Tennessee, no great shakes against James Madisoin

[UcMiami]

It is very early in the season so it is hard to really tell much - TN has a recent record of throwing in some early season clunkers and JMU may be just a continuation of that - we'll see. They have a talented team and have maintained the level of talent well since the end of Pat's reign and with the 2017 class signings that appears to be continuing. They have also had a fairly constant string of injuries which happens to most teams, but seems to have perhaps nicked the top of their talent more than 'average' in the women's game. All that said ...
I have not seen anything from Holly and her coaching staff that suggests to me that they are very good - it seems that for all her years in the profession and working with Pat, the extent of her take-away is 'Intensity and commitment' win games - listening to her, she just doesn't seem to have very good analytic skills. That may just be that she is not a good public speaker, but watching her teams play, and her own performance on the sideline with substitutions and game management doesn't contradict that impression. All of last year her team appeared to have no clue how to run offense against a zone, and it was never dealt with even after it led to some losses. That to me is an indictment not just of her, but of the whole coaching staff.

TN will win games and advance in the NCAA based on talent alone, but unless something freakish happens in the bracket, I will be surprised if their talent alone is sufficient to get them to a FF. By the second weekend of the NCAA the talent of the coaches and the teams remaining poses a real challenge for a team coached by Holly. And TN for the foreseeable future will still have enough cachet to attract top end talent which will likely keep Holly employed.

 

[Jim R]

It is very early in the season so it is hard to really tell much - TN has a recent record of throwing in some early season clunkers and JMU may be just a continuation of that - we'll see. They have a talented team and have maintained the level of talent well since the end of Pat's reign and with the 2017 class signings that appears to be continuing. They have also had a fairly constant string of injuries which happens to most teams, but seems to have perhaps nicked the top of their talent more than 'average' in the women's game. All that said ...
I have not seen anything from Holly and her coaching staff that suggests to me that they are very good - it seems that for all her years in the profession and working with Pat, the extent of her take-away is 'Intensity and commitment' win games - listening to her, she just doesn't seem to have very good analytic skills. That may just be that she is not a good public speaker, but watching her teams play, and her own performance on the sideline with substitutions and game management doesn't contradict that impression. All of last year her team appeared to have no clue how to run offense against a zone, and it was never dealt with even after it led to some losses. That to me is an indictment not just of her, but of the whole coaching staff.

TN will win games and advance in the NCAA based on talent alone, but unless something freakish happens in the bracket, I will be surprised if their talent alone is sufficient to get them to a FF. By the second weekend of the NCAA the talent of the coaches and the teams remaining poses a real challenge for a team coached by Holly. And TN for the foreseeable future will still have enough cachet to attract top end talent which will likely keep Holly employed.

And who are we to argue?

 

[JordyG]

It is very early in the season so it is hard to really tell much - TN has a recent record of throwing in some early season clunkers and JMU may be just a continuation of that - we'll see. They have a talented team and have maintained the level of talent well since the end of Pat's reign and with the 2017 class signings that appears to be continuing. They have also had a fairly constant string of injuries which happens to most teams, but seems to have perhaps nicked the top of their talent more than 'average' in the women's game. All that said ...
I have not seen anything from Holly and her coaching staff that suggests to me that they are very good - it seems that for all her years in the profession and working with Pat, the extent of her take-away is 'Intensity and commitment' win games - listening to her, she just doesn't seem to have very good analytic skills. That may just be that she is not a good public speaker, but watching her teams play, and her own performance on the sideline with substitutions and game management doesn't contradict that impression. All of last year her team appeared to have no clue how to run offense against a zone, and it was never dealt with even after it led to some losses. That to me is an indictment not just of her, but of the whole coaching staff.

TN will win games and advance in the NCAA based on talent alone, but unless something freakish happens in the bracket, I will be surprised if their talent alone is sufficient to get them to a FF. By the second weekend of the NCAA the talent of the coaches and the teams remaining poses a real challenge for a team coached by Holly. And TN for the foreseeable future will still have enough cachet to attract top end talent which will likely keep Holly employed.

My problem with the double post or the "sliding" double post they used against JMU is UT's predictability makes it much more difficult to beat these long armed ladies that play the 2/3. The effective ways to beat that zone: flash to the high post, flood an area, skip passes, quick passes around the perimeter etc., are difficult to effect if two of your forwards are anchored. It puts a lot of pressure on your guards to do too much. Of course your point totals are going to be low, and games are going to be close. But this type of offense isn't merely Holly and crews bread and butter, it's all they know. Credit Dawn for thinking outside of the SEC box.

 

[stwainfan]

Tennessee just beat Navy 85-55.

 

[Bayareahusky]

Tennessee just beat Navy 85-55.

Good job STF!!!! Didn't see the game, but geez louise!!! 12-14 3 pt shooting, good rebounding , and 20 assists...... it is Navy, but a good show nonetheless.... hope for more of the same this season for u... Congrats....

 

[Bestiarius]

Tennessee just beat Navy 85-55.

It's hard to learn anything about Tenn from this game. Navy is ranked 240th in the nation and is now 0-2 having lost to 233 ranked Holy Cross. Navy has one player who is 6 feet tall and the remaining starters are all 5'8" or shorter.

Middleton put on a show with her accuracy and 3 point shooting. She's the star so far this year, Her best game ever. Russell had only 10 rebounds in a game where her height should have been a major factor. And so far, Diamond hasn't lived up to her pre season NPOY expectation.

 

[Plebe]

It's hard to learn anything about Tenn from this game. Navy is ranked 240th in the nation and is now 0-2 having lost to 233 ranked Holy Cross. Navy has one player who is 6 feet tall and the remaining starters are all 5'8" or shorter.

Middleton put on a show with her accuracy and 3 point shooting. She's the star so far this year, Her best game ever. Russell had only 10 rebounds in a game where her height should have been a major factor. And so far, Diamond hasn't lived up to her pre season NPOY expectation.

Tennessee looked sluggish the entire first half and didn't get any separation until the 3rd quarter. Russell was almost a foot taller than any of the opposing players on the floor. If I'm looking for signs that Tennessee has put its underachieving ways behind it, I didn't see them in this game against a team that last year went .500 in the Patriot League and finished #238 in the RPI.

But hey, don't tell that to Maria Cornelius, who will still say this is the toughest schedule in the country.

 

[stwainfan]

Good job STF!!!! Didn't see the game, but geez louise!!! 12-14 3 pt shooting, good rebounding , and 20 assists. it is Navy, but a good show nonetheless.... hope for more of the same this season for u... Congrats....

Thanks. The JMU win was a quality win. This game went as expected. How about Middleton so far this year. I can tell one difference from last year. Is the outside shooting has been much better so far. That should give Russell a little more room inside.

 

[DaddyChoc]

nice to hear The LVs hung on to secure the win... we need the BIG DOGS to continue being the BIG DOGS and battle it out in March