I think so too. She's trying to give herself an out if they lose, especially if it's badly.
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2024-2025 WBB Team (2022-present)
- Thread starter TN-Gamecock
- Start date
UT fans aren't taking it well because Key is out for the year, which Mulkey failed to mention. LSU will be favored against the Vols, they point out.
Kellie Harper blew the game from the beginning with that ridiculous starting lineup. Horston had to be on the floor. You can't put an inferior lineup out there against a team that only plays 5 players. They are obviously the most rested at the start of the game. UCONN looked like a well-oiled machine in the 1st quarter. Dawn worries me by not starting her best lineup, but there is so much talent on the team, she can get away with it.
Overall, I feel better about our game with UCONN. UT had 23 offensive rebounds. That is good news for us. Juhasz had 5 assists, 3 steals, hit a 3, but was clumsy around the basket. 5 rebounds, no blocks. We will have a decided advantage inside. Guarding the perimeter will be a challenge, obviously.
Overall, I feel better about our game with UCONN. UT had 23 offensive rebounds. That is good news for us. Juhasz had 5 assists, 3 steals, hit a 3, but was clumsy around the basket. 5 rebounds, no blocks. We will have a decided advantage inside. Guarding the perimeter will be a challenge, obviously.
They do look sharp but we will block a ton of shots and likely get Edwards in foul trouble. Their 3 pt shooting was way better last night than they have been shooting so I think it was just an outlier.
The UT/UConn matchup made me feel better about both matchups. We can outlast and outrebound both of these squads.
Tennessee is a two woman show, shut down one of them and they don't have much to counter with.
UConn on the other hand won't back down no matter the challenge but I still think our depth will seal the deal. If you can get Beal or possibly Zia(can't believe I said that) to lockdown Lou Lopez then that puts extra pressure on Edwards who will likely have her hands filled with Boston.
Also worth noting that their limited bench UConn got a total of 1 rebound and 0 points. With the game only about 10 days away they'll need quite the turnaround with bench production,/health or a practically a perfect game to beat us.
Tennessee is a two woman show, shut down one of them and they don't have much to counter with.
UConn on the other hand won't back down no matter the challenge but I still think our depth will seal the deal. If you can get Beal or possibly Zia(can't believe I said that) to lockdown Lou Lopez then that puts extra pressure on Edwards who will likely have her hands filled with Boston.
Also worth noting that their limited bench UConn got a total of 1 rebound and 0 points. With the game only about 10 days away they'll need quite the turnaround with bench production,/health or a practically a perfect game to beat us.
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I feel better about the UT matchup because Horston plays the 3 now, which means she'll be guarded by Beal and Amihere. Two years ago when we lost to them in Knoxville, Horston was playing point and Destanni lacked the size to guard her. In the SEC tournament, Dawn played around with the lineup a bit to get Lele and Amihere on Horston at times. No need to get creative this year. Beal and LA just need to contain Horston because, like you stated, she doesn't have a lot of help when it comes to scoring.
Stanford beat Oregon St by 3, at home, last night. They were a 22 point favorite. I guess the Cardinal will be ranked #2 since Ohio State lost, but something is off about them. I wish the NCAA tournament started this weekend.
That box score is interesting. Only 1 minute of playing time for Betts and Prechtel (a key senior) and Belibi gets a solid 14 minutes but only contributes 1 rebound and 1 assist. Also the team only had 5 assists
After Jones and Brink there's a huge dropoff for this team.
Especially since they're both seniors I wouldn't be surprised if both Prechtel and Belibi Grad transferred next season.
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Bama was without Megan Abrams against LSU. Not that she would have changed the outcome, but it would have been a little more competitive. I haven't heard if she'll play against usIt could but I also think the time off messes with the flow of the season.
I was separately wondering how we would do against Alabama with a day off and us coming right after a similar team. I wonder if Alabama will have a little bit of an advantage bc of the in game experience against somewhat similar LSU. Of course not enough to win but I don’t want the outcome to be less of a spread than the LSU score. I want to keep winning the margin of scoring against the same opponents
The big issue for Bama against LSU was the inability to get any points of in the paint. Bama can shoot the 3 well, but at some point a team needs easy buckets. None to be had for the Tide due to a lack of size. And on the defensive end, Sarah Barker was forced to guard Angel Reese. She competed, I'll say that for her.
So, yeah, we'll have a big height advantage. We should be +20 on the boards. Hopefully we can build off our last couple of performances and play a complete game and not let Bama hang around.
Ho-hum game overall, but I'm ecstatic with Breezy's performance. Dawn did not bring Hall in at her usual place in the rotation against Arkansas. I don't know if she was sending a message so much as Zia was on fire. Today, Zia struggled and Bree had an opportunity to step up and she did. Love to see a player seize an opportunity. Hopefully, it will build her confidence.
On the bad side, I'm growing less confident we beat UCONN. Saxton played 13 minutes today and had 1 rebound against a team that played 4 shooters. ONE. Inexcusable. Who's going to guard Aaliyah Edwards? Saxton can't. She's not physical enough. Boston guards Edwards and she risks early foul trouble.
I'm glad we play UCONN before we play LSU and UT. A loss could lead to changes and that could be a good thing.
On the bad side, I'm growing less confident we beat UCONN. Saxton played 13 minutes today and had 1 rebound against a team that played 4 shooters. ONE. Inexcusable. Who's going to guard Aaliyah Edwards? Saxton can't. She's not physical enough. Boston guards Edwards and she risks early foul trouble.
I'm glad we play UCONN before we play LSU and UT. A loss could lead to changes and that could be a good thing.
I still think we handle UConn … they played a physical game today and were gassed. Villanova was able to block several shots which is where Tenn stumbled. Contain Lou and Edwards and we will be fine. I do expect to be behind after the first qtr though bc uconn starts fast.
I get you're not a fan of Saxton but I think you're letting your bias cloud your judgement. While the stats may not show it. Saxton played a solid game. I just rewatched her 14 minutes and her primary target on defense was Barker. So she was mostly on the wing and not in prime position for defensive rebounding. Whereas on offense she played with Boston who rarely missed today and Saxton was perfect in her two attempts as well. So the easier offensive rebounds opportunities weren't really an option when she did play. I personally believe she held her own when in came to boxing out and making it more difficult for our opponents to get to the ball.
As for Barker, she scored 2 total points on Saxton at the end of the first quarter. In the second quarter Barker scored 8 points on Watkins/Cardoso/Hall and even even forced a few fouls in the process as well. She got an additional 2 on Boston off a switch in the 3rd and a last minute 3 in the fourth in garbage time.
Saxton made two offensive plays that led to baskets. She got her only rebound that lead to an And 1 and she finished the 3 point play. The second play was a simple mid range shot that went in for a total for 5 points that was needed in a tight game.
She was also responsible for at least forcing 4 fouls on Alabama and even forced a couple of turnovers on them too.
So while the 1 rebound isn't ideal, that 14 minutes lead to only 2 points from what would eventually become their leading scorer (Barker) or 4 total points while Saxton was in the game, if you count the switch on Boston. I think she was very valuable in this game and some of the bench players with more excited play/stats got cooked in that 2nd quarter by the same player when she was on the bench.
*Sorry for the essay
We were tied at 12 when she subbed out in the 1st and up 6 when she subbed out in the 3rd. The margin of victory was basically when she wasn't in there.
I don't feel any certain way about Saxton. I'm about the numbers, to a fault maybe, and hers aren't very good this year. With Beal, Zia and Fletcher, clanking everything, there were plenty of offensive rebound opportunities and she failed to get them. Offensive rebounds used to be her speciality but all our bigs are rebounding at a higher rate than her this season.
It always come back to this for me: why doesn't Dawn put Saxton back in the game in the 4th, if she's playing so well?
I just finished watching this one. What a game. Good news: UCONN scored 63 total points. Bad news: UCONN scored 25 in the 1st.
Overall, I feel a bit better about the game, especially if UCONN doesn't get anyone back. Villanova could have won had their one legit big not gotten into foul trouble.
Kamilla frustrates me. All those missed easy bunnies under the basket. She needs to play more composed. Her shots seem rushed and she kicks it out too often. Should be a dominant player in the paint and she's not. I do think she gets punished with some questionable fouls because of her height.
Right now Bracketology has 7 SEC teams getting into the tourney
USC, LSU, UT, OM, BAMA, ARK, and MISS ST
With UGA and Mizzou on the bubble
with record and SCHEDULE REMAINING USC, LSU, UT, OM, and Bama appear to be locks. The other 4 have some serious work to do.
Mizzou would have to win at least 5 of their last 7 plus 1 in SEC Tournament. Don’t see it happening.
If Ark wins 4 of their last 7 regular season games they should be in, no matter what they do in SEC. Very probable
UGA needs to win 4 of last 7 plus 1 in SEC. Doable
MISS St needs to win 4 of last 7 plus 1 in SEC.
IFFY, solid favorites in 3, heavy dogs in 2, toss ups in 2
USC, LSU, UT, OM, BAMA, ARK, and MISS ST
With UGA and Mizzou on the bubble
with record and SCHEDULE REMAINING USC, LSU, UT, OM, and Bama appear to be locks. The other 4 have some serious work to do.
Mizzou would have to win at least 5 of their last 7 plus 1 in SEC Tournament. Don’t see it happening.
If Ark wins 4 of their last 7 regular season games they should be in, no matter what they do in SEC. Very probable
UGA needs to win 4 of last 7 plus 1 in SEC. Doable
MISS St needs to win 4 of last 7 plus 1 in SEC.
IFFY, solid favorites in 3, heavy dogs in 2, toss ups in 2
She’s a 5⭐️ & HS AA but it feels like we got an under the radar steal. I don’t remember hearing a thing about her recruitment until signing day but the more I see, read, & hear about Tessa Johnson, the more I come way impressed. we got a good one here
She is definitely a steal and is a top 10 prospect for the class in my opinion. She got injured a couple of years ago and missed a season. I believe that hurt her visibility some but she's legit. As a freshman she got 20+ points twice against a rival team that consisted of a senior Paige Bueckers and top 10 recruit Maya Nnaji.
I get the feeling Arkansas' season could unravel. They were fortunate to be Vandy at home. Now two close home losses and a beat down here in Columbia, they are reeling a bit.
Poffenbarger played 43 minutes yesterday, she scored 2 points and grabbed 3 rebounds. Why is she playing so much? If she is your 4 and she's only has 3 rebounds and your team is getting killed on the boards, she might be part of the problem. I like Neighbors, so I'm surprised he can't fix it.
So are we all Tennessee fans tonight?
In theory, I should root for LSU because we get them at home. I can't, though. I just can't.
In theory, I should root for LSU because we get them at home. I can't, though. I just can't.
To answer your question: not I. Even if their legacy is dormant, people with that kind of heritage are always a threat to reemerge if they can get all the right people together. Their football program is moving in that direction already.
Yep, LSU is our biggest threat in the conference. They are going to push Reese and Mulkey down our throats with each and every win. Currently LSU is getting rewarded for a weak schedule and the more losses they receive the better.
Tennessee has 7 losses, all against current top 25 teams. LSU has no losses but also no wins against current top 25 teams. These two teams may be closer than people realize due to Mulkey's soft scheduling. That LSU squad is overly cocky so that confidence may get them far, but I would love nothing more to see them lose tonight and Feb. 12th by a decent margin.
They have shall we say been uneven
Of their 7 remaining games A&M, Vandy and Auburn should be wins. That leaves UT, Miss st , Mizzou and UGA. Find one win and with their OOC they are in
I want UT to win @&): LSU! Unfortunately UT has failed in every game where their opponent has had a pulse
Yeah I don't have much hope but I definitely think it's possible. I feel like there's a good chance we see at least 1 technical tonight.
Reading what Vol fans are saying, there is little hope. I don't get it...the Vols should be in this one to the end.
I've never rooted for Rickea Jackson team, so this is new territory for me. She needs to keep her composure and not get caught up in any drama. Any "incident" will favor LSU and the home crowd. Mulkey feeds off that kind of intense emotion.
If Jackson and Horston can stay on the court for 38 minutes, the Vols have a chance.
Lost in the SEC weekend…..Ciaja Harbison led Vandy to their first conference win with 41 against A&M. 14-19 from the field, 2-4 from 3, 11-13 from the line. She also had 5 steals
Ten days ago we held her to 9 points on 3-15 shooting and 3-5 from the line. 0steals 1 assist and 3 turnovers. Anyone care to guess who defended her?
Ten days ago we held her to 9 points on 3-15 shooting and 3-5 from the line. 0steals 1 assist and 3 turnovers. Anyone care to guess who defended her?
I recall Fletcher blocking Harbison's shot 3 times. I assume Raven guarded Harbison when Fletcher was out.