Tennessee vs South Carolina Official game thread (6:30 SECN)

[CAVPUT]

Santi has to be more aggressive. He’s turning down too many looks still. As for everyone else, if anything, they should have stopped shooting. Aidoo was 2-8 and Zeigler was 0-6. Would have been better off just running the “get the ball to DK and get out of the way” offense than watching them continue to throw up bricks.

Neither Vescovi or JJJ are what you'd call "aggressive" or "alpha" types IMO.

 

[walkenvol]

That wasn’t the point being made which I responded to. I was responding to the statement of our loss being at home, and UNC’s was away, which seemingly implies that our loss was a more unacceptable loss.

I thought I was responding to the cock fan with that post - apologies if I did it wrong.

 

[VolsAgainstTheWorld15]

Neither Vescovi or JJJ are what you'd call "aggressive" or "alpha" types IMO.

Agree. With the way JJJ is playing, he doesn’t have any business playing the alpha role anyways. Vescovi doesn’t have to be an alpha personality, but he doesn’t have to be. He just needs to shoot the friggin’ ball when he’s open.

 

[JCP201]

It was just one of those games, and you could see it right out of the gate with all the missed layups and FT's. You hope to just find a way to gut these out, but we could never get any kind of flow going, due in part to tenacious SC defense, and the hideous officiating certainly didn't help. No need to be on the ledge, just be glad it came in January.

I didn't like that we got away from any kind of offensive sets in the second half and were just going with straight iso with DK. We were getting good looks in the first half, just missing some gimmes, I would rather have stuck with that approach assuming those easy looks would start to drop. Two things that have to improve are defensive rebounding and free throws. Giving teams 2nd chances and missing FT's are sure ways to lose big games.

Unfortunately, SC is too good of a team to have "just one of those days". That and Pat Adams was a recipe for disaster. Losing at home is unacceptable. They need to play with the same intensity they did in the last 3 minutes and we would have beaten them badly.

This has been a crap day with NCAA breathing down our back, too.

 

[TennesseeFan07]

JJJ cant shoot, Vescovi just wants to dribble in the paint and look to pass it off. ZZ cant get out of his own way. Its up to DK and Aidoo if he is on. Tn is playing 2 on 5 on the offfensive end. Vescovi is what disappoints me more than they JJJ, we know JJJ cant shoot but Vescovi looks lost out their on offense.

Statistically, Vescovi is right on pace. I do agree that he needs to look for his shot more and for five years has committed stupid, pointless fouls. But, since North Carolina, he has played great on ball defense and has been passing the ball extremely well. His shooting is only a fraction down, just a lower volume of attempts this year.

If you Bench Vescovi, who do you play? Gainey, who hasn't made a shot in five of his last six games and is a poor defender?

 

[aWhiteLoftonChism]

Yeah, me too. I had a rough day at work and didn’t leave until 6:15 (central). I totally forgot about the game until I turned on my car radio and heard good ole Bob on 104.5 zone.

I was so frustrated with the game as Bob wouldn’t tell his listeners how much time was left in the game.

Then I got home and saw all the air balls, bricks, turnovers and missed fouls shots. Then I got to see the “ TN under investigation” headlines.

All of that and I just thought of this myself. We may have been looking ahead to Kentucky already which was a big mistake if so.

 

[walkenvol]

Statistically, Vescovi is right on pace. I do agree that he needs to look for his shot more and for five years has committed stupid, pointless fouls. But, since North Carolina, he has played great on ball defense and has been passing the ball extremely well. His shooting is only a fraction down, just a lower volume of attempts this year.

If you Bench Vescovi, who do you play? Gainey, who hasn't made a shot in five of his last six games and is a poor defender?

I wouldn’t play Gainey over SV, but Gainey isn’t a poor defender by any measure.

 

[vol94]

All of that and I just thought of this myself. We may have been looking ahead to Kentucky already which was a big mistake if so.

I wonder if anyone on the current roster is involved in the NIL BS that spewed out today? It wouldn’t surprise me one bit. Players play the game but they’re human and have worries.

 

[VolGee4]

I get the point, but we lost at home and were unable to score on our own court. Winning on the road with the target on your back is never easy. But we shot free throws and missed layups like the pressure was on us, when it should have been on South Carolina.

Yea, but GTech and USCe aren’t at the same level. KenPom 45 versus 130, even if it was a road game for UNC.

 

[ColinS]

To all you guys saying send JJJ to the bench, who else do we have that can play the small ball 4 position and guard a 6’-8” forward? We don’t have another 220 lb guy like him on the roster and If you think Mashack, well he isn’t scoring lately either. Phillips isn’t ready and Awaka can’t play 15 minutes without fouling out. Our options are limited.

But are our options limited because we have played a guy 30 minutes a game for 5 years that never became a threat on offense when somebody else could have took over at some point? It's too late to do anything now so I guess your right for the rest of this season. That's opportunity cost.

 

[VOLtaism]

Why would DK and Santi be trotted out to explain the loss and answer questions. How would they know anything about it.

 

[D3Athlete]

Will say this. Gainey has some of the cruelest in and outs I have ever seen.

 

[MoCo_Vol]

Serious question for the group, though. Has JJJ ever lived up to the hype you’d expect from a McDonald’s All-American?

Personally I say no. I wouldn’t put him in the Robert Hubbs category, but I’d put him a step below Scotty Hopson.

With his skill set he could be great in a point forward role a la Tyler Smith, but he just doesn’t seem to have that killer instinct.

Short answer, no. But I think JJJ didn't get to really condition himself for the amount of workload he had to take on. Guys like Grant & Admiral kind of got a year or so to really get into shape. JJJ and Santi just didn't get that time, the difference is that Santi didn't have the same sort of injury issues that JJJ has had.

 

[walkenvol]

But are our options limited because we have played a guy 30 minutes a game for 5 years that never became a threat on offense when somebody else could have took over at some point? It's too late to do anything now so I guess your right for the rest of this season. That's opportunity cost.

He’s played the 3 with few exceptions in the prior 4 seasons, occasionally playing small ball 4 some last year. Olivia left and then the Harvard transfer bolted during the summer. We don’t have another 4 on the roster except possibly Phillips who should have red shirted. Definitely have to find one or 2 in the portal next year.

 

[IndianapolisVol]

Short answer, no. But I think JJJ didn't get to really condition himself for the amount of workload he had to take on. Guys like Grant & Admiral kind of got a year or so to really get into shape. JJJ and Santi just didn't get that time, the difference is that Santi didn't have the same sort of injury issues that JJJ has had.

I understand your point, but I personally disagree. 5 star recruit, McDonalds All American. I think its to be expected that he’d be in shape and ready to play basketball. His stats this season are pretty much the same as they were his freshman year. I’m just not seeing the progression. Barnes is hell bent on giving him 29 minutes a night and has been for 5 seasons now.

 

[VolGee4]

I understand your point, but I personally disagree. 5 star recruit, McDonalds All American. I think its to be expected that he’d be in shape and ready to play basketball. His stats this season are pretty much the same as they were his freshman year. I’m just not seeing the progression. Barnes is hell bent on giving him 29 minutes a night and has been for 5 seasons now.

He doesn’t have the same role though. The last two years, we needed his scoring. This year, we just need him to be a high level supporting cast member. DK and Aidoo have become the first two options. ZZ needs to be a facilitator. SV, JJJ, and Gainey need to defend and knock down shots when open, and JJJ helps with rebounding.

 

[Adam Sandler]

I missed it. Wtf happened tonight?! Lose at home to some f’in shitehole bums? Did we have covid?

 

[walkenvol]

This loss to SC has the same feel as our loss to them last year in football. Highly ranked and heavily favored Vol team lays a dud.

 

[VolsSportsFan]

We never are the team with more swagger - home or away. Not sure you can coach that but a Pearl team would never have played as flat as this at home. The crowd at TBA is totally dependent on the team firing them up - never works the other way.

Lol you need to go back and check the record; Pearl had plenty of flat performances at home.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

The good thing is that TN can have every player have a garbage night (other than Knecht late), and still have a chance to pull a win out of their butt. We’ll be fine. I love that the players were back on the court at TBA practicing afterwards.

 

[vol94]

The good thing is that TN can have every player have a garbage night (other than Knecht late), and still have a chance to pull a win out of their butt. We’ll be fine. I love that the players were back on the court at TBA practicing afterwards.

They practiced after the game?

 

[NOLACHUCKEYTOM]

Wonder why we did not pressure the entire game and force South Carolina to play at the faster pace we desired. I think it would have changed the outcome and we could have run in more players to keep the guys fresh and wear the Cocks down. Think we are way deeper than them.

 

[Volfan1000]

Bad game ahhh it’s basketball. We will rebound hopefully. Bad thing is in the tourney your one and done.

We played at South Carolina's tempo in this game and did not force enough turnovers on defense.

 

[vol94]

This loss to SC has the same feel as our loss to them last year in football. Highly ranked and heavily favored Vol team lays a dud.

That’s exactly what I told my son. Jr stolemour thunder in football in 2022 and beat us in tonight. While this loss doesn’t have playoff implications, it still stings. Jr is starting to get under my skin .

 

[Sos]

Bench him.

To busy just collecting his biggest paycheck of his career.