bleedingTNorange
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1. What a freaking dub!!!!! I may be in the minority but this is a game the last day or two I’ve been REALLY excited for, the importance of it as kind of a swing game was huge, how we’d look without ON added intrigue, we’re hitting mid-February and playing a conference opponent we are competing for seeding with, I was pumped up and locked in for this game and I’m glad it didn’t disappoint. Great showing from our Vols, they found a way to get it done, first Q1 road win of the year, first loss at home for State, what a W.
2. Josiah James is no longer an offensive liability, I was one of the first to say hold on just a second on his shot, and pointed out how well he shots over 4/5/6/7/ games etc…well now he’s just doing it consistently enough to say this is who he is going to be. Tonight plays 37m 18pts 7-12fg 3-6 from 3 to raise his average well over 40% the last 9 games…and continues to be an elite level defender, it’s not a coincidence that the offense has started to come alive around the same time JJJ has found his offensive game.
3. Speaking of offense, Tennessee threw up an offensive rating of 113.8, their 3rd game in a row showing a much improved offense and continuing their climb toward a top 25 offense. Their early season numbers will drag them down but of late this offense is really playing so well, tonight shooting 42% from 3 and 89% from the FT line while only turning it over 10 times. Vescovi, Zeigler, James, Powell are all looking like 40%+ shooters from the outside right now…that is scary for opposing teams.
4. It was nice to see some of Aidoo, and makes you excited for his future…but it was also nice to see BHH start out involved and scoring, and again excited for his future….however, I don’t have the final numbers yet, but our small ball lineup continues to be what produces. I’m gonna guess that small ball lineups were around +12 tonight, while big lineups were -3…now I get it, foul trouble dictates things and ZZ was in foul trouble first half and Powell just wasn’t effective tonight…and the 2 post lineup started the game super hot…but around 8 minutes we brought Zeigler back in in a tie game and we played small almost entirely the rest of the way as we closed the game up. I’m not sure if Barnes will make the move, probably not, but our small ball lineup is our best, no questions asked.
5. Zeigler, Chandler & Vescovi are just so damn fun to watch play basketball…ZZ & KC combined for 10 steals, that is bonkers…Vescovi had 7 assists and just 1 turnover with the quietest 11 points I’ve seen in awhile, but a monster 3 down the stretch. I’m hopeful for some blowouts because it would be nice to get those guys some rest, 37 minutes for SV and JJ tonight, 34 for Chandler, Barnes is gonna ride those guys as much as he can…first half if we got a lead or it’s close he’ll try to buy them minutes, which I’m not the biggest fan of, I think there’s a better strategy, but down the stretch those guys along with JJJ are gonna be who decide how far we go.
6. Big picture? You wanna talk big picture?! Tonight this is my favorite part, that win was massive (but please dear god don’t give it away by losing to Vandy)…you change the narrative a bit tonight. You almost certainly lock up a Top 4 SEC seed tonight which means double bye, but you also now move from 21-9(12-6) being the most likely outcome to now 22-8(13-5) being the most likely, which means we also raised our seed line floor, a Q1 road win is huge!!! I said entering this 4 game stretch 3-1 would be expected or what we needed, and that 4-0 would build some momentum, well we are 3-0 with a home game upcoming against Vandy, cmon boys!!! Win that one and the game next Tuesday becomes HUUUUGE, our Vols have been good at home and hopefully we can win the next 2 at TBA and blow the lid off this Mf’er.
GBO!!!!!
2. Josiah James is no longer an offensive liability, I was one of the first to say hold on just a second on his shot, and pointed out how well he shots over 4/5/6/7/ games etc…well now he’s just doing it consistently enough to say this is who he is going to be. Tonight plays 37m 18pts 7-12fg 3-6 from 3 to raise his average well over 40% the last 9 games…and continues to be an elite level defender, it’s not a coincidence that the offense has started to come alive around the same time JJJ has found his offensive game.
3. Speaking of offense, Tennessee threw up an offensive rating of 113.8, their 3rd game in a row showing a much improved offense and continuing their climb toward a top 25 offense. Their early season numbers will drag them down but of late this offense is really playing so well, tonight shooting 42% from 3 and 89% from the FT line while only turning it over 10 times. Vescovi, Zeigler, James, Powell are all looking like 40%+ shooters from the outside right now…that is scary for opposing teams.
4. It was nice to see some of Aidoo, and makes you excited for his future…but it was also nice to see BHH start out involved and scoring, and again excited for his future….however, I don’t have the final numbers yet, but our small ball lineup continues to be what produces. I’m gonna guess that small ball lineups were around +12 tonight, while big lineups were -3…now I get it, foul trouble dictates things and ZZ was in foul trouble first half and Powell just wasn’t effective tonight…and the 2 post lineup started the game super hot…but around 8 minutes we brought Zeigler back in in a tie game and we played small almost entirely the rest of the way as we closed the game up. I’m not sure if Barnes will make the move, probably not, but our small ball lineup is our best, no questions asked.
5. Zeigler, Chandler & Vescovi are just so damn fun to watch play basketball…ZZ & KC combined for 10 steals, that is bonkers…Vescovi had 7 assists and just 1 turnover with the quietest 11 points I’ve seen in awhile, but a monster 3 down the stretch. I’m hopeful for some blowouts because it would be nice to get those guys some rest, 37 minutes for SV and JJ tonight, 34 for Chandler, Barnes is gonna ride those guys as much as he can…first half if we got a lead or it’s close he’ll try to buy them minutes, which I’m not the biggest fan of, I think there’s a better strategy, but down the stretch those guys along with JJJ are gonna be who decide how far we go.
6. Big picture? You wanna talk big picture?! Tonight this is my favorite part, that win was massive (but please dear god don’t give it away by losing to Vandy)…you change the narrative a bit tonight. You almost certainly lock up a Top 4 SEC seed tonight which means double bye, but you also now move from 21-9(12-6) being the most likely outcome to now 22-8(13-5) being the most likely, which means we also raised our seed line floor, a Q1 road win is huge!!! I said entering this 4 game stretch 3-1 would be expected or what we needed, and that 4-0 would build some momentum, well we are 3-0 with a home game upcoming against Vandy, cmon boys!!! Win that one and the game next Tuesday becomes HUUUUGE, our Vols have been good at home and hopefully we can win the next 2 at TBA and blow the lid off this Mf’er.
GBO!!!!!
