BTO’s Texas A&M Postgame Report

[brentcontractor]

I think the difference is Awaka. He brings a strong presence at the rim and has given Aidoo the space to elivate his game. I think this has helped shortened our scoring droughts. He has somehow lowered his foul rate so he can be on the floor more. His presence and rebounding is giving others the opportunity to do more.

 

[VOLtaism]

This team plays great at home. Only 2 home games left. Hopefully, the surge of Aido/Awaka inside will offset the poor road shooting the rest of the way forward. Any road game they win will be huge!

 

[Delmar]

Not saying you do, but with your statement about their defense and some other posts I’ve seen tonight, I’ll say this - if anyone has any expectations of winning on the road at Alabama this Saturday, you desperately need to lower them. This is, quite possibly, their most anticipated home game of all time. They also have an insanely unique, weird-shooting-depth arena that we have historically played poor in and that have been unbeatable in this season. I hope we win and believe we can, but it’s asinine to go into it with any expectation.

Agree. I’m not counting on beating Bama at their place. Would be gravy if we do. Should be fun though. Bama doesn’t react well to tight defense.

Both will be tough but I think we handle Auburn and KY in Knoxville. Also think we beat SC on the road in a payback.

 

[movinonup]

IMO - Auburn is the biggest game of this stretch as far as winning the Conference Regular Season title. If Auburn should beat us, they have the most clear path to the #1 seed and conference title. Everyone else in the top 5 are playing each other and have less room for error. After us, Auburn has Ms State, Missou, and Georgia

 

[spyfish007]

1. Tennessee held aTm to 27.3% shooting, forced them to take 34 3s (more than half their total attempts) and they shot 20.6%.

2. Tennessee only committed 17 fouls and aTm shot 15 FTs, making only 8 of them.

3. In contrast, Tennessee shot 52.4%/35%/72.2%...we almost shot an identical percentage from the field on 4x as many shots as aTm did from the FT line.

4. Tennessee outrebounded aTm 50-33 and matched them 10-10 on the offensive boards.

5. Tennessee had 23 assists on 33 made baskets.

***Compare all of the above numbers to those from the game at aTm.*** Sheesh...

6. Since getting punked in College Station, Tennessee is undefeated while aTm hasn't won a game.

In that time...
Jonas Aidoo (who was benched at aTm) has had 66 pts, 38 rebs, and 10 blks in 112 minute in 4 games.
Tobe Awaka has 42 pts, 23 rebs, 4 blks in 65 minutes 4 games.
When those two are averaging 27 pts, 15.3 rebs, and 3.5 blks between them, this team is at a whole different level.

7. Zakai Zeigler in SEC play...
13.4 pts, 6.9 assts, 3.5 rebs, 2.4 stls, and 2.3 TOs on 47.3%/37.2%/68.6% shooting.

8. After Anderson Garcia tuned us up in College Station for 17 total rebounds, we held him to 8 in the rematch.

9. One thing we did a MUCH better job at in this rematch is keeping Taylor and Radford out of the paint. Those two combined for 22 pts, but were so inefficient doing it (7-28 shooting) and 5 of their 8 makes came from 3. They got next to nothing going to the rim, and they only attempted a combine 4 FTs.

Again, when comparing that to the first matchup, they combined for 52 pts on 17-25 shooting, they made 11-14 FTs, and got just about any lane they wanted going to the rim. The adjustments we made in our scout for them in just two weeks was pretty amazing.

10. A testament to how good our defensive effort was, and playing off the numbers in the previous point, Wade and Taylor combined for 52 points in the first matchup. aTm as a team had 51 points on Saturday. Night and day difference. Playing at home helped. Seeking revenge helped. But playing up to our potential is what makes the biggest difference. Do it every night out and this team is extremely difficult to beat.

At the game is was very noticable about UT getting 4 plus into the paint for a rebound and everyone looking to box people out.

 

[Godfatha]

Yep, I think Clemson 85 to 71 is their only Home loss for Bama, in SEC Auburn played them the closet at home with a 79 to 75 loss. I really do not expect a win there especially with them fired up for the beatdown they took in Knoxville.

I don't know, I think Bama is one of those teams we match up well against.

 

[vol94]

While A&M absolutely gave up iat some point in the 2nd half, it was a good sign that we continued to step on their neck. In the past when having large leads, we have often gotten sloppy. Saw none of that last night which was a good sign. Aidoo/Awaka combo has been impressive these last 2 games and hope it continues because when the perimeter shots aren't falling we have options in the paint. ZZ gave a master class on how to play PG against A&M and controlled the entire game. Knecht had his usual 20+ game and both JJJ and Vescovi contributed "enough" offensively and on the glass with solid games.

I'm struggling with what you do with Gainey as this season is close to the end and we are fighting for a SEC championship. He had barely been on the floor for 1 minute, yet had 2 turnovers. I get it, when he is on, he gives us a perimeter threat that makes our offense lethal, but goodness isn't he due to make an impact? We need alot more consistency from him as this "1 good game out of 4" is becoming unnerving. It's getting the point where Barnes should judge his playing time early in the game and if he isn't into it, you give his time to Mashack because we can trust what he gives you on the floor with his elite defense and effort and/or nudge up Vescovi's minutes a bit, while we are fighting for a championship.

Gainey is usually a better ball handler than JJJ, Mashack and even Santi so maybe that’s why is getting more minutes?

But I was bit puzzled when he lowered his shoulder a couple of times and called for the offensive foul which is basically a turnover. Barnes must see something that the avg fan doesn’t.

 

[BACKDOC]

Yep, I think Clemson 85 to 71 is their only Home loss for Bama, in SEC Auburn played them the closet at home with a 79 to 75 loss. I really do not expect a win there especially with them fired up for the beatdown they took in Knoxville.

Florida took them to OT at Coleman.

 

[BACKDOC]

I don't know, I think Bama is one of those teams we match up well against.

Yes, I agree.

 

[KTrain]

Florida took them to OT at Coleman.

Yep, they had a chance to win in regulation lost by 5 but once it went to OT it's hard to win on road and especially in OT on the road. Bama is vulnerable, but we will get their very best shot. Hoping we are on point in every aspect, GBO

 

[JCP201]

they have us ranked number 4 in AP and coaches-- this next stretch is going to be tough. We can treat it like a tournament, but Alabama home advantage will be exceptionally hard, especially with the target on our back. The key is seeing how Vescovi and James come out. If they are scoring, then the whole team seems to follow their lead--otherwise, Gainey must step up or it's most likely a dud day.. I don't really worry about Knecht, Tobe, Aidoo, ZZ.

 

[Orangeslide]

NCAA Tournament Seed Predictions:

4-0/3-1- #1 seed
2-2-#2 seed
1-3/0-4-#3 seed

Dont think the SEC Tournament will have impact on our seed line. Wonder if we can just opt out of the SEC tournament? I can see in the future of players or coaches choosing not to play key players in the SEC tournament for rest and injury precautions. We shall see.

 

[TheMookieMonster]

It's nice to see everyone continue to be involved in the offense. We're at our best when our team doesn't feel the need to play through Knecht, and it helps DK as well because if other guys are making shots, teams can't double him.

Vescovi and James hitting a few shots as well was important. At this point in the season, I doubt we can change him, but one thing I've noticed is that Vescovi has fallen way too in love with the pump fake this year, He was 2-4 (50%) from 3 on Saturday, and I remember watching him take a pass from Zakai at the top of the key and turn down a wide open, no one in the zip code type of 3 to pump fake and drive. Needless to say, that possession ended up without any points.

Just. Take. The. Shot. You're basically a 40% perimeter shooter Santi. We need him to take those shots in March, not pass them up.

On another note, JJJ finished with 8 points. I don't remember the exact stat, but we're something like 13-1 when JJJ scores 8+ points this year and our other 5 losses came from when he didn't reach that mark. Getting him involved is super important for this team, as much as certain portions of our fanbase hate to admit it.

Tough game on Wednesday. You know Bruce is going to want to muck it up and slow the pace down if Jaylin Williams can't play. So, I expect another really physical battle. I honestly think the entire game is going to come down to who wins the Broome/Aidoo matchup. That will set the tone. If Aidoo can limit Broome offensively and force Auburn to play through their guards, I like our chances.

My primary points of emphasis for that game are basically 1) Limit Broome and 2) run Auburn off the 3-point line. Force them into the paint where Aidoo/Awaka have done a great job at rim protecting lately. I don't want Auburn chucking up 30+ 3's Wednesday and have to hope they aren't uncharacteristically hot.

 

[Orangeslide]

For our game with Auburn on Wednesday, Pearl will approach as life or death, he’s a thug mentality motivator. His players will be in a frenzy, and he will be all over the officials from the get go. Just hope the officials don’t bow down to his intimidation. This game will get chippy especially late if Auburn knows it’s getting away from them. They know what’s on the line for them, if they get us, they will win out probably. Weak schedule in final 3. Big key for them is will Williams play? Also, DK better be ready for cheap shots and ZZ will be mauled on the perimeter.

 

[Orangeslide]

It's nice to see everyone continue to be involved in the offense. We're at our best when our team doesn't feel the need to play through Knecht, and it helps DK as well because if other guys are making shots, teams can't double him.

Vescovi and James hitting a few shots as well was important. At this point in the season, I doubt we can change him, but one thing I've noticed is that Vescovi has fallen way too in love with the pump fake this year, He was 2-4 (50%) from 3 on Saturday, and I remember watching him take a pass from Zakai at the top of the key and turn down a wide open, no one in the zip code type of 3 to pump fake and drive. Needless to say, that possession ended up without any points.

Just. Take. The. Shot. You're basically a 40% perimeter shooter Santi. We need him to take those shots in March, not pass them up.

On another note, JJJ finished with 8 points. I don't remember the exact stat, but we're something like 13-1 when JJJ scores 8+ points this year and our other 5 losses came from when he didn't reach that mark. Getting him involved is super important for this team, as much as certain portions of our fanbase hate to admit it.

Tough game on Wednesday. You know Bruce is going to want to muck it up and slow the pace down if Jaylin Williams can't play. So, I expect another really physical battle. I honestly think the entire game is going to come down to who wins the Broome/Aidoo matchup. That will set the tone. If Aidoo can limit Broome offensively and force Auburn to play through their guards, I like our chances.

My primary points of emphasis for that game are basically 1) Limit Broome and 2) run Auburn off the 3-point line. Force them into the paint where Aidoo/Awaka have done a great job at rim protecting lately. I don't want Auburn chucking up 30+ 3's Wednesday and have to hope they aren't uncharacteristically hot.

I agree between Aidoo and Broome who has the better game will probably determine the outcome. Also, team with fewest turnovers will be key, as Pearl will make this game a bare knuckle street fight. Hopefully TBA will provide the energy for our players Wednesday night. Gonna be a big one for sure. I personally think we will hold them in the 60’s and win by 7-10 points. I think the line will Vols by 5.5

 

[NighthawkVol]

Yep, I think Clemson 85 to 71 is their only Home loss for Bama, in SEC Auburn played them the closet at home with a 79 to 75 loss. I really do not expect a win there especially with them fired up for the beatdown they took in Knoxville.

Florida played them closer than Auburn in Tuscaloosa. They took them to OT.

 

[orangemadam]

nice writeup BTO

I expect we'll go 4-1 but I'm sticking with my pre-season prediction of 15-3 and hoping for a 1 seed.

 

[KTrain]

Florida played them closer than Auburn in Tuscaloosa. They took them to OT.

Went to OT but lost by 5

 

[NighthawkVol]

Went to OT but lost by 5

Right. But Florida was tied after regulation. Auburn was down 4 after regulation.

Florida doesn’t get punished in this comparison because they got it to OT. Auburn couldn’t get it to OT. Florida played them closer.

 

[MinisterofDef#92]

1. Tennessee held aTm to 27.3% shooting, forced them to take 34 3s (more than half their total attempts) and they shot 20.6%.

2. Tennessee only committed 17 fouls and aTm shot 15 FTs, making only 8 of them.

3. In contrast, Tennessee shot 52.4%/35%/72.2%...we almost shot an identical percentage from the field on 4x as many shots as aTm did from the FT line.

4. Tennessee outrebounded aTm 50-33 and matched them 10-10 on the offensive boards.

5. Tennessee had 23 assists on 33 made baskets.

***Compare all of the above numbers to those from the game at aTm.*** Sheesh...

6. Since getting punked in College Station, Tennessee is undefeated while aTm hasn't won a game.

In that time...
Jonas Aidoo (who was benched at aTm) has had 66 pts, 38 rebs, and 10 blks in 112 minute in 4 games.
Tobe Awaka has 42 pts, 23 rebs, 4 blks in 65 minutes 4 games.
When those two are averaging 27 pts, 15.3 rebs, and 3.5 blks between them, this team is at a whole different level.

7. Zakai Zeigler in SEC play...
13.4 pts, 6.9 assts, 3.5 rebs, 2.4 stls, and 2.3 TOs on 47.3%/37.2%/68.6% shooting.

8. After Anderson Garcia tuned us up in College Station for 17 total rebounds, we held him to 8 in the rematch.

9. One thing we did a MUCH better job at in this rematch is keeping Taylor and Radford out of the paint. Those two combined for 22 pts, but were so inefficient doing it (7-28 shooting) and 5 of their 8 makes came from 3. They got next to nothing going to the rim, and they only attempted a combine 4 FTs.

Again, when comparing that to the first matchup, they combined for 52 pts on 17-25 shooting, they made 11-14 FTs, and got just about any lane they wanted going to the rim. The adjustments we made in our scout for them in just two weeks was pretty amazing.

10. A testament to how good our defensive effort was, and playing off the numbers in the previous point, Wade and Taylor combined for 52 points in the first matchup. aTm as a team had 51 points on Saturday. Night and day difference. Playing at home helped. Seeking revenge helped. But playing up to our potential is what makes the biggest difference. Do it every night out and this team is extremely difficult to beat.

BTO's #4 and your #6 are the most critical points out of all the great play we've seen imo. Being able to give Tobe more minutes especially when playing physical teams with strong rebounding, and trusting him to not foul excessively is key.

Here are Tobe's fouls committed (minutes played per foul)...he seems to be figuring it out...if he can keep his foul/min rate above 4 then it allows CRB to play him more imo:

- Last 5 games: A&M = 3 (4), Ark = 2 (5), Vandy = 2 (8), MO = 2 (11), A&M = 3 (5.7)

- Preceding games: Bama = 3 (2), Vandy = 2 (3), USC = 1 (15), KY = 4 (2.5), LSU = 2 (5.5), Ole Miss = 3 (3.7), Miss St = 5 (4), GA = 2 (3.5), UF = 4 (4.5)

 

[cncchris33]

BTO's #4 and your #6 are the most critical points out of all the great play we've seen imo. Being able to give Tobe more minutes especially when playing physical teams with strong rebounding, and trusting him to not foul excessively is key.

Here are Tobe's fouls committed (minutes played per foul)...he seems to be figuring it out...if he can keep his foul/min rate above 4 then it allows CRB to play him more imo:

- Last 5 games: A&M = 3 (4), Ark = 2 (5), Vandy = 2 (8), MO = 2 (11), A&M = 3 (5.7)

- Preceding games: Bama = 3 (2), Vandy = 2 (3), USC = 1 (15), KY = 4 (2.5), LSU = 2 (5.5), Ole Miss = 3 (3.7), Miss St = 5 (4), GA = 2 (3.5), UF = 4 (4.5)

Yep...all the talent in the world doesn't mean a thing I'd you can't stay on the floor.