BTO’s Syracuse Postgame Report

[bleedingTNorange]

•We killed Cuse on the boards with an exclusive 4-guard, and sometimes 5-guard lineup. 48-33 overall and 13-6 on the offensive glass. That's without Awaka for most of the game.

•Of the 16 TOs, 5 were stepping on the sideline. Aside from that, you can live with 11 TOs.

•Saw a stat where Tennessee was +28 with JJJ on the floor, and -11 with him off the floor (in 6 minutes).

I meant to mention that in my JJJ bit, that’s incredible and really shows how big he is on the defensive side. We are seeing him offensively, but any don’t get how good and versatile he makes us defensively.

 

[bleedingTNorange]

What do you mean about James rewriting his career? He has been out best player for 3 years in a row.

There’s a huge portion of this fan base that 1. Disagrees strongly with that statement and 2. Didn’t even want him coming back here, even if it meant as a walk on

 

[Col_Cathcart]

There’s a huge portion of this fan base that 1. Disagrees strongly with that statement and 2. Didn’t even want him coming back here, even if it meant as a walk on

In other words, idiots.

 

[spyfish007]

When he plays up to potential it's a thing of beauty. Just seems like he disappears for 5-10 games at a time and then he will turn it on for 3 straight. We'll need his best to beat Purdue tomorrow. Will be a fun game.

I felt like he disappeared a bit last year because I don't think he felt as confident in his shot. Everything else was still there.

 

[spyfish007]

I’m giving Aidoo the green light and a pregame confidence boost from 3, pull that man away from the basket, I don’t wanna see anyone trying to post up and score on Edey. I’ve already stated it but even pre Awaka injury I would try JJJ at the 5 against him, offensively it’s a nightmare for Edey and JJJ is currently 60% from 3, defensively sure he can’t hold his own, but I’m doubling on the catch and making him a passer and rotating off lowest 3pt shooter.

I don't want to see Aidoo post up Edey either. I do want to see some of that too of the key pick and roll with Aidoo like yesterday.

 

[cncchris33]

It was a very poorly officiated game all the way around. Went from no blood, no foul in the 1st half to breathing on anybody being called a foul in the 2nd half. And neither was correct. Find the gap in between those 2 and call it that way the entire game.

This. The most frustrating thing for a player is for officials to change the way they call the game mid-flight. Start calling tight, start calling it loose...players generally don't mind as long as you're consistent. Having to continually guess what is/isn't a foul as a player is maddening. Just be consistent. The guys calling the Cuse game went from loose to tight, and back to loose, again.

 

[CNeagleVolFan]

People keep talking about Edey and how impossible he is to stop because he is just such a big human being lol. The strategy should be to counter him with more athletic players. Put him in bad matchups when he’s on defense, and steal the ball away from him doubling him up in the post. Hes slow and sometimes big men can be clumsy. Just gotta counter that with speed and athleticism.

 

[cncchris33]

There’s a huge portion of this fan base that 1. Disagrees strongly with that statement and 2. Didn’t even want him coming back here, even if it meant as a walk on

Surely you don't agree with the idea that JJJ was our best player for the last three years, though. He wasn't better than Vescovi last year, Chandler the year before, or Springer and Johnson three years ago.

He's been an important role player throughout his career, and has at times played a much bigger role for us, and other times, he's tried to overplay that role to our detriment. He's playing perhaps his best stretch of basketball in his Tennessee career and still isn't our best player. That doesn't make him unimportant or insignificant, but the OP's effusive praise crowning him our best player three years running is as out of line as those who called him a bum and wanted him gone.

 

[Col_Cathcart]

Surely you don't agree with the idea that JJJ was our best player for the last three years, though. He wasn't better than Vescovi last year, Chandler the year before, or Springer and Johnson three years ago.

He's been an important role player throughout his career, and has at times played a much bigger role for us, and other times, he's tried to overplay that role to our detriment. He's playing perhaps his best stretch of basketball in his Tennessee career and still isn't our best player. That doesn't make him unimportant or insignificant, but the OP's effusive praise crowning him our best player three years running is as out of line as those who called him a bum and wanted him gone.

Probably more fair to say “one of our best” because he’s definitely been that and the “best” player crown (however you define it) has changed hands a lot.

 

[Johnnyreb#VFL]

Good write up.

These type of wins will help us in March. Chippy tough game. Knecht being out most of the second half kinda gave zz and santi their mojo back. They closed it out and sealed the win with pure hustle and defense. Neither of those guys will be punked on the court.

That being said, the final score was deceptive to me. Cuse was within 2 possessions all the way down to the wire it seems, which is another reason why this was a good experience for the squad.

 

[CornbreadVol]

Hope Syracuse knocks off the zags today

 

[berryvol]

Surely you don't agree with the idea that JJJ was our best player for the last three years, though. He wasn't better than Vescovi last year, Chandler the year before, or Springer and Johnson three years ago.

He's been an important role player throughout his career, and has at times played a much bigger role for us, and other times, he's tried to overplay that role to our detriment. He's playing perhaps his best stretch of basketball in his Tennessee career and still isn't our best player. That doesn't make him unimportant or insignificant, but the OP's effusive praise crowning him our best player three years running is as out of line as those who called him a bum and wanted him gone.

All of this. Maybe the poster meant most “important” player, which I would probably agree with. In his tenure here, Tennessee has been damn near impossible to beat when JJJ is clicking on both ends and playing his role to his fullest potential. That seems to be the case early on this season and I hope we don’t find out how this team looks with a bad version of JJJ.

 

[aWhiteLoftonChism]

There’s a huge portion of this fan base that 1. Disagrees strongly with that statement and 2. Didn’t even want him coming back here, even if it meant as a walk on

If there is a more versatile defender in all of college basketball than JJJ i don’t think I’ve seen him.
I think the world of ZZ. He’s an incredible player who gets the most of his abilities but I’m getting fatigued of the rehashed narrative by every game announcer that he is not only the best defensive player on the team but the heart and soul of it as well.
Imho, I think he is the 4th best defender on the VOLS! JJJ, Mashack, and Santi are all better overall than him. That’s not a knock because I think they all warrant All-SEC defensive (if not national) recognition.
Also JJJ and Santi have been the leaders of this team since their sophomore years. Fulky and Pons weren’t talkers, none of the one and doners, and I don’t think Uros was on the court enough.
This year, I hope those 2 guys to get a bit more love that they have earned as Vols! I’ll take 2 more like them every 4 years please

 

[tn4elvis]

Coach needs to get our guards out there early and show them where the out of bounds line is. It was maddening watching them step out so much.

Happened in some of the other games also

 

[ColinS]

Surely you don't agree with the idea that JJJ was our best player for the last three years, though. He wasn't better than Vescovi last year, Chandler the year before, or Springer and Johnson three years ago.

He's been an important role player throughout his career, and has at times played a much bigger role for us, and other times, he's tried to overplay that role to our detriment. He's playing perhaps his best stretch of basketball in his Tennessee career and still isn't our best player. That doesn't make him unimportant or insignificant, but the OP's effusive praise crowning him our best player three years running is as out of line as those who called him a bum and wanted him gone.

He has literally never been our best player unless you want to make the case for right now. I would probably have him 2nd best.

 

[bleedingTNorange]

Surely you don't agree with the idea that JJJ was our best player for the last three years, though. He wasn't better than Vescovi last year, Chandler the year before, or Springer and Johnson three years ago.

He's been an important role player throughout his career, and has at times played a much bigger role for us, and other times, he's tried to overplay that role to our detriment. He's playing perhaps his best stretch of basketball in his Tennessee career and still isn't our best player. That doesn't make him unimportant or insignificant, but the OP's effusive praise crowning him our best player three years running is as out of line as those who called him a bum and wanted him gone.

No, the poster replied to my statement about James rewriting his career asking what I meant and acting like it was an outlandish statement. I was saying that a huge portion of this fan base wanted him gone, even if he was willing to walk on, he’s rewriting how many folks viewed him imo, at least to this point.

 

[walkenvol]

No, the poster replied to my statement about James rewriting his career asking what I meant and acting like it was an outlandish statement. I was saying that a huge portion of this fan base wanted him gone, even if he was willing to walk on, he’s rewriting how many folks viewed him imo, at least to this point.

Only a total idiot wouldn’t have wanted JJJ back, especially as a walk on. There’s no “rewriting” possible for those folks as you can’t fix stupid.