1. What a showing, I’ll be the first to admit that being down Phillips & JJJ against the #1 team in the country I wasn’t optimistic, I was scratching my head trying to figure out why and how we were favorites. Somehow Vegas was able to measure the heart and grit of this team when the rest of us couldn’t, kudos to them because these Vols showed a whole lot of it tonight.
2. Tennessee had 1 way to win this game, and that was get physical, lock you up defensively, and make one of the nations best offenses work for everything…mission accomplished. Everyone deserves credit, but I will single out Jahmai Mashack, my goodness, not often you can point to someone who played 27 minutes and didn’t score a point and say you might be the MVP. He absolutely made Miller’s night hell, a Top 3 draft pick, I don’t have final numbers but seems like Miller might’ve only scored 4-6 points against Mashack, absolutely incredible. Hate to put a negative spin on it but if he can find an offensive game he has all the tools to be something, he is such an elite defender, it’s wild.
3. This team goes as ZZZ goes, look at his numbers in wins vs. losses, that simple…he wasn’t perfect offensively, just 4-11 in fact, but 8 assists with 0 turnovers and played some great defense as well. He broke things down and harassed their guards all night, he stayed in with 3 fouls and avoided a quick 4th which might’ve lost us the game, that is big. We need him, we can spell him for 2 minutes a half, but to be at our best we need ZZZ at his best for 35+ minutes a night.
4. Just gonna lump this into one, our 5, this is about our 5’s…I don’t envy Barnes, you just don’t know. Nkamhoua is struggling again, Aidoo has arguably his best game of his career after a bad stretch, Awaka disappears after everyone wants more of him, and Plavsic is strong and efficiency after seeing his minutes diminish. All our 5’s have a role and serve a purpose, good luck picking night to night or even possession by possession, it’s got to be maddening for Rick. With that said, well done Aidoo & Uros tonight, they were very good and we don’t win tonight without them, you see the ceiling for Aidoo and it excites you, that guy can be something special.
5. This team needed this obviously, what’s maddening is you’re 2 buzzer beaters away from being 22-4(11-2), likely #1 in the country and right behind Bama for SEC regular championship, such is life. I say that to point out that maybe it’s not doomsday, maybe this team hasn’t quit like many in this fanbase have? If you can beat the #1 team in the country without 2 of your better players you’re a good team, does that mean you’ll make a E8 or F4, of course not, but it proves the potential is there. This team needs to get healthy, we need to find our groove and get all our pieces working together as we head into March. Lock up a 2/3 seed and get yourself in a good spot while getting healthy, that’s what is important, we’ve proven we can play with the best in the country (wins over #1, #5 & #6) so get healthy, find our best basketball, and find some consistenc
1. What a showing, I’ll be the first to admit that being down Phillips & JJJ against the #1 team in the country I wasn’t optimistic, I was scratching my head trying to figure out why and how we were favorites. Somehow Vegas was able to measure the heart and grit of this team when the rest of us couldn’t, kudos to them because these Vols showed a whole lot of it tonight.
2. Tennessee had 1 way to win this game, and that was get physical, lock you up defensively, and make one of the nations best offenses work for everything…mission accomplished. Everyone deserves credit, but I will single out Jahmai Mashack, my goodness, not often you can point to someone who played 27 minutes and didn’t score a point and say you might be the MVP. He absolutely made Miller’s night hell, a Top 3 draft pick, I don’t have final numbers but seems like Miller might’ve only scored 4-6 points against Mashack, absolutely incredible. Hate to put a negative spin on it but if he can find an offensive game he has all the tools to be something, he is such an elite defender, it’s wild.
3. This team goes as ZZZ goes, look at his numbers in wins vs. losses, that simple…he wasn’t perfect offensively, just 4-11 in fact, but 8 assists with 0 turnovers and played some great defense as well. He broke things down and harassed their guards all night, he stayed in with 3 fouls and avoided a quick 4th which might’ve lost us the game, that is big. We need him, we can spell him for 2 minutes a half, but to be at our best we need ZZZ at his best for 35+ minutes a night.
4. Just gonna lump this into one, our 5, this is about our 5’s…I don’t envy Barnes, you just don’t know. Nkamhoua is struggling again, Aidoo has arguably his best game of his career after a bad stretch, Awaka disappears after everyone wants more of him, and Plavsic is strong and efficiency after seeing his minutes diminish. All our 5’s have a role and serve a purpose, good luck picking night to night or even possession by possession, it’s got to be maddening for Rick. With that said, well done Aidoo & Uros tonight, they were very good and we don’t win tonight without them, you see the ceiling for Aidoo and it excites you, that guy can be something special.
5. This team needed this obviously, what’s maddening is you’re 2 buzzer beaters away from being 22-4(11-2), likely #1 in the country and right behind Bama for SEC regular championship, such is life. I say that to point out that maybe it’s not doomsday, maybe this team hasn’t quit like many in this fanbase have? If you can beat the #1 team in the country without 2 of your better players you’re a good team, does that mean you’ll make a E8 or F4, of course not, but it proves the potential is there. This team needs to get healthy, we need to find our groove and get all our pieces working together as we head into March. Lock up a 2/3 seed and get yourself in a good spot while getting healthy, that’s what is important, we’ve proven we can play with the best in the country (wins over #1, #5 & #6) so get healthy, find our best basketball, and find some consistency.
GBO!!!
1. What a showing, I’ll be the first to admit that being down Phillips & JJJ against the #1 team in the country I wasn’t optimistic, I was scratching my head trying to figure out why and how we were favorites. Somehow Vegas was able to measure the heart and grit of this team when the rest of us couldn’t, kudos to them because these Vols showed a whole lot of it tonight.
2. Tennessee had 1 way to win this game, and that was get physical, lock you up defensively, and make one of the nations best offenses work for everything…mission accomplished. Everyone deserves credit, but I will single out Jahmai Mashack, my goodness, not often you can point to someone who played 27 minutes and didn’t score a point and say you might be the MVP. He absolutely made Miller’s night hell, a Top 3 draft pick, I don’t have final numbers but seems like Miller might’ve only scored 4-6 points against Mashack, absolutely incredible. Hate to put a negative spin on it but if he can find an offensive game he has all the tools to be something, he is such an elite defender, it’s wild.
3. This team goes as ZZZ goes, look at his numbers in wins vs. losses, that simple…he wasn’t perfect offensively, just 4-11 in fact, but 8 assists with 0 turnovers and played some great defense as well. He broke things down and harassed their guards all night, he stayed in with 3 fouls and avoided a quick 4th which might’ve lost us the game, that is big. We need him, we can spell him for 2 minutes a half, but to be at our best we need ZZZ at his best for 35+ minutes a night.
4. Just gonna lump this into one, our 5, this is about our 5’s…I don’t envy Barnes, you just don’t know. Nkamhoua is struggling again, Aidoo has arguably his best game of his career after a bad stretch, Awaka disappears after everyone wants more of him, and Plavsic is strong and efficiency after seeing his minutes diminish. All our 5’s have a role and serve a purpose, good luck picking night to night or even possession by possession, it’s got to be maddening for Rick. With that said, well done Aidoo & Uros tonight, they were very good and we don’t win tonight without them, you see the ceiling for Aidoo and it excites you, that guy can be something special.
5. This team needed this obviously, what’s maddening is you’re 2 buzzer beaters away from being 22-4(11-2), likely #1 in the country and right behind Bama for SEC regular championship, such is life. I say that to point out that maybe it’s not doomsday, maybe this team hasn’t quit like many in this fanbase have? If you can beat the #1 team in the country without 2 of your better players you’re a good team, does that mean you’ll make a E8 or F4, of course not, but it proves the potential is there. This team needs to get healthy, we need to find our groove and get all our pieces working together as we head into March. Lock up a 2/3 seed and get yourself in a good spot while getting healthy, that’s what is important, we’ve proven we can play with the best in the country (wins over #1, #5 & #6) so get healthy, find our best basketball, and find some consistency.
GBO!!!
Great write up. I enjoyed it very much but don’t disappear after a loss. I still would like to see your opinion. I know that can be hard but you analyze the game well. I enjoy it.
