Three things I noted, based ON A VERY LIMITED observation of a few highlight clips from the OSU vs TENN game:
1. The three point shots by Oregon State were very poorly contested by UT's perimeter players. There were at least 2 ft of separation between the defender and the shooter. Since it was only a few selected short clips, couldn't tell if that was par for game or if there were hard or multiple screens that opened OSU's shooters for their shots. From what I could see, it just looked like maybe young perimeter players not getting out quickly enough with their hands up.
2. Likewise, on the clip of OSU's big girl shooting over Mercedes, the girl did a little fall away move and Russell was slow to close the gap and get to get her hands up, and Oregon State's post had a clear look, and, essentially, an open shot at the basket. Might have been at end of game when MR was tired. Again, one look out of context, but our posts are aggressive in bodying up and keeping arms up. This makes for a much more difficult shot. Now, my question is, can Kalani keep her arms straight up and not hack down, thereby getting in fouls trouble? She had done better at that lately, but in rewatching Michigan game, she brought her arms down twice and definitely fouled Thome, but refs were disinterested by that point in game and didn't call them.
3. On two clips, OSU's perimeter player scored driving to basket when her defender was screened by offensive player Mercedes was guarding. In one instance, Mercedes didn't hedge at all and it was just a total, unimpeded blow-by. In the second one, she stepped out and slowed the girl down, then retreated to her person to guard. The perimeter player who was beaten didn't haul rear back to her girl but was looking around as if to find her next rotation. That was a communication breakdown.
This is not to poke at Tennessee and I will reiterate the clips were out of context. But I was encouraged to see a few fixable breakdowns leading to those scores, as opposed to just total dominance. Tennessee ran a little hot and cold this year, but when they were hot, they were a tough team to beat. I thought, just from the clips, they might have been lukewarm in this game.
WE have to be on our best game...fighting over screens, communicating LOUDLY, hedge off screens, perimeter players sprinting out then breaking down well with hands up...
We CAN win this game; now, let's go DO it!
