Warlick On The Wane

Holly Warlick got the axe this week after a disappointing season in which a couple of mortifying team records were set or tied: lowest win total, longest losing streak, earliest exit from the NCAA tournament. Honestly, to last seven seasons in the shadow of Pat Summitt is an achievement, and overall her win-loss record was as good as most anybody else’s, but the team did not seem to be getting better.

There are some caveats. Number one, this was a young team, that perhaps overachieved so much early in the season, we got to thinking they were better than they actually were. In the past, and also this year, there have been injuries to players that were expected to be contributors. Finally, no one is going to be Pat Summitt ever again. Except maybe Geno Auriemma, and he’s not only not going to come to Tennessee under any circumstances, certainly not for the money Tennessee was paying Warlick. The majority of Tennessee fans wouldn’t want him anyway, given the bad blood between Auriemma and Summitt at the end. 

My opinion has always been, if your coach is contending for championships, winning more games than she’s losing, recruiting good players who not only improve their skills under your tutelage but also graduate, and you cheat, have scandals, or bring bad publicity to the school, you should probably keep your job and even be celebrated for how you’re doing it. I still believe this, and I don’t think, if I was in AD Philip Fulmer’s shoes, I would have fired her after this season, but it doesn’t come as any surprise that he did. There has been a lot of pressure to fire Warlick almost from the start, for the crime of not being Pat; however, fans tend to forget that Pat hadn’t been Pat for a while either, thanks, probably to her undiagnosed 

Alzheimer’s Disease, but possibly because her methods were not keeping up with the game. Tennessee was successful for years when the talent pool was much thinner, simply by recruiting the best players, and motivating them to play harder than anybody else. That might not be enough anymore. With more talent, there are more good teams, and other factors, such as superior game plans or the ability to shift gears more quickly when things aren’t going as planned, might be taking on more importance when everybody is good, everybody is conditioned, and everybody is motivated. I’m not an insider; I’m not even particularly knowledgable about basketball. But, that’s how I see it. Whether or not this will turn out to be a good move will depend on whether or not Holly’s as-yet unknown replacement can maintain the standards Warlick did maintain, can also win more games. It’s not a given, I can tell you. A lot of highly-regarded coaches have moved up into situations where it looked like they couldn’t fail, and failed.

The Westbrook comments after the first game NCAA exit were not wise; even though she didn’t call explicitly for Holly to be ousted, it’s hard to construe what she did say as supportive. Perhaps that was the nudge Fulmer needed, to have your best player seemingly disgruntled. It won’t make Westbrook’s final two seasons any easier, particularly if the new coach, whoever she is, isn’t immediately successful. Warlick had a lot of detractors, but she also still had a lot of fans. You can expect some of them at least to take it out of Westbrook, if she or the team falters.

Over the past couple of seasons there have been, not exactly scandals, but incidents that could be construed as troubling. In addition to the Westbrook public comments, we’ve seen Diamond DeShields passing up her final year of eligibility, Te’a Cooper transferring to South Carolina after getting suspended because of a fistfight with Jaime Nared,  Anastasia Hayes being dismissed from the team for undisclosed team rule violations, subsequently causing her talented younger sisters to withdraw their letters of intent, and veteran guard Alexa Middleton transferring because she was dissatisfied with her role, are all events that would have seemed unthinkable when Pat was in her prime. I don’t say any of these things are Holly’s fault, though it seems likely that some of them might be. If nothing else, she can be faulted for not recruiting young women of better character.

I think her media presence was also not a strength. She was obviously never as comfortable with the press as Pat was, and her answers to questions often seemed less authoritative than they should be, coming from the head coach of one of the most prestigious programs in women’s college basketball. Too often, in post-game interviews, she would sound discouraged while citing the reasons for the loss, or else bewilderment at the team’s lack of effort: we didn’t play hard, we didn’t play defense, we didn’t box out, we shot too many threes, we didn’t stick to the game plan. Well, if any of these things are the case, why were they allowed? Geno has a strict, and, it seems to me, wise system at Connecticut; if you aren’t following the game plan, or the instructions, it doesn’t matter who you are, you’re coming out and you’re going to be sitting for awhile. Mind you, Geno makes some of the same excuses Holly did, on the rare occasions when Connecticut loses, because sometimes the disease of not listening to the coach and getting away from team basketball reaches all the way to the far end of the bench, but the important point is these are rare occasions. It doesn’t happen 13 times a year, or 6 games in a row.

The guy who sits in front of me at games turned around several times to say, do we even have a play called? Because, sometimes, it didn’t look like we did. I think this year’s team was better at playing together than some of the teams in the recent past; less likely to have everyone trying to take over the game and win unaided, which doesn’t work very often. Melding a team out of so many individual McDonald’s All Stars must be challenging, but if it isn’t done, they’re going nowhere. This year’s team seemed to suffer from the opposite problem; instead of having too many players trying to take over the game, there weren’t enough stepping up. They were notorious slow getting started, even in games they won. It takes a lot of energy to come continually from behind after spotting the opponent double-digit leads; you’re going to lose games you shouldn’t have lost that way, as well as almost certainly losing against teams at your own or higher talent level. This could just be the youth of the team, or the lack of character on the team, but it’s hard to absolve any coach completely of blame, when you see this same pattern over and over.

So, Holly’s gone. It looks as though the Athletic Department is properly respectful of and grateful for her many contributions to the team, as a player, as a long-time assistant and then co-head coach, and finally as a head coach all alone, and I don’t think even many of her detractors doubt her sincerity and effort on behalf of the program, even if they were dissatisfied with the end result. I had hoped she would either decide to retire on her own, or, choose that option as opposed to being fired, if the university offered it; I suspect Fulmer did offer it, and I assume Holly preferred to be on the record as not having been a quitter. That’s a big part of the Pat Summitt legacy; you fight to the end, and even beyond. Here’s hoping the next chapter of her life, whatever it is, brings her joy.

This blog, as you can see if you scroll back a little bit, is pretty inactive. I don’t have any plans to revive it except for the odd article now and then, such as this one, when the spirit moves me. But as long as I’m here, I might as well throw in some impressions of this year’s players. Again, not coming from a basketball expert in any sense of the word, just a regular fan throwing in two unnecessary cents.

Evina Westbrook-The straw that stirs the drink. How Westbrook goes is the best determinant of how the team goes. More consistent as a sophomore than a freshman but flashes of brilliance offset by foul trouble sometimes, ineffective stretches at others. The comments to the press are problematic. Not a superstar yet.

Rennia Davis-Best freshman last year, hands down. Seemed not to be as effective as a sophomore, may have regressed rather than improved. I think she missed Mercedes and Jaime on the front line and took a long time to adjust. She shot from outside too much, especially early, and didn’t start playing close to the basket with as much confidence and effectiveness until later in the season. Way athletic, still a ton of potential. 

Mimi Collins-Improved steadily with more playing time, which was earned. Scrapper, not afraid to dive for loose balls or jump for rebounds. Definite asset.

Kamera Harris-Little used, perhaps injury problems. Expected more based on previous season when she often put in quality minutes. This year, not so much. Could be a contributor next year, or maybe not.

Meme Jackson-Deadly defender, streaky offensive player with a knack for hitting occasional big shots, then fading back into obscurity. Didn’t have the star mentality she should have had. Too much foul trouble. 

Kasiyahna Kushkituah-Conditioning still a problem. Was most disappointing freshman, spent most of sophomore year riding the bench as well, even though needed with Russell and Nared graduated. Not effective when in the lineup most of the time, but had some good games at the end of the season, rekindling hopes that she can be the center the team needs.

Rae Burrell-Like Collins, a scrapper. She needed more playing time, should have had it. Had a lot of offensive moves, active on defense, played with confidence and energy, although perhaps forced shots too often that didn’t drop. 

Jazmine Massengill-Another talented player. Confident and competent. Like the entire freshman class, played like a veteran, solid.

Zaay Green-the best of the freshmen, athletic, good shooter, great court presence. Should have an expanded role with Jackson graduating.

Cheridene Green-Quietly effective. Never seemed to be doing much, consistently turning in double doubles. On a team of all-Americans, the players going about their business with heads down and consistent productivity might be the most valuable.

Lou Brown-Missed most of the season with an injury. If on the bench enthusiasm and energy is a measure of anything, should be an impact player if she is eligible to come back for another season and chooses to do so.

This wraps up the Holly Warlick era and, possibly, depending on who the next coach is, the Pat Summitt era as well. Pat has a long coaching tree, and I’m sure Fulmer will be tempted to continue her heritage by tapping someone in it to continue the legacy, but it’s by no means certain he’ll go that way, and I’m not sure that he should. I’m hoping for a younger coach, a person who is inspired and inspiring, dedicated not only to winning but also to winning right, and who, if push comes to shove, will choose doing right over winning. I think the program has been fortunate to have two coaches in a row who had passion and integrity. That’s the tradition that needs continuing. Give us championships, but give us sportsmanship too. 

2018 Regular Season Wrap Up

The Lady Vols finished on a very high note with a dominating win over Florida on the road, not unexpected, and an upset victory over South Carolina in the final game at home. Unexpected. This gives the Lady Vols a three game winning streak against the Gamecocks as a highpoint, offset by having lost inexplicably to Alabama for the fourth straight time in a row earlier in the season. It’s hard to imagine a universe where the same Lady Vol team can upset a superior South Carolina team three straight times, and also lose to an inferior Alabama team four straight times over the same span of time, but that’s the universe we live in.

I’ll make no predictions for the post season, either the SEC tournament or the NCAA, because, as one of the pundits said, Tennessee is the biggest enigma in the top twenty. Capable of beating, or losing, to practically anybody. It all depends on who shows up.

This was the hallmark of last year’s team as well, though this year’s team has taken positive strides towards more consistently being a good team, but…they aren’t as regular yet as they need to be. In the South Carolina game they started painfully slow on offense. Shot selection seemed good, but nothing was going in. They persevered, however, and continued to play hard, particularly on the defensive end, and eventually the offense came around. They might have played their best quarter of the season in the third, after having played one of their worst in the first, though as I said, the effort never flagged. Their hearts were in this one, and that’s why they won, in the end, handily.

South Carolina was without their best player, A’ja Wilson, who was left home as a precaution as she was suffering from vertigo. Assuming and hoping for her sake this is a temporary condition, the Gamecocks will be a difficult draw should the Lady Vols happen to end up in their bracket in the SEC tournament.

Tennessee’s three seniors were honored in a pre-game ceremony before the game. They’ve been a fantastic trio.

Mercedes Russell’s career began under a cloud as she was the number 1 rated recruit and was expected to dominate immediately as a freshman, which didn’t happen. It turned out she had problems in both feet limiting her mobility, that required surgery and a full year afterwards to recover. I probably heard more negativity from fans about Mercedes early on, than any other player on the team since I started attending games back in 2010. Naysayers were slow to come around, but as Mercedes’ health improved along with her strength and game, year by year, most of the disbelievers have gone silent. At least the observant ones have. The season just completed should have removed all doubt. She will leave Tennessee as one of the team’s all-time leaders in rebounds, blocks, and double doubles, and the conventional wisdom now is that as Mercedes goes, so goes the team. If there is a remaining knock against her, it’s that she doesn’t demand the ball enough. When the team goes away from her offensively, it shows. She will be the hardest piece to replace next year, and should have an outstanding professional career ahead of her.

Personal memories, I saw Mercedes several times at Lady Vol softball games because she was a regular attendee and, at 6′ 6″, she’s pretty hard to miss. She even attended one of the softball team open houses, held on the field and in the clubhouse every year in February. I never tried to talk to her because I usually steer clear of the players unless they happen to sit somewhere near us, which she never has, so far. If the opportunity arises this spring, though, I think I will try to thank her for choosing Knoxville.

Jaime Nared is my favorite player from this year’s team. There isn’t much she can’t do on a basketball court, and like Mercedes her career has been marked by steady and marked improvement every year. As a freshman she was one of a crowd; as a Senior she is the team’s leading scorer and perhaps as valuable as Russell in the high picture. She’s had some frustrating cold spells this year on offense, and sometimes settles for the outside shot too often, but her occasional offensive dry spells have seldom infected her defensive intensity or team leadership. If Mercedes is the drink, Jaime is the straw that stirs it.

Kortney Dunbar hasn’t been nearly the factor her fellow seniors have been, but is still a solid contributor and has always been a fan favorite. Sometimes the loudest cheers of the half will be when she enters the game for her 2-3 minutes. A three-point specialist even though she plays forward, the crowd goes wild whenever she hits one, which, given her limited playing time, is more often than you would think. She has never let any disappointment at not getting more playing time get to her; she is almost always the most enthusiastic player on the bench, the first one up to greet starters coming out of the game. She reminds me somewhat of Sydney Smallbone, another player who saw limited action but was a valuable member of the team for sheer attitude. If you could bottle and sell enthusiasm, you’d market it under the name Dunbar.

Though this team is clearly more cohesive than last year’s, with a better record as a result, the paper lately has published a number of letters from fans calling for or demanding Holly Warlick be fired for the crime of not yet having won a national championship and returned Tennessee to the glory days under Pat Summitt. I’d just like to wrap up by offering a little rebuttal.

Dear Frustrated Fans:

The glory days are not coming back. The glory days were already gone, even before Pat was forced to retire because of Alzheimer’s disease. I would say what she accomplished couldn’t be done today because the talent pool is so much larger now, and there are so many more good programs, except Geno Auriemma is doing it. The thing is, there aren’t many Geno Auriemmas and Pat Summitts out there; maybe one or two in a generation. Firing Holly Warlick is one thing, but who are you replacing her with? Pat is gone, and Geno isn’t going to leave Connecticut. Unless you have a superstar in mind, and that superstar wants to come here, all you’re doing is treading water, or perhaps regressing.

Because, like it or not, Holly Warlick is a good coach. Perhaps not a great one; but great ones are rare. Achieving national championships should be a goal for every coach, and every program in the country; but, believe it or not, it isn’t what matters most, or at least it shouldn’t be. If your idea is to win a national championship at all costs, you’re going to do things you shouldn’t do: illegal recruiting, under the table payoffs, booster interference. Playing ineligible players, filling your roster with “students” who don’t even belong in college and couldn’t graduate if their lives depended on it. You’ve seen it; it happens all the time in the men’s game.

That shouldn’t be what college basketball is all about. It’s all about winning, sure, but winning the right way: winning without scandal or cheating. More important than winning is integrity and character. That’s what a university should teach; that’s what a university should sell.

Under Holly Warlick, the Lady Vols are competitive. They’re winning the lion’s share of their games. They are getting their share of the nation’s best players. And, most significantly, those players, at least the ones who stay the full four years, are leaving as significantly better players than they were when they arrived. Look at Mercedes Russell. Look at Jaime Nared. Look at Kortney Dunbar. That’s the true measure of a coach.

Sure, we’d like to be winning national championships. Holly would like to be winning national championships. But if it isn’t done the right way, what does it matter? And firing coaches for not winning national championships is the beginning of the end. You’re chasing a goal that should be the culmination of your efforts, not something that you should sacrifice your integrity and decency for. The first priority of a university should be to maintain integrity and decency. To practice, and teach, sportsmanship; to improve student athletes in body and mind, and to set an example for not only its own students, but the world.

If you fire a coach who is winning the majority of her games, without cheating, and is developing her players as students and athletes, merely because in your mind you think she ought to be doing even better, well…get your priorities straight.

It’s only a game. A game that should be played like it’s the most important thing in the world, even though it’s should be remembered at all times off the court it’s the least. It doesn’t matter who wins the national championship. It matters what sort of people are playing for it.

Be Tennessee. Be better than mere championship chasers.

A Modest Proposal

The LSU game was disappointing, to say the least…an early lead on the way to what looked like a fairly easy victory in the first half, followed by an unraveling in the second that made LSU look like the superior team, which, on paper at least, they are not. They played like it, though, and the final score was neither a fluke nor an accident. Tennessee had foul trouble and that was certainly a factor, but the absence of passion and competitiveness that followed was reminiscent of teams from the past few seasons, and has not been seen in this year’s team…until now. Holly said they have to get back to doing what they were doing earlier in the year, but at least one of those things -playing against weaker, non-SEC competition, is not an option.

I still believe in this team. I don’t see any flaws that can’t be righted. I hope, for the sake of seniors Russell, Narad, and Dunbar, they make a deep run in the post season.

But I’d also like to make a tiny suggestion for next year’s team, and the teams of the future. Something that can’t be implemented this year, but should be implemented next year. With apologies to the Lady Vol faithful who can’t stand the guy, it’s a page out of the Geno Auriemma playbook.

Pat believed in having a short bench, primarily so that she could play everybody and keep them all happy. She thought players at the end of the bench who never got any playing time were a potential source of disharmony. That is a reasonable concern, but in the past few seasons, even with a short bench, there have been players who rarely see action. So, if you are going to have players sitting for entire games anyway, why not have a full roster. There are, as I see it, at least four solid reasons for this:

1. If you are all about opportunity for young women, unused scholarships are an unconscionable waste.
2. In the case of foul trouble, you have players to go use.
3. Tired players can be rested.
4. In the normal course of a game, having a deeper bench gives you leverage and options. It’s no secret this team and a lot of teams of the recent past have had trouble sticking to the game plan. Part of this is fatigue; you see the sagging on defense, and the settling for quick three point shots instead of running the offense, which, it’s no secret, should go through Mercedes most of the time, not just during the first half. It’s also true that a lot of successful teams don’t go very deep in the bench; conditioning and motivation for the top 6-7 players is sufficient…until they run into a deeper team. Recruiting a starting lineup of top talent is difficult enough; it’s not realistic to expect a 12 man roster not to have a talent drop-off. However, if you have other players you can put in, and you are willing to use them, particularly when the starters are not following the game plan, either through fatigue or because they know they won’t be taken out regardless of what they’re doing, you have the ability to keep your starters more focused and on point. Play the game plan, or ride the bench. That’s Geno’s not-so-secret secret. NOBODY is sacrosanct. If you aren’t hustling, if you aren’t committed, if you aren’t running the game plan, you come OUT. You may notice Geno doesn’t substitute all that often, or even go very deep into his bench all that often. This is because he doesn’t have to, and he doesn’t have to because his starters know that he WILL.

So, that’s my suggestion: get more players. Play the ones who want to play bad enough to play hard and follow the game plan every minute they are privileged to be on the court.

Not Quite There Yet

The gauntlet of four top twenty teams in a row has been run, but not with the results we fans might have been hoping for. Four wins would have been epic; three, giddy; two, encouraging; one, disappointing; none, grim.

We got disappointment; one win, three losses

The win over South Carolina, on their home court, was a good one, even though the absence of their best player is a major caveat. The loss to Texas A&M on their home court was the one that got away and should have been won. The Notre Dame game was the most frustrating; the Lady Vols opened with probably their best quarter of the year, opening up a commanding lead, then watched seemingly helplessly as the Irish scrapped their way back to a win. Notre Dame outplayed the Lady Vols the last three quarters, in spite of having a depleted depth chart owing to injuries; if Tennessee made any tactical errors it was probably in not using their own short bench a little more. Particularly puzzling was the decision not to give Green more minutes. And where has Harris gone? And what’s up with Kushhituah, is she injured, still learning the ropes, or just a bust? The Lady Vols don’t have a very deep bench either, but I expect the players on it would benefit from a few more minutes of game experience every night, and the overworked starters might get a benefit out of it too. Fatigue surely is a factor in the way they begin each game executing a game plan that includes tight defense, multiple passes, and getting the ball inside to Mercedes, only to abandon it in the second half, letting up on defense and abandoning the offensive plan, settling for jump shots, ignoring Russell, and everybody trying to be the hero. United we stand, divided we fall.

I’m not sure anything would have saved us against Mississippi State, a veteran team with four starting senior guards and a junior center who is imposing, taller and wider than Mercedes, who nonetheless held her own pretty well, and might have done even better with more minutes from Cheridene Green, either spelling her or in tandem. It’s hard not to be concerned about the way Jaime Nared is struggling with her shot of late; there’s no question its hurting the team. Nared is my favorite player on the team, and the best combination of talent and experience the Lady Vols have except maybe for Russell, but Jaime is a vocal leader and Mercedes isn’t, so the freshmen are more influenced by what Nared does and doesn’t do. I appreciate she probably has to shoot her way out of this slump; I just wish her shot selection included more shots taken closer to the basket and less three pointers. And when she is being closely guarded inside, there’s no shame in passing to someone more open. Assists are just as important as points, and an offense that has five players scoring and expecting to shoot is harder to defend than one that relies on individual heroics.

Hayes seemed to run into more trouble driving the lane than she’s had up until now; credit the speed of the Bulldog guards and the imposing center. Everybody seemed to be having trouble with MSU’s speed; a lot of their baskets came when the ball handler blew by her defender, and no one was in position to help. I haven’t seen that with this team before; usually our guards don’t need any help because they’re pretty fast themselves, but the Bulldogs seemed to have a step on them all night.

Davis having to sit early with two fouls might have been a turning point as well. She was playing with passion and fire, and when she went out some of the fire went with her. It was like an engine missing a cylinder. Rennia Davis is definitely a keeper.

The softball team open house is this Saturday (January 27, 2-4 PM). It’s a chance to meet the team and get autographs and photos if that’s your thing. The facilities are open as well. You can tour the stadium, the locker room, training rooms, and batting cages The coaches who are usually very friendly and accessible will introduce all of the players and talk about the prospects for the coming season. You can buy season tickets too, if you’re so inclined. I don’t know what the seat selection will be or how many will be available. There are 500 new bleacher seats behind right field, installed last year. The team has been growing in popularity every year I’ve been here; we were very lucky to get the seats we have. Most SEC games are sellouts. The season usually starts in freezing weather and ends in sweltering; even so, it’s not a bad way to spend a few hours over the weekend.

Bloom and Grow

If you felt compelled to single out a single player to blame for the loss to A & M, most would point at freshman point guard Evina Westbrook.She made too costly mistakes in the closing minutes; first fouling an Aggie at 3-point range, giving her the chance to shoot three free throws, which she shot and made. Of course, if one or two of those hadn’t gone in, Danni Williams, the Texas shooter, would have been the goat instead of Westbrook. It’s also possible she could have made a 3 point shot from where she was fouled, in Westbrook hadn’t been guarding her closely. Seconds later, on what turned out to be the Lady Vols last possession, Westbrook’s pass to Nared was just out of reach, for a turnover. Final score Texas A&M 79, Tennessee 76. In overtime.

Westbrook, understandably, felt terrible and was down after the loss. Her teammates, to their credit, all cared more about supporting their teammate than they did about pointing fingers. Westbrook is one of many players on this team in their first season; they’re all going to make mistakes, sometimes critical ones. Even veteran players aren’t immune; you just want to see improvement game by game and year by year. The most important thing is to stick together. Play together. Grow and get better together, which is the path they appear to be on. The potential for greatness is there. Teams -real teams- win championships.

In the first minute of the South Carolina game, Evina threw another errant pass, and I thought to myself, crap, she’s got the shakes after the A & M game. It’s in her head now. But the errant pass proved an anomaly. The team, upset by Texas A & M, upset South Carolina in turn in an away game, and Westbrook had a good game, much praised by the broadcast team for her maturity and skills at such a young age. Granted, South Carolina didn’t have their star forward A’ja Wilson, and whether or not Tennessee will be able to beat them with all cylinders firing is a question that now has to wait for the SEC tournament, or the NCAA tournament, or just go unanswered. But as Gertrude Stein famously never said, a win is a win is a win. Tennessee 86, South Carolina 70.

This is the middle of a tough stretch; Notre Dame away on Thursday night, then Mississippi State in Thompson-Boling on Sunday. Another loss or the loss of both games is a definite possibility, but as long as the urge to point fingers is kept at bay, and they stay together, this team should still be in the mix in the post season.

So Far So Good

Wow, who predicted a 15-0 start? Be honest now.

This year’s team looks like the real deal. We’ve been accustomed to hearing glowing reports about the recruiting, only to have the reality fall somewhat short of the hype the past few years. A lot of talented players have come through the program, without jelling into the team we hoped they would be. And it’s all about the team. If the team can’t compete on the national stage, the individual accolades and accomplishments naturally ring hollow. The Tennessee legacy of the Summitt years is championships, not all stars.

The freshmen continue to impress. Hayes off the bench is a firecracker, Westbrook is growing in the role of point guard, and Davis is a solid talent at forward. As for the veterans, Jackson is setting the tone for the defense while also increasing her offensive effectiveness, Jamie Narad is Ms. Everything You Could Possibly Want in a Senior, fellow Senior Russell has matured into one of the top centers in the college game, and Dunbar gives the team a shot of energy and enthusiasm whether she’s in the game or not. Transfer student Cheridene Green might be the most effective player off the bench Holly has ever had. The only question marks at this point are freshman Kushkituah and sophomore Harris; whether they are still hampered by injuries or just aren’t of the caliber of the other players at the moment is hard to judge as a fan. All we know is, they aren’t getting any minutes. They both have size which could be a valuable asset now that we are in the conference schedule, but for whatever reason they are not being used.

The last two games have been disappointing, or as disappointing as games you still won can be; for the first time this year we’ve seen long stretches of less than stellar focus and effort, reminiscent of the rest of the decade’s teams. They pulled both games out, which previous year’s teams probably wouldn’t have done, but vulnerabilities were visible. The last few minutes of the Vanderbilt game were enough to restore the faith, but, really, the team needs to play with that level of intensity for four quarters every night if they want to go very far in either the conference or the tournament. There aren’t any easy games left; every night they will have to bring it to stay on top. I doubt if an undefeated season is in the cards -the team is too young, the conference is too strong, and it probably won’t even be necessary to get a berth- but they’ve already surprised us thus far, so why not make it a goal to go undefeated, at least until you lose one? There’s room in the trophy case for more trophies as well as room in the fan’s hearts for another legendary team. You could even say the faithful have been waiting too long for both.

True Orange

For Tennessee fans, yesterday’s game against 2nd-ranked Texas couldn’t have been much better. Some questions about this year’s team were answered; they’re tougher than last year’s team, more focused than last year’s team, maybe even more talented than last year’s team…already, with every indication they can get even better. While Texas fans were undoubtedly disappointed by the outcome, I’m sure they’ll agree that if every game during the season was played at this level, what a wonderful sport this would be.

It’s a little early to anoint them as a favorite to win the NCAA, or even the SEC, though it will hard to imagine them not cracking the top 10 in the polls today. Texas shouldn’t slide very far, either; they proved themselves gritty and combative and the lead which Tennessee never relinquished in the game never seemed all that safe either. Home field advantage may have been the only difference. We still don’t know how the Lady Vols will fare in a hostile environment, against a quality opponent, though at this point it seems reasonable to predict they will be in the game. This team has enough weapons, and enough cohesiveness, to weather storms and off nights from a player or two. Nared and Russell provide exactly the kind of Senior leadership championship teams thrive on. The freshmen trio of Westbrook, Davis, and Hayes are playing like veterans. Green spelling Russell off the bench, and then playing alongside Russell down the stretch, is more than most teams can handle inside. Add to this the potential in Kushkituah and Harris, who have been slowed this season by injuries, the enthusiasm and outside shooting of Dunbar, and the defense and increasing offensive versatility of Jackson, and its almost hard to see where the minutes for DeShields, Middleton, and Cooper would have come from had they stayed with the program. DeShields, of course, passed up her last season of eligibility to turn pro; Cooper and Middleton will sit out the 2017-18 season because of transfer rules before playing for their new schools, South Carolina and Iowas State, respectively.

Two things we learned in this game, in addition to the fact that Tennessee is cooler under pressure than in the past, is that Hayes CAN successfully drive on bigger, more talented front courts, and Westbrook’s scoring game can be as deadly as her passing.

Two caveats from this game are, we need better free throw shooting, as Tennessee missed 11 shots that would have given the Lady Vols a lot more breathing room and could have been the difference if Texas had had a better shooting day, and in my personal opinion the team should have utilized the bench earlier and slightly more often. Dunbar, Kushkituah, and Harris didn’t play at all, perhaps in the case of KK and Harris because of nagging injuries, but while Texas was substituting freely (albeit partially in response to early foul trouble) the Lady Vols left their starting lineup in for most of the first half, using only Hayes to spell Jackson. It took a toll on the starters, allowing, I thought, Texas to close the gap heading into halftime. Nared played every minute of the game, and though she is capable of this, I can’t help but think there were a few minutes in each quarter where fatigue lessened her effectiveness, such as the two free throws missed down the stretch that, fortunately, did not turn out to be fatal. I don’t believe the bench needs as many minutes as they had during a blowout like the Troy game, but I do believe they need to be utilized better even against top-ranked teams. For Tennessee to consistently compete at the highest level, they need contributions from the bench as well as the starters. The good teams, these days, are usually more than 6 or 7 players deep. Or, to put it another way, a good team 6 or 7 players deep is at an extreme disadvantage against a good team 9 to 10 players deep, for the fatigue factor if for no other reason. Get the bench a few minutes early, and keep the starters fresh(er).

I really love this team so far, especially in comparison to the last couple of years. (Note, I loved them too, but the relationship was more complicated.)

He Came, He Saw, He…

Just a quick note about the short, troubled reign of AD John Currie:

I’m sorry it ended so quickly, and badly. Currie will always be remembered fondly by the Lady Vol faithful for having restored the Lady Vol name to all Tennessee women’s teams. We may note, also, that as the news of his dismissal spread, nobody was calling for the rehiring of Dave Hart.

I don’t follow Tennessee football, don’t care anything about it. I don’t follow football anywhere, on any level, and haven’t for a few years now. Not because football players in the NFL are taking a knee in protest during the national anthem…that, I support as their rights as Americans. Still not going to start following football again, though. Just taking the true American, true patriotic side of the debate.

But I know football drives the machine. If you’re going to be a successful AD, you have to keep the football fans happy. The rest of us are along for the ride. The firing of Butch Jones was not the issue -I think every AD in the country would have been forced to blame Butch for the disappointing season and fired him either during, or at the end, of this past season- but the search for his replacement didn’t play out at all the way a major university wants to present itself, with the first choice rejected by the fans (for the unproven but troubling allegation that he was aware of Jerry Sandusky’s child molesting while on the staff at Penn State and did nothing) and at least three other choices publicly turning Tennessee down for the head coaching job. Tennessee sees itself as a football power, and football powers don’t have to offer a head coaching job to four candidates without getting a coach, at least not in full view of the alumni.  I don’t know why this search was so public; I suspect somebody in the AD’s office, no friend of the AD, was leaking. Still, it was too embarrassing to allow; somebody had to take the fall.

Sorry, Mr. Currie. My wife and I spoke with you briefly at a softball game, where she, like so many others, lobbied you for the Lady Vol name change, which you graciously endured though, at the time, refused to commit to. We also noted your appearance at several other Lady Vol games, far more visible than Mr. Hart ever was. Good luck in your next endeavor, which I expect will be as an AD again elsewhere, perhaps at a university less stuck on itself.

What We’ve Seen So Far

Most of the way through the pre-conference season and what do we have so far?

Nobody can say for certain, but it looks like we have a pretty good team.

They’ve met all comers and come out on top. Eight games, eight wins. Only caveat is they haven’t played many quality teams…yet. The one top twenty team (Marquette) was defeated, narrowly, in overtime.  Better news is, unlike the teams of the past few years, they haven’t been playing down to the level of the competition. When they get a lead, they haven’t been coasting, or letting up. Today’s game against Alabama State, a great example: an all-time team record of only 4 turnovers over an entire game. 100 points scored. Bench players, no let up. Wednesday’s game, the opponent held scoreless in the 4th quarter, and to only 10 points in the third. Again, mostly with non-starters on the floor. It bodes well, especially compared with recent history.

The freshmen have been as advertised, if not better. Hard to imagine this group being denied a championship, assuming they can all improve from where they are now. Where they are now is solid, competent, confident.  Rennia Davis is a basketball machine. Hayes has flash and fire, and a nose for the basket. Westbrook is focused and appears to be a team player. Kushkituah has been setback by injuries, but in the early games was a presence, if not yet as polished as the other three.

Harris and Green, sophomore and junior by class but less by experience because of past injuries, are both stepping up and contributing. Meme Jackson is playing a more varied offensive game now, along with being the best lockdown defender on the team. Dunbar’s minutes are up, and though she hasn’t been as deadly at 3-point range as we’re used to, her defense isn’t as much a liability either and she’ll come around.

The key, of course, is still the starting seniors: Mercedes and Jaime. As good as the freshmen are, the fate of the team will be mostly up to those two. Russell is an accomplished center now, and Nared can do it all, and has the experience to help the freshmen grow. Which I am certain they will.

Compared to last year’s team, this year’s team seems more focused, more driven, less selfish, and less given to showboating. I don’t think there’s a showboat on the team, at least not so far. They aren’t looking to dazzle you, or intimidate you, or awe you with their reputations; they’re just looking to score more points than you do, by making sure you score fewer. It’s a formula that works in most sports.

Again, we haven’t played anybody much yet. Texas, coming up, will reveal more. A loss to the #5 team in the country in a non-conference game will hardly be fatal, especially if they learn from it. A win, of course, would be even better. An undefeated season would be miraculous, and is unlikely; the team’s character will be better forged after adversity, especially adversity that comes early enough in the season to be corrected. I am curious to see if Hayes can continue to drive to the basket against the better teams; I have some doubt. If she can, all the better; if not, I’ll be curious to see how quickly she adjusts. So, too, with the other freshmen; I haven’t spotted obvious flaws in Davis or Westbrook’s games, but then I’m no basketball expert. I may not have spotted a flaw in Haye’s game either; it’s just a possible one. We’ll see; it’s why they play the games rather than just letting people like me pick the winners in front of our computer screens.

Lady Vols Restored

Yesterday’s announced from AD John Currie that the Lady Vols name and logo would be returned to prominence, not as a replacement for the Volunteer name and Power-T logo but as a equally-valued brand name to be used by the women’s teams at their discretion, came after most of us had given up hope of such a positive outcome. Currie described being accosted almost daily by Lady Vol supporters, including, one time, my wife), lobbying for the reversal of the previous administration’s unpopular dismissal of the Lady Vol brand. I’ve always been more or less neutral on the subject, but given the passion of so many and the indifference of others it seems like not only the right decision but almost a no-brainer.

Currie spoke briefly about the replacement of Tennessee’s old logo, the outline of the state map on top of a U and a T forming a “State-T”, with the cleaner, more generic Power-T, which occurred without anywhere near the outrage that followed the removal of the Lady Vol logo. I’m not an alumni of the University so in a sense my opinion doesn’t matter, but I personally found the State-T more distinctive and, frankly, more clever than the Power-T. Without public outcry there’s no chance the State-T will return to prominence, but might I suggest that it be re-instated along with the Lady Vol logo as another alternative brand? My vision is that the men’s teams be given the same opportunity to choose among Tennessee logos, by having a logo of their own. Gentlemen Vols, as it were, alongside Lady Vols. Their logo could be some version of the State-T.

Of course, at some point we may need to adopt a Transgender T as well. I don’t currently have any ideas for that, but I’m sure the possibilities for inclusive and exclusive T’s have not been exhausted.