Tennessee versus Arkansas(SC-Auburn)

#1
SeniorDrill

SeniorDrill

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#1
No matter how you look at it, this is a must win game! The powers that be have set it up brilliantly to insure the SEC only has 3 teams in the Big Dance once again. With all of the major bracketolgists having both Tennessee and Arkansas in the last four in, the loser of this quarterfinal SEC tournament game will head to the NIT. You don't lose and stay in the hunt. The other thought is this. Tennessee needs to beat Florida. Remember they were only down 1 with 3:38 to go in Knoxville. If they only make the play in game they have to win 7 games in the tournament instead of 6 to win it all. The play in game is a huge disadvantage. Your next opponent gets to watch a team they have not seen all year play just before they play them. Then they have two days to prepare for that team while the winner of the play in game travels to the site where the second round game is at having no time to prepare for the game to speak of. So you have a well rested higher seed team just biding its time waiting on their next victim that played two days earlier. It takes a toil. Only 1 of 4 play in game winners has advanced beyond the second round each of the 3 years there have been four games. By the way, a plug for my alma mater, East Tennessee State. In 1989, playing as a 16 seed against #1 seed Oklahoma, they were the team that came the closest to pulling the upset. They lost 72-71 on a end of game shot. The following year they were actually ranked tenth nationally at one point during the season.
 
#2
#2
The powers at be had nothing to do with us being matched up. Our records in conference did which is completely out of their control.
 
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#5
#5
CAVol said:
The powers at be had nothing to do with us being matched up. Our records in conference did which is completely out of their control.
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Agreed. Like the two previous years, we found ways to lose games we had no business losing, only to get hot at the end of the season. Hopefully this run turns out better than the last two.
 
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#10
#10
CAVol said:
The powers at be had nothing to do with us being matched up. Our records in conference did which is completely out of their control.
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You mean the powers that be didn't pay off Johnny Jones and Mike Anderson Saturday to throw their games, thus giving these matchups?
 
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#11
#11
BurninOrange said:
If we lose there is no point in sweating as we will be NIT bound again and the CCM era will come to an end
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As of now, a loss to Arkansas and there's still an outside shot. Depending on what other teams do it could actually be a pretty good chance we still make it. We would become solely at the mercy of others teams at that point, and that's not a fun spot to be in.

Simplest way is just win, but this team rarely takes the simple approach it seems.
 
#12
#12
SeniorDrill said:
No matter how you look at it, this is a must win game! The powers that be have set it up brilliantly to insure the SEC only has 3 teams in the Big Dance once again. With all of the major bracketolgists having both Tennessee and Arkansas in the last four in, the loser of this quarterfinal SEC tournament game will head to the NIT. You don't lose and stay in the hunt. The other thought is this. Tennessee needs to beat Florida. Remember they were only down 1 with 3:38 to go in Knoxville. If they only make the play in game they have to win 7 games in the tournament instead of 6 to win it all. The play in game is a huge disadvantage. Your next opponent gets to watch a team they have not seen all year play just before they play them. Then they have two days to prepare for that team while the winner of the play in game travels to the site where the second round game is at having no time to prepare for the game to speak of. So you have a well rested higher seed team just biding its time waiting on their next victim that played two days earlier. It takes a toil. Only 1 of 4 play in game winners has advanced beyond the second round each of the 3 years there have been four games. By the way, a plug for my alma mater, East Tennessee State. In 1989, playing as a 16 seed against #1 seed Oklahoma, they were the team that came the closest to pulling the upset. They lost 72-71 on a end of game shot. The following year they were actually ranked tenth nationally at one point during the season.
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VCU made the final four from the play in game FWIW
 
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#13
#13
BurninOrange said:
If we lose there is no point in sweating as we will be NIT bound again and the CCM era will come to an end
Click to expand...

I am actually sweating us making the tournament. Martin is retained and Pearl is hired by UGA. We have gotten the same thing the past 2 seasons. Inconsistent all year and then get hot the last 2 weeks of the season. I just don't want to see this for another 3 seasons.
 
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#14
#14
UTjonez said:
I am actually sweating us making the tournament. Martin is retained and Pearl is hired by UGA. We have gotten the same thing the past 2 seasons. Inconsistent all year and then get hot the last 2 weeks of the season. I just don't want to see this for another 3 seasons.
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UGA isn't canning Fox, are you serious?
 
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#16
#16
SeniorDrill said:
No matter how you look at it, this is a must win game! The powers that be have set it up brilliantly to insure the SEC only has 3 teams in the Big Dance once again. With all of the major bracketolgists having both Tennessee and Arkansas in the last four in, the loser of this quarterfinal SEC tournament game will head to the NIT. You don't lose and stay in the hunt. The other thought is this. Tennessee needs to beat Florida. Remember they were only down 1 with 3:38 to go in Knoxville. If they only make the play in game they have to win 7 games in the tournament instead of 6 to win it all. The play in game is a huge disadvantage. Your next opponent gets to watch a team they have not seen all year play just before they play them. Then they have two days to prepare for that team while the winner of the play in game travels to the site where the second round game is at having no time to prepare for the game to speak of. So you have a well rested higher seed team just biding its time waiting on their next victim that played two days earlier. It takes a toil. Only 1 of 4 play in game winners has advanced beyond the second round each of the 3 years there have been four games. By the way, a plug for my alma mater, East Tennessee State. In 1989, playing as a 16 seed against #1 seed Oklahoma, they were the team that came the closest to pulling the upset. They lost 72-71 on a end of game shot. The following year they were actually ranked tenth nationally at one point during the season.
Click to expand...

OP

First off, coincidence UT and Arkansas play. I'm sure you know that but I agree we need to win that game. I still think it's a possibility either team can lose and still make the dance (long shot but still a possibility)

2nd, the play in game is not as bad as your making it out. During the tournament, this is the format teams play in. Coaches are smart enough to scout both teams they play and then focus more on the actual winner of the game. If we win the play in game, their coach has the same amount of time as Zo has to prepare for them. Traveling also isn't that bad. If you look at the brackets and likely seeds to get play in games, they will likely be held decently close to Tennessee (much rougher for a team like California or a west coast team).

3rd, I know people use VCU to argue that play in games don't matter but I don't agree that the reason play in game teams don't make it far is because of the extra game. These teams are in those type of games because they underachieved or they woudln't be playing in those games. Their first game is against a better team so it makes sense for the odds to be against you.

4th - yes man. Let a 16 seed beat a 1 seed. :p
 
#20
#20
It depends on which team shows up we could win or lose by 20, nothing would surprise me anymore, this team up and down all year, I guess its a coin flip to which team shows up but if plays at there best we will win by 10.
 
#23
#23
I watched the Florida replay in Knoxville! They were down 1 with 3:38 to go. Florida made 2 free throws, a three in transition, and then Wilbekin banked the clinching 3 off of the backboard! That's how close the game really was. On a neutral floor, they have an excellent chance of beating Florida. It is extremely difficult to beat the same team 3 times in a season. Kentucky hit 23 of 24 free throws in beating the Vols in Lexington without having to come to Knoxville this year.
Hopefully they watched the Lady Vols fight and scratch until the last bucket to win the SEC tourney!
 
#24
#24
Fwiw wilbekin didn't bank in a 3, it annoyed the ish outta me because the announcer said he banked it and I thought I was drunk or something. Rewound and watched it a couple times, definitely didn't bank.

/rant
 
#25
#25
SeniorDrill said:
I watched the Florida replay in Knoxville! They were down 1 with 3:38 to go. Florida made 2 free throws, a three in transition, and then Wilbekin banked the clinching 3 off of the backboard! That's how close the game really was. On a neutral floor, they have an excellent chance of beating Florida. It is extremely difficult to beat the same team 3 times in a season. Kentucky hit 23 of 24 free throws in beating the Vols in Lexington without having to come to Knoxville this year.
Hopefully they watched the Lady Vols fight and scratch until the last bucket to win the SEC tourney!
Click to expand...


Florida would have the advantage on a neutral floor as opposed to having to travel to Knoxville.

But Florida is the number 1 ranked team in the nation. I don't think losing to them hurts too badly as long as it's competitive.
 
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