Better than you thought

#1
lawgator1

lawgator1

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#1
I think it is fair to say that Tenn men's b-ball is outperforming all expectations (the reverse of the football team, yes?) and as many have said, its early. The SEC regular season has a way of beating teams down and as things move along you will get a better feel for what kind of team you really have.

I think as well that it is obvious that Texas has something wrong with it -- that Duke loss may have really shattered the team's confidence. I remember a few years back Florida went up to Kentucky, ranked as #1 in the country at the time, and got absolutely crushed by a much faster and physically stronger Wildcat team. I mean blow out city. They never really recovered and the infighting soon began. May be what happened to Texas, at least for now.

Still, beating them on the road like that was huge and Texas will turn out to be a marquise victory come tournament time. If you can go .500 in the SEC, maybe win one game in the SEC tourney, I say you are in. It helped that Ky beat Lousiville because many around the country were starting to doubt the quality of SEC b-ball this year (and with good reason, if you ask me). But now UK beat ranked Lousivlle, you guys beat Texas, and Florida beat Wake and Syracuse. So all in all I'd say that the both Tennessee and the SEC are looking a mite better than a few weeks ago.
 
#2
#2
(lawgator1 @ Dec 20 said:
I remember a few years back Florida went up to Kentucky, ranked as #1 in the country at the time, and got absolutely crushed by a much faster and physically stronger Wildcat team. I mean blow out city. They never really recovered and the infighting soon began. May be what happened to Texas, at least for now.
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I remember that Florida/Kentucky game...Dicky V was saying "this is embarrassing!!!!" .....I also remember when #4 Tennessee went to Rupp a few years back against an unranked Kentucky team and lost by double digits If I remember correctly. I think we have the coaching to keep us focused now, however, from the entire staff..
 
#3
#3
(Jmxvol @ Dec 20 said:
I remember that Florida/Kentucky game...Dicky V was saying "this is embarrassing!!!!" .....I also remember when #4 Tennessee went to Rupp a few years back against an unranked Kentucky team and lost by double digits If I remember correctly. I think we have the coaching to keep us focused now, however, from the entire staff..
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Why is it that this sort of thing happens so much? Teams with high rankings getting blown out? Texas this year, Florida and Tenn in years past at Rupp. I think college b-ball is a lot about momentum and rhythm. You know, shooting the lights out on Monday, can't find the bottom of the bucket at all on Wednesday.
 
#4
#4
(lawgator1 @ Dec 20 said:
Why is it that this sort of thing happens so much? Teams with high rankings getting blown out? Texas this year, Florida and Tenn in years past at Rupp. I think college b-ball is a lot about momentum and rhythm. You know, shooting the lights out on Monday, can't find the bottom of the bucket at all on Wednesday.
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Agreed. You find out the teams that are built for a big run when it gets to a tourny situation....3 games in 3 days...or 4 in 4....My favorite thing about hoops it that you don't have to wait 1 or 2 weeks to get a loss out of your system, you usually get another opportunity in about 3 days...
 
#5
#5
(lawgator1 @ Dec 20 said:
I think college b-ball is a lot about momentum and rhythm. You know, shooting the lights out on Monday, can't find the bottom of the bucket at all on Wednesday.
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I agree totally. The Kentucky I saw against Indiana was completely different from the Kentucky I saw against Louisville. When you're hot, you're hot, and when you're cold, you lose.
 
#6
#6
I think Guard play is the most important thing in hoops...the more consistent teams have the best, most experienced guards...
 
#7
#7
(Jmxvol @ Dec 20 said:
I think Guard play is the most important thing in hoops...the more consistent teams have the best, most experienced guards...
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Being a Florida fan, I guess I am used to decent back court play. What I want to see are some big men get brought into UF program!! Some giant beefy rebounding types. Donovan has always recruited in his own image. But people have him figured out now and I think he sees that putting 4 guards on the floor doesn't work that well when they miss their 3's. Yes guard play is crucial in college b-ball where you have the longer shot clock. But when it comes to the tourney, the refs seem to me to let it go a bit and you'd better have some 6'8" + guys that aren't afraid to scrap or you are done.

 
#8
#8
(lawgator1 @ Dec 20 said:
Why is it that this sort of thing happens so much? Teams with high rankings getting blown out? Texas this year, Florida and Tenn in years past at Rupp. I think college b-ball is a lot about momentum and rhythm. You know, shooting the lights out on Monday, can't find the bottom of the bucket at all on Wednesday.
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The parity in basketball is far greater than in football. Almost never in football will you see a lowly school go up and beat a big-time program. In college hoops, that sort of thing happens on a regular basis. I guess it's the fact that assembling 40 or so talented guys is a lot tougher for small schools than getting 12 together.

Yes, the SEC is doing much better than expected.
 
#9
#9
Other than Florida and Tennessee, I'm not sure who in the conference is better than expected. The entire Western Division is playing mediocre basketball and the East hasn't set the world afire. Unless someone from the West, most likely LSU, Alabama, or possibly Arkansas begins to play well , it's simply another average to poor year for the conference.
 
#10
#10
(hatvol96 @ Dec 20 said:
Other than Florida and Tennessee, I'm not sure who in the conference is better than expected. The entire Western Division is playing mediocre basketball and the East hasn't set the world afire. Unless someone from the West, most likely LSU, Alabama, or possibly Arkansas begins to play well , it's simply another average to poor year for the conference.
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It won't be Arkansas and don't forget Tennessee blew LSU out of the gym last season...
 
#11
#11
(lawgator1 @ Dec 20 said:
Being a Florida fan, I guess I am used to decent back court play. What I want to see are some big men get brought into UF program!! Some giant beefy rebounding types. Donovan has always recruited in his own image. But people have him figured out now and I think he sees that putting 4 guards on the floor doesn't work that well when they miss their 3's. Yes guard play is crucial in college b-ball where you have the longer shot clock. But when it comes to the tourney, the refs seem to me to let it go a bit and you'd better have some 6'8" + guys that aren't afraid to scrap or you are done.
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The teams that go deep in the tourny are the teams with the best guards...big men help but experienced guard play is the difference...
 
#12
#12
(Jmxvol @ Dec 20 said:
It won't be Arkansas and don't forget Tennessee blew LSU out of the gym last season...
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If one or both of them don't pick up their play, the SEC West might get shut out of NCAA play. Alabama has lost to all the marquee teams on their non-conference schedule and has big problems in their backcourt. The only thing propping them up is the fact they should pad their record against the rest of the pathetic West.
 
#13
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(hatvol96 @ Dec 20 said:
If one or both of them don't pick up their play, the SEC West might get shut out of NCAA play. Alabama has lost to all the marquee teams on their non-conference schedule and has big problems in their backcourt. The only thing propping them up is the fact they should pad their record against the rest of the pathetic West.
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Alabama will also lose in my opinion to NC State this week...I really don't think Bama is any good this year or any better than LSU or Arkansas....MSU sucks...
 
#14
#14
Given my limited experience with the game, one thing that has alwasy stuck out to me was rebounding...teams that increase possesions, and/or keep possesions alive with offensive rebounding generally fair well...one thing that i think UT has struggled at over the years...now whether or not guard play or inside makes the difference, i let that debate be discussed, but for me, rebounding is huge.

And i would say it's too early to tell if the SEC is better than expected...from what i heard, everyone thinks UF, KY are going to be pretty good, and they are. the west, what happened to Bama and Miss. St? i thought they were also supposed to be pretty good? I do think if teams like UT and say LSU play well....and continue to win a few games they maybe shouldn't, the conf. at the end of the year will have a much more favorable light shed on it.
 
#15
#15
(jakez4ut @ Dec 20 said:
Given my limited experience with the game, one thing that has alwasy stuck out to me was rebounding...teams that increase possesions, and/or keep possesions alive with offensive rebounding generally fair well...one thing that i think UT has struggled at over the years...now whether or not guard play or inside makes the difference, i let that debate be discussed, but for me, rebounding is huge.

And i would say it's too early to tell if the SEC is better than expected...from what i heard, everyone thinks UF, KY are going to be pretty good, and they are. the west, what happened to Bama and Miss. St? i thought they were also supposed to be pretty good? I do think if teams like UT and say LSU play well....and continue to win a few games they maybe shouldn't, the conf. at the end of the year will have a much more favorable light shed on it.
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I don't know who you listened to if you thought Mississippi State was gonna be good...Kentucky isn't anything to write home and tell your mother about...Florida is the best team in the conference right now and based on what's been accomplished to this point Tennessee is second...I would put Vandy/South Carolina as pretty decent teams...
 
#16
#16
(Jmxvol @ Dec 20 said:
Alabama will also lose in my opinion to NC State this week...I really don't think Bama is any good this year or any better than LSU or Arkansas....MSU sucks...
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What do you think the problem is at Arkansas and LSU? I think the personnel on those two teams is much better than the results indicate. Brady strikes me as a competent coach, I'm not so sure about Stan Heath. The only reason he has a job in the SEC is because he made a run in the NCAA tournament with players Gary Waters brought to Kent.
 
#17
#17
(hatvol96 @ Dec 20 said:
What do you think the problem is at Arkansas and LSU? I think the personnel on those two teams is much better than the results indicate. Brady strikes me as a competent coach, I'm not so sure about Stan Heath. The only reason he has a job in the SEC is because he made a run in the NCAA tournament with players Gary Waters brought to Kent.
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Stan Heath is overrated as are his better players on that team and that retard at LSU can't coach a lick...He's nothing but a BBALL version of Houston Nutt
 
#18
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(Jmxvol @ Dec 20 said:
I don't know who you listened to if you thought Mississippi State was gonna be good...Kentucky isn't anything to write home and tell your mother about...Florida is the best team in the conference right now and based on what's been accomplished to this point Tennessee is second...I would put Vandy/South Carolina as pretty decent teams...
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ah, my two brothers are MSU alum....and given thier pathetic football, Bball is all they have had to hang on to...and recently they've been pretty good, just thought it would continue...and as for KY, i have to believe that they'll get better as the year goes on...have no arguement for any of the other stuff....
 
#19
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(Jmxvol @ Dec 20 said:
Stan Heath is overrated as are his better players on that team and that retard at LSU can't coach a lick...He's nothing but a BBALL version of Houston Nutt
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Wow, JMX. I've finally found some things we disagree on. I think Brady and Nutt are both good coaches. I'm not sure Ronnie Brewer is overrated, either.
 
#20
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(hatvol96 @ Dec 20 said:
Wow, JMX. I've finally found some things we disagree on. I think Brady and Nutt are both good coaches. I'm not sure Ronnie Brewer is overrated, either.
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Just a difference in opinion I suppose...Brady's never done anything of significance for all the pub he gets, he's just a RA RA boy....Same with Nutt and that slop he serves up down at Arkansas, he's thrown up back to back losing seasons and his best seasons are 7-5ish
 
#21
#21
Oh and I guess the reason I don't have a high opinion of Ronnie Brewer or Jonathan Modica is because CJ and Chris Lofton have their best games against those 2 bafoons
 
#22
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(Jmxvol @ Dec 20 said:
Oh and I guess the reason I don't have a high opinion of Ronnie Brewer or Jonathan Modica is because CJ and Chris Lofton have their best games against those 2 bafoons
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That may be true, but the NBA scouts absolutely love Brewer.
 
#23
#23
From Chris Dortch on ESPN.com:

Ryan (Baton Rouge): How strong is the SEC in basketball?

SportsNation Chris Dortch: (3:22 PM ET ) In terms of having a team that can win the national championship, I don't think the SEC is in a class with the Big 12, Big East and ACC right now. But in terms of having 9-10 teams that have a legitimate chance at playing in a postseason tournament, the SEC is probably one of the deeper leagues in the country.

Matt (Little Rock): With the LSU loss last night who do you think the top 2-3 teams are in the SEC now? Also, does Ronnie Brewer have a legitimate shot at national player of the year? Thanks

SportsNation Chris Dortch: (3:27 PM ET ) I still think Kentucky has the most upside in the league, because of Morris' potential. Florida is playing very well. I still like Vanderbilt, despite the beating it took from Cincinnati on its home court. And don't forget about Tennessee. That win over Texas underscored how good a coach Bruce Pearl is.

Matt (Nashville): C.D. - How 'bout those Vols? If they can get a victory @ OK State this week, do they become a serious contender to make the field of 65?

SportsNation Chris Dortch: (3:36 PM ET ) Matt, I'd have to say yes. If the Vols were to beat Oklahoma State, they'd finish they would likely finish the non-conference season unbeaten. From there, it's just a matter of going 9-7 in the league and getting another win in the SEC Tournament. Tennessee has to stay healthy, though. Coach Pearl has little margin for error, considering that just seven guys play most of the minutes.

Casey (Charleston, IL):: Who is your Coach of the Year so far this season?

SportsNation Chris Dortch: (3:50 PM ET ) Billy Donovan has gotten more out of his team than most, though Roy Williams has certainly shown us a thing or two. Tennessee's Bruce Pearl is riding strong on the outside.
 
#25
#25
Did anyone else read the Sportsline.com article that mentioned Stallings as a candidate for the Cincinnati job?
 
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