Official Game Thread - SECT: Friday, 1pm (ESPN) vs. MSU

[Putbacks]

Mississippi St is not getting called for their contact fouls like we are. If they are this precise and effective on defense, they would not have 12 losses. The refs are making them look much better than what they are. We have played poorly, but we aren’t all of a sudden Vandy-like. Stop blaming this all on Rick Barnes! Sheesh!

 

[Madscientistvol]

I think it’s appropriate to freak out when we’re getting spanked like Houston did to TCU yesterday by Miss freakin State.

 

[hUTch2002]

This game is meaningless. Teams don’t care about these conference tourneys unless on the bubble. Changes nothing. Get this stinker out of the way and get ready for next week.

I know this won’t go over well but I stopped caring about it after winning it had no effect on our seeding.

It’s not meaningless with a 1 seed on the line but at worst we’re still a 2 and still dancing so I agree with the sentiment.

 

[Caz]

That doesn’t explain the 8 or 10 misses that were wide open.

Refs are always to blame for their inept showing. Haven’t you been listening? Lol

 

[Bryan1]

Shooting 20% and 2-18 from the 3, meanwhile State is driving the ball.

 

[tnvols72]

End of the day embarrassing effort and showing. Sucks and hopefully they learn from it because when it happens next will be last game of the season.

I thought they would have learned when Ky schooled them last week.

 

[GoVols9800]

Jesus this fanbase is pathetic

It’s just ass***** that don’t really understand how the game goes sometimes. The most pathetic fans are the loudest and most emotional. It makes them feel better about themselves. Go Vols!

 

[trashman98]

I think the reality of this team is they go as Dalton Knecht goes. If he’s on fire, the rest of the team will respond. If he’s cold as ice, the rest of the team will follow. Now I’m not saying that this deficit or potential loss is on him, but he made up for a lot of the inefficiencies that the rest of the team has. Unfortunately, one of the CBS commentators hit the nail on the head last weekend. The Vols are fools gold and one man teams don’t win tournaments.

 

[UTS4EVR]

This team will be remembered how they finish in the Tournament starting next week, not the egg they are displaying today. Not trying to sugarcoat how bad they are today but it's not the goal this season.

This is not the kind of game you want to have going into NCAA Tournament. They should be peaking right now….not getting boat raced by Mississippi State.

 

[Vol2021]

Bad omen! The comment was made that no team has ever won a NCAA Championship after going down in the first game of their conference tournament.

 

[SGidds]

Tennessee needs live ball turnovers in bunches to get as many transition points as possible. It’s time for traps near midcourt, overplaying the passing lanes, etc.

 

[SonOfGodVolforlife]

Of course it’s inexcusable.

Dumb is still dumb though.

… I agree

 

[Delmar]

For all the good it would do me, I feel like cussing up a storm, throwing my remote all over the house, and throwing up. Just such a frustrating half. Very disappointing to be completely out of the game at halftime. Doesn’t feel like even a great second half would be enough to erase a deficit this big.

I would be surprised if they can come back against a team as good defensively as State but one never knows. If they can get hot and force a few misses one never knows.

 

[Vol49er]

Lot of anger at Josiah and Santi, and fair enough, but Jonas getting absolutely bullied here is the biggest problem. It was happening in Maui at the start of the year, and it’s still happening, and it’s what will be our downfall later this month.

 

[posivol]

football team playing a bb team...our weakness

 

[PKT_VOL]

We have been a 1 man show most of the year. Knecht has really had no help all year. Santi and JJJ have been a huge disappointment and dont see it changing the rest of the year

That's really the story of year in combination with soft play from Adioo and Awaka.

We could survive one of those but not both.

 

[chad954ut]

This is not the kind of game you want to have going into NCAA Tournament. They should be peaking right now….not getting boat raced by Mississippi State.

Two straight losses, bet they will be lucky to get a 2 seed now. Probably get a 3 at best

 

[Caz]

It’s not meaningless with a 1 seed on the line but at worst we’re still a 2 and still dancing so I agree with the sentiment.

Not meaningless. This is called an old fashioned ass whipping by a #9 seed on national TV

 

[GAVol]

Mississippi St is not getting called for their contact fouls like we are. If they are this precise and effective on defense, they would not have 12 losses. The refs are making them look much better than what they are. We have played poorly, but we aren’t all of a sudden Vandy-like. Stop blaming this all on Rick Barnes! Sheesh!

We really get taken out of our game when teams do this to us. It’s exactly how SC played us twice and aTm dismantled us at their place. We just don’t play through contact great.

 

[Delmar]

Blueprint for an early March Madness exit on full display today.

That and we just don’t seem to want to be there today.

I think your last sentence is the most accurate. Looks like they are coasting after winning the regular season title.

 

[orange beard]

Have we ever won a game Pat officiated

not that i have seen. him and TV Ted always rip us a new one!

 

[D3Athlete]

I just don’t get it. Games like this in March. It all about who wants it more most of the time. Who got more fight and energy. Tennessee is getting outclassed in every way. That’s something rarely happens with Rick Barnes’s team, but it is happening right now. I just don’t get it

 

[Vol737]

I’ve been working all week, hadn’t looked at brackets at all since the KY loss. Maybe Barnes should have lobbied the SEC to make us a 12 seed and play our way in to the quarterfinals. We look like we’re not sure if we’re on a basketball court or a badminton court. Good grief guys! Where’s the heat you’re supposed to bring into tournament time??

 

[vavolfan6]

If we were down by 10, maybe I could see it, but being down 19 means we are completely outmatched. We aren't having any success against their length and not creating much of anything inside. Even if the shooting imporovrs, MSST takes up the full shotclock and puts phylsychological pressure on us as time is running out.

..I just need to prepare my heart...or I will be miserable..

 

[Volstylexx]

That doesn’t explain the 8 or 10 misses that were wide open.

Yep. If you look closely at our losses, it’s not always the lack of points from Santi and JJJ, it’s the play of ZZ that differentiates our wins from our losses.