“We can’t take coaching,”“We can’t take criticism. We can’t take teaching...

#1
orange+white=heaven

orange+white=heaven

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#1
..."We’re not accountable. That’s fine."

"It’s going to be over before we know it.”

-Bruce Pearl


The rest, from Wes Rucker
Bruce Pearl’s Monday night message to the team was clear.

Pearl tried to gently take back some of his harshest words from Saturday’s postgame news conference at Rupp Arena, where his team looked listless in a 77-58 loss to the Wildcats.

“I’ve just not been able to get us to overcome the handling of adversity,” Pearl told reporters Monday night. “We’ve been able to disguise it some, but it’s reared its ugly head way too much, when you see their heads get down so quickly, so easily.”

But, in Pearl’s words, that’s not necessarily an outright surrender.

“I used the word ‘quit’ the other day,” Pearl said. “They quit on themselves, quit on what we do, quit on playing with a purpose and a focus, but it wasn’t that their effort wasn’t there. It’s not that they don’t want to win. It’s ... dealing with adversity. It’s a 40-minute game. It’s a two-hour practice. You’ve got to battle back when things don’t go so well, and this team has not been able to do that all season long.

“Part of it is our leadership. Some of those guys struggle as much as anybody.”
Click to expand...
LINK:Complete article
 
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#4
#4
did i just read he said that the "its not like the effort wasn't there"? if u ask me this team def does not hustle like his teams in the past. its not even close
 
#5
#5
GAVol said:
Agreed . . . Forget the deficiencies in shooting, defense, guard play etc. It's all about leadership or lack thereof.
Click to expand...

There are some serious coaching issues on offense.
Posted via VolNation Mobile
 
#6
#6
Bruce sounds like a coach at his wit's end.

I understand the frustration, but I'm not sure I'd let the media see so much of it if I were he...
 
#7
#7
More Rucker, this time on Tourney status...

Well, that wasn’t a very good week. But it wasn’t bad enough to keep the Tennessee men’s basketball team out of the NCAA tournament, apparently.
Not yet, anyway.
Click to expand...
UT has thrust itself closer to the bubble, making this week’s “Bubble Watch” much more interesting from an objective person’s point of view — but probably more frustrating for a coach, player or fan.

Most of the game’s respected analysts still see the Vols in the 65-team field at this point, citing their overall tournament-worthy body of work. UT still has four games left before the Southeastern Conference tournament, though, and a nose dive could easily leave the Vols NIT-bound.
Click to expand...
Wednesday’s home game against Mississippi State is much more important that most would have predicted weeks ago. The Bulldogs (17-10, 7-5) and Vols (16-10, 7-5) have identical conference records and, while UT has a much better out-of-conference resume, an MSU victory in Knoxville so late in the season could sway the selection committee.

Making Wednesday even more interesting is the Bulldogs’ seemingly solid matchup with UT. Mississippi State leads the nation in blocked shots and makes more 3-pointers than any team in the SEC. The Vols, meanwhile, don’t defend or shoot from the perimeter particularly well, and they often rely heavily on inside-the-paint points.
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I still think a 2-2 record in these last four games and a second-day appearance at the SEC tournament (via bye or opening-round victory) will get UT in the NCAA tournament, but not without a nervous Sunday selection party. I think the Vols are the only SEC team with an out-of-conference resume good enough to get in with a 9-7 league mark.
Click to expand...


Bracket projections
Joe Lunardi, ESPN.com — No. 9 seed, Midwest Regional
Andy Glockner, SI.com — No. 9 seed, South Regional
Frank Burlison, FoxSports.com — No. 8 seed, East Regional
Jerry Palm, CollegeRPI.com — No. 7 seed, West Regional (before loss at Kentucky)
Click to expand...
 
#8
#8
My prediction is NIT...Anyway we really do lack leadership on the floor...Maze looks scared to drive and at time just looks scared to dribble...Hopson is lost out there and there is no way Wayne should be the best shooter...Maybe we need to pick up a shooter with leadership qualities this off season...One can only hope...Let's get April here!
 
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