Nebraska Basketball Game

[samanderson]

It's a shame the Vols lost to Nebraska yesterday, but I was mentally prepared for it to happen after learning they had been idle for eleven days whereas the Cornhuskers had played five games during the same period of time.

I wonder if anyone else got the same impression I did. That is, this team has some of the best talent, athleticism and bench depth that the Vols have had in quite a while. I also think around the halfway point of this season the team will strike some real fear and worry in teams like Kentucky and Florida. Right now, they are in the process of discovering their chemistry as a team because they are all so new to each other which gives them nothing from last season to hang their hats on. And, what I feel best of all about is that there isn't a prima donna ball hog among them as there was not too very long ago. (You all know to whom I am referring.) They are determined to play as a team.

Finally, this team will be worthy of paying close attention to every single game. The improvement from game to game will be exponential. This isn't merely one of those "Wait 'til next year." teams. I predict that by SEC Tournament time, the pundits like Vitale will be putting the Vols on equal footing with Kentucky, Florida, and whoever else might have emerged as we will have.


GO VOLS!!

Sam Anderson

 

[Freak]

samanderson, I hope you are right about this team! I was a little bit disappointed with that game yesterday. We continue to have problems against zone defenses. Hopefully they can correct that in practice. I hope the 11 day layoff is what contributed to our horrible shooting display. This team has some talent but I am afraid that we really don't have any go to guys at this point. Brandon Crump is our most experienced player but someone has got to get him the ball in a position to score. As I see it Scooter McFagdon is going to have to step up and lead this team. However he plays, so goes the team. I am a little disappointed in CJ Watson as well. While he is a solid player he really hasn't shown me any leadership to this point. I would have to say that Dane Bradshaw has been more productive per minute played than Watson. Bradshaw just seems to make things happen and he should be on the floor more. Hendrix has also got the talent to make a difference. On the flip side we have several guys who have not proven that they can be consistent. First on that list is John Winchester. He is just not a shooter and even though he worked hard in the off season I don't see any real improvement in his game and I don't trust his judgement when he is on the floor. Asumnu has shown flashes of stepping up his game but has got to prove to me that he can do it against big time competition. Albrecht can be a decent role player but thats about it. Major Wingate has some talent but he is only a true freshman and that shows. He will get better but I don't look for him to be a major contributor this year. Boomer Herdon is not an SEC caliber player. We really have no one inside the paint that will be able to stop SEC big men.

In summary, at this point I just don't see this team making a serious NCAA run this year. We have some decent "role" players but we are just too inexperienced to win many SEC games. With that said if Scooter can step up and get into a rhthym and play like he is capable of then that could open things up for some other guys. So goes Scooter.....so goes this team.

 

[samanderson]

Vol Freak, whether or not I am correct about this year's basketball Vols isn't uppermost in my mind right now. What I am thrilled about is having access to a forum on the Vols that has a person like you on it. You know your stuff!! In fact, your responses to my two posts provided me with more in depth and insightful information on the Vols than any newspaper, sports magazine or web site out there ever could. Stumbling into this VolNation site is a dream come true.

As for the men's basketball team, you and I are pretty much on the same page. I agree that the inexperience is the major negative at this point. I also agree that as Scooter goes, so goes the Vols. Where we part ways is on how long it will take for the inexperience problems to correct themselves, and whether or not Scooter will become a consistent court general soon enough to salvage this season.

I certainly understand your reservations about very much happening this season for the team. Nebraska did beat them in grand fashion yesterday. However, my optimism springs from the fact that they didn't get beaten by at least 15 to 25 more points than they did. Nebraska had them badly on the ropes for the entire second half and near the end of the game, but they refused to go down. A Nebraska victory wasn't a genuine certainty until about 1:30 left to play. Consider that against all the negatives they had to deal with. Eleven days without playing a game because of final exams. Nebraska had played five games during that same period. There is also the inexperience issue as individuals and as a group of guys that didn't play together at all last year. They were on the road. Plus, their shooting average was spectacularly below average. In spite of all these irksome factors, I feel they exhibited a lot of class and promise. If they had not been so rusty and had shot anywhere near their previous percentages, I think they would have soundly defeated Nebraska. Moreover, I think Buzz is thinking much the same as I am, and will use it to great advantage when they get back to the practice court. I also think a very respectable inside attack offense will be built on the foundation of this loss to Nebraska.

Believe me, I am not ordinarily all that optimistic when it comes to Vol prognosticating. As an avid fan of the Vols, I have learned over the years that it is best to keep expectations reasonably low so as not to become suicidal.

I very well could be totally wrong about this team, but I see and feel something that is intangible. This seldom happens with me, but when it does I go with it. The last time an intangible like this popped into my head was around 1998...

Again, thanks for taking time to share all the detailed info you have on the Vols. You have the kind of quality info that can't ever be found in any of the newspapers here in the western part of Tennessee.

Sam Anderson

 

[Volunteer]

I, for one, was totally disgusted with our play on Saturday and can not come up with any positives. I was not very impressed with how some of our guys were standing around. Looked like they gave up on several plays.


Yuck.

 

[Freak]

Volunteer I don't think they were standing around from laziness or lack of hustle I just really don't think this team knows how to attack a zone.

We are gonna have to get some physical play inside from someone.

 

[Freak]

Originally posted by samanderson@Dec 15 2003, 01:08 AM
Vol Freak, whether or not I am correct about this year's basketball Vols isn't uppermost in my mind right now. What I am thrilled about is having access to a forum on the Vols that has a person like you on it. You know your stuff!! In fact, your responses to my two posts provided me with more in depth and insightful information on the Vols than any newspaper, sports magazine or web site out there ever could. Stumbling into this VolNation site is a dream come true.

As for the men's basketball team, you and I are pretty much on the same page. I agree that the inexperience is the major negative at this point. I also agree that as Scooter goes, so goes the Vols. Where we part ways is on how long it will take for the inexperience problems to correct themselves, and whether or not Scooter will become a consistent court general soon enough to salvage this season.

I certainly understand your reservations about very much happening this season for the team. Nebraska did beat them in grand fashion yesterday. However, my optimism springs from the fact that they didn't get beaten by at least 15 to 25 more points than they did. Nebraska had them badly on the ropes for the entire second half and near the end of the game, but they refused to go down. A Nebraska victory wasn't a genuine certainty until about 1:30 left to play. Consider that against all the negatives they had to deal with. Eleven days without playing a game because of final exams. Nebraska had played five games during that same period. There is also the inexperience issue as individuals and as a group of guys that didn't play together at all last year. They were on the road. Plus, their shooting average was spectacularly below average. In spite of all these irksome factors, I feel they exhibited a lot of class and promise. If they had not been so rusty and had shot anywhere near their previous percentages, I think they would have soundly defeated Nebraska. Moreover, I think Buzz is thinking much the same as I am, and will use it to great advantage when they get back to the practice court. I also think a very respectable inside attack offense will be built on the foundation of this loss to Nebraska.

Believe me, I am not ordinarily all that optimistic when it comes to Vol prognosticating. As an avid fan of the Vols, I have learned over the years that it is best to keep expectations reasonably low so as not to become suicidal.

I very well could be totally wrong about this team, but I see and feel something that is intangible. This seldom happens with me, but when it does I go with it. The last time an intangible like this popped into my head was around 1998...

Again, thanks for taking time to share all the detailed info you have on the Vols. You have the kind of quality info that can't ever be found in any of the newspapers here in the western part of Tennessee.

Sam Anderson

samanderson, I appreciate your kind words. You have to remember one thing about my posts....it's just one man's opinion (right or wrong). I look forward to reading more of your posts as well.