Recruiting Football Talk VIII

For those who did not see it, our Diamond Vols were a bit flat yesterday. Pitching needs work. The defense was spectacular, especially in the IF. Key dingers when needed pulled it out. So mission accomplished in winning another series on the road. Go for the sweep at noon today.

Could not be happier for Peebles, who is our best defensive catcher. He just needs to focus and relax at the plate like he did with that winning HR. Go with the pitches and quit trying to do too much at the plate. He has a good, level, short swing with some pop. Just a bit anxious at the plate at times.

I know Fischer wanted to play 3B more when he committed, but his work at 1B has been excellent. MLB scouts will take notice. It is good to see Curley at his natural position of 3B, which is what he will play in MLB one day. Not much to add to Antigua - the best defensive SS in college. If he continues to improve at the plate - wow. Kilen has already proven he has it all at 2B and was a quality SS previously. Knowing we have Marin as a freshman super sub at 2B, 3B and SS is a luxury most teams do not have.

The OF is just as good as the IF. Add in Bargo's bat and utility on D. He has finally leveled his swing and is staying back on the pitches, it shows big time. Clark needs to do likewise and he will return to his early season success.

No holes in the line-up and roster at all. Tighten up the pitching and there is zero doubt in my mind they can run it back.
SC has been a jinxed place for the Vols. We only have 5 series wins all time and that included this one.
 
If you want to get mildly depressed look at the cumulative margin of victories of each elite 8 team and guess which side of the bracket has the largest disparities.

Ours



Before today we were like 3rd with 37, but Duke's is obnoxious folks.

Not the team anyone should want to face to make the final, but it's time

Barnes and crew

Ain't nobody got time for all that, but what I do see is we have an 11 PPG average in our last 2 games (playing 15 and 16 seeds are meaningless exhibitions, so throw out the outliars).

Houston is only at a 3.5 scoring margin.

We played #3 and #7

Hou played #4 and #8


ilike-borat (1).gif
 
Get past Houston and play our own game. BAMA was sloppy from the moment the ball was tipped til the final buzzer. Duke is a great team but BAMA played pickup ball against a blue blood and found out just how bad that strategy was.
No doubt they played sloppy, but I think they played exactly the way that got them there.

I'd also say (how dare you go making me defend Oates's style on a Sunday morning 😪) that I think you have to attack loaded 5* blueblood rosters with chaos and pace. Similar to football. You don't line up and go toe to toe with bigger, better, more talented and more disciplined dudes. You throw them a curveball.

This is why nearly every cinderella has played fast paced, 3 pointer, high tension basketball. You have to lean on variance and hope for the best. If you pack it in and hope to pound away hookshots and between-the-kneesies from the FT line for 40 minutes against a deep, talented blueblood, you're doing exactly what they want.
 
On March 30, 1981, President Reagan was leaving the Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C., where he had been talking to 5,000 members of the AFL-CIO when several shots were fired. John Hinckley, Jr., fired his .22 caliber revolver with “devastator” bullets at the President and his security team. Reagan was wounded when one of the bullets ricocheted off of the limousine, striking him under the left armpit. Press Secretary James Brady, Secret Service Agent Timothy McCarthy, and policeman Thomas Delahanty were also wounded during the shooting.

Later that day.........Isiah Thomas led Indiana to a 63-50 victory over UNC to win the NCAA Basketball Championship.

1743351129909.png
1743351384128.png
 
No doubt they played sloppy, but I think they played exactly the way that got them there.

I'd also say (how dare you go making me defend Oates's style on a Sunday morning 😪) that I think you have to attack loaded 5* blueblood rosters with chaos and pace. Similar to football. You don't line up and go toe to toe with bigger, better, more talented and more disciplined dudes. You throw them a curveball.

This is why nearly every cinderella has played fast paced, 3 pointer, high tension basketball. You have to lean on variance and hope for the best. If you pack it in and hope to pound away hookshots and between-the-kneesies from the FT line for 40 minutes against a deep, talented blueblood, you're doing exactly what they want.
Kentucky beat Duke. So did Clemson. Cinderella’s make the sweet 16 with chaos ball but they rarely go beyond that. BAMA did play how they’ve played all year minus any semblance of a defense (they at least attempted a defense most conference games).

And fwiw, you can play high tension 3 pointer ball WITHOUT playing unorganized chaos ball. BAMA played talented shooters without an actual game plan. I think their performance in the prior game made them think they didn’t need one.
 
  • Like
Reactions: DD4ME

VN Store



Back
Top