BTO’s UT-Martin Postgame Report

[bleedingTNorange]

1. We have yet to see a game with Fulky so I won’t totally declare a new offensive identity yet, but it sure seems like it will be the case. Tennessee hit the 40 3pta mark and set a program record for made 3’s in a game with 17 of them, seems quite possible that record could be re-broke a few times this year. Of the 77 total shots UT took 63 of them (82%) were either 3’s or rim 2’s, that’s a great number…means only 18% effectively was mid range.

2. Diving a little deeper into the efficiency numbers…Offensively we had an efficiency of 1.29ppp and defensively 0.89ppp, we only had 1 game better than 1.29ppp last season…offensively that number is elite, defensively that’s right about where we project to be per KenPom, which is Top 10 nationally. Anything above 1.10 offensively is pretty good, and defensively anything better than 0.90 is pretty good.

3. Tennessee had some issues, especially early on defensively…UTM had 20 points in the first 8 minutes, 42 points in the final 32 minutes…their quickness gave our bigs a ton of problems and this simply wasn’t a game you could really play Plav, never mind Plav AND BHH/ON at the same time, Barnes adjusted to this and you saw less of it after those first 8 minutes. Plav will have a role, especially against some bigger teams, but Fulky coming back is huge for this reason…he’s our best defensive post, great communicator, and doesn’t can be on the floor against a team like that.

4. When James & Bailey combine for 2-12 from deep and yet you still hit a program record for 3’s made while shooting 43%, you know you got some shooters. I said I thought Vescovi might benefit most from Chandler and tonight certainly doesn’t make me 2nd guess that, 6/11 from 3….he didn’t look great at PG, definitely need Zeigler to come along and solidify that spot or make sure Chandler is ready to play 32-35mpg.

5. I know he catches a lot of flack on this board but I thought ON was pretty solid…11 points and 14 rebounds tonight, athletically you see something on that drive and dunk and then that late turn around jumper he made you can see what coaches maybe see in practice that keeps making them want more, he also hit a 3 again tonight and looks like a 30%+ capable trail 3 kinda guy. Again I don’t think tonight’s matchup was great for him at the 4, but 2nd half when he played more 5 I thought he was much better.

6. I’m sure many are wondering how I’m at 6 and haven’t mentioned Chandler, he’s just so damn good, there’s not much you can say…his outside shot is so much better than what many thought it would be at that’s just going to make him that much better. He’s got to make sure he’s in elite shape so he can play 32-35+mpg ideally because there’s no doubt we are at our best with him out there, 0 fouls tonight is nice to see as hopefully he can avoid foul trouble.

7. Maybe it was just a bad game but James just looks like the same James we’ve seen for 3 years…shot wasn’t falling, wasn’t super aggressive, jack of all trades etc…not a bad thing but those worried he would be getting 1st round grades after this year I think can probably take a step back.

8. Good win, lots for the staff and players to look at on film and work on, got a lot of younger guys some run out there that should pay off down the road…slight step up in competition against ETSU and then our first big test of the year against Villanova.


GBO!!!

 

[Yeiser10]

1. We have yet to see a game with Fulky so I won’t totally declare a new offensive identity yet, but it sure seems like it will be the case. Tennessee hit the 40 3pta mark and set a program record for made 3’s in a game with 17 of them, seems quite possible that record could be re-broke a few times this year. Of the 77 total shots UT took 63 of them (82%) were either 3’s or rim 2’s, that’s a great number…means only 18% effectively was mid range.

2. Diving a little deeper into the efficiency numbers…Offensively we had an efficiency of 1.29ppp and defensively 0.89ppp, we only had 1 game better than 1.29ppp last season…offensively that number is elite, defensively that’s right about where we project to be per KenPom, which is Top 10 nationally. Anything above 1.10 offensively is pretty good, and defensively anything better than 0.90 is pretty good.

3. Tennessee had some issues, especially early on defensively…UTM had 20 points in the first 8 minutes, 42 points in the final 32 minutes…their quickness gave our bigs a ton of problems and this simply wasn’t a game you could really play Plav, never mind Plav AND BHH/ON at the same time, Barnes adjusted to this and you saw less of it after those first 8 minutes. Plav will have a role, especially against some bigger teams, but Fulky coming back is huge for this reason…he’s our best defensive post, great communicator, and doesn’t can be on the floor against a team like that.

4. When James & Bailey combine for 2-12 from deep and yet you still hit a program record for 3’s made while shooting 43%, you know you got some shooters. I said I thought Vescovi might benefit most from Chandler and tonight certainly doesn’t make me 2nd guess that, 6/11 from 3….he didn’t look great at PG, definitely need Zeigler to come along and solidify that spot or make sure Chandler is ready to play 32-35mpg.

5. I know he catches a lot of flack on this board but I thought ON was pretty solid…11 points and 14 rebounds tonight, athletically you see something on that drive and dunk and then that late turn around jumper he made you can see what coaches maybe see in practice that keeps making them want more, he also hit a 3 again tonight and looks like a 30%+ capable trail 3 kinda guy. Again I don’t think tonight’s matchup was great for him at the 4, but 2nd half when he played more 5 I thought he was much better.

6. I’m sure many are wondering how I’m at 6 and haven’t mentioned Chandler, he’s just so damn good, there’s not much you can say…his outside shot is so much better than what many thought it would be at that’s just going to make him that much better. He’s got to make sure he’s in elite shape so he can play 32-35+mpg ideally because there’s no doubt we are at our best with him out there, 0 fouls tonight is nice to see as hopefully he can avoid foul trouble.

7. Maybe it was just a bad game but James just looks like the same James we’ve seen for 3 years…shot wasn’t falling, wasn’t super aggressive, jack of all trades etc…not a bad thing but those worried he would be getting 1st round grades after this year I think can probably take a step back.

8. Good win, lots for the staff and players to look at on film and work on, got a lot of younger guys some run out there that should pay off down the road…slight step up in competition against ETSU and then our first big test of the year against Villanova.


GBO!!!

Great as always

 

[LeannaVol]

My overreactions based on one game.
1. Kennedy Chandler will be better for Tn for one year then Keon and Springer were put together.
2. Powell > Bailey. Expect more Powell and less Bailey going forward.
3. I love Uros but he doesn’t rebound well enough to get major minutes once Fulky and Aidoo get healthy. 1 rebound this game.
4. ON rebounding is strong and offensive game is good enough to earn major minutes even with BHH looking like a stud.
5. Mashack grabbed 5 rebounds in limited minutes and played so lid D. He will be a stud.
6. Really hope JJJ finds his confidence/ aggression moving forward because he can be a difference maker

 

[ndubvols]

On James i think there will be several games he doesn’t score a ton, simply because I think we have a lot of options and depends a bit on who’s hitting.

I’d also be surprised if he had many games with a worse box score than he did tonight. I expect him to stuff the stat sheet and average around 8 points a game while being our best defender.

 

[zjcvols]

I find the lack of BHH praise disturbing

 

[zjcvols]

I like that we are shooting more 3’s. I’ll worry about the defense in January. The lack of ball screens concern me. Uros isn’t an SEC player. BHH needs to play more. Kennedy Chandler makes me believe in love again. Justin Powell has a gorgeous jump shot. Zeigler will be good but needs a year. I thought Vescovi really competed on defense. We still don’t defend the 3 well enough but it’s early.

This postgame report is brought to you by Appleton Estate and Michelob Ultra

 

[bleedingTNorange]

 

[bleedingTNorange]

I find the lack of BHH praise disturbing

19m 7p 6r, thought he was solid, thought ON played better…I liked what he brought and he will obviously continue to get opportunities, as he should, thought Mashack played well in his minutes too. 5 rebounds in 7 minutes, and can see his level of defense he brings immediately.

 

[Volfan1000]

19m 7p 6r, thought he was solid, though ON played better…I liked what he brought and he will obviously continue to get opportunities, as he should, thought Mashack played well in his minutes too. 5 rebounds in 7 minutes, and can see his level of defense he brings immediately.

BHH and James were our best interior defenders tonight.

 

[bleedingTNorange]

BHH and James were our best interior defenders tonight.

James far and away was…BHH & ON both had their moments I thought, Fulky is clearly better than both (assuming he’s the same), and was missed early on imo.

 

[zjcvols]

19m 7p 6r, thought he was solid, though ON played better…I liked what he brought and he will obviously continue to get opportunities, as he should, thought Mashack played well in his minutes too. 5 rebounds in 7 minutes, and can see his level of defense he brings immediately.

we will respectfully disagree

 

[njvols]

My overreactions based on one game.
1. Kennedy Chandler will be better for Tn for one year then Keon and Springer were put together.
2. Powell > Bailey. Expect more Powell and less Bailey going forward.
3. I love Uros but he doesn’t rebound well enough to get major minutes once Fulky and Aidoo get healthy. 1 rebound this game.
4. ON rebounding is strong and offensive game is good enough to earn major minutes even with BHH looking like a stud.
5. Mashack grabbed 5 rebounds in limited minutes and played so lid D. He will be a stud.
6. Really hope JJJ finds his confidence/ aggression moving forward because he can be a difference maker

Keon and Springer were really good, but Chandler does everything with ease (except maybe a little ball security stuff). 20 points seemed effortless and a ton of speed...most since Bone. Agree, think Powell's going to be huge for us. And, once get Fulky back and ON rocking, the interior passes from Chandler will give them a big help. It's almost like you'd think JH is coaching this team...run and shoot. Credit to Barnes for recognizing the need to change/adapt from his inside/out first philosophy (ofcourse, having the players to do it with)

 

[Vol49er]

Keon and Springer were really good, but Chandler does everything with ease (except maybe a little ball security stuff). 20 points seemed effortless and a ton of speed...most since Bone. Agree, think Powell's going to be huge for us. And, once get Fulky back and ON rocking, the interior passes from Chandler will give them a big help. It's almost like you'd think JH is coaching this team...run and shoot. Credit to Barnes for recognizing the need to change/adapt from his inside/out first philosophy (ofcourse, having the players to do it with)

I will say Keon and jaden quickly became excellent defenders. Rn it looks like it’ll be a gift if Chandler makes it to average by season end. He does add more value on offense than Keon and jaden put together though, probably

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

JJJ doesn’t look close to being ready to jump to the NBA. I was really disappointed at how he looked, checked the stats and was surprised to see how much he was stuffing the columns other than made shots. The quietest contributor ever.

Uros must learn to catch and quickly shoot the damn ball. Twice early he caught the ball right in front of the basket and immediately tried to dribble to a more comfortable shot instead of going straight to the rim. Even if he’s twisted up in an awkward position, he’s 3 or 4 feet from the rim. Then in the second half he catches the ball right under the rim and throws the ball to the corner. He needs to be more selfish fast or he’ll be back to his emergency only role.

Powell was impressive. Vescovi is best as a spot up shooter. Powell can drain 3s after making a move. Unless it was him just playing above his normal level, he’s going to be taking a lot of minutes from Vescovi and Bailey. Mashack as well if he is slow to develop. Heck, he might even take some of JJJ’s floor time.

BHH will be a beast.

ORN is close to breaking out.

Martin was pesky. I was surprised at how quickly Barnes went 9 deep. TN looked out of sync. But maybe CRB knew that keeping his players fresh would end up with the results of UT-M finally running out of gas. They might could be a good team in their league… whatever it is.

Make the dad gum free throws. THEY’RE FREE!!!

I was lazy watching the defense and wasn’t listening to Bert break it down in-game. I wish that the game was on the SEC NW overnight… I’d like to pay more attention how TN hid their 2 smallish PGs. Maybe KC was really good at not being screened off of his man. I think that the defense really misses Fulky disrupting passing lanes.

I thought that there were a lot of good looks early from 3, but the shots just weren't falling.

 

[omghulkhands]

I’m usually pretty level headed and demand a much larger sample size before jumping to conclusions…

So I’ll qualify it a bit…

But if the last two games were not a fluke, Chandler is going top 3 in the draft.

 

[cncchris33]

I will say Keon and jaden quickly became excellent defenders. Rn it looks like it’ll be a gift if Chandler makes it to average by season end. He does add more value on offense than Keon and jaden put together though, probably

Chandler,...tonight, at least...appears to gamble a lot on defense, exposing himself to bad plays that leave his man unaccounted for. It isn't likely something that's gonna get him benched, but it's the kind of thing that would get Bailey, Ziegler, or Vescovi benched. Barnes wasn't pleased with several of KC's defensive decisions, tonight.

 

[Vol49er]

Chandler,...tonight, at least...appears to gamble a lot on defense, exposing himself to bad plays that leave his man unaccounted for. It isn't likely something that's gonna get him benched, but it's the kind of thing that would get Bailey, Ziegler, or Vescovi benched. Barnes wasn't pleased with several of KC's defensive decisions, tonight.

If that’s it then it should be fixable. I just know he let a lot of guys go right by him. If he can just be mediocre on D that would honestly be fine since he appears to be a savant on offense

 

[omghulkhands]

If that’s it then it should be fixable. I just know he let a lot of guys go right by him. If he can just be mediocre on D that would honestly be fine since he appears to be a savant on offense

Be nice if we still had a strong help defender like Pons around

 

[Vol49er]

Be nice if we still had a strong help defender like Pons around

Yeah, he’ll be missed a great deal. I said it after the exhibition and feel even more so now, I think Fulk should focus his energies on defense when he returns. I think that’s where he can make the biggest positive impact on the team. We’ve got lots of guys who can score, we need someone to clean up all the drives to the rim

 

[therickbol]

Observations:

1) Powell is so much better than VJ, as just an all-around basketball player. Especially the little things. Decision making is top notch. Ballhandling is better. Vision is much better. Better shooter. I hope Powell ends up on the larger end of the minutes in that part of the rotation.

2) ON played very different in 2nd half. If that 2nd half can be what he brings consistently then he will be a contributor.

3) BHH has lots more to give and you can see where Barnes gets frustrated. It's not like he is a total slacker but he has potential to dominate inside of 10ft if he would just commit to it and keep it simple. Defensively he loses focus too much.

4) Uros still Uros.

5) Vescovi going to feast offensively playing off the ball along with both Chandler and Powell. And he is a solid on defense.

6) James is very comfortable allowing his teammates to "do things" on offense while he just does all the small things and fits in.

7) We going to win lots and we are going to be a headache trying to defend us.

 

[zjcvols]

I’m usually pretty level headed and demand a much larger sample size before jumping to conclusions…

So I’ll qualify it a bit…

But if the last two games were not a fluke, Chandler is going top 3 in the draft.

If KC was 6’2 I’d argue he’d have a chance to be #1 but I think his size is gonna hurt him some

 

[i2amavol]

5. I know he catches a lot of flack on this board but I thought ON was pretty solid…11 points and 14 rebounds tonight, athletically you see something on that drive and dunk and then that late turn around jumper he made you can see what coaches maybe see in practice that keeps making them want more, he also hit a 3 again tonight and looks like a 30%+ capable trail 3 kinda guy. Again I don’t think tonight’s matchup was great for him at the 4, but 2nd half when he played more 5 I thought he was much better.
GBO!!!

Very good writeup. I will focus on this point.

I must have not paid good attention, and I think I had difficulty differentiating certain players. Obviously, he had a good game, much in line with my expectations for him. Even if he is not a starter, having players like him and vescovi/Powell/Bailey/Zeigler coming off the bench could make us a very hard team to beat.

 

[i2amavol]

My overreactions based on one game.
1. Kennedy Chandler will be better for Tn for one year then Keon and Springer were put together.
2. Powell > Bailey. Expect more Powell and less Bailey going forward.
3. I love Uros but he doesn’t rebound well enough to get major minutes once Fulky and Aidoo get healthy. 1 rebound this game.
4. ON rebounding is strong and offensive game is good enough to earn major minutes even with BHH looking like a stud.
5. Mashack grabbed 5 rebounds in limited minutes and played so lid D. He will be a stud.
6. Really hope JJJ finds his confidence/ aggression moving forward because he can be a difference maker

All good points! I guess I had similar thoughts to point one, but never put it into words.

 

[The Dog]

Powell's shot is so smooth and almost always dead on, a thing of beauty. Best pure shooter since Lofton, no doubt, imo. Yeah, I came to that conclusion after one exhibition and real game (plus, 10 for Auburn, last year), but I'm right

 

[i2amavol]

I find the lack of BHH praise disturbing

I think this may be one of the quietest games that he has this year, but his talent is obvious.