ESPN Magazine ranking: #25

#1
iKrager

iKrager

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#1
The hype's almost here.

25. Tennessee Volunteers

Joe Lunardi's projected NCAA tourney seed: 5
Returning minutes: 60 percent

What you know: The Vols return three potential All-SEC players: senior SG Jordan McRae (15.7 ppg) and senior PF Jeronne Maymon, who missed last season due to injury, and junior PF Jarnell Stokes (12.4 ppg, 9.6 rpg).
What you should know: Cuonzo Martin lacks a proven point guard; Memphis transfer Antonio Barton and frosh Darius Thompson will vie to replace Trae Golden, who left for Georgia Tech. Freshman wing Robert Hubbs III (No. 29, ESPN 100) should elevate a middling offense (No. 63 in efficiency last season in D1), while Maymon and Stokes must lift a pitiful defense that ranked 122nd in efficiency.

Post-ups: Post-ups and shots around the basket are going to blow up because of Maymon and Stokes. They will 
be the focal point of Tennessee's offense and will draw plenty of double-teams. They're grown men, both 6'8", 260. While Martin is more of a motion coach, he'll get them screened and isolated; the offense will run through them.

Around the basket: Don't expect long-range jumpers to go up much. McRae, who took the most threes last season (169), is a slashing shooter and athletic enough to score off the bounce. The same with Hubbs. But both will get buckets off kick-outs when the D collapses. The Vols still need a play starter, and I think Martin likes Thompson over Barton at the point.
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It's interesting that they mention them liking Thompson over Barton right now.. That's either great news for stealing Thompson or that's looking bad for Barton.
 
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#5
#5
Very excited for Vols BB this year. I feel like we will have our most stable team since the good Pearl years. GBO
 
#6
#6
"...Maymon and Stokes must lift a pitiful defense that ranked 122nd in efficiency."

Was Cuonzo's defense really pitiful?
 
#7
#7
Special Ed said:
"...Maymon and Stokes must lift a pitiful defense that ranked 122nd in efficiency."

Was Cuonzo's defense really pitiful?
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Apparently. It was always masked by holding teams to lower points because of the tempo of the game.
 
#9
#9
SJAVol32 said:
5 seed would be great for me. That's a very good season.
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Dreaded 5-12 matchup in tourney. A team with a head coach with no tourney experience playing as the 5 seed in a 5-12 matchup is ripe for an upset.

At least what's you'll hear from the talking heads. Last time we were a 5 seed, we were the upset special playing San Diego State. We beat them, and got within a missed FT of the Final Four.

Bring em on.

Edit: Nevermind. We were a 6 seed in 2010. Thanks Manny!
 
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#10
#10
I have to question Lunardi's credibility on this one. Granted, the local media aren't really covering basketball right now, especially since the football team is still somewhat relevant this season. And the KNS no longer has Mike Griffith, so they've pretty much trusted the basketball beat to recent college grads that mostly do puff pieces on players without any real insight. But would anyone that covers this team even remotely agree that Cuonzo and staff seem to be favoring Thompson over Barton right now?
 
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#11
#11
cncchris33 said:
Dreaded 5-12 matchup in tourney. A team with a head coach with no tourney experience playing as the 5 seed in a 5-12 matchup is ripe for an upset.

At least what's you'll hear from the talking heads. Last time we were a 5 seed, we were the upset special playing San Diego State. We beat them, and got within a missed FT of the Final Four.

Bring em on.
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I could look this up, but I thought it was a 6/11 matchup that year?
 
#12
#12
MannyD said:
I have to question Lunardi's credibility on this one. Granted, the local media aren't really covering basketball right now, especially since the football team is still somewhat relevant this season. And the KNS no longer has Mike Griffith, so they've pretty much trusted the basketball beat to recent college grads that mostly do puff pieces on players without any real insight. But would anyone that covers this team even remotely agree that Cuonzo and staff seem to be favoring Thompson over Barton right now?
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There were reports that Thompson has absolutely made it a position battle, but the feeling was Barton would win out. Within the last week (I assume after Lunardi had already written this) some reports came out that Barton had separated himself a bit as the starting PG.
 
#16
#16
bleedingTNorange said:
Nope 5/12

No remember watching the selection show and literally the second they announced our game on of the talking heads declared that his upset game.
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They also said we were on upset alert to Ohio the next game too right? I might be wrong
 
#17
#17
Stoked4Zo said:
They also said we were on upset alert to Ohio the next game too right? I might be wrong
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I'm sure someone did. After they beat down Georgetown, I'm sure Seth Davis tried to redeem himself and pick Ohio for the upset after his pick of SD over us in round 1 backfired.
 
#20
#20
Yea we were the 6 seed.

Top Left bracket.

Elite 8 participant.

Final 4 spectator.

Damn you Tom Izzo and your high efficiency foul shooting teams
 
#21
#21
Just curious, how does JL know that Coach Martin likes Thompson more than Barton? Did CM mention this some where? Another thing, he said don't expect long range jumpers to go up much. I thought I heard that when Barton was at Memphis he shot around 40% from three point range. Also, Macrae has improved his outside shot each year from what I have seen.
 
#23
#23
PEPPERJAX said:
Just curious, how does JL know that Coach Martin likes Thompson more than Barton? Did CM mention this some where? Another thing, he said don't expect long range jumpers to go up much. I thought I heard that when Barton was at Memphis he shot around 40% from three point range. Also, Macrae has improved his outside shot each year from what I have seen.
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Barton is a career 40+% shooter, however that doesn't mean we want him taking 10 a game. McRae's strength is getting to the paint, our team strength is down low, and Barton is such a good shooter partially because he takes good shots. The ball should be going inside to our bigs or Jordy driving and if a kick out is then open ok, but we shouldn't be a 3 point shot first type of team without the ball ever going inside.
 
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#24
#24
MannyD said:
I could look this up, but I thought it was a 6/11 matchup that year?
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Good catch. I'd have bet the farm we were a 5 seed that season. Looking back, I was confusing it with the season we played Long Beach State. We were a 5 seed, LBSU the 12, and we beat them 121-86 in the 07 tourney. We were the sexy pick to be upset in that tourney.

Good call talking heads.
 
#25
#25
bleedingTNorange said:
Barton is a career 40+% shooter, however that doesn't mean we want him taking 10 a game. McRae's strength is getting to the paint, our team strength is down low, and Barton is such a good shooter partially because he takes good shots. The ball should be going inside to our bigs or Jordy driving and if a kick out is then open ok, but we shouldn't be a 3 point shot first type of team without the ball ever going inside.
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Agreed but imo this should be CM best outside shooting team since he has been here.
 
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