BTO’s Kentucky Postgame Report

[walkenvol]

Arkansas may beat the pants off us, but I’ll be shocked if it’s due to an emotional letdown. Too much leadership with Fulky, James & Vescovi along with a coach like Barnes for that to happen

 

[ArdentVol]

ZZ and Aidoo could become all time favorites before they are done here.

 

[greenbacknative]

Great win tonite !!! always great to beat kentucky in any sport.. including underwater basket weaving.. GBO !

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

Anchor Down!!! Vandy at Barn tomorrow night. 9pm SECNW.

 

[US2BVOL]

Really PO right now. Watching ESPN and the first four reports go four other college BB games then four reports on NBA then hockey now it’s commercial still haven’t reported on our butt kicking of the 4th ranked CATS. now I know why I seldom watch them.

 

[SJAVol32]

Really PO right now. Watching ESPN and the first four reports go four other college BB games then four reports on NBA then hockey now it’s commercial still haven’t reported on our butt kicking of the 4th ranked CATS. now I know why I seldom watch them.

SVP went to our highlights right after first commceri.

 

[TheMookieMonster]

I mean, what can you really say other than that was a remarkable performance. THIS team is what I believe most felt we could be from Day 1. 8 straight SEC wins. Peaking at the right time. I have no idea what this will mean for March, but it’s tough to not feel good about this team’s identity right now and their shot at making a Final 4.

Fulky looks so much better. He adds a completely different dynamic to this team when he is at his best.

Aidoo, I mean what the hell. We knew this kid had talent, but he just went toe-to-toe with the likely NPOY and looked like he belonged. He swatted Oscar a few times and limited his offensive impact. Impressive stuff.

Chandler…he was pretty much the spark that ignited the forest fire tonight. He had that one stretch in the first half where he flashed exactly the type of NBA lottery talent many hoped to see in him.

I could probably drone on about all of the great things I saw tonight, but the bottom line is that it was an amazing night. I hope this is just a sign of things to come for this team.

No idea what to expect this weekend. You’d hate to have a “let down” game after the big win, but Bud Walton is going to be rocking. Just get out of there healthy, best the bottom feeders like we’re supposed to and then defend home court and that’s a potential #2 seed resume.

 

[walkenvol]

I mean, what can you really say other than that was a remarkable performance. THIS team is what I believe most felt we could be from Day 1. 8 straight SEC wins. Peaking at the right time. I have no idea what this will mean for March, but it’s tough to not feel good about this team’s identity right now and their shot at making a Final 4.

Fulky looks so much better. He adds a completely different dynamic to this team when he is at his best.

Aidoo, I mean what the hell. We knew this kid had talent, but he just went toe-to-toe with the likely NPOY and looked like he belonged. He swatted Oscar a few times and limited his offensive impact. Impressive stuff.

Chandler…he was pretty much the spark that ignited the forest fire tonight. He had that one stretch in the first half where he flashed exactly the type of NBA lottery talent many hoped to see in him.

I could probably drone on about all of the great things I saw tonight, but the bottom line is that it was an amazing night. I hope this is just a sign of things to come for this team.

No idea what to expect this weekend. You’d hate to have a “let down” game after the big win, but Bud Walton is going to be rocking. Just get out of there healthy, best the bottom feeders like we’re supposed to and then defend home court and that’s a potential #2 seed resume.

Everything you said except just get out healthy Saturday…WGWTFA!

 

[VolDave53]

Coach Cal's Postgame Report:

 

[Volfan1000]

1. Sorry boys, but you’re getting another hyped up postgame repot from BTO, the alcohol has been flowing since about 5pm in anticipation of this game and our Vols did not disappoint! We got our tails kicked in Lexington in embarrassing fashion and for the most part pretty much returned the favor to the Wildcats, what a game to watch, great atmosphere, just a hella good time all around!

2. Santiago Vescovi was an absolute gem tonight, if you didn’t pay attention and missed what he did to Grady all night long then go back and watch…he absolutely blew up screens, flight threw them, played to the strong hand and made life a living hell for Grady which halted anything Kentucky wanted to do…we will ignore the 18pts on 50% shooting, he was absolutely ruthless defensively on Grady.

3. Uhm Jonas Aidoo, how TF are you? People are going to question where he’s been, I sure am about to…18m 5p 7r 3b, stuffing Tschiebwe’s $h!t multiple times, are you kidding me?! And he never even bothered to flash his 18+ foot jumper that he has? If you’re Barnes idk what you do, the starting lineup is producing wins but outside of the first 3-4 minutes you aren’t playing BHH…so how do you work that? Idk. Aidoo showed a great presence tonight, exactly what this team needs at a 5, a rebounder and shot blocker, that it!

4. Speaking of posts…I won’t jump the gun on Fulk, but damn did he look good. Barnes saw a matchup with Tschiebwe 18’ out for Fulk and absolutely targeted it time and time again, that was flashbacks of Fulky of old, what a performance, I don’t expect that every night but if he can bring that energy and potential each night that’s huge for this team.

5. I’ll be negative for a second cause every postgame needs that, we have to keep Vescovi and JJJ out of foul trouble, Vescovi was fine tonight but it was JJJ’s turn. He’s so good defensively and offensively he’s so much better than what Powell is currently bringing, we have to do a better job of avoiding dumb fouls and making sure those 2 guys are on the court 35+ when it matters most.

6. Tennessee threw up a 112.0 ORTG and held Kentucky to 0.91PPP, that’s an absolutely gorgeous performance on both ends of the court…Tennessee’s scout defensively was :chefs kiss: literally, played to Wheelers right, ran Grady off the line, etc etc…the performance was good enough to move Tennessee to #27 offensively on KenPom and #4 defensively, holding their #10 spot overall but making a big move in closing the gap, they are now less than 1ppp away from being a Top 6 team on KenPom.

7. Ok so big picture, my favorite part…Vols now sit 19-6(10-3) with 5 games remaining, 3 toss ups and 2 you better win, at this point with the win tonight it would appear 3-2 would be the worst case scenario, making you 22-8(12-6), most likely a 3rd place finish in the SEC and fighting for 3/4 seed in the NCAAT. Arkansas is literally playing like a Top 5 team, we have to travel to their house Saturday…they just beat #1 Auburn there and will be waiting for us, little bit of house money since we won tonight but going to be a helluva test for sure, not sure what to expect. Anywho, gonna enjoy this one for awhile….



GBO!!!!

Hell of a win and now have to stop Notae on Saturday afternoon.

 

[VolArmy74]

They only had 4 at halftime. I didn’t realize they had that many in the 2nd half.

They got a bunch when we were playing the last 4 mins with Aidoo on the bench.

 

[i2amavol]

I don’t think you can put Aidoo in the starting line up just yet but he deserves to get more of Uros minutes. He catches passes with no issues and can be a wall on defense. I think ZZ, Fulk, and Aidoo can be a constant spark off of the bench.

I really want Powell to get out of the slump but even wide open threes aren’t going in. I hope something happens, him hitting threes will be needed come March Madness.

Vescovi is incredible on defense. I really can’t believe that is the same guy from years past. Even not being the fasted, no one recovers and sticks to their man like him. Incredible!

Everyone needs to keep improving, but you are right. He could be the difference in some big games against the top teams.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

It was called the Stokely Curse over the last decade leading up until the TBA opening. Then Wade, KO, Jerry, Buzz, and Bruce allowed the TBA to become Rupp South. The program is in good hands again.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

Students lose points for the “Overrated!!!” chant with more than 5 minutes remaining. It’s stupid at any point in the game. Especially stupid when the opponent could still knock down a few 3s and be right back in the game.

 

[thunder5]

Love your post game reports…I always look for them after the games…

It’s a great combo…in depth analysis from a VFL…what could be better

 

[feathersax]

Barnes deserves a lot of credit tonight. As bad as the scout was up in Lexington is was completely fixed with tonight’s. Kentucky never got in any type of rhythm and the game really was never in doubt after the first five minutes. This is the first time in my life that I haven’t heard those knuckle draggers do that stupid ass cats chant and it was glorious

Speaking of chants....what was the Vol crowd chanting at the end of the game? I couldn't make out the words watching t.v. Great win, Tennessee!

 

[PEPPERJAX]

Thanks BTO!

 

[orangemadam]

Barnes may have another surprise waiting for us next year to help if we lose a couple of players.

Hint: his name begins with "Tamba".

 

[sechamp2012]

Oscar got a ton second and third chance opportunities after getting his shot altered by whoever was on him. I see how he racks them up.

He is very apt at knowing where his shot is going to miss too. He will pick up to 3 rebounds sometimes on one possession. It inflates his total number of rebounds but they do count and as a coach you would rather him hit but if he misses this is the best alternative. This has helped his double/doubles all year.

 

[TooLegit2Quit]

Fulkerson and Aidoo have me excited going forward. Hated losing Nkamhoua but the frontcourt is looking to be in good hands @Arkansas is a huge opportunity playing with house money.

 

[CAVPUT]

Kyle Alexander with more skills....that's what I'd been hearing. Seeing is believing. Just one game, but it looks like we got us a big man. Bodes VERY well going forward.

Once again, tonight is a single game, but beating UK in hoops is so damned satisfying. I try to put myself in their fans positions on that drive back and enjoy the hell outta this one.

 

[JCP201]

Barnes said when we played Kentucky at Rupp 'we had the offense, but defense was lacking'. Not enough has been said about the way ALL our guys transitioned back to defense when we missed a shot. Kentucky could not shake them loose.

Anyone who says Barnes is not a good coach needs to have a head examination.

 

[JCP201]

 

[NighthawkVol]

-You’re right, at Arkansas and vs Auburn are the only remaining games we have an excuse to lose. Others would be disappointing, although beating Arkansas at home would be a big win. Now that we have the Kentucky win under our belt, I’m going to predict a 4-1 finish, for a 23-7 regular season record. Win one in the SECT and even if we lose the next game, that’s 24-8. Guessing we get a 3 seed with that, given our schedule.
-Speaking of Arkansas, I’m already excited about Saturday. I’m not predicting a win or a loss, just looking forward to seeing this team compete in Bud Walton. That environment might actually be a blessing. Sometimes, teams facing a possible letdown get “woken up” playing in big time atmosphere.
-I’m afraid my concerns about JJJ after the Vanderbilt game appear to have been well-founded. It looks like the 3-game post-Texas run of good offense was an aberration for him. The pre-Texas JJJ is what we can probably expect going forward. It’s too bad, because I really thought we were going to get a guy who provided a well rounded inside outside offensive game that opens things up for everyone else. We’ll have to settle for a guy who plays defense, rebounds and, hopefully, doesn’t waste offensive possessions as he did last night.
-Powell needs to leave the rotation. He’s not just missing shots (and making shots is what he’s there to do), he’s a huge defensive liability.
-Aidoo really excites me. As much as it hurt to lose Nkamhoua, getting Aidoo in there has given UT a defensive inside presence that we haven’t seen this year. The great thing is, ZZ and Aidoo are just freshmen and they’ll both be around 3-4 years. Then throw in the fact that BHH, Maishack, Q, and Tamba are all guys who will develop with upside, and I think the future is bright. Even just looking at the immediate future (next year), we have a ton of talent returning and which will be better.
-Fulkerson is finally coming back around and it couldn’t happen at a better time. He’s making quicker decisions, playing good defense, setting screens, rebounding, and leading. I’d forgotten what it was like to have him as a force.
-Rick Barnes deserves a ton of credit. Not just for last night, but for this season. He’s really tapped into this team’s potential and has them playing at their best at the right time. He’s overcome the loss of his best interior offensive presence and brought Aidoo around. His scout of Kentucky was not only tremendous, but he also had the team ready to play inspired, but controlled (not over-emotional). The “Barnes ain’t worth what we pay him” crowd can pound sand. In the meantime, they’re just silent.

Rick Barnes is now 9-7 vs. Calipari and Kentucky as Tennessee’s head coach.

 

[cardvolfan]

Last night’s crowd answers the question of which is louder: 9,200 at Auburn, 17,000 at Arkansas, or 21,500 at TBA.