Most unexpected win in the Barnes era?

[VolCalls]

I didn’t comment on the game until afterwards, but if your family’s lives depended on you correctly picking the winner of the game today, you would never have picked Tennessee. So don’t try to act like you “saw this coming” or that anyone who thought we would lose is a bad fan who isn’t allowed to comment after a good win.

I saw a win coming, but not a blowout win. Even said so in the Injury thread an hour before tip.

 

[VolCalls]

Florida’s basketball team is way better than Alabama was at football this past year. And losing 2/5 starters means more in basketball than 2/22 in football. It would have been more like beating Bama in 2022 without Hooker and any of the starters OL on either line.

The only game I can recall quite like this was Kansas in 2010.

Call me crazy but I don’t think Florida is even close to a top 5 team this year. I also think if you held a neutral site five team round robin with us, them, Bama, Auburn and UK the Gators would finish last. I’m just not impressed overall.

 

[BernardKingGOAT]

This game might be the most impressive win of the Barnes era maybe outside of the Duke game.

I think beating Kentucky and Alabama in prime time last year, on their home courts was more impressive. Beating Duke in the round of 32 was a big win, no doubt, but both UK and Alabama were better than that Duke team. Especially when we were underdogs in both of those games

 

[Special Ed]

Vengeance is Mine sayeth the Vols!

 

[hUTch2002]

I feel like this game gave us a whole new identity for when ZZ needs rest. We took a lot less 3’s and actually scored down low.

Yep. Even when he’s back we need to keep going inside. Doing that in the first half led to better looks at the 3 in the second half. I’m good with us shooting 3s where we’ve worked to get a good shot in rhythm. Being in rhythm is important. Just because someone is open doesn’t mean it’s a good shot to take.

 

[hUTch2002]

This game might be the most impressive win of the Barnes era maybe outside of the Duke game.

That’s the one that popped in my mind too.

 

[WiseOlVol]

We drew Duke in the 2nd round a couple years ago.

Blew their doors off.

 

[wmcovol]

Kentucky game at Rupp in 2020, I believe. Fulky party.

 

[BernardKingGOAT]

I don’t recall another game where I had lower expectations going into tipoff. For me, this is on par with the 22 football victory over bama.

We were healthy and running on all cylinders that year, at that time, IN FOOTBALL. I can't really agree with any comparisons to football, unless in a general, big picture athletic prowess effect. This team was down 40 % of it's starters. To boot, 2 of our 3 best players. What if we played Bama that year with Hooker, Hyatt, our starting RB, another starting receiver, a starting OL, a starting DL and two more starters out? That's the ratio from the two sports, which is why you can't really compare except in a huge generality

 

[Walkman]

The best $10 I’ve ever lost….Go Vols!

 

[vols1071]

Best game played all year! Okpara was a monster!!! In all phases even offensively was solid!... Boswell showed he can give good minutes... Gainey was unbelievable and handled the ball well at the point! Team was locked in

 

[Johnnyreb#VFL]

ZZ was coaching harder than Barnes lol

 

[hound dog hillbil]

I believe this team grew up today,played with a misson.

 

[njvols]

I don’t recall another game where I had lower expectations going into tipoff. For me, this is on par with the 22 football victory over bama.

Monster win. We don’t need all of our scorers every game to win most all of our games, but we need one or two of them, and if we do, maybe we will start finding our groove a bit.

 

[njvols]

I believe this team grew up today,played with a misson.

Exactly. Lessons to learn from this one!

 

[LegionnaireOfTheMiserable]

I saw a win coming, but not a blowout win. Even said so in the Injury thread an hour before tip.

It’s easy to just say “we are going to win,” but it’s a whole different story to actually believe it.

Call me crazy but I don’t think Florida is even close to a top 5 team this year. I also think if you held a neutral site five team round robin with us, them, Bama, Auburn and UK the Gators would finish last. I’m just not impressed overall.

Well you listed a bunch of teams that are going to be top 3 seeds. Being the worst of that bunch (I personally think Kentucky is worse than Florida) still could make you a really good team. I don’t think Alabama was a good team at all last year. They were lucky to go 9-4 and got beaten by some bad teams.

 

[joevols89]

This one

 

[VolCalls]

It’s easy to just say “we are going to win,” but it’s a whole different story to actually believe it.

Well you listed a bunch of teams that are going to be top 3 seeds. Being the worst of that bunch (I personally think Kentucky is worse than Florida) still could make you a really good team. I don’t think Alabama was a good team at all last year. They were lucky to go 9-4 and got beaten by some bad teams.

I believe both - that we were going to win today and that Florida is not a top 5 team in the country. They’re fool’s gold.

 

[csheaton]

We seemed to guard the perimeter better with Dubar and Gainey in the lineup today than we do with Zeigler and Milicic. Not saying we should bench them by any means, but maybe a lineup we should consider when facing teams who shoot the three well.

 

[Alto1]

Oops! Did we say that?
View attachment 718826”But….but….but….”

Draya knows better than that!! SMH!

 

[butchna]

Not this one. Kansas all the way!

 

[KTrain]

Usually I ignore those type comments/threads cause they seem motivated by uncontrollable emotions (which I have trouble tolerating ). But some reacted as if this team had been annihilated by double digits by cellar dweller teams instead of every loss to currently ranked teams including #1 team on their own floor by a couple of points. A loss to Florida was NEVER a sure thing but some pronounced it before the game …My business partner approaches games like this even during the game announcing the game over with 10 minutes left because we have up a three point basket type stuff. Makes it really hard to enjoy the game with him sometimes!

You should have heard these 2 Florida fans sitting behind me today. Talking non-stop. I think all fan bases have their share of these emotional exaggerated swings that are nonsensical.

 

[VolsAgainstTheWorld15]

Definitely imo. The Bama win a couple of years was pretty unexpected at the time, but this one takes the cake.

 

[BernardKingGOAT]

I believe both - that we were going to win today and that Florida is not a top 5 team in the country. They’re fool’s gold.

Agree with both. It's not binary and it's most certainly nuanced

 

[adam.vol]

I don’t recall another game where I had lower expectations going into tipoff. For me, this is on par with the 22 football victory over bama.

We were at home. I expected the refs to call more favorable toward the Vols. TV commentators have a hard time excusing questionable officiating over the voices of 20,000 disgruntled fans.