Can we all agree

[MikeHamiltonFan]

That the last 4 games have demonstrated what everyone wants from Bruce Pearl.

We won the games.

We defended inbounds passes with the effectiveness Bruce has made a trademark of his program.

We defended in the halfcourt in a way we had not been defending previously.

We adjusted in terms of halfcourt offense and we took what was given in terms of matchup zones etc.

Wayne Chism was told to play inside and he did that very well.

I think that when the losses come there will be crying and gnashing of teeth and people pointing to all kinds of things. We all agree that missing FTs is not okay, and that we have been missing too many lately. Some of us are not concerned about shooting lots of 3 pointers, and although that almost cost us a home conference game against Ole Miss when we were cold, it is the reason we beat a Kansas team that had more talent on the floor than we did.

Bruce, if anyone hates the job you have done in the last 4 games they are an idiot. I think almost everyone on this board including your critics are ready to say they are seeing a lot of things that they like. Most of us also think that Bobby Maze, Wayne Chism, Woolridge, JP Prince and even Kenny Hall are all progressing as the season moves on and that is a great thing to witness.

Benching Bobby Maze because Bone was playing better defense is a wonderful message that I know all the players heard and I hope will keep Maze, Hopson, Prince etc committed to playing defense all out during the conference season.

 

[Oldblood]

We can never all agree on this board. But very, very few fans should be unhappy right now.

 

[DeepSpringsVol]

Go vols! and good for Mike hamilton for getting us a GREAT basketball coach and a Loaded with potential football coach.

 

[TENNFOLD1974]

Although we have been pretty good as of late, here is my thoughts: Mike Hamilton=:sick:

 

[UneducatedGuess]

Please add that we played with intensity and passion. Something that has been missing since Bruce's first year, when we were huge underdogs.

Bruce coaches best as an underdog at this point, I hope Tennessee can transform into a team that can play at its level night in and night out.

Full disclosure, I was a study during Bruce's first year, and his energy was much welcomed. With that said, the student section is weak now, but has reemerged in the face of these "circumstances"...

 

[zjcvols]

This has been the best four game stretch of Pearl's career, no doubt. We will see if Pearl keeps it up.

We play like this in the Tourney, then I'll be even more impressed than I already am.

 

[TNBV]

I disagree on 1 point. I don't think Maze was sat for a lack of effort or to send a message. Maze just came off to 2 best games of his life, shutting down one of the best point guards in the country and then tearing Auburn apart.
Bruce's comments seemed to say that Maze just didn't have the legs, Bone did.
It happens. I know what I will hear "When I was that age, I never got tired, there is no excuse."
Well, regardless of whether you feel tired or not, as your muscles get their supply of glycogen depleted, multiple times in a short period of time, and as your muscles build more waste products, suffer relative dehydration and have less time to repair from micro tears, your fast twitch response is diminished. It doesn't matter so much until you are up against other elite atheletes where those fractions of seconds make the difference between getting beat or not.
This would be almost equal to having a starting pitcher throw a 7 inning game sunday, a 7 inning game wednesday, and then attmept another on saturday. His stuff is not going to be as sharp that last outing.
Not to mention the fact that bone has a bigger body,and as he stated Bruce wanted to play more physical against the quick guard. Maze has been playing great, Bone stepped in when the team needed him. I am glad both are Vols.