Tennessee Postgame Thread

[tchalla1]

Horston may well be a first round WNBA pick, who had about four inches on Nika--no shame in giving up buckets to her....

 

[tchalla1]

Don’t particularly care for Alexa’s tweet that Tennessee “allowed “ UConn to shoot 55% and 57% from three. Makes it sound like they forget to play defense. Sure there were a few easy layups but there were also a lot of contested shots, especially by Lyeardage, points, ou. Perhaps UConn is a very good shooting team and I think the season stats will also show that.

Yeah, I've seen a lot of tweets, referencing Alexa's verbiage of "allowed". But that's just standard sports lingo--when a team surrendered, gave up, yardage, points, possession--you say "allowed"....

 

[msf22b]

I tried to write this last night...

I feel bad for the Tennessee kids, program, and coaches
They produced a mighty fine effort
Never gave up.
Took their lumps with the uneven officiating as well as did we...
Ran into a UConn team on an especially motivated, hot-shooting
well-coached evening.

And what do they get for it?
Quite profound derision from their fanbase, message boards and press.
They deserve better.

 

[UcMiami]

Thanks. I was going to post this if no one else did. I've never been a fan of putting cameras and mics in the faces of athletes and coaches when emotions are high, but it's part of the deal and he should know better. Crappy officiating is certainly not unique to being in Tennessee and I guarantee that's the part of his rant that's going to get the most attention. Don't be surprised if we're not still talking about this a few days from now...

Back in the day, TN had quite a few 'strange occurrences' at home games that gave them an edge ... shot clocks and game clocks that mysteriously stopped for a few seconds when they needed it on offense and a lot of home cooking from refs. There was one season where two games in about a week had serious controversy. I don't actually remember any serious issues with Uconn games, but other SEC teams I think had big beefs.

The fact that it went from 1 foul each in Q1 to 12 fouls in Q2 with 8 of them on Uconn had a little to with his comments.

 

[DEpup]

I do hope TN is able to realize that was the best they played all season and take that into the LSU game and knock them off.

 

[UcMiami]

Not so sure the outcome would have been different but to me it’s a head scratcher that Horston played the most minutes of anyone else on the team but didn’t start.

TN really struggled in the first month of the season (when they dropped from preseason #5 to out of the rankings and part of the issue seemed to be integrating Horston with the transfer Rickea. They both like the ball and the chemistry wasn't clicking so Horston went to the bench and I think has been sort of 6th woman ever since.

 

[Mdoggie]

Co

Completely agree about Horston, has to be mental with her, cause she displayed she has the talent to be one of the best in the country.
Too bad she didn't chose UCONN which recruited her, cause I think she would have had a better career with UCONN under Geno!

Yes, Horston picked the wrong school. IMO. I wonder what sold her?

 

[Bone Dog]

The loss of Key was a major blow to what was a talented team already in disarray. Kellie may have miscalculated in scheduling so many tough opponents early for a team that had so many new pieces. Mulkey may have understood this problem better and scheduled a bunch of cream puffs to give her patchwork team time to gel.

I also wonder if Jackson wasn’t going to be a problem no matter what Kellie did. I mean, she’s a substantial talent but never much of a team player. It was probably impossible not to sign her, given where Tennessee was. But fitting her into a coherent team culture may have been just too difficult.

 

[MSGRET]

The loss of Key was a major blow to what was a talented team already in disarray. Kellie may have miscalculated in scheduling so many tough opponents early for a team that had so many new pieces. Mulkey may have understood this problem better and scheduled a bunch of cream puffs to give her patchwork team time to gel.

I also wonder if Jackson wasn’t going to be a problem no matter what Kellie did. I mean, she’s a substantial talent but never much of a team player. It was probably impossible not to sign her, given where Tennessee was. But fitting her into a coherent team culture may have been just too difficult.

Mulkey always schedules cream puffs, she's done it for years at Baylor and even added some cream puffs when she became the coach at LSU.

 

[npignatjr]

Hmmm, well there are things that happen down there......remember Rutgers and the clock controversy?

Think Sally Bell. Tennessee's home cooking official.

 

[Ex Nutmegger]

I wish to take issue with few posters that elevated Horston’s performance to the point where it sounded like she was the best player in the game, which was clearly not nearly the case. I agree with the comment that she is “a real athlete with some nice skills”. But I think saying her game tonight was “terrific” or “a most perfect game” is way over the (Rocky) top! Yes she scored 27 points which was one more than Lou. But it took her 22 shots from the floor (45% FG avg) complemented with 5 free throws (based IMHO on some questionable foul calls) to get there. Lou got all of her points on just 16 floor shots (69%!) with no trips to the line (even though, IMHO she was pushed around all night). Horston had 6 turnovers (count ‘em - six!) and a +/- number of -9 (that’s right - minus nine!). The way I see it, we’re talking Hailey Van Lith on steroids here!

Lou Lopez-Senechal was, by far the MOP of that game followed by AE and the other starters for UConn(look at all of the +/- numbers for every player in the game). To put someone with a 24% lower FG average, six turnovers and a +/- number of -9 on a similar level with credits like “terrific’ and “most perfect game“ is IMHO questionable at best and downright Husky blasphemy at best!

 

[LwrcasefaN]

I think part of the rebound differential is having to go to zone because of the fouls on Lou. If you don't play zone on a regular basis, then rebounding out of it is not easy. And then there was the change in how the game was officiated...short bench and you just have to tone down the aggression.

 

[Bama fan]

I wish to take issue with few posters that elevated Horston’s performance to the point where it sounded like she was the best player in the game, which was clearly not nearly the case. I agree with the comment that she is “a real athlete with some nice skills”. But I think saying her game tonight was “terrific” or “a most perfect game” is way over the (Rocky) top! Yes she scored 27 points which was one more than Lou. But it took her 22 shots from the floor (45% FG avg) complemented with 5 free throws (based IMHO on some questionable foul calls) to get there. Lou got all of her points on just 16 floor shots (69%!) with no trips to the line (even though, IMHO she was pushed around all night). Horston had 6 turnovers (count ‘em - six!) and a +/- number of -9 (that’s right - minus nine!). The way I see it, we’re talking Hailey Van Lith on steroids here!

Lou Lopez-Senechal was, by far the MOP of that game followed by AE and the other starters for UConn(look at all of the +/- numbers for every player in the game). To put someone with a 24% lower FG average, six turnovers and a +/- number of -9 on a similar level with credits like “terrific’ and “most perfect game“ is IMHO questionable at best and downright Husky blasphemy at best!

I don't disagree with your opinion that Lou was the better player. And Horston did have the 6 turnovers, and the free throw opportunities. However your reference to Horston's +/- of negative 9 is merely a function of being on the losing team. I'd venture to say all the Tennessee players had negative scores . and nearly all the UConn players positive ones. Horston's overall box score was quite impressive, and she did it under a great deal of pressure from a great UConn defensive effort. Just give credit where it is due, and of course celebrate our UConn stars! But those statistics can be tricky things. IE, Dorka's score was higher than AE's, but I don't feel she played a better game. Go Huskies!

 

[HuskyNan]

You're right--Horston did show up. My only critique of her is that when Nika picked her pocket and was headed for a lay up, Horston just cooly strolled behind her. I'm reasonably sure, had she put some effort in it, with her speed and athleticism, she could have easily caught up with Nika...

She’s been sick with the upper respiratory virus that’s been going around

 

[ShmiCO]

And what do they get for it?
Quite profound derision from their fanbase, message boards and press.
They deserve better.

If you judge by VolNation I agree. Some truly nasty stuff there at times, but I doubt their fanbase at large feels that way.

You know we say some undeserved and quite negative stuff about our Huskies too. We're lucky to have good moderators and especially blessed to have a ban on game threads on the BY. Let those comments evaporate from the internet ASAP.

 

[JellyBean]

I do hope TN is able to realize that was the best they played all season and take that into the LSU game and knock them off.

That is the crazy part about this season. Heck really any season. Tennessee has the pieces to pull off the win.

 

[Bama fan]

Giving up 23 offensive boards is just way too much. Definitely no need to blame the refs on this.

If the refs were allowing slaps and grabs under the basket, that could contribute to the lack of O boards. Some fans saw it that way, guess you didn't. Giving up 23 O boards is way too much, but the cause is up for discussion among BYers. How aggressively a rebounder can be is often a function of how many fouls the team can afford to give. We have very little room to spare. Many things factor into what is a disappointing stat. Referees are surely one of them.

 

[jaydee602]

I just watched a replay of the game. Did you notice how animated the UCONN coaches were?
Morgan & Jamelle never come of the bench and usually try to keep Geno calm & composed. But they were on the court screaming at the refs throughout the game.
I realize that it is an intense rivalry, but UCONN has played so many of these games without assistant coaches vehemently protesting calls. It was probably a testimony to how inconsistent & lopsided the game was being called.

 

[jazz]

We can micro examine every part of the game which is ok and can be interesting. Everybody is entitled to an opinion but I hope that that opinion includes that we absolutedly kicked their A** on their home court and we did it with 6 players... Great win.

 

[DEpup]

I just watched a replay of the game. Did you notice how animated the UCONN coaches were?
Morgan & Jamelle never come of the bench and usually try to keep Geno calm & composed. But they were on the court screaming at the refs throughout the game.
I realize that it is an intense rivalry, but UCONN has played so many of these games without assistant coaches vehemently protesting calls. It was probably a testimony to how inconsistent & lopsided the game was being called.

And they have a little more of the rivalry in them from the old days.....

 

[Bald Husky]

Without reading every post, although I have read about the first 90%, watching the replay last night caused me some concern observing Caroline. First, she was still using ear plugs, making me believe she is still having trouble with noise. I'm bummed because it looks like her recovery is still some time in the far future, and not in the near future. Second, her ear plugs were ORANGE. Not to be a stickler, but not the best look in a place where orange is king, just not in our kingdom. She should have known better. LOL. I still love her, and hope I am wrong, and her recovery is going well, whether it is long term or short term. Go Huskies

 

[SallyH]

I wish to take issue with few posters that elevated Horston’s performance to the point where it sounded like she was the best player in the game, which was clearly not nearly the case. I agree with the comment that she is “a real athlete with some nice skills”. But I think saying her game tonight was “terrific” or “a most perfect game” is way over the (Rocky) top! Yes she scored 27 points which was one more than Lou. But it took her 22 shots from the floor (45% FG avg) complemented with 5 free throws (based IMHO on some questionable foul calls) to get there. Lou got all of her points on just 16 floor shots (69%!) with no trips to the line (even though, IMHO she was pushed around all night). Horston had 6 turnovers (count ‘em - six!) and a +/- number of -9 (that’s right - minus nine!). The way I see it, we’re talking Hailey Van Lith on steroids here!

Lou Lopez-Senechal was, by far the MOP of that game followed by AE and the other starters for UConn(look at all of the +/- numbers for every player in the game). To put someone with a 24% lower FG average, six turnovers and a +/- number of -9 on a similar level with credits like “terrific’ and “most perfect game“ is IMHO questionable at best and downright Husky blasphemy at best!

Exactly! It also accounts for the stats for offensive boards. Not too many O boards available when you're shooting 69%.

 

[jaydee602]

And they have a little more of the rivalry in them from the old days.....

That's true! Yikes...Those were real battles in the start of the rivalry.