BTO’s Missouri postgame report

#1

bleedingTNorange

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#1
1. That one hurts, not because it’s a bad loss but because it felt like a very winnable game and that one would’ve looked great on our resume come March. We said 3-3 to start the SEC would work and that’s where they are at, now the Vols have to rebound and play another tough road game at South Carolina.

2. Grant Williams once again struggled against length tonight, not to beat a dead horse but this is why he isn’t a NBA player for all those that were worried he may run to the league. He’s a very good college player but sometimes we are so reliant on him that it hurts us, we force it inside and it results in a bad shot or turnover.

3. Bone/Bowden/Turner combined to shoot 2/19 from the field and 1-11 from deep...not sure if any of those guys were struggling with the flu or what but this was a very ugly game from our guards and it showed. That is Missouri’s weakness and should’ve looked like we had an advantage there, certainly didn’t look that way.

4. I know nobody will want to give CCM credit but I had zero doubt he would have his guys ready, and he did...that looked like probably the best defensive team we’ve seen all season, they made things VERY difficult for us tonight and took away all our best options which resulted in a season low point total. I also will say CCM going full court with 15 seconds left to eat clock and then foul was also well done, we should’ve been able to get a look at the rim and extend the game, didn’t happen.

5. This is life on the road in the SEC, I don’t think there’s any reason to overreact...Kentucky just lost to South Carolina on the road and Auburn just lost to Alabama on the road, Missouri is likely better than either of those teams...this isn’t going to be a bad loss come March, however again it sure would’ve looked good as a win on our resume.

6. Kyle Alexander had 12 points on a perfect 6-6 shooting, kind of going with #2 above but he needs more looks and he needs to get some of those touches down low when the focus is on Grant. He has a soft touch, some decent post moves and he doesn’t struggle against length like Grant...he needs to get more looks imo.

7. This loss isn’t bad as long as we don’t let it linger...the next 5 games are very winnable, go 4-1 or 3-2 and we are perfectly fine...go 2-3 and we may look back at this Missouri game as the turning point of a downward trend instead of just a tough loss. Our KP went from 12 to 13, and our RPI dropped from 12 to 14..again not a bad loss but can’t let it stay with us.
 
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#2
#2
I would disagree that Williams struggled tonight due to length. He struggled with the double team that forced a few TOs but his performance was just fine other than that.
 
#3
#3
I would disagree that Williams struggled tonight due to length. He struggled with the double team that forced a few TOs but his performance was just fine other than that.

First 4-5 possessions of the game he got absolutely owned by Porter 1-1
 
#4
#4
First 4-5 possessions of the game he got absolutely owned by Porter 1-1

And finished fine against him. It's almost as if when he doesn't score 25 we have to act like the length bothers him. Hell it wasn't length it was a clogged up lane and no outside shooting to unclog it
 
#6
#6
Another banger from BTO. Well done.

The only thing worse than our guard play tonight was 1985Vol’s performance in the game thread.
 
#8
#8
It stinks to have lost to both Pearl and Cuonzo. We didn't have the fire either game, and tonight, we couldn't hit Jack squat.
 
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#9
#9
And finished fine against him. It's almost as if when he doesn't score 25 we have to act like the length bothers him. Hell it wasn't length it was a clogged up lane and no outside shooting to unclog it

5/12 from a big man is not good, by any standards. I don’t give a crap if you score 15pts like he ended up with, anybody rolls that tape and they’re going to pick Williams apart.

Again I’m not dogging him, but he struggles big time with length, there are many examples besides tonight.
 
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#12
#12
The SEC has a ton of length in the paint and Williams will naturally struggle against it. Alexander is finally showing us something and we need to embrace it. Feed him. If he can get going it will in turn help Williams. I wanted him to have a big night.
 
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#13
#13
5/12 from a big man is not good, by any standards. I don’t give a crap if you score 15pts like he ended up with, anybody rolls that tape and they’re going to pick Williams apart.

Again I’m not dogging him, but he struggles big time with length, there are many examples besides tonight.

5/12 is just an average night. Now he struggled against A&M but tonight was just any other night.

By the way he started off 0/3 in those first few possessions so he finished 5/9. I guess he adjusted to the length.
 
#14
#14
5/12 from a big man is not good, by any standards. I don’t give a crap if you score 15pts like he ended up with, anybody rolls that tape and they’re going to pick Williams apart.

Again I’m not dogging him, but he struggles big time with length, there are many examples besides tonight.

Yep. 5-12 and 4 TOs is a bad night.
 
#15
#15
The SEC has a ton of length in the paint and Williams will naturally struggle against it. Alexander is finally showing us something and we need to embrace it. Feed him. If he can get going it will in turn help Williams. I wanted him to have a big night. And I think it could have been bigger particularly with as much as our guards struggled.

Foul trouble hurt him in the 1st half
 
#16
#16
5/12 is just an average night. Now he struggled against A&M but tonight was just any other night.

By the way he started off 0/3 in those first few possessions so he finished 5/9. I guess he adjusted to the length.

Sub 50% is not considered a good fg% for big men
 
#20
#20
5/12 is just an average night. Now he struggled against A&M but tonight was just any other night.

By the way he started off 0/3 in those first few possessions so he finished 5/9. I guess he adjusted to the length.

Needs to be better. On the year we have a bad 2 pt %
 
#24
#24
Lol. I didn't say he had a good night. It was an average game scoring the ball. Not good not bad.

The TOs were bad

Imo 50% would be average, he was under that...add in the turnovers and as I said in my OP he struggled once again against length.

To his credit he’s a good enough player to still score and not shoot 20%, but by his standards and what he averages he struggled.
 
#25
#25
I would disagree that Williams struggled tonight due to length. He struggled with the double team that forced a few TOs but his performance was just fine other than that.

I agree here.

He didn't have a great nite but plenty good enough to win. When you get nothing from outside it gets even harder for him around the basket.
 
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