaching can only make a player so quick.

Nared - Honorable mention AA and stuck to the WNBA roster, so not bad.


Today, all the 3 you have mentioned are gym rats that are highly passionate about the game and that goes along way in development.

 

[Justavisitor]

She wasn’t even in the same class as the players you mentioned and she isn’t even a top 10 center in her current class.

she is ranked the 9 center by ESPN and #7 by Prospects, listed at 6'4" and 6'5", and is a shot blocking machine.

 

[Undercovervol]

Graves - didn't help herself. I don't recall her spending countless hours improving her shooting distance. She had the post player skills, but was undersized. Needed to do more to extend her own range.

Deshields - came in with a horrible leg injury, but I won't disclose the details to that injury. Even today, she is not the player that she could have been. Her own father has acknowledged how the injury impacted her.

Mercedes - probably would not have been #1 had anyone known she was entering college with 2 horrible feet and both required surgery. Her movement isn't that great. It's not a matter of skill, but something no coach can fix.

Ariel - lost a year and half due to concussions. I recall her being voted NCAA Player of the Month prior to the head injury and she never was the same after. Her minutes had to be watched her senior year, even.

Cierra Burdick - displayed the skills her senior season, but face it, she had slow foot speed. Coaching can only make a player so quick.

Nared - Honorable mention AA and stuck to the WNBA roster, so not bad.


Today, all the 3 you have mentioned are gym rats that are highly passionate about the game and that goes along way in development.

There are no excuses for Warlick's inability to develop talent. Graves had all the skills to be the best power forward in the country (behind Stewart of course). Graves regressed as she spent more time at UTenn. She was SEC freshman of the year the last year Summitt was emeritus head coach.
Deshields was horribly mismanaged, and those teams had no offensive chemistry whatsoever.
Russell didn't try very hard in most games.
Nared folded down the stretch.

 

[triaddukefan]

Not sure if its possible.... but am I the only want to see Mizzou advance through the SEC tourney.... facing TN, Miss State, and then South Carolina?

 

[futuretitles]

 

[Plebe]

Westbrook will be an All American and has already improved her play under Holly. Davis will also be an All American. Each player is doing much better now than they were at the beginning of the season and each are playing well. Davis was just the SEC Player of the Week again.

Sweet! Another four year extension for Holly, then!

 

[Bayareahusky]

Wow.... The LV faithful often have the positive spin.... but in my mind, Tennessee is in the rear view mirror in WCBB..... I do not see their scores on the ESPN ticker when they are playing.... and in Holly's 8 years as HC there including the year she filled in for Pat.... what significant victories do they have? 8 years so we are talking 300 games.... I recall a regular season victory over ND when (coincidentally) Mercedes played great.... and other than that I recall a lot of close victories and losses to those they shouldn't have lost to.... an occasional victory of note (South Carolina couple of years ago)....

I see, justavisitor, that of the 6 players you listed.... you are an apologist via injury for 3 of them.... I remember Notre Dame last year having 4 significant players on the bench not playing due to ACLs and they won the national championship..... the truth is I have not seen the LVs play a complete game.... marked by hustle and smart basketball in all of Hollys time.... and Holly alternates between bashing her players and saying that she could not have asked for more from them.... I see the old reels of Pats games.... and those players were amped... they were ready to go all out to show the country the meaning of being a Lady Vol.... Holly demands little, and consequently she gets little.....

Whatever Tennessee had in terms of pride they do not show it any more.... what they have is 8 NCAA banners, the most recent more than a decade old..... of all the records they had.... they are all dissipating... the attendance records are being taken over by others..... Pat's 1098 victories are soon to be eclipsed by Geno and Tara.....

What does Tennessee have left? The fans keep hoping the Wizard will grant their wish and electroshock their program... thru Kara Lawson, Becky Hammon, Jeff Walz, or any number of coaches who wouldn't take the job.... if you are anti LV fan, these last few years have been times to revel in their misery but if you remember the pride in the program in its heyday and what they brought to the fore in WCBB in terms of defining it.... it is a bit sad

 

[bballnut90]

Graves - didn't help herself. I don't recall her spending countless hours improving her shooting distance. She had the post player skills, but was undersized. Needed to do more to extend her own range.

Deshields - came in with a horrible leg injury, but I won't disclose the details to that injury. Even today, she is not the player that she could have been. Her own father has acknowledged how the injury impacted her.

Mercedes - probably would not have been #1 had anyone known she was entering college with 2 horrible feet and both required surgery. Her movement isn't that great. It's not a matter of skill, but something no coach can fix.

Ariel - lost a year and half due to concussions. I recall her being voted NCAA Player of the Month prior to the head injury and she never was the same after. Her minutes had to be watched her senior year, even.

Cierra Burdick - displayed the skills her senior season, but face it, she had slow foot speed. Coaching can only make a player so quick.

Nared - Honorable mention AA and stuck to the WNBA roster, so not bad.


Today, all the 3 you have mentioned are gym rats that are highly passionate about the game and that goes along way in development.

Holly must have really bad luck then because the majority of the other top 5-10 kids became All-Americans. Is there anyone who you feel Holly did a great job of developing their talent and basketball skills? I'll give you Izzy Harrison but cant think of anyone else who made strides playing 2+ years under Holly. That's why I fear for Westbrook and Davis.

 

[Plebe]

Holly must have really bad luck then because the majority of the other top 5-10 kids became All-Americans. Is there anyone who you feel Holly did a great job of developing their talent and basketball skills? I'll give you Izzy Harrison but cant think of anyone else who made strides playing 2+ years under Holly. That's why I fear for Westbrook and Davis.

I feel like Westbrook has improved considerably over last year. Wasn't she committing like 5 turnovers a game last year? Isn't her scoring way up? Actually Tennessee as a whole is committing noticeably fewer turnovers this year than last year.

 

[bballnut90]

Wow.... The LV faithful often have the positive spin.... but in my mind, Tennessee is in the rear view mirror in WCBB..... I do not see their scores on the ESPN ticker when they are playing.... and in Holly's 8 years as HC there including the year she filled in for Pat.... what significant victories do they have? 8 years so we are talking 300 games.... I recall a regular season victory over ND when (coincidentally) Mercedes played great.... and other than that I recall a lot of close victories and losses to those they shouldn't have lost to.... an occasional victory of note (South Carolina couple of years ago)....

I see, justavisitor, that of the 6 players you listed.... you are an apologist via injury for 3 of them.... I remember Notre Dame last year having 4 significant players on the bench not playing due to ACLs and they won the national championship..... the truth is I have not seen the LVs play a complete game.... marked by hustle and smart basketball in all of Hollys time.... and Holly alternates between bashing her players and saying that she could not have asked for more from them.... I see the old reels of Pats games.... and those players were amped... they were ready to go all out to show the country the meaning of being a Lady Vol.... Holly demands little, and consequently she gets little.....

Whatever Tennessee had in terms of pride they do not show it any more.... what they have is 8 NCAA banners, the most recent more than a decade old..... of all the records they had.... they are all dissipating... the attendance records are being taken over by others..... Pat's 1098 victories are soon to be eclipsed by Geno and Tara.....

What does Tennessee have left? The fans keep hoping the Wizard will grant their wish and electroshock their program... thru Kara Lawson, Becky Hammon, Jeff Walz, or any number of coaches who wouldn't take the job.... if you are anti LV fan, these last few years have been times to revel in their misery but if you remember the pride in the program in its heyday and what they brought to the fore in WCBB in terms of defining it.... it is a bit sad

Majority of Tennessee fans do recognize our program isnt relevant anymore and dont make excuses for Holly. Some make excuses but most are quick to point out how far the program has fallen under Holly and that we arent going to improve until we get new coaching.

 

[bballnut90]

I feel like Westbrook has improved considerably over last year. Wasn't she committing like 5 turnovers a game last year? Isn't her scoring way up? Actually Tennessee as a whole is committing noticeably fewer turnovers this year than last year.

Her turnovers are improved but the biggest reason for that is they dont have a low post presence theyre trying to pound the ball into. Last year the offense was feed Russell if shes posting up and it never worked against a good zone. She and Hayes would force the issue which led to a lot of TOs, and Holly never adjusted or implemented screens to free up Russell. This year they dont have a post presence, so offense is

1. Race the ball downcourt and catch the defense sleeping.
2. If that doesnt work, have Westbrook/Davis/Green go one on one in a half court setting or
3. Pass the ball around on the perimeter until someone takes a forced shot late in the shot clock.

Westbrook has taken on a more prominent role, but how much of that is true improvement vs. becoming a more offensive player for a worse team is unknown IMO.

 

[Bayareahusky]

Majority of Tennessee fans do recognize our program isnt relevant anymore and dont make excuses for Holly. Some make excuses but most are quick to point out how far the program has fallen under Holly and that we arent going to improve until we get new coaching.

Bang! Totally understand and agree with what you say bballnut90.... on occasion though when i see something crazy being said.... gotta jump in..... good luck in your LVs righting the ship

 

[Plebe]

This year they dont have a post presence, so offense is

1. Race the ball downcourt and catch the defense sleeping.
2. If that doesnt work, have Westbrook/Davis/Green go one on one in a half court setting or
3. Pass the ball around on the perimeter until someone takes a forced shot late in the shot clock.

You forgot the all-important 4. Crash the O-boards to rebound the bricked shot and get a putback.

Seriously, the brick-collecting has been Tennessee's most effective offense at times.