Tenn Collapse has been coming for a very long time. Many of us saw it coming with Geno dominating Pat who had no answer for Geno offense. A very talented LV team with big brushers, a lot of height and talent. In the ole days it was always UConn and Tenn one and two in the polls and in recruiting. Tenns game plan was to rebound rebound rebound and get the best players. Then the Geno era began in 1995. It was who would get the top players Pat or Geno. UConn became the little darlins of WCBB and many of the top recruits wanted to play for Geno. Then came Geno signing EDD Caroline and Maya. The feud between the Boneyard and the Summitt was nasty. UConn won the recruiting race and Pat signed every top recruit she could. Most were post players and wings and no guards. Pat had lost out on the 3 prize recruits. The one savior for Pat was signing Parker. She kept Tenn winning and respectable but after her graduation This angered the LV fans and was the start of the 37 page NCAA debocale. The Tenn Collapse continued. Yeah we saw Clockwork Orange against Baylor with .002 left on the clock a foul on Baylor and Tenn won the game and then against Rutgers the clock had 2 seconds on it but the official never started the clock and Tenn had numerous chances to win the game and finally did. Then the games where numerous fouls were called on opponents and Tenn would win games. Then finally everything caught up and here we are today.
Leading up to this season LV fans had their hopes high. All that talent. A 6'6 post player and one of the top players in the country transferred to Tenn and now the bottom has fallen out. Some never saw it coming. Many UConn fans did. You cant out talent teams anymore not in this day and age. You cant out height them or out rebound them. Those days are in the past.
Can Tenn come back? They certainly have the talent but they haven't had the team or coaching for years. Pat tried desperately to find an offense and talked to Harry Perratta . Don't know what happened with that. Harry ran very good offenses but Pat never caught on. Still Tenn managed to hang around. Now the talent and more importantly the coaching around WCBB has improved and Tenn is living in the past. IMO and I am only guessing when I say I don't think the Tenn coaching staff was ever taught how to teach basketball. The reason I say that is because we keep seeing the same ole shoot and hit the boards which isn't working and it is more apparent this season then any other. this point the LVs need an experienced person to come in and built a new program if they are ever going to have any success. As we have seen its not the players .. they players have the talent but the team has no cohesiveness, no chemistry, no direction, and no plays. The present coaching staff does not have the skills to teach offense and defense. Pat ruled WCBB for years but those ideas no longer work. Holly has a long term contract and unless she steps down which I don't see, or cuts a deal with the Athletic Dept which is possible Tenn is never going to challenge for another NC again. I say that based on the current team, and no recruits coming in.
So now we wait and see. Tenn is no longer a top 30 team. If Tenn a couple of more games they are out of NCAAs and with the SEC tournament looming I don't see Tenn winning it. Listening to Holly in the post game I feel for her. She cant get it done and is lost trying. I never say give up but in this case its time for a change as the players parents and fans have had enough.