The Official #7 Tennessee vs. #2 Purdue Game Thread, 8:00 PM ET, ESPN

[PA Vol]

Still frustrated with our offense but if they don’t have a 7’4” guy I’m confident we win even as bad as we played at times.

 

[Jaxon_Vol2017]

I'm so pissed

Why? It's the fifth game of the year. This game is gonna make us way better. If we just hit a couple of our threes we win. We're gonna be okay

 

[ttocswob]

Mostly stone cold from deep, still just short 67 - 71 2023-24 will be a season to remember. GBO!!!

 

[The Dog]

Okay, now we get #1 Kansas or #4 Marquette, win that one and it's a very successful tournament, imo

 

[vavolfan6]

Purdue may be the #2 team in the nation, but they aren't even top 25 without Edey. I feel its a bad loss becuase we let that Loyer kid score 27 points. Limit him to 15 we win. Also Purdue with 18 more free throws. Frustrating

 

[UTK]

Tennessee has to shoot better, with that said, refs played a huge part in this one. It is what it is. Hope you get a competent crew in march consistently

 

[VolGee4]

48 attempts? Thats absurd

No doubt. Just an embarrassment to the sport.

 

[TrippieRedd]

Look, blaming refs is a loser move, but the two fouls on Aidoo and Awaka were daggers. Just weak calls. Then Mashack got hooked by Edey and they called foul on us. Those are tough, tough breaks.

Also, people complaining about Gainey’s shot selection need to realize he’s the only player outside Awaka that decided to score in the second half. We missed about 10 wide open 3’s. You hit 3 of those and that’s game over. ZZ and SV have to be better and Knecht has to learn to hold onto the ball.

48 FTs says otherwise.

That team isn’t #2 in the country. They weren’t good.

Do we need to play better? Absolutely, but that was a 10+ point win.

 

[VolunteerVandiver]

Gotta keep Awaka out of foul trouble next time we play them

 

[LieutenantNeyland]

This..... They're gonna get better.

I’m not sure Purdue will but I definitely think we can. We put a lot of minutes on young guys in a final four type of game. This TN team is tough and has the fight that we wish the football team would have. Mark my words, we go farther than Purdue in the tourney.

 

[JCP201]

I hate we lost, but got nothing to be ashamed about. Z was great on defense and played hard, Awaka had an ankle injury and was amazing, and some ticky tack fouls.

 

[vols1071]

UT wasn't gonna be allowed to win this game... Penn Entertainment/ESPN

 

[Vols All Day]

That was the game right there.

Then they let a dude that shouldn’t have scored more than 10 points, score his career high.

 

[LibertyVol]

When was that?

NCAA tournament

 

[pasadenavol]

Ziegler and Vescovi have to step up. Both need to put up more threes in the gym. Vescovi had some stupid fouls in this game.

Knecht hopefully learned that you can't be loose with the ball while dribbling in the lane.

Hopefully the team learns a lot from this game and can come away with a win tomorrow.

 

[Frozevol]

And Purdue needed a lucky game from a very average guard to beat us. Vols are going to be very good.

I just hope our guards can get that “lucky” some this year.

 

[BreatheUT]

Don't tell me we couldn't use Chris Ledlum on offense.

 

[ChattownVFL]

We are owned by Purdue.

 

[OrngeJuiceJones]

48 damn FTs

 

[TheMookieMonster]

Zach Edey is so overrated. Blessed with pure size and that is one of the only reasons he is any good.

 

[utVolFanInVA]

Really? They have a seven footer who was national player of the year. Rebounding isn’t easy.

Edey only had 10 total rebounds. It was the other Gs & Fs that we never box out.

 

[Jimmyandjoes]

It’s a game thread. In a big game that matters it’s going to have some of everything.

 

[DooleyOrangePants]

Purdue is a good team, no doubt.

Good early test for our guys. Need to figure out the shooting woes, but we stood blow for blow against the #2 team in the country.


NCAA needs to do something about the officiating though. Completely nonsense all night.

 

[Ttucke11]

Eh, we all say it but we got absolutely ****ed by the refs. We got some nice calls as well, but that happens when there is 83 fouls called in one game. If we can just knock down some shots we are legit. Everyone needs to chill. With that said, I'm pissed the **** off still.

 

[S Tampa Vol]

Okay, now we get #1 Kansas or #4 Marquette, win that one and it's a very successful tournament, imo

We aren’t mentally tough enough to beat either. We got Ziegler and Gainey playing hero ball and Vescovi needs a sports psychologist because he has sucked