Vanderbilt

[YoDore]

Shea Ralph's team got the better of Tamika Williams-Jeter's team today. Justine Pissott went 5 for 5 from three with 17 points and five rebounds in the first half.

 

[YoDore]

Justine Pissott reminded me of Katie Lou on this one. Coach Ralph called the play in the closing seconds of the first half. I suspect she's seen this before.

 

[YoDore]

Getting it done in the classroom.



And, really getting it done in the classroom.

 

[YoDore]

Well, lookee here. Vanderbilt among the Last Four In for the NCAA tournament? Yeah, it's way early and conference play is going to be a slog for a team that is still quite young, but I'm going to revel in every small victory. Thinking back to where this program was when Shea Ralph arrived three seasons ago, not going to lie, this tiny bit of glory feels...well...glorious.

Plenty of days of reckoning ahead, including a conference opening trip to Mississippi State next week, but today is a Katrina and the Waves Walking on Sunshine type of day. As Katrina herself said: "Don't it feel good?"

It do.

Women's Bracketology: No. 1 seeds remain the same -- for now

The country's top teams have faced few challenges. That changes this weekend with Notre Dame-USC and South Carolina-UCLA on tap.

www.espn.com

 

[JellyBean]

Shea Ralph's team got the better of Tamika Williams-Jeter's team today. Justine Pissott went 5 for 5 from three with 17 points and five rebounds in the first half.

Nice win for Vandy. Man heart goes out to Coach Tamika. Dayton was a program that was making some gains into becoming another solid mid-major program. Hopefully Coach Williams-Jeter can get things going back in the right direction.

 

[DefenseBB]

Nice win for Vandy. Man heart goes out to Coach Tamika. Dayton was a program that was making some gains into becoming another solid mid-major program. Hopefully Coach Williams-Jeter can get things going back in the right direction.

I have to say I find your posts a bit confusing and in this case-misleading. Shauna Green coached Dayton from 2016-2022 and won the A-10 Title 5 times in 6 years, she left last year for Illinois, so how “exactly“ is Coach Tamika “making gains” into becoming another solid mid-major program when they already were before she arrived? Dayton was 26-6 in 2021-22 and then 7-21 in Tamika’s 1st year so yeah, I hope she turns it around as this demise is happening on her watch So don’t make it sound like she’s tasked with turning the program around When it was downtrodden.

 

[Argonaut]

I have to say I find your posts a bit confusing and in this case-misleading. Shauna Green coached Dayton from 2016-2022 and won the A-10 Title 5 times in 6 years, she left last year for Illinois, so how “exactly“ is Coach Tamika “making gains” into becoming another solid mid-major program when they already were before she arrived? Dayton was 26-6 in 2021-22 and then 7-21 in Tamika’s 1st year so yeah, I hope she turns it around as this demise is happening on her watch So don’t make it sound like she’s tasked with turning the program around When it was downtrodden.

Not trying to derail the thread, but there were only 3 players returning to the roster in Tamika’s first season. And, hold on to your hat, they averaged a whopping collective 1.9p and 1.8r.

Tamika was greeted in Dayton with an empty cupboard.

 

[YoDore]

If you're bored this afternoon (I mean really, really bored), Vandy plays Radford at 1 CST on SEC Network. Probably one of those games where the network announcers call it from their home offices, a method they discovered during Covid and now employ from time to time to save money. Still, it will be better than listening to Vandy's WBB announcers, who are beyond irritating. The play-by-play guy dearly loves the sound of his own voice. I don't. The men's announcers are excellent, by the way.

Anyway, after playing only two games in three weeks, coach Ralph scheduled the two lowest-ranked foes (Farleigh-Dickinson and Radford) to get some work in before the start of SEC play. It's not exactly compelling to watch, but I do think it's smart scheduling.

 

[YoDore]

Vandy now 13-1 going into SEC play, the program's best record since the 2006-07 season. They won just 12 games all of last year. Coach Ralph now 40-38 as the head coach. Considering the circumstances she inherited and the crazy run of injuries in her second season, that's not bad at all.

 

[YoDore]

Shea Ralph's post-game interview with SEC Network commentators. She's always interesting.

Ralph on Vandy's second-half adjustments vs. Radford

Despite being victorious over the Highlanders, Shea Ralph shares the frustrations the Commodores experienced in the first half and describes her ideal complete game.

www.secsports.com

 

[EricLA]

Shea Ralph's post-game interview with SEC Network commentators. She's always interesting.

Ralph on Vandy's second-half adjustments vs. Radford

Despite being victorious over the Highlanders, Shea Ralph shares the frustrations the Commodores experienced in the first half and describes her ideal complete game.

www.secsports.com

"In that 2nd quarter, we looked like crap, we played like crap, I certainly wasn't happy - credit to Radford for playing hard..." LOL. She's refreshing isn't she?

 

[triaddukefan]

Vandy now 13-1 going into SEC play, the program's best record since the 2006-07 season. They won just 12 games all of last year. Coach Ralph now 40-38 as the head coach. Considering the circumstances she inherited and the crazy run of injuries in her second season, that's not bad at all.

Vandy is the only school in the $EC that I can root for in all sports. Want yall to do well against the evil that the $EC stands for. That being said, I don't want yall's WBB squad to do TOO well... cause you know.

 

[maple]

Shea Ralph's post-game interview with SEC Network commentators. She's always interesting.

Ralph on Vandy's second-half adjustments vs. Radford

Despite being victorious over the Highlanders, Shea Ralph shares the frustrations the Commodores experienced in the first half and describes her ideal complete game.

www.secsports.com

A program record 13 wins in a season?? They might have to erect a statue of Shea at the end of the season.

Honestly it’s incredible what she’s been able to do with this program. I imagine Vandy alums are pretty pleased. The sky is the limit.

 

[YoDore]

A program record 13 wins in a season?? They might have to erect a statue of Shea at the end of the season.

Honestly it’s incredible what she’s been able to do with this program. I imagine Vandy alums are pretty pleased. The sky is the limit.

You misunderstood a little bit. It ties the program record with 13 wins entering SEC play. Actually, leading up to 2014, Vandy had a streak making the NCAA tourney 24 of 25 years, so there have been some good records along the way.

And, I agree. What she has done in a short period of time is remarkable. There is a long way to go. I have to remind myself that in most SEC games, she will still be out-manned, although not as badly as her first two years at the helm. Vandy alums seem indeed to be pleased. The most crucial of those alums is athletic director Candice Storey Lee, who is one of Shea's biggest fans. She played on two Elite 8 teams at Vandy but was not part of the program's lone Final Four team. She and coach Ralph met when they were teens.

ETA: You got me thinking, so I did some checking. Vandy's best ever record was 30-3 for the Final Four team of 1992-93. That was during the Jim Foster era. He never quite got the program to the very top of the women's basketball world, but they got pretty close.

 

[maple]

You misunderstood a little bit. It ties the program record with 13 wins entering SEC play. Actually, leading up to 2014, Vandy had a streak making the NCAA tourney 24 of 25 years, so there have been some good records along the way.

And, I agree. What she has done in a short period of time is remarkable. There is a long way to go. I have to remind myself that in most SEC games, she will still be out-manned, although not as badly as her first two years at the helm. Vandy alums seem indeed to be pleased. The most crucial of those alums is athletic director Candice Storey Lee, who is one of Shea's biggest fans. She played on two Elite 8 teams at Vandy but was not part of the program's lone Final Four team. She and coach Ralph met when they were teens.

ETA: You got me thinking, so I did some checking. Vandy's best ever record was 30-3 for the Final Four team of 1992-93. That was during the Jim Foster era. He never quite got the program to the very top of the women's basketball world, but they got pretty close.

That was on me for posting half asleep!

I’m hoping that Shea can continue to keep Vandy rolling and maybe pull out a few sneaky wins in conference play. Good to hear she’s getting a lot of support from the school/alums!!

 

[Jim]

Vandy now getting a few votes for the AP top 25 teams.

 

[DefenseBB]

Vandy now getting a few votes for the AP top 25 teams.

I hate to rain on the "Shea Ralph parade" but any quasi-intelligent voter would NOT be voting for Vandy. This 13-1 record was built as the #58 NET rated team, with the 186 ranked non-conference schedule and has 6 wins over Quad 4 rated teams. Add in the Massey rating of #45 and their #122 rated schedule and you have a very overrated 13-1 team. Dealing with all the injuries and the debacle that was the Steph White era in Nashville was something to overcome but to garner top 25 votes is just ludicrous as nothing they have done yet warrants the votes. Their best win (and only win) against the top 115 Massey rated teams was against #37 Iowa State. That means 12 wins agains 115 rank or worse teams. I am rooting for Shea to make headway in a very weak SEC this year and the 13 wins are nice to see but she should have at least 12 wins given this pathetic schedule. Let's open our eyes and be logical on this.

 

[YoDore]

Khamil Pierre SEC co-freshman of the week.

 

[VqndyMan]

I hate to rain on the "Shea Ralph parade" but any quasi-intelligent voter would NOT be voting for Vandy. This 13-1 record was built as the #58 NET rated team, with the 186 ranked non-conference schedule and has 6 wins over Quad 4 rated teams. Add in the Massey rating of #45 and their #122 rated schedule and you have a very overrated 13-1 team. Dealing with all the injuries and the debacle that was the Steph White era in Nashville was something to overcome but to garner top 25 votes is just ludicrous as nothing they have done yet warrants the votes. Their best win (and only win) against the top 115 Massey rated teams was against #37 Iowa State. That means 12 wins agains 115 rank or worse teams. I am rooting for Shea to make headway in a very weak SEC this year and the 13 wins are nice to see but she should have at least 12 wins given this pathetic schedule. Let's open our eyes and be logical on this.

Just to add a little comment to your post, DefenseBB. The XFactor in Vandy’s success this year is coach Shea. If you look as Shea’s record as a player and a coach, you will see a lady who sets goals and rarely fails to achueve them.

At UCONN as a player being the first player off the bench as a freshman, she led UCONN to a 30-0 record before going down with a torn ACL in the NCAA tournament.

At Pitt as an assistant coach, Shea was instrumental in turning the failing Pitt grogram around and making them into a winner in two short years.

At UCONN as an assistant coach from 2008-2021, she again was the mentor of the guards that had 3 undefeated seasons, 6 national championships, and 13 consecutive trips to the Final 4. Now at Vanderbilt, she has brought the failing Dores to a team that the Sport Writers and Coaches are beginning to show their respect by a few votes in the polls after having been picked last in the SEC by the SEC sports writers and second to last by the SEC coaches.

All this in not just luck. Its all because Shea is a winner and she almost always a achieves her goals. Shea and her team believe they can compete with anyone and only time will tell. But as for me, I’m hoping for and betting on Shea being able to make Vandy a national contender sooner or later.

 

[Gus Mahler]

How are the freshmen bigs doing?

 

[YoDore]

How are the freshmen bigs doing?

Pierre, the freshman-of-the-week recipient mentioned above, has been improving quickly. She's 6'2 and can jump. Good offensive skills. Still does freshman things from time to time, but we're seeing less of that as we go along. Her playing time is increasing. Has a chance to be a good one. She was the highest rated recruit in the class.

The 6'3 Colorado product, Aiyana Mitchell, has started to see some playing time. Coach Ralph said she got off to a slow start but has pretty much caught up on the offense and defense. Shea thinks she will help against SEC teams. Good skills around the basket and runs the floor exceptionally well for her size. Seems to have limited post moves, and on defense, she has that freshman mentality where her idea of being physical is to knock hell out of somebody...lol. She'll learn how to disguise it like most good posts do.

The one I told you I thought was a project, 6'3 Bailey Gilmore? Well, she might have been more of a project than I thought. She somehow got herself in Shea's dog house and only started showing up around the team in recent days. Hasn't played at all or even dressed. When asked about her a few weeks back, Shea simply said she was "unavailable." Since she has started to be seen with the team, including post-game on the floor Sunday and at a Preds game, I suspect she'll be activated when the new semester starts next week, though that is purely a guess. I can't think she did anything really bad. The kid was valedictorian of her high school, so she's no dummy. I suspect it's just a kid who is away from home for the first time who turned left when she should have turned right. She seems like a great kid. Glad I never made any mistakes when I started college.

If you're counting 6'2 Aga Makurat among the bigs, she is playing more and sometimes starting. An outstanding shooter who works hard on defense. Shea said she is too hard on herself and thinks she should make every shot. This same report could pertain to 6'4 sophomore Justine Pissott. They both miss a couple shots then become hesitant. They seem to be coming out of that, though. This team desperately needs them to score. The half-court offense, particularly the shooting, has not been great.

 

[Gus Mahler]

Pierre, the freshman-of-the-week recipient mentioned above, has been improving quickly. She's 6'2 and can jump. Good offensive skills. Still does freshman things from time to time, but we're seeing less of that as we go along. Her playing time is increasing. Has a chance to be a good one. She was the highest rated recruit in the class.

The 6'3 Colorado product, Aiyana Mitchell, has started to see some playing time. Coach Ralph said she got off to a slow start but has pretty much caught up on the offense and defense. Shea thinks she will help against SEC teams. Good skills around the basket and runs the floor exceptionally well for her size. Seems to have limited post moves, and on defense, she has that freshman mentality where her idea of being physical is to knock hell out of somebody...lol. She'll learn how to disguise it like most good posts do.

The one I told you I thought was a project, 6'3 Bailey Gilmore? Well, she might have been more of a project than I thought. She somehow got herself in Shea's dog house and only started showing up around the team in recent days. Hasn't played at all or even dressed. When asked about her a few weeks back, Shea simply said she was "unavailable." Since she has started to be seen with the team, including post-game on the floor Sunday and at a Preds game, I suspect she'll be activated when the new semester starts next week, though that is purely a guess. I can't think she did anything really bad. The kid was valedictorian of her high school, so she's no dummy. I suspect it's just a kid who is away from home for the first time who turned left when she should have turned right. She seems like a great kid. Glad I never made any mistakes when I started college.

If you're counting 6'2 Aga Makurat among the bigs, she is playing more and sometimes starting. An outstanding shooter who works hard on defense. Shea said she is too hard on herself and thinks she should make every shot. This same report could pertain to 6'4 sophomore Justine Pissott. They both miss a couple shots then become hesitant. They seem to be coming out of that, though. This team desperately needs them to score. The half-court offense, particularly the shooting, has not been great.

Thanks mightily.

 

[YoDore]

Vandy up 36-33 at the half at Mississippi State. Game is one SEC+ if anybody could bring us some luck.

 

[YoDore]

Vandy wins 70-66. Shame on me for not believing they'd win. I'm getting too old for this.

 

[Plebe]

Vandy wins 70-66. Shame on me for not believing they'd win. I'm getting too old for this.

That's actually a very nice win, on the road, against a top 50 team. There is cause for belief.

Iyana Moore with a huge game, 29 points on 10-16 shooting.