Pathetic Play So Far? Don't expect too much

[dickens821]

I think his mid-range game is as good as Ellis'. I think Tyler's is the best in the country, but he has gone away from it for some reason.

Mind you, I'm a huge Ellis fan.

I'd agree. His mid-range game is something that is lost among 95% of the basketball playing populace.

 

[jsc1973]

True, we have come a long way, but I completely disagree about teams making the Final Four in December. Like I said before, seeding is EVERYTHING in the NCAA tourney. Since the field was expanded to 64 teams, 84 out of 96 (87.5%) Final Four teams have been a 1, 2, 3, or 4 seed, and getting those high seeds means racking up wins early in the season in addition to winning late in the year.

The only thing being a high seed gets you is an easier first-round opponent, and even that's only relevant if you're a 1 or 2 seed. Most 15 or 16 seeds are walkovers; that's not the case with 13 or 14 seeds. Teams seeded 13-14 are usually mid-major conference champions who are good teams, but have low RPIs because they play in weak conferences.

Top-four seeds make up 87.5 percent of the teams that make Final Fours because they are simply good teams capable of sustained excellence over two weeks of high-pressure tournament play. Bruce Pearl's goal will be to get his team to that level by March. And if he does that, the rest will take care of itself.

 

[TennesseePride]

If volnation was an island... And I had to vote someone off.. It would be fulmermaniac... Just sayin

 

[volgolferarch]

If volnation was an island... And I had to vote someone off.. It would be fulmermaniac... Just sayin

Second.

 

[volsfan0156]

chill out man

 

[CALISKING]

The only thing being a high seed gets you is an easier first-round opponent, and even that's only relevant if you're a 1 or 2 seed. Most 15 or 16 seeds are walkovers; that's not the case with 13 or 14 seeds. Teams seeded 13-14 are usually mid-major conference champions who are good teams, but have low RPIs because they play in weak conferences.

Top-four seeds make up 87.5 percent of the teams that make Final Fours because they are simply good teams capable of sustained excellence over two weeks of high-pressure tournament play. Bruce Pearl's goal will be to get his team to that level by March. And if he does that, the rest will take care of itself.

Vols should be lock for a Top 4 seed. SEC is down this year and they should win at least 24 games. Vols fans should not put too much stock in a "bad" loss at Temple or a "big" win against MU. After about 15 games, you'll know what you have. Though they may be lacking from perimeter and defense, there is really only 1 juggernaut this year. Everyone else is beatable.

I see Vols as a Sweet 16 team. Once there, anything can happen. As a Tiger fan, I've seen the good and bad in the Sweet 16. Drilling Texas in Houston last year and losing to UCLA in Oakland 3 years ago.