Playing your best at the right time.

[backdoorcutvol]

It’s all about who is playing the best in March. Sure we got beat by Loyola, but they were playing great ball and went to the final four. Sure we got beat by FAU but they were playing great ball at the right time and went to the final four. Same with Purdue and Houston the past two years. I think we have peaked early a few times but heck some teams never peak. Barnes is old school and works his teams hard and that might have tired legs late in the season. The stars have to line up for every championship, they just haven’t lined up for us. I’ll take what Barnes gives us every year, his players play hard, have high character and keep their nose clean.

 

[EZE]

We were playing our best basketball at the end of the season heading into this Houston game. We just picked a really bad time to play our second, really bad game of the year.

And, before folks start blaming the coaches “for not having them ready to play” or the players “for not wanting it” …

-Every team puts up clunkers throughout a season.
-There wasn’t any lack of effort yesterday. We just played poorly in the first half and dig a hole that was too deep.

 

[Delmar]

We were playing our best basketball at the end of the season heading into this Houston game. We just picked a really bad time to play our second, really bad game of the year.

And, before folks start blaming the coaches “for not having them ready to play” or the players “for not wanting it” …

-Every team puts up clunkers throughout a season.
-There wasn’t any lack of effort yesterday. We just played poorly in the first half and dig a hole that was too deep.

Agree. But I think it was mostly nervousness. Wally Szerbiak said UT was playing “tense”. They looked radically different at the start versus how they looked against KY and in the second half against Houston. You could tell by Lanier’s air ball on his first shot. Personally I think they were feeling the pressure to get UT to the Final Four and it really affected their play. (That and Houston playing really well on both ends to start the game). Didn’t think that would happen with a senior laden team but it did. As you said, it happens. All it takes is a bad shooting day in an elimination game and you’re gone.

 

[Volnuck]

It’s all about who is playing the best in March. Sure we got beat by Loyola, but they were playing great ball and went to the final four. Sure we got beat by FAU but they were playing great ball at the right time and went to the final four. Same with Purdue and Houston the past two years. I think we have peaked early a few times but heck some teams never peak. Barnes is old school and works his teams hard and that might have tired legs late in the season. The stars have to line up for every championship, they just haven’t lined up for us. I’ll take what Barnes gives us every year, his players play hard, have high character and keep their nose clean.

The basketball Vols ran into the same thing the football Vols did. Houston was physically and mentally a better team than we were just like Ohio State was a much more talented and physically imposing team than Tennessee was. This is not meant to downgrade the Vols, it just sometimes happens that you run into a team on a roll you just can’t stop.

 

[ttocswob]

The Vols peaked at exactly the right time - and sent Kentucky home.

 

[UTFranklinVol]

I think the team felt the pressure of getting to the final 4 for the first time and it showed. and yeah I think it comes down to coaching them up for this moment. the fact is Rick Barnes doesn't have much experience at that elite level of play and it shows. Houston didn't beat Tennessee, Tennessee beat Tennessee in a totally winnable game. they psyched themselves out before the game even begun and it was painfully obvious. A team FULL of seniors should have played with more poise than that.

now the team is gonna be completely gutted with 6 seniors leaving and no clear team leader left.

I think that was Rick Barnes best chance of doing something big before he retires and it's gone. I really like him and I hope he can completely rebuild this team for one more run but I wonder ...

 

[cardvolfan]

Agree. But I think it was mostly nervousness. Wally Szerbiak said UT was playing “tense”. They looked radically different at the start versus how they looked against KY and in the second half against Houston. You could tell by Lanier’s air ball on his first shot. Personally I think they were feeling the pressure to get UT to the Final Four and it really affected their play. (That and Houston playing really well on both ends to start the game). Didn’t think that would happen with a senior laden team but it did. As you said, it happens. All it takes is a bad shooting day in an elimination game and you’re gone.

I saw a few things that verified your “tense” analysis. Looking at the guys during the national anthem you could almost sense this. Igor kept breathing in slowly and blowing out through his mouth. One-arming balls early, missing free throws badly early. Was just unfortunate.

 

[K-town Vol Fan]

The Vols peaked at exactly the right time - and sent Kentucky home.

Don't like this mentality. At some point we need to take the next step, not only as a basketball program but as a school.

 

[VolsSportsFan]

Don't like this mentality. At some point we need to take the next step, not only as a basketball program but as a school.

I agree and was worried we put too much emotion into beating UK. I get it, they are our biggest rival and we've lost 3 in a row to them. But we do have to get past that. It's a little too Vanderbilt for me.

 

[EasternVol]

Don't like this mentality. At some point we need to take the next step, not only as a basketball program but as a school.

How so as a school?