Comments by kazoo

Written on Guard Alexa Middleton commits to Lady Vols :

She seems talented--but how athletic is she? We've had troubles with recruits (shooting guards, specifically) who were heady players and good shooters in high school but not athletic enough to play at the highest level in college.

Written on Lady Vols, Alabama meet Friday at 7 p.m. on ESPN2:

We had to play bama in the first game of last year's World Series, didn't we? I think there IS a conspiracy--really. This has to be the year for us--I hope. I think this is our best all-around team ever. We've had better pitching--and should have won the WCWS--but this is UT's best hitting team by far, yes? Let's git 'er done.

Written on Lady Vols rout Longwood, face N.C. State next:

Why are the winners playing before the losers? Doesn't make much sense. If the losers play first, they will get a decent crowd that builds as the game goes along; fans get to see all four teams. This way, 80 percent of the fans will leave after the first game and Longwood and JMU will be playing in front of sparse group. Seems odd way to run a tournament. What's more, by playing the early game the team eliminated from tourney gets a head start on going home. This way, they will get a late start unless they plan to stay another night.

Written on John Adams: Hurd's commitment makes Beech a Tennessee team:

I don't know. I hope he's great--but his height might be a problem. At 6'3 he's already /very tall/ for a RB, and he may still be growing. There is a reason most RBs are compact and not very tall--they are not easy to see behind blockers, and more important, they are not so easy to tackle when they are running low. Hurd will not be able to run low, and he'll be a big target. Fingers crossed.

Written on Jonathan Crompton signs with Edmonton Eskimos:

Crompton was pretty much terrible at UT, though he played a little better the last half of his senior season under Kiffin. He's one of 5--count 'em 5--qbs on the Edmonton roster, and I read that two of the other QBs will compete for the starting job. So Crompton must esssentially play well enough to make the team as 2nd/3rd-team QB, depending on how many they keep. And I doubt he's making much money. Good luck to him.

Written on Tyler Bray has moved beyond 'stupid mistakes' at Tennessee:

There is much talk about Bray's off-the-field issues being a problem, but he had plenty of on-the-field issues too. He'll have to learn better footwork, be smarter, be tougher and be much more of a leader than he was at UT. He's got to make a huge amount of progresss in a relative ly short period of time. His arm may keep him around the league for a year or two, but he'll need a much better head to make it in the NFL.

Written on Changes don't change course for UT men's basketball:

The team will have talent in the front court and at wing--but UT looks weak and inexperienced at guard, and that spells trouble, especially without a point guard. Good teams start with good guards--multiple good guards. I'm not sure we have even one right now.

Written on Mike Strange: Brandon Fickey did it for 'Knoxville, team and Tennessee':

Great win, great story, very happy to see our strong tennis program back in the "sweet 16." I think the proper grammar is "a sophomore WHO attended...."

Written on With SEC regular-season title on the line, Lady Vols run out of time :

What had been a tremendous season was somewhat ruined by a terrible last week of the season. Big hitting team gets shut out by arky, no hit by Missouri and then gives up 12 runs in last game after earning a big lead? The coaches all year have replaced one sister with another in games, often mid-game when the starter begins to look a bit shaky. Yesterday, the move backfired. Oh, my. This team will go as far as its hitting will take it. Pitching is good, generally, but not great. UT has an outstanding team but they will need to show it from here on. Good luck!

Written on Tyler Summitt interviews for Chattanooga opening:

in response to kdaff51:

Yes she was but the state of women's basketball is a lot different today than it was when Coach Summitt was 22. Do you think that Tennessee would turn its program over to a 22 year old this day and time? I would hope not.

Precisely. The game is MUCH more competitive now than when PS started. Tyler Summitt has one year of experience as an assistant--not enough at all to merit a head-coaching job. Pay your dues, young man.

Written on Pat Summitt's 1-year contract dips from $354,375 to $85,000 :

I'm not a big fan of Hart, but he handled this properly. It is a good thing to keep Summitt on staff and part of the athletic department and women's basketball program, and it is a good thing to reduce her pay to a nominal amount. All of comments suggesting that Hart fired PS are stupid--she is ill and needed to step down.

Written on Four seasons of memories for Lady Vols third baseman Raven Chavanne:

She should be the Player of the Year in collegiate softball. Outstanding player--maybe the best all-around player in the game.

Written on Grilled by Jon Gruden, UT's Tyler Bray says he needs to improve preparation in NFL:

Bray has a pro arm, for sure--but it takes a LOT more than an arm to play, and play well, in the NFL. Takes intelligence, guts, quick decision-making, leadership, mobility and, yea, intense preparation. In all those areas Bray is a major question mark. He'll have to get rid of the ball a lot faster in the NFL, and be accurate when he does: THAT will be a challenge. But I wish him well and hope he makes it in the league.

Written on No style points, but Lady Vols extend lengthy softball win streak:

I'd like to see Ravan Chavanne get the NCAA player of the year award--she deserves it. She's been an exceptional player for four years. This team is a legit championship contender, though the pitching worries me a bit and basically it often comes down to who among the best teams can win close games in the tournament. But this has to be the best LV team ever, no? Certainly the best hitting team.

Written on Peyton Manning on Butch Jones: 'He has it all mapped out':

in response to SevenT:

Peyton should stick with resurrecting his career in Denver and selling cars on TV commercials because nobody is going to buy any of this jazz.

Jones was about 5th on the Vol wish list behind Chuckie and Charlie Strong and everyone who follows this program knows this is a dud/thud hire just like Dooley and Kiffin were duds.

Since Fulmer is gone the program has fallen apart,

Just Saying

No, Seven: The program fell apart //while// Fulmer was the coach. That was the problem--that's why he was sacked. The Vols fell apart his last seven years, but perhaps you've blocked that out.

Written on Auriemma ties Summitt with 8th title as UConn crushes Louisville, 93-60:

Mike in Storrs:

Go away, troll. And Storrs is a dump.

Written on Vols' receiver issues limiting quarterbacks:

in response to BIVOLAR_BEARE:

Good point, but UT had experience at the skill positions last year and struggled in big games to move the ball between the 20's..I think this offense will move the ball better, mainly because it's timing and systematic in nature. If the WR's get close to their assignment they will be open in space..Opposed to the slow developing pro-set Dooley ran, that was easiliy defended by taking away Bray's initial read.

I will agree that the //slow-developing pro set// has a been a problem for UT for years. It works when you have great skill players--and we had good skill players last year--but when you don't your are in trouble. Last year we moved the ball very well most of the time, and threw it a lot because we had good skill talent and we were always behind owing to our pathetic defense. But we couldn't score late when we needed to--kind of choked. It's hard to see us having a decent passing game this year, but maybe we'll surprise. The OL should be solid and we've got pretty good backs.

Written on Vols' receiver issues limiting quarterbacks:

Our offense will be bad because our passing game will be bad. It's bad enough having inexperienced QBs, but we've also got receivers who have not played at all. That's a recipe for offensive futility.

Written on Auriemma ties Summitt with 8th title as UConn crushes Louisville, 93-60:

Geno is a jerk but he's a great coach--and he is TOUGH. He has been kicking butt and taking names while we play like a Brownie troupe. Look at all the big games we've been in the last two year--we play scared. Look at the way CT. played Louisville and look at the way we played them--embarrassing. CT. starts 3 freshman, I believe--or certainly at least three get big minutes--and they play with verve and toughness. We have veteran players who can't handle the pressure of big games and look terrible even against teams that have won nothing--and yet our diehards claim that the Vols were "young." Actually, we weren't young at all--every team has young players, most more than we did. We've had recruiting and coaching issues going back many years actually, but because we got Parker and won a couple of titles with her they largely went unnoticed.

We practically had a trip to the Final Four and championship game handed to us this year, and instead of seizing it like a program eager to get back to the top after six years, we folded like a cheap suitcase. Trust me, we'll never have it easier than an elite eight matchup with a good but far from great Lousiville team and then a California team that wasn't top-tier by any stretch. Warlick needs to stop being the nice aunt and crank up the toughness quotient or we will continue to eat Connecticut's dust. I'm still stunned by our milquetoast performance against louisville.

Written on Holly Warlick receives Maggie Dixon award for rookie coaches:

in response to snowpeapod#263184:

Put yourself in the position of a coach who was facing a team, regardless of their seed, who had just beaten Baylor, don't you think you would have a certain amount of apprehension?

I too was appalled at our panicky play against Louisville--from the very start of the game. NO, i don't think we should have been apprehensive--and it is the coaches job to get rid of any apprehension. Did Louisville have "jitters" against Baylor? No, they had the guts and the toughness we've lost--Baylor thumped us four straight and our nervous shooters were rather sad in every one of those losses (under 30 percent shooting in each of those games, I believe). We've got 8 national titles and Louisville has ZIPPO. Who should have the jitters? Does Connecticut come out and play "jittery?" No, they come out and put the hammer down.

So I find much of this fan talk about plucky little Tennessee getting all the way to the Elite Eight a bit depressing--evidence of how far we've fallen. We've got a bench full of top 20 recruits. Louisville didn't. I respect Holly, but forgive me for not quite buying all this blather about she took a sad, pathetic group of waifs--athletic castoffs--and somehow, against all odds, beat oral roberts, creighton and oklahoma (a team TRULY battered by injuries). Let's get real.

Written on Holly Warlick receives Maggie Dixon award for rookie coaches:

in response to SummittsCourt:

Congrats to Coach Warlick!!!! She took a young, inexperienced, injury riddled team to the SEC regular season title and the elite 8 when most didn't think this team would be very good.

Well deserved!

The team was not "inexperienced." We had one freshman in the starting five. Spani and Williams--seniors. Izzy and Massengale--sophs. Simmons--junior. I like Holly but...Coates says this was "vintage Tennessee." Nice words from her--but we haven't been the Final Four in six years. What is "vintage" about that...

Written on Lady Vols sweep Georgia to give Weeklys win No. 600 with school :

This is a VERY good Tennessee team. It has to be the best offensive team we've ever had. The pitching seems good but not great--but then suddenly there is a ton more hitting in college softball than there was even three/four years ago. Pitching used to dominate the games--so much so that the games were very dull to watch; there was almost no hitting. Now, there are balls flying out of the park regularly and lots of runs--and we are scoring lots of them. A talented UT team.

Written on Auburn in self-defense mode over scathing reports:

in response to TrackVol1975:

Selena Roberts is an Auburn graduate and hates the football team. In fact, she hates men in general.

She wrote a number of columns on the Duke Lacrosse Case and none of them were true, with Roberts making up things out of whole cloth. I have no idea if the things she alleges in this article are true, but Roberts and the truth are not always partners.

(I am close to a couple of attorneys involved in the Duke case and can say with certainty that Roberts and her former employer, the NY Times, definitely encouraged outright fabrications in that case. Maybe everything she alleges at Auburn happened, but until someone else who is more credible comes up with material, I am going to be agnostic on it.)

You don't know what you're talking about, so why are you talking? The New York Times is the best and most credible newspaper in the world--it would never "encourage fabrications." Do you know Roberts? I doubt it. The Duke lacrosse case hinged on what the allegations of the dancers; if they lied, that is on them, not on the reporters who reported their charges. Roberts is not alleging anything in this auburn story: she is reporting what auburn players, or former auburn players, told her. Auburn arguably has been the dirtiest program in college football over the last 30 years--and the second dirtiest is Alabama. They both have a history and culture of cheating, and have both been seriously sanctioned multiple times by the NCAA. I have no trouble believing that auburn broke rules.

Written on Report: Former Auburn players detail payments, academic fraud, drug culture, criminal cover-ups:

I'm betting a lot that some, if not a lot of this same activity takes place at Alabama. Who doubts it? Bama and auburn are cheating programs and have been for many decades--it's what they do. Cheat.

Written on John Adams: Louisville taught UT a big-game lesson :

in response to claiborneh:

Is it possible Louisville was a better team?

Well, they played with more poise than UT, that much is clear. Warlick did not have the team prepared for this game, IMO. The Vols were in a panic mode from the very start of the game, which I could not understand. Louisville came out with a half-court trap, which is not a tough defense to break down if you know what you're doing, but UT immediately fell apart. We starting firing up threes, which was the wrong thing to do, missing shots. Spani and Simmons played nervous, as usual, and Warlick could do nothing to calm the team down. And our defense was terrible. We need better guard play on both ends of the court, and we need to get our big-game mojo back. It's been hard to watch UT playing scared in big games the last couple of years--that has to be on the coach.

Written on John Adams: Louisville taught UT a big-game lesson :

in response to rogatl2002#222395:

You know I have thought before that UT fans were really too rough on you Adams but your columns today and yesterday are really pieces of trash. They are not insightful in any way. UT deserves better. All you do it state obvious things that we can see for ourself....instead of adding to our understanding by pointing out things your readers might not see for themselves. This column is worthy of a first year journalism student writing for the Daily Beacon...not the senior sportswriter for a major city newspaper.

What do you know about writing columns? If you've got something you want to say about the game or the team, say it and stop complaining about the points others make. You sound like another diehard fan who knows nothing.

Written on End to Lady Vols' season doesn't feel good:

in response to richvol:

All this excuse making based on the LadyVols being picked preseason as the fifth place team is BS. Why would that be anywhere close to being valid with eight high school all-americans on the squad? The only validity to it might be that the coaching staff has not taught this squad to play defense properly and cannot pass the ball well. This preseason pick was ridiculous based on talent.

Exactly! I'm SO tired of hearing this NONSENSE about the Vols being picked 5th in the SEC preseason. It's utter nonsense. Why would coaches vote the Vols 5th in the conference when we CLEARLY have more talent--in terms of highly ranked recruits--than any team in the SEC? And not just any team in the SEC, but arguably any team in the COUNTRY except Connecticut! It's ridiculous. Name one team in the SEC that had more talent than UT? Did Creighton or Oklahoma? Did Louisville? Please. So all this talk from Lockwood and diehard fans about how "incredible" it would have been for UT to make the Final Four is a bit silly and self-serving.

Now, it is true that some of our good offensive players couldn't play a lick of defense, and that was a ongoing problem. And it's also true that our best offensive players have poise issues that cause them to consistently play terrible in big games. But all things considered we should have beaten Louisville, and I'm pretty sure everybody in the program knows it. Warlick & Co. did a good job this year, and we should have a good year next year if we can find some people who can play defense, and get Massengale and Simmons to raise their games. We can't have Simmons making 3-15 shots in tournament games anymore. She has got to learn to be cool.

Written on Louisville stops Lady Vols' run to Final Four, 86-78:

in response to NCLADYVOLFAN:

From a previous article:
Warlick didn't want to get caught up in Walz's confusing defensive schemes, which even get his own players mixed up sometimes. She's counting on sophomore point guard Ariel Massengale to figure it out on the fly and get Tennessee in the right plays.

"We don't want to slow our game up trying to figure out what Louisville's defense is doing," Warlick said. "We want to continue to attack."Whoever can execute best will get another momentous win and, for most of the players, a first trip to the Final Four.

Enough said- NO coaching- leaving it up to the sophomore point guard???? Really????

Very dissapointed in Holly's approach to this game.....support for the lady vols will continue....just dissapointed in the lack of coaching and direction in the most important game of the season.

Wow! Did Warlick REALLY say that? It's a bizarre quote--and chilling, since the half-court trap that Louisville ran to start the game clearly unnerved UT. Actually, if you are prepared for it, you can beat that defense and get layups. But we got jittery and reacted poorly. I do think Warlick did a terrible job of preparing the team for this game--and a poor job after the game began. You have to practice against a trap--but it is not terrible hard to beat if you make the right passes. We panicked.

Written on Louisville stops Lady Vols' run to Final Four, 86-78:

in response to SummittsCourt:

Despite all of the critics and bashers on here, which wouldn't be normal without them, I know I am proud of this team this year. They over achieved big time because of Coach Holly Warlick! She took a young, inexperienced, injury riddled team to the elite 8 and fell short of the final four in her first year of coaching.

They will only get better. The Lady Vols only lose Spani and Williams but are getting 3 great players coming in including the best player in the country in High School. The next 3-4 years UT should be making the final fours instead of falling short.

This year, UT ran into a buzz saw, next season UT will be the buzz saw!

We didn't overachieve. We just embarrassingly underachieved in the biggest game of the year. And please, no more talk about how we were predicted to finish 5th in the SEC. Where did that silly nugget come from? It's absurd. We have more talent that every team we play--a bench FULL of TOP high school players. But our coaching has not been top notch for a while, our defense has deteriorated badly, and our guard play isn't good enough to win a national title--not even close.

Written on Louisville stops Lady Vols' run to Final Four, 86-78:

in response to Teresa:

How funny. The leading scorer in the SEC. Also named All American. She had 12 points in that frantic comeback so just shut up. In our many wins, does she get any credit then? Shooters are streaky.

Her year to date stats are better than Shoni of Louisville. She's on a roll. If she starts out cold Sunday, should their coach sit her?

It's a fact that our perimeter players have been bad--not just mediocre but bad--in pretty much every big game for two years. And we're talking about experienced players. Our point guard is talented by too passive, no leadership, and Simmons and Spani just can't handle the moment--they come out in every big game and are nervous and just start clanking shots. Our shooting in big games last year and this has been woeful--you can see the tightness in our players on TV. Where is the steeliness for which UT used to be renowned? It's gone! We need some better, tough-minded guards. Weak guard play has killed this team for several years.

Written on Louisville stops Lady Vols' run to Final Four, 86-78:

in response to oldbasshead:

If I could get Meghan in a really big game, I might be able to take her even at my age. All you have to do is look at her record in the biggest games and it jumps out like a headline. Tonight when the game was all but over she started hitting shots again.

It's not just Simmons. All of our perimeter players except Williams disappear in big games; they cannot handle the moment. This has been true for two years. We come out and panic for no reason, don't run the offense, start rushing three-point shots for no reason. And Warlick did not, or could not, calm the team down. The first half was an embarrassing display for a program of our caliber--we have fallen a lot. We have talent but zero toughness.

Written on Louisville stops Lady Vols' run to Final Four, 86-78:

in response to PureOrange:

If you go into the game not sure you can win, you probably won't. We played two thirds of the game convinced we could not beat Louisville. It is a forty minute game. Until we are willing to give it all for the full forty, then we will continue to come up short.

Hate to go out like this. We just helped the Big East to bragging rights for the next year. Play hard or go home!

Exactly! How does a program with 8 national titles come out and play a first half like that? We were panicky and rattled from the very start of the game! No composure. We need players with a lot more mental and physical toughness, and we need coaches who know how to teach and build tougher players. It's one thing to get beat, but quite another to just give a trip to the Final Four away with what was a pansy performance.

Written on John Adams: Lady Vols ran out of comebacks:

Pathetic performance by UT--embarrassing. Where is the toughness that defined UT women's basketball for 20 years? We don't have it any more. We come out against a team/program that has won NOTHING and panic, and play like a scared high school team? I couldn't watch it. We have experienced talent players who lose their composure in big games--who have lost their composure in EVERY big game over the last two years. We are SO SOFT, mentally and physically. Defensively, we were terrible. We gave up almost 90 points. I'm sure Summitt is shaking her head. Warlick needs to stop being a pal to the players and start cultivating some TOUGHNESS, because we need it badly. UT had a trip to the title game practically gift wrapped--Louisville and Cal?--but the silver lining in this debacle is that we don't have watch the Vols get destroyed by CT. or Notre Dame. So sad to see such a soft Vols team.

Written on Louisville stops Lady Vols' run to Final Four, 86-78:

Oh, how far we have fallen! How is it that a UT team, from a program with 8 national titles, comes out against a team that has won nothing and plays like a bunch of scared high school kids? It was hard to watch--an embarrassing first half.

Where is the toughness that USED to define Tennessee women's basketball? We've got a bunch of players who are talented but SO SOFT--mentally and physically! They cannot deal with pressure. In every big game over the last two years, Simmons, Spani and Massengale have been bad--complete no-shows. They play tight and they panic. No toughness!

And where is the defense for which UT was long known? We gave up nearly 90 points! Inexcusable. This team plays terrible defense.

Warlick needs to start recruiting and teaching toughness. Sad to see such a pathetic performance. It's not Louisville was great to start the game--we just panicked and played horribly. No wonder we haven't been to a Final Four in six years.

Written on Butch Jones pleased with Vols' attitude after first day back at practice:

in response to tomatosoup:

Thank you....I stand corrected! Go Vols and watch out for the early morning dew!

I'm sure he's wearing the little ankle socks that everyone has been wearing for years--you just can't see them.

Written on Lady Vols adjust their NCAA focus to Louisville:

in response to SummittsCourt:

Win or lose, these Lady Vols are champions in my book. They have done immeasurably more than anyone could have asked for at the beginning of the season. New coach, new players, little experience and then the injury bug hit! WOW!

Tennessee has a team /full/ of high school all americans, so it's always irritating to hear some of our fans act like we are davidson--"oh, they played so valiently!" "How did they EVAH beat that might Creighton team," blah, blah. C'mon. This is Tennessee.

Written on Lady Vols feeling at home in regional, advance to play Louisville:

The biggest issue with this team is the erratic guard play. Williams is the only steady, all-around perimeter player we have. The others are either soft/weak defensively (Spani and Massengale--both of whom played well yesterday) or very erratic (Simmons). I would like to see Simmons really concentrate on her defense and just take the shots that are there for her--don't force. She doesn't need to take 15 + shots for UT to win--the Vols have a lot of players who can shoot. We need to play tough defense--and be mentally tough as Louisville will play fearlessly again.

Written on Oklahoma given a (somewhat) healthy dose of Isabelle Harrison:

With Harrison UT is respectable to above average on defense; without her, we play defense like Spanish matadors.

Written on John Adams: Kamiko Williams' value increases as UT advances:

No question she is the leader of this team--and the only real all-around talent we have at guard. She is the ONLY good perimeter defender UT has (our guards overall are soft defensively, but working harder at it)--and she is smart with her shot selection; she doesn't try to do too much. And she's got size. The only frustration with Williams is that she hasn't played a bigger role on this team before this year, as she's always had obvious talent.

Written on Lady Vols feeling at home in regional, advance to play Louisville:

The first half was one of the best halves a UT team has played against a quality opponent in quite some time. Really amazing: Best passing I've seen from the Vols in YEARs, excellent shooting--and improved defense. Williams has made a huge difference in this team and probably doesn't get enough credit for how good she is. She is playing at a very high level---our best all-around guard by a mile. I liked the way Massengale distributed the ball today--nice job. We've got a lot of people who can score--and when we pass the ball well and find the open man, good things happen on offense. Simmons will bounce back next game--she needs to. We will have to defend the three against Louisville the same way we defended it against creighton. Great win.

Written on The addition of Darius Thompson means someone is going or someone isn't coming on Vols' roster:

McCrae and Stokes should stay in school. Neither is ready for, nor good enough right now, for the NBA.

Written on Lady Vols' Simmons emerges as more complete player:

Simmons' offensive game has matured a lot. Her shot selection is much improved, and she's got a good mid-range game now. She and the other guards need to get tougher defensively.

Written on Even after limiting Creighton, Lady Vols want more on defense :

Williams is a pretty good man defender, but Spani and Massengale are not, and Simmons is inconsistent. Harrison helps the defense a lot because she can block some shots; when she is not playing one can see how truly mediocre to weak UT is defensively. Jones is a pretty good player who ought to improve, but I doubt she's quick enough to guard/play more than 15 feet from the basket.

Written on Madison Shipman delivers game-winning single for Lady Vols in softball:

Great to sweep a good team but the Vols have to stop making errors. You can't give runs away to strong teams--a recipe for defeat. Need to clean up the defense.

Written on Lady Vols knock off Creighton, 68-52, to reach Sweet 16:

in response to rogatl2002#222395:

And UCONN beat Vandy by 30. This is Tennessee we don't get excited to make the Sweet 16...we expect to be there. Not trying to be negative....just want to see UT back at the elite level of women's bball seriously competing for the final 4 again. I feel we have the talent and I'm not a CHW hater. I think she is a classy, bright coach. I just feel like UT's offense has not kept pace with the other elite programs and we need to improve that and we haven't seemed to have the answer in 4-5 years now. Ok i'm done. LOL

You are right about the half-court offense--I've been complaining about it for years. Too much standing around--we saw it in the first half. This I see constantly from UT and I don't understand it--players holding the ball and players standing still on offense, and then Simmons or Williams goes one on one. That's simply not a smart way to play offense. That is one reason UT has slipped, and we're not as good defensively as we were in our heyday, either--not nearly as good. Our guards are mediocre defenders, as I fear we will see fairly soon.

Written on Lady Vols knock off Creighton, 68-52, to reach Sweet 16:

in response to vol98champ:

Graves has a hard time handling the double team. When they force it into her she also has trouble catching the ball and feeding the open player. She is tough, but she has to handle the rough play better.

Every player has trouble handling a double-team. If you are doubled, you have to kick the ball back out pretty quickly. Creighton packed their defense inside to keep UT from scoring in the paint--that's why Graves only got three shots. She's got much better offensive game than Glory at this point in her career. She's got to be able to pop out and hit 10-14 foot jumpers consistently--and she can shoot fairly well from that distance. It's all about countering what the defense is trying to do.

Written on Lady Vols knock off Creighton, 68-52, to reach Sweet 16:

in response to jt45:

Good job and a good win, not bad for a young team with a first year head coach. Sweet sixteen bound.JJ and Kamiko were great tonight. And how about Simmons playing defense and getting 4 assist !

Oklahoma has an outstanding guard and will be tough to handle off the dribble. I must admit
I expected to see Alyssia Brewer and UCLA facing some of her old teammates.

Go Lady Vols.

Young team? The Vols are not young--they are VERY experienced. Just about everybody who plays is at least a two-year player--and at Spani, Simmons, Williams are three- or four-year players. And Holly is not a first-year head coach. She was the coach last year and has been a key assistant for more than 20 years. You act like UT is the Little Sisters of the Poor--we've got a veteran team and a bench full of high-school All Americans.

Written on Lady Vols attack the madness with pressure defense to defeat Oral Roberts, 83-62:

in response to jt45:

Good job and a good win, but I hope they step up their perimeter defense against Creighton.

Defense is this team's achilles heel, I'm afraid. Decent today.

Written on Dave Hart praises outgoing Alabama AD Mal Moore, says he's committed to Tennessee:

Ask Dave Hart why Mal Moore was PALS with Logan Young, the alabama booster who was a known cheater? Young was convicted in federal court of bribery and racketeering for paying big money to Memphis high-school star Albert Means. Moore knew what Young was doing because Young paid Memphis high school coaches for players for years--and he wasn't shy about it.

Written on Holly Warlick thinking No. 3 seed for Lady Vols:

Holly's & Co. have done a nice job. If Harrison is healthy, this team will be a tough out in the tourney. We'll make some noise. However, our defense isn't nearly good enough to go all the way--and we don't pass the ball well enough either.

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