Kentucky stuns Tennessee with barrage of threes-west

#1
JohnWardForever

JohnWardForever

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#1
westwords
Nobody wants to admit it yet but Tennessee’s once-great basketball team just doesn’t look like it did and the season is trending in the wrong direction.
Kentucky’s patchwork Wildcats hit an astounding 12 of 24 three-point attempts against what is considered a very good Vol defense. The visitors also hit half their two-point tries. They upset the home team, 78-73. It was a big letdown for the large loud crowd (22,272) at Food City Center. Yep Mr. West, as Johnny Majors once stated following a loss, "We're just common now."
Kentucky stuns Tennessee with barrage of threes

Vol Felix Okpara #34 shoots over Kentucky's Amari Williams #22 during the January 28, 2025, game between the Kentucky Wildcats and the Tennessee Volunteers at Food City Center in Knoxville. (Photo By Andrew Ferguson/ Tennessee Athletic
 
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#4
#4
We had a barrage of threes as well. Ours didn't go in. UK shooting 50% from three vs us at 20-25% is the difference in the game. And honestly, this is basically the difference in most college games.
Full credit to UK. They went on the road to a packed house, made DIFFICULT contested shots. We had dozens of open 3s and couldn't hit ½ their percentage. Recipe for embarrassment vs a team wo its PG and in front of our crowd where we rarely lose.
 
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#5
#5
livefaith said:
We had a barrage of threes as well. Ours didn't go in. UK shooting 50% from three vs us at 20-25% is the difference in the game. And honestly, this is basically the difference in most college games.
Full credit to UK. They went on the road to a packed house, made DIFFICULT contested shots. We had dozens of open 3s and couldn't hit ½ their percentage. Recipe for embarrassment vs a team wo its PG and in front of our crowd where we rarely lose.
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Brea is 6’6” and ZZ is 5’ nothing. Competent coaches for blue blood programs with a long bench of 4 and 5 star players are able to exploit the obvious deficiency. Even without PG #1 being available.
 
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#6
#6
VOLfrombama said:
Can't shoot inside + can't shoot outside = losses gonna pile up

Is anyone coming in early or staying late to shoot in the gym? It doesn't look like it atp
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This happens to Barnes's team every year. Barnes is more of a defense guy. If his guys do not play defense he will pull them. Things have changed, you need more offense guys. The offense at Tennessee mens basketball is not going to change until Barnes retires. Get use to it.
 
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#7
#7
I don't understand why they always come out cold against the top teams at home and on the road. 0-10 to 0-15 early injury most games. With zero inside the game, opponents can run us off the 3-point line too easily.

In this league, losing on your home court is the same as losing two games. Now, they must win on the road to be competitive, which is very difficult.
 
#8
#8
VOLtaism said:
I don't understand why they always come out cold against the top teams at home and on the road. 0-10 to 0-15 early injury most games. With zero inside the game, opponents can run us off the 3-point line too easily.

In this league, losing on your home court is the same as losing two games. Now, they must win on the road to be competitive, which is very difficult.
Click to expand...

I’d like to see us scripting the beginnings of games attacking the rim. Maybe get a few fouls on opponents. Even if trading some 2s for their 3s, we wouldn’t be digging a big hole. Like in football using the run to set up the pass, start down low and then attempt to knock down some threes.
 
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#9
#9
VOLtaism said:
I don't understand why they always come out cold against the top teams at home and on the road. 0-10 to 0-15 early injury most games. With zero inside the game, opponents can run us off the 3-point line too easily.

In this league, losing on your home court is the same as losing two games. Now, they must win on the road to be competitive, which is very difficult.
Click to expand...

As has been said in a number of different threads. We don't have the shooters to compete this year in this league (which is basically to compete for a national title cause the SEC is so good).

We simply can't knock down shots against athletically elite teams that play quasi decent defense that we're now facing. So, they need to adapt the offense and stop shooting so many threes.

Also, Lanier doesn't have the killer instinct or the toughness to match the rest of the team. I wanted to believe he was Dalton 2.0, but he doesn't possess that same go-for-your-throat mentality. He's a good shooter and if he could just stand in an area and spot up all night he would be fine. That's not the fit for this year though.
 
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#10
#10
VOLtaism said:
I don't understand why they always come out cold against the top teams at home and on the road. 0-10 to 0-15 early injury most games. With zero inside the game, opponents can run us off the 3-point line too easily.

In this league, losing on your home court is the same as losing two games. Now, they must win on the road to be competitive, which is very difficult.
Click to expand...
In this league, losing on your home court is the same as losing two games. Now, they must win on the road to be competitive, which is very difficult. You win the "tell the truth" prize.
 
#11
#11
UT97Vol said:
As has been said in a number of different threads. We don't have the shooters to compete this year in this league (which is basically to compete for a national title cause the SEC is so good).

We simply can't knock down shots against athletically elite teams that play quasi decent defense that we're now facing. So, they need to adapt the offense and stop shooting so many threes.

Also, Lanier doesn't have the killer instinct or the toughness to match the rest of the team. I wanted to believe he was Dalton 2.0, but he doesn't possess that same go-for-your-throat mentality. He's a good shooter and if he could just stand in an area and spot up all night he would be fine. That's not the fit for this year though.
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Lanier isn't in the same league as DC. Knecht almost beat Unc with little help from his teammates. He could will a win. He was unstoppable. We were damn lucky to have witnessed that guy in Orange.
 
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#15
#15
rickyyrs said:
This happens to Barnes's team every year. Barnes is more of a defense guy. If his guys do not play defense he will pull them. Things have changed, you need more offense guys. The offense at Tennessee mens basketball is not going to change until Barnes retires. Get use to it.
Click to expand...
Unfortunately, I think your right.
 
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#16
#16
Thunder Good-Oil said:
I’d like to see us scripting the beginnings of games attacking the rim. Maybe get a few fouls on opponents. Even if trading some 2s for their 3s, we wouldn’t be digging a big hole. Like in football using the run to set up the pass, start down low and then attempt to knock down some threes.
Click to expand...
I'd like to see us script not having 11 points, 10 minutes into the first half, like we have the past two games.

To me, the puzzling things is we bring in transfer guys who for their careers are 35-38ish% from 3...and then can't hit the ocean from a boat playing for Vols. You wonder if they are too gassed from the type of D we play, in which case, a deep bench would be beneficial, which unfortunately, we don't have...
 
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#17
#17
njvols said:
I'd like to see us script not having 11 points, 10 minutes into the first half, like we have the past two games.

To me, the puzzling things is we bring in transfer guys who for their careers are 35-38ish% from 3...and then can't hit the ocean from a boat playing for Vols. You wonder if they are too gassed from the type of D we play, in which case, a deep bench would be beneficial, which unfortunately, we don't have...
Click to expand...

11 isn’t a big problem when you’re staying within a possession or two of a ranked opponent.
 
#19
#19
livefaith said:
We had a barrage of threes as well. Ours didn't go in. UK shooting 50% from three vs us at 20-25% is the difference in the game. And honestly, this is basically the difference in most college games.
Full credit to UK. They went on the road to a packed house, made DIFFICULT contested shots. We had dozens of open 3s and couldn't hit ½ their percentage. Recipe for embarrassment vs a team wo its PG and in front of our crowd where we rarely lose.
Click to expand...
Contested?? That's debateable. Maybe, a few of them where.
 
#21
#21
Kentucky upset Tennessee? It's not an upset to anyone who's been watching college basketball this year. At least 5 SEC teams this year are so close in talent that anyone can be beat on any given night. Teams have to score on every possession just to keep up. We need consistent shooting
 
#24
#24
Thunder Good-Oil said:
11 isn’t a big problem when you’re staying within a possession or two of a ranked opponent.
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Not until they hit their groove and we don’t.

Winning ugly is fine w me, but we’ve seen it’s really tough advancing far in the tourney if you can’t score, regardless of how good D is. We’ve got time to figure it out…hope we do.
 
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#25
#25
UT97Vol said:
As has been said in a number of different threads. We don't have the shooters to compete this year in this league (which is basically to compete for a national title cause the SEC is so good).

We simply can't knock down shots against athletically elite teams that play quasi decent defense that we're now facing. So, they need to adapt the offense and stop shooting so many threes.

Also, Lanier doesn't have the killer instinct or the toughness to match the rest of the team. I wanted to believe he was Dalton 2.0, but he doesn't possess that same go-for-your-throat mentality. He's a good shooter and if he could just stand in an area and spot up all night he would be fine. That's not the fit for this year though.
Click to expand...
We miss wide open shots, uncontested shots. Go to a game and watch pregame. It’s concerning at times.
 
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