Thoughts from a Tenn fan/Stanford-Tenn [merged]

[Kevin G]

Great game by Nneka! I do want to say that I feel bad for S.Stricklen. She is the only real player on that team and that she plays hard all the time.

I dont see how Tenn can stay in the top 10 with 3 losses

 

[Jmpenn]

i was reading the tennessee board for the thread to see how the game was progressing. they went out to a 8 point lead or so, and then Stanford came back. all the comments about home cooking, etc, until someone pointed out "Stanford - 7 fouls. Tennessee 1 foul". oops! blame the refs, blame the refs, blame the refs. come on. you got crunched by 17. news flash - it's NOT the refs. a 13 page thread with about 30% of the posts crying about the refs. seriously? Stanford called for 16 fouls, Tennessee for 15. Tennessee 22-29 from the FT line. Stanford 14-16.

i'm not sure too many UCONN fans predicted a total smackdown tho. i'm sure we'll all hear about how they didn't have Massengale. she wouldn't have made a difference. Stanford was without Camp. and Ariel doesn't account for a 20 point smackdown. neither are the refs to blame. Tennessee called for 14 fouls, Stanford for 16 with about 1 minute left in the game.

maybe it's time for some fans to realize tennessee has never taught offense. and they aren't big, strong, or overly athletic enough to rely on defense and O-boards to win. in fact, Stanford beat tennessee at it's own game - 30 boards (13 O) to 25 (9 O). and come on. a technical foul in the first half for having too many players on the court? i'm not sure that even happens in high school hoops.

i mean Stanford almost put up a C-note on tennessee. where was the defense? i'm sure tenn fans can console themselves with "well, we'll get Ariel back and be better by the end of the year". keep dreaming big. this team lost no one to graduation and already has as many losses this year than they had all of last year.

this is simply not a great tennessee program any more. sure they are a top 10 team. but they aren't sniffing the final 4 until things change in Knoxville. they have more talent on paper than anyone in the country, at least if you go by how highly the kids were rated in HS and how many HS AA's they have. yet the degree of underachievement is spectacularly on display.

in your first paragraph you say that TN had 1 foul called on them early and Stanford had 7 called on them. It was the opposite and that is what the poster on the Summitt that you quoted stated. There were some bad calls in the first half but that is not why we lost. We couldn't stop Nneka. Part is because she is a great player and partly because we didn't play good defense. Our offense was fine but we lost the game because of our defense and rebounding. Also you stated we didn't lose anyone to graduation. Bjorkland, Cain, and Brewer were big losses and it hurt not having Avant and Williams to backup our guards. Not blaming injuries or transfers at all but it is not factual to say that TN did not lose any players.

 

[Bestiarius]

Nnemkadi 19 for 27, 42 points. 16 rebounds final 97 - 80 as Pat sat calmly on the bench.

 

[Stray Cat]

The Cardinal shoots 53.6% for the game and absolutely annihilates the Lady Vols in the paint (40 to 18) and from the perimeter (43% from 3-point land). UT has absolutely no concept of what weak side or team defense is all about. Stanford basically only had three players that shot the ball all night and still the orange clad "defenders" couldn't stop what they knew was coming.

The only people who think UT has a shot at a NC any time in the near future are drinking Orange Kool Aid. The UT program is a shadow of what it use to be. You had a nice run ladies and Coach Summitt, but it's time to more over and prepare yourself for the inevitable...that UConn will eventually match and and leave UT in the dust in regard to overall NC's won and become the winningest WCBB program of all-time, and that Geno will surpass PHS as the all-time winningest coach.

However, it would be wrong not the acknowledge the tremendous effort tonight by Stanford. After falling behind by 7 points seven minutes into the game, the Cardinal roared back and outscored the Lady Vols by 26 points the rest of the way. Congrats to Tara and her team on a great performance!

 

[UConner]

Despite the final score, Tenn had 8 more points from the line. Couldn't see the game here in Groton, but the beat down should have been worse. No Baugh today only means no Tenn Final Four. Summit excuses were travel, but they were on the West Coast for at least the last 5 days.

 

[neutral_site]

There's a big difference between Doris Burke's idea about the way the game is played, and Van Gundy's proposal for more competition in women's basketball. OK, maybe two games a year between top teams is too much. But the idea that the top women's basketball teams should play each other is not turning the women's game into "men's lite." That's absurd. So, having some real competitive games makes it like the men's game? Come on.

I've been watching UConn (and other women's teams when on national TV) for years now and the games between the most competitive schools are thrilling. Just like our game the other night vs. Baylor. We lost, but I was on the edge of my seat for the first time in a long time in watching a UConn game. On the other hand, watching the Huskies (or other top schools) destroy a minor basketball team by 30-40 points, which happens far too often in the schedule, is not exactly exciting competition and it drags the game down.

And as for UConn and Tennessee fading into oblivion someday, well what has that got to do with the proposal? It was for the best of the moment. That could be any school whether it be Ohio State, Oklahoma, UCLA, Maryland, or even Old Dominion. If they're among the best, then the women's game needs more competitive games. Can you really argue, with a straight face, that the women's game should go on at its current level with the real competition coming in the late stages of the NCAA championship?

Ok, you've lost completely frigging lost me.

Many of the top teams PLAY each other already. In fact, just about every top team plays at least 2 tough competitors in the early season, if not more.

More than a few play some very good teams in-conference, too.

Many of the teams ASPIRING to be top teams play top teams.

I'm happy, you're not. How it goes.

 

[neutral_site]

The Cardinal shoots 53.6% for the game and absolutely annihilates the Lady Vols in the paint (40 to 18) and from the perimeter (43% from 3-point land). UT has absolutely no concept of what weak side or team defense is all about. Stanford basically only had three players that shot the ball all night and still the orange clad "defenders" couldn't stop what they know was coming.

The only people who think UT has a shot at a NC any time in the near future are drinking Orange Kool Aid. The UT program is shadow of what it use to be. You had a nice run ladies and Coach Summitt, but it's time to more over and prepare yourself for the inevitable...that UConn will eventually match and and leave UT in the dust in regard to overall NC's won and become the winningest WCBB of all-time, and that Geno will surpass PHS as the all-time winningest coach.

However, it would be wrong not the acknowledge the tremendous effort tonight by Stanford. After falling behind by 7 points early seven minutes into the game, the Cardinal roared back and outscored the Lady Vols by 26 points the rest of the way. Congrats to Tara and her team on a great performance!

As a UT fan, I pretty much agree. I mean, how dumb do you have to be to let Ogwumike AND everyone else score??

I don't know...I never liked this current senor class, and I never like how CPS and staff kept blaming the players for all the big losses.

The recruiting since the Candace Parker days has been woeful.

Now that Pat is losing her edge....that was one of the worst defensive games I've ever seen against a sub-par Stanford team, as you eloquently pointed out, 3 scorers. Stanford is always tough at Stanford, but to not guard the are OR the interior?? To look like babies on the boards??

Pretty pathetic effort.

 

[MarieM]

Tennessee just looked tired and miserable at the game, they didn't know what to do. I thought this was Tennessee's game since they have better players but i guess not.....

 

[neutral_site]

Pat cancelled the series for one reason and one reason only. She didn't want to sign up for a bunch of losses to the likes of Maya, Tina and others so she bailed. She's the one who cheated; herself, the team and the fans.

Could be, but I've not seen the woman run from much in her life.

I've got a lot of respect for both Geno and Pat. It took a while for Geno to grow on me, I hated him like any other UT fan.

You certainly have your angle.

I think you are dead wrong. But, know what?? We both "think" and neither of us "know".

To me, it was just bad for the game.

 

[neutral_site]

Tennessee just looked tired and miserable at the game, they didn't know what to do. I thought this was Tennessee's game since they have better players but i guess not.....

Boy , no kidding there...looked like they knew they hadn't prepared for the right kind of game.

Ridiculous they let Ogwumike go off. Hell, at least foul out trying. You always know you are going to get punked by the refe on the road (Dolson, at Baylor, Baugh, at Stanford) and you should be prepared for that.

Maybe the rest of Stanford could have picked up the slack; I've had made them prove it. I don't know that I've ever seen a Pat Summit team quit. This one did.

 

[MarieM]

VickyB looked like a underclassmen on that court, idk if it were her knees from all that traveling the team did in those 10 days or something was bothering her......
and putting A.Mass late in the second half just made Tenn. look desperate

 

[Icebear]

Just shows that the quit and collapse is still in this LV team. I just can't see how they are anything but an Elite Eight team.

 

[DaddyChoc]

N.O. contest

 

[Icebear]

For all the supposed athleticism of TN they had absolutely no answer for Nneka.

 

[Icebear]

Nnemkadi 19 for 27, 42 points. 16 rebounds final 97 - 80 as Pat sat calmly on the bench.

And that is the proof that everything has changed significantly in Pat's life.

 

[DaddyChoc]

For all the supposed athleticism of TN they had absolutely no answer for Nneka.

thats crazy... how many did she have against UConn and who was guarding her, FARIS?

 

[cardfan]

thats crazy... how many did she have against UConn and who was guarding her, FARIS?

for 23 min.

 

[blkkirk]

I will eat some crow. I thought Tenn would win the game. Stanford played way better than I expected. Career night for Dr. N.O. If they play like that add another team to the teams that have a real shot at a championship.

I do think Tenn is better with Mass. Simmons is a black hole and appears to divide the team in my opinion. She promotes the come down and jack up a shot offense. This game made the coaching staff look bad in my opinion.

 

[huskeynut]

Don't expect Tennessee and Uconn to renew anytime soon.

As to Van Gundy's comments on who plays who, I'm sure you are aware that the Baylor/ Uconn series may not be renewed. Why you may ask. It seems ESPN wants the game in January for Big Monday. Baylor doesn't want a non-conference game once they start their conference schedule. I don't blame Baylor for saying no. ESPN sees money, not what the individual programs find best for them.

Leave Baylor/ Uconn in December and stop messing with rivalries because of $$$$!

 

[blkkirk]

Stanford shot them out of the gym. Turned them on each other. Took the heart out of them. Major props to Stanford.

 

[cardfan]

N.O. contest

loved that headline!

 

[Icebear]

thats crazy... how many did she have against UConn and who was guarding her, FARIS?

DC, yes, most often it was Faris. TN has players that are 6'1-6'4" (Manning, Baugh, Johnson, Stricklen) all according to LV fans supposedly more athletic than Faris who at 5'11" was covering a player 3" taller.

Card, as far as 23 minutes. Getting a player off the floor is, also, part of a defensive strategy. It is the smart team that tries to deny a team its best player by finding a way to remove that player from the court.

 

[Icebear]

I do think Tenn is better with Mass. Simmons is a black hole and appears to divide the team in my opinion. She promotes the come down and jack up a shot offense. This game made the coaching staff look bad in my opinion.

That m.o. was the way she played in the McDonald's game and every time I have seen her. She is a shoot first player and for that reason an ill fit for a point guard. When she is hot she can be devastating but most nights less so and when she is not she is, also, devastating but not to the team intended as she continues to shoot. The only answer is to get her off the court. Onhte other hand Bass at a generous 5'2" was hardly the answer against the trees of Stanford.

 

[Wbbfan1]

I was surprised at the margin of victory last night, but not the victory itself. Stanford is tough to beat on their home court Since the 2007/2008 season Stanford has managed to beat Tenn on their home court. I believe their home court winning streak is at 68 games since their last loss. Not as good as UConn's 91 game home court winning streak, but still impressive.

I think its a mistake to under estimate Tenn and say they won't make the Final Four. The individual talent is on the team. The question is can the coaching staff get them to play like Tenn teams of old come tournament time. Hasn't happened in the last three years, but that doesn't mean they won't do it this year.

 

[blkkirk]

I have been in agreement with you wbbfan1. However, they continue to make our opinion of them better than there collective performances. Unbelievable how individually talented they are. `I always thought it was a lack of good coaching and last night solidified that. The first thing I would do is hire one head coach and then bench Simmons.