Need to vent...

#1
bnhunt

bnhunt

Junior Member
Joined
Feb 13, 2006
Messages
5,190
Likes
2,499
#1
on a few things so bear with me:

1) NCAA Selection Committee - they are almost as big a joke as the NCAA itself, which I guess really shouldn't be a surprise. MTSU had one win over an RPI top 100 team, while UT had 9. Seth Davis asked the chair about this yesterday and his answer was some weak crap about MTSU being a deserving team based on their record (with a SOS in the 100's by the way). I bet if you gave the committee truth serum and asked them how many times a UT, UK or Maryland would beat MTSU, LaSalle, Boise St. or even St. Mary's head-to-head I bet the average would be 7 out of 10. The committee loves this idea of Cinderella and UT got screwed this year. To say they are not one of the best 68 teams in the country is a joke. I thought SOS was supposed to be rewarded and we go on the road and play Georgetown, a top 5 team, and lose by one, play UVA on the road, OK St. on a neutral site, and beat Wichita St. (a tourney team), and it didn't matter. The committee has no consistency and really is a joke.

2) Basketball team - while I think they did enough to get in by winning 9 of last 11 and beating UF, UK and Mizzou during that stretch, can you really not at least split with a sub .500 UGA team, at least beat Ole Miss at home and show up in the SEC tourney against a very mediocre ALA team. They were flat for large parts of that game, which makes no sense to me with so much on the line.

3) CCM - has got to find a way to get his team to play at the beginning of the year like they do at the end. I'm not sure if it just takes the players awhile to learn his system or what, but he has got to fugure out how to get the team off to a better start pre-conference because those are the games that can decide your tourney fate (i.e. OK St., UVA and Georgetown). We didn't even score 40 against UVA or Georgetown. I have a feeling next year will be the make or break year for 'Zo with the core of the team back (assuming Stokes and McRae stick around) and adding Maymon (hopefully) and Hubbs to the mix. No excuse for this team not to be a top-20 team.

4) NIT - I cannot imagine UT fans caring less about a post-season tournament. There may not be 5,000 people there Wednesday night and I would not be surprised at all if the team comes out flat and lifeless. I mean, if you are flat in the SEC tourney with an NCAA bid on the line, then I doubt playing Mercer (didn't know Ron had a school named after him) in the NIT will exactly fire them up. I know we won't do it because of money, extra practices, blah, blah, blah, but I wish we could have just said thanks, but no thanks, and ended the season. Arkansas must have done something like this because they aren't playing in any post-season tourney.

At least baseball season and spring practice are here!
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: 4 people
#2
#2
bnhunt said:
on a few things so bear with me:

1) NCAA Selection Committee - they are almost as big a joke as the NCAA itself, which I guess really shouldn't be a surprise. MTSU had one win over an RPI top 100 team, while UT had 9. Seth Davis asked the chair about this yesterday and his answer was some weak crap about MTSU being a deserving team based on their record (with a SOS in the 100's by the way). I bet if you gave the committee truth serum and asked them how many times a UT, UK or Maryland would beat MTSU, LaSalle, Boise St. or even St. Mary's head-to-head I bet the average would be 7 out of 10. The committee loves this idea of Cinderella and UT got screwed this year. To say they are not one of the best 68 teams in the country is a joke. I thought SOS was supposed to be rewarded and we go on the road and play Georgetown, a top 5 team, and lose by one, play UVA on the road, OK St. on a neutral site, and beat Wichita St. (a tourney team), and it didn't matter. The committee has no consistency and really is a joke.
Click to expand...

The tournament isn't about the 68 best teams. With the automatic bids from the smaller conferences you need to be in the top 40-50 to get in.

I agree about baseball season, though. I'm pretty fired up for the season. The Rays should be pretty good but the AL East is a beast this year with Baltimore and Toronto stepping up.
 
#3
#3
UT didn't have one of their best players all year if not the best and still won 20 games.If Maymon plays all year how many of those losses are wins.It wasn't that bad of a year.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 people
#5
#5
bnhunt said:
on a few things so bear with me:

1) NCAA Selection Committee - they are almost as big a joke as the NCAA itself, which I guess really shouldn't be a surprise. MTSU had one win over an RPI top 100 team, while UT had 9. Seth Davis asked the chair about this yesterday and his answer was some weak crap about MTSU being a deserving team based on their record (with a SOS in the 100's by the way). I bet if you gave the committee truth serum and asked them how many times a UT, UK or Maryland would beat MTSU, LaSalle, Boise St. or even St. Mary's head-to-head I bet the average would be 7 out of 10. The committee loves this idea of Cinderella and UT got screwed this year. To say they are not one of the best 68 teams in the country is a joke. I thought SOS was supposed to be rewarded and we go on the road and play Georgetown, a top 5 team, and lose by one, play UVA on the road, OK St. on a neutral site, and beat Wichita St. (a tourney team), and it didn't matter. The committee has no consistency and really is a joke.

2) Basketball team - while I think they did enough to get in by winning 9 of last 11 and beating UF, UK and Mizzou during that stretch, can you really not at least split with a sub .500 UGA team, at least beat Ole Miss at home and show up in the SEC tourney against a very mediocre ALA team. They were flat for large parts of that game, which makes no sense to me with so much on the line.

3) CCM - has got to find a way to get his team to play at the beginning of the year like they do at the end. I'm not sure if it just takes the players awhile to learn his system or what, but he has got to fugure out how to get the team off to a better start pre-conference because those are the games that can decide your tourney fate (i.e. OK St., UVA and Georgetown). We didn't even score 40 against UVA or Georgetown. I have a feeling next year will be the make or break year for 'Zo with the core of the team back (assuming Stokes and McRae stick around) and adding Maymon (hopefully) and Hubbs to the mix. No excuse for this team not to be a top-20 team.

4) NIT - I cannot imagine UT fans caring less about a post-season tournament. There may not be 5,000 people there Wednesday night and I would not be surprised at all if the team comes out flat and lifeless. I mean, if you are flat in the SEC tourney with an NCAA bid on the line, then I doubt playing Mercer (didn't know Ron had a school named after him) in the NIT will exactly fire them up. I know we won't do it because of money, extra practices, blah, blah, blah, but I wish we could have just said thanks, but no thanks, and ended the season. Arkansas must have done something like this because they aren't playing in any post-season tourney.

At least baseball season and spring practice are here!
Click to expand...

I would say just win 24ish games. You don't have to be top twenty to be a good team.
 
#10
#10
bnhunt said:
on a few things so bear with me:

2) Basketball team - while I think they did enough to get in by winning 9 of last 11 and beating UF, UK and Mizzou during that stretch, can you really not at least split with a sub .500 UGA team, at least beat Ole Miss at home and show up in the SEC tourney against a very mediocre ALA team. They were flat for large parts of that game, which makes no sense to me with so much on the line.

3) CCM - has got to find a way to get his team to play at the beginning of the year like they do at the end. I'm not sure if it just takes the players awhile to learn his system or what, but he has got to fugure out how to get the team off to a better start pre-conference because those are the games that can decide your tourney fate (i.e. OK St., UVA and Georgetown). We didn't even score 40 against UVA or Georgetown. I have a feeling next year will be the make or break year for 'Zo with the core of the team back (assuming Stokes and McRae stick around) and adding Maymon (hopefully) and Hubbs to the mix. No excuse for this team not to be a top-20 team.
Click to expand...

Good post...especially agree with points #2 & #3. It's hard to get really upset with the snub when you consider that we lost to Ole Miss & Georgia twice, and then flat-lined it through the 'bama tourney game.

This team has been the most frustrating UT team to watch in a long while...it's either a party or a funeral with them.

IMO, we better find a quicker PG if we really hope to compete on a national level next year...Golden's not consistent enough to take us where we want this team to go.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 people
#11
#11
bnhunt said:
on a few things so bear with me:

1) NCAA Selection Committee - they are almost as big a joke as the NCAA itself, which I guess really shouldn't be a surprise. MTSU had one win over an RPI top 100 team, while UT had 9. Seth Davis asked the chair about this yesterday and his answer was some weak crap about MTSU being a deserving team based on their record (with a SOS in the 100's by the way). I bet if you gave the committee truth serum and asked them how many times a UT, UK or Maryland would beat MTSU, LaSalle, Boise St. or even St. Mary's head-to-head I bet the average would be 7 out of 10. The committee loves this idea of Cinderella and UT got screwed this year. To say they are not one of the best 68 teams in the country is a joke. I thought SOS was supposed to be rewarded and we go on the road and play Georgetown, a top 5 team, and lose by one, play UVA on the road, OK St. on a neutral site, and beat Wichita St. (a tourney team), and it didn't matter. The committee has no consistency and really is a joke.

2) Basketball team - while I think they did enough to get in by winning 9 of last 11 and beating UF, UK and Mizzou during that stretch, can you really not at least split with a sub .500 UGA team, at least beat Ole Miss at home and show up in the SEC tourney against a very mediocre ALA team. They were flat for large parts of that game, which makes no sense to me with so much on the line.

3) CCM - has got to find a way to get his team to play at the beginning of the year like they do at the end. I'm not sure if it just takes the players awhile to learn his system or what, but he has got to fugure out how to get the team off to a better start pre-conference because those are the games that can decide your tourney fate (i.e. OK St., UVA and Georgetown). We didn't even score 40 against UVA or Georgetown. I have a feeling next year will be the make or break year for 'Zo with the core of the team back (assuming Stokes and McRae stick around) and adding Maymon (hopefully) and Hubbs to the mix. No excuse for this team not to be a top-20 team.

4) NIT - I cannot imagine UT fans caring less about a post-season tournament. There may not be 5,000 people there Wednesday night and I would not be surprised at all if the team comes out flat and lifeless. I mean, if you are flat in the SEC tourney with an NCAA bid on the line, then I doubt playing Mercer (didn't know Ron had a school named after him) in the NIT will exactly fire them up. I know we won't do it because of money, extra practices, blah, blah, blah, but I wish we could have just said thanks, but no thanks, and ended the season. Arkansas must have done something like this because they aren't playing in any post-season tourney.

At least baseball season and spring practice are here!
Click to expand...

You have to be kidding me. When the A f****ing 10 and the Mountain f*****ing West get more teams in than the SEC and ACC combined, something ain't right. I know, the Vols should have played better, but to leave us and the ones you listed above out is just wrong.

I kinda understand putting conference champions in, but St. Marys?, Boise State? LaSalle? MTSU (who only beat maybe one top 100 team)? The NCAA was looking for a reason to leave out SEC and ACC teams. They succeeded.
 
#12
#12
salutethehill said:
The NCAA Tourny is never the best 68 teams in CBB. I thought everyone knew that
Click to expand...

Agree.

It has turned into a marketing event that does not determine the best 68 teams at this point. Kind of like pre-BCS bowl season in football. Nice to have, but means very little.

So excuse me while I check out of college basketball viewing and move on to baseball a little early. Until they get serious about reforming it all I will only watch when the Vols are in it. They can use their NIT games to work on stuff for next season.
 
#13
#13
salutethehill said:
The NCAA Tourny is never the best 68 teams in CBB. I thought everyone knew that
Click to expand...

There you go thinking again. 32 automatic bids....I didn't think there that many. Then you spread the $$ jelly as thinly as possible for the remaining 36? Has anyone looked up the college rankings from top to bottom or do they even have one for basketball like they do for football?
 
#15
#15
Vols4us said:
Agree.

It has turned into a marketing event that does not determine the best 68 teams at this point. Kind of like pre-BCS bowl season in football. Nice to have, but means very little.

So excuse me while I check out of college basketball viewing and move on to baseball a little early. Until they get serious about reforming it all I will only watch when the Vols are in it. They can use their NIT games to work on stuff for next season.
Click to expand...

The tournament has NEVER been about the best teams in the country. Back in the day you had to win your conference to make the tournament. A lot of good teams were left out.
 
#16
#16
#3 is what keeps pressing on me. Next year simply has to be better; I'm not falling for another red hot February.....well unless we had a red hot December and January.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
#18
#18
lostsheep said:
Good post...especially agree with points #2 & #3.

This team has been the most frustrating UT team to watch in a long while...it's either a party or a funeral with them.

IMO, we better find a quicker PG if we really hope to compete on a national level next year...Golden's not consistent enough to take us where we want this team to go.
Click to expand...

Well said, and I love the first quote in bold. I agree on Golden as well, we relied way too much on him this year and did not have a legitimate backup PG, which doesn't look like will change next year. I wish we could get a decent PG and move Trae to the 2 where he belongs and have Jordan as sort of a point-forward.
 
#20
#20
bnhunt said:
4) NIT - I cannot imagine UT fans caring less about a post-season tournament. There may not be 5,000 people there Wednesday night and I would not be surprised at all if the team comes out flat and lifeless. I mean, if you are flat in the SEC tourney with an NCAA bid on the line, then I doubt playing Mercer (didn't know Ron had a school named after him)...
Click to expand...

It ain't Ron Mercer. It's Roy D. Mercer
(and that stands for Roy Damn Mercer when he's riled, so we'd better bring our A game.)
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
#21
#21
Honestly, I think we got ruled out because the SEC was so weak this year....you look at the conferences with the most bids--the Big 10 and Big East. Illinois and Villanova? If those teams were not in the higher bid leagues would they even be in? I don't think so...and I'll be clear I was never under the impression we would get in. Playing a strong OOC schedule is only helpful to your tourney chances if you come up with wins--losing to Virginia and Georgetown weren't really qualified as bad losses--but let's be clear they were as was losing to Georgia.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: 2 people
#22
#22
Special Ed said:
It ain't Ron Mercer. It's Roy D. Mercer
(and that stands for Roy Damn Mercer when he's riled, so we'd better bring our A game.)
Click to expand...

Don't forget their backcourt which includes Raleigh Arnwine and Roy Mullins...Bottom line is someone's gettin' their ass whooped!
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
#24
#24
appvol said:
UT didn't have one of their best players all year if not the best and still won 20 games.If Maymon plays all year how many of those losses are wins.It wasn't that bad of a year.
Click to expand...

While Maymon being out did hurt us early in the season, I think it's a blessing in disguise. Stokes grew and learned how to play through double teams and to really be much more aggressive on the boards. McRae stepped up to be the main scoring threat and learned how to drive when he needed to.

These 2 players made huge leaps and bounds, just think about them now playing alongside Maymon next year. That'll be scary.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 people
#25
#25
I think UT should have been selected. That being said, you can cherry pick points to make any team's argument. We beat 3 teams in the tourney, lost 2 to a 12 seed, lost 8 to teams not in, and had 2 losses to a team that didn't make ANY postseason tourney. We lost twice to Ole Miss, who MTSU beat. We needed the SEC tourney to get our 20th win against a bad Miss St team. Our best win was against a Florida team at home with 2 of their key players missing. Indiana St, Northern Iowa and other powerhouses of the such can also claim a victory over Wichita St. Our only other tourney team win was over a Missouri team that was horrible on the road and just lost to a Horrible Vandy team. While our losses at Georgetown and to Ok St are not bad losses, NOBODY can say we looked like a team that should be playing in the NCAA in those games. We looked horrible this year in our bad games. That fact is we have nobody to blame. We beat Alabama, or we beat any of UGA/ARK/Ole Miss during the season and we are probably in.
 
New posts
You must log in or register to reply here.

VN Store



Back
Top