1-2 Punch

#1
kiddiedoc

kiddiedoc

Renaissance Man
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Sep 30, 2004
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#1
How long has it been since we have had the talent of the Hopson-Harris combo? And, how long will it be before we see that again?

IMO, the answer to both is "a long time."

Not trying to be overly-negative, but the struggles of this team, this year, in THIS SEC are very hard to comprehend.
 
#2
#2
Massive opportunity missed, for sure. And I have to think the investigation crap had a ton to do with it.
 
#3
#3
Every talkin head in the biz has either slammed Pearl or admitted that the AA has stolen this season from the VOLS without even a single sanction......
 
#4
#4
IPorange said:
Massive opportunity missed, for sure. And I have to think the investigation crap had a ton to do with it.
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As do I. It's just hard to stomach this waste of a season with the best combo of talent we've had since I started following UT hoops. It sucks, but I have a very sour feeling about the next few years...
 
#5
#5
Rock33 said:
Every talkin head in the biz has either slammed Pearl or admitted that the AA has stolen this season from the VOLS without even a single sanction......
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Don't worry...they're coming.
 
#6
#6
kiddiedoc said:
How long has it been since we have had the talent of the Hopson-Harris combo? And, how long will it be before we see that again?

IMO, the answer to both is "a long time."

Not trying to be overly-negative, but the struggles of this team, this year, in THIS SEC are very hard to comprehend.
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Six stars under your name just looks ostentations. Can't we come up with something cleaner, like some sort of Roman Numeral Star system?
 
#7
#7
cotton said:
Six stars under your name just looks ostentations. Can't we come up with something cleaner, like some sort of Roman Numeral Star system?
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I am actually in favor of a statue outside gate 21.
 
#9
#9
Hire the right coach and it happens sooner than you'd think. Which is why it's critical to dump Pearl the day after the season ends. Identify the best mid-major coach in the country. Offer him a million and a half dollars more a year than he's making right now. Rebuild.
 
#10
#10
Vercingetorix said:
Hire the right coach and it happens sooner than you'd think. Which is why it's critical to dump Pearl the day after the season ends. Identify the best mid-major coach in the country. Offer him a million and a half dollars more a year than he's making right now. Rebuild.
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I'd shoot for M Anderson first :crossfingers:
 
#11
#11
This shouldn't have to be that hard. Be Daddy Freaking Warbucks. "Here's a video of our awesome facilities; here's a giant suitcase full of cash. And oh, over there is Assistant AD Condredge Holloway holding another giant suitcase full of cash. Just come to Knoxville to see what you think, all right?"
 
#13
#13
lylsmorr said:
I'd shoot for M Anderson first :crossfingers:
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I don't know if he would take the job simply on principle. he was interviewed for UT job before and wasn't chosen. Also rumblings in Arkansas are that folks want Anderson to bring 40 minutes of Hell back to Fayeteville like his mentor Nolan Richardson.
 
#14
#14
Might be the best one two punch i'd say it is, but the rest of the team is pretty bad and Pearl's substitutions have been worse.

Yesterday, as soon as McBrick and mini Pearl got into the game Kentucky started coming back.

I think that's just as big a problem. The fact they play 3 on 5 basketball or 4 on 5 half the time. This bench is the weakest of the Pearl era, there is absolutely no one on that bench he can count on for quality minutes.

Overall this just isn't a very good team as a whole, no matter how good Hopson and Harris are individually.
 
#15
#15
As I have said before, we are not very good! Against good basketball teams, are weakness is very evident. Scotty Hopson, standing at the line taking that crap from Kentucky player and then shrinking is perfect example of how poor we are. A true All American would not have taken that kind of abuse and not done something about it!
 
#16
#16
PineyBluff Vol said:
As I have said before, we are not very good! Against good basketball teams, are weakness is very evident. Scotty Hopson, standing at the line taking that crap from Kentucky player and then shrinking is perfect example of how poor we are. A true All American would not have taken that kind of abuse and not done something about it!
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Scotty did disappear after that didn't he? Liggins would have caught a inadvertent elbow to the jaw had that been me. I don't want to harp on Scotty though as he's been about all we've had for a few weeks now. Tyler Smith would have jacked Liggins up, i miss Tyler.
 
#17
#17
Cartervol said:
Scotty did disappear after that didn't he? Liggins would have caught a inadvertent elbow to the jaw had that been me. I don't want to harp on Scotty though as he's been about all we've had for a few weeks now. Tyler Smith would have jacked Liggins up, i miss Tyler.
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Scotty has a good game, and everybody on this board is ready to fellate him. He has a bad game, and he gets bashed relentlessly.

Hopson is better than Tyler Smith every day of the week. He's the best player we've had since Allan Houston. Enjoy the last few games with the guy.
 
#18
#18
kidbourbon said:
Scotty has a good game, and everybody on this board is ready to fellate him. He has a bad game, and he gets bashed relentlessly.

Hopson is better than Tyler Smith every day of the week. He's the best player we've had since Allan Houston. Enjoy the last few games with the guy.
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Agree with everything you said up until the "since allan houston" comment. Scotty is good and has way more talent but if im picking my 2 guard at ut i'm chris lofton any day of the week.
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#19
#19
Scotty really is a very gifted player but everyone who scouts him knows his game is affected by his emotions. Liggins tirade on him was by design and pre-planned and it had it's desired affect.

As for Lofton, great shooter but I think you are letting your fond memories cloud your judgement here. Scotty is far and away the more gifted player. If he can learn to make the game all business and curb the emotions he'll have a career in the NBA.
 
#20
#20
PineyBluff Vol said:
As I have said before, we are not very good! Against good basketball teams, are weakness is very evident. Scotty Hopson, standing at the line taking that crap from Kentucky player and then shrinking is perfect example of how poor we are. A true All American would not have taken that kind of abuse and not done something about it!
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So to be clear, you were hoping for a kung-fu fight on the foul line between our best player and Kentucky's 4th best player?

Cartervol said:
Scotty did disappear after that didn't he? Liggins would have caught a inadvertent elbow to the jaw had that been me. I don't want to harp on Scotty though as he's been about all we've had for a few weeks now. Tyler Smith would have jacked Liggins up, i miss Tyler.
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Isn't that the same guy Scotty leveled in the first meeting?
 
#21
#21
blueblood said:
Scotty really is a very gifted player but everyone who scouts him knows his game is affected by his emotions. Liggins tirade on him was by design and pre-planned and it had it's desired affect.

As for Lofton, great shooter but I think you are letting your fond memories cloud your judgement here. Scotty is far and away the more gifted player. If he can learn to make the game all business and curb the emotions he'll have a career in the NBA.
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No question, but at least Lofton brought his A game to Knoxville for more than 15 games. It's hard to give Hopson full marks when he disappointed for two and a half seasons and now is presumably going to leave immediately after figuring it out.
 
#22
#22
blueblood said:
Scotty really is a very gifted player but everyone who scouts him knows his game is affected by his emotions. Liggins tirade on him was by design and pre-planned and it had it's desired affect.

As for Lofton, great shooter but I think you are letting your fond memories cloud your judgement here. Scotty is far and away the more gifted player. If he can learn to make the game all business and curb the emotions he'll have a career in the NBA.
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Youre correct scotty has way more talent and my post above said that but again if im picking the team its lofton over scotty all day and it doesnt have anything to do with memories clouding anything. Lofton never got rattled and almost always showed up big. I like scotty alot but i cant make the same statements about him.
Posted via VolNation Mobile
 
#23
#23
cotton said:
So to be clear, you were hoping for a kung-fu fight on the foul line between our best player and Kentucky's 4th best player?



Isn't that the same guy Scotty leveled in the first meeting?
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No fighting gets you thrown out, however sticking the ball up his nose as Bruce has so eloquently put it is a good idea.
 
#24
#24
jp1 said:
Youre correct scotty has way more talent and my post above said that but again if im picking the team its lofton over scotty all day and it doesnt have anything to do with memories clouding anything. Lofton never got rattled and almost always showed up big. I like scotty alot but i cant make the same statements about him.
Posted via VolNation Mobile
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Depends on what you call "talent". The ability to drill 3s from anywhere on the court is a talent. The ability to tenaciously guard anyone all over the court (JuJuan Smith) is a talent. The ability to anticipate where the rebound is coming off is a talent. Folks used to say, "Larry Bird's great, but he's not as 'talented' as...[fill in the blank with some guy who can jump]" Absolutely absurd. The ability to come back at you play after play after play is a talent. Dennis Rodman was one of the most talented players ever, though none of his talents translated to offensive effectiveness.

I like Harris' game, but he's still soft on defense and on the boards, he throws too many soft passes that a team like Florida eats for lunch, and he so far hasn't shown the stamina for a full SEC season. (He's been leg weary in the second half of the season, though I'm hoping he's getting his second wind just in time for the tourney.)

I don't agree at all with the OP that this is the best 1-2 punch even of the Pearl era. It may be the most draftable, and they might could BECOME that if they both stick around, but as far as talent that translates to college basketball success, I'd take Lofton and Smith any day of the week.
 
#25
#25
Vercingetorix said:
No question, but at least Lofton brought his A game to Knoxville for more than 15 games. It's hard to give Hopson full marks when he disappointed for two and a half seasons and now is presumably going to leave immediately after figuring it out.
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If he leaves it is because he's good enough to leave. I like Lofton plenty, but there was a very good reason he never had to make that kind of decision.

Hopson is unquestionably our best player since Allan Houston. To argue otherwise would require a very contrived definition of "best".
 
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