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I am sorry this is late. I was at the game with my dad and it's a decent drive from my house. Plus we stopped to get food. I do appreciate BTO doing it in my short absence. Hopefully you all can excuse my tardiness. Let's get to it.
1. A win is a win is a win. It wasn't pretty. It was hard to watch the first 25 minutes. But Tennessee got the first win of the season and got that monkey out of the way. USC Upstate is a better team than I originally gave them credit for. However, this was not a perfect game.
2. Look guys! It's our first edition of "Dear God, Z is going to talk about attacking the basket...AGAIN"!!!! I'm so excited!!! Anyways, UT won because they hit three throws and kept going to the hoop. They were relentess. It's why they won. They went 28-31 after their 1-5 start. That's winning basketball.
3. I don't know whether I should be encouraged or discouraged. I thought Tennessee got good looks all night. They had a bad eight minute stretch in the first half. The rest of the game, they got good looks. They couldn't finish. Is it because they aren't tough enough around the rim, or just an unfortunate stretch? I"m leaning to the former....but I think that is my optimist side talking.
4. I called for more pick and rolls to the side and Coach Martin listened to me (okay maybe not). However, the side pick and roll was there all night. Maymon and Stokes set better screens and I thought movement was there. They had a nice zone play where they went double high on the left side with Maymon at high post and Stokes in the box, swung the ball to McRae to the right side, and kept Stokes and Maymon over there, running an iso with McRae. It worked really well and McRae had an advantage with that.
5. Dear Coach Martin. Please...please...#FreeMoneyMoore
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/v/eKvIClFIJLo[/youtube]
I don't ask for much.
6. The defense was AWFUL in the first half. Tennessee adjusted. UT did not run on off ball screens. USC Upstate was using that space to get to the basket and uncontested jumpers. Tennessee had McRae/Richardson/Hubbs them chase and it really made a difference. Hubbs did a great job in the second half off ball. Much better and gave me some hope for him on the defensive side after a bad first half.
7. The Bernard King Player of the Game: Jarnell Stokes. I'll give him a pass on the misses. It was just not his night. But he never relented. He had 18 boards, was a great 7-8 from the free throw line, played much better D in the second half, and made the last three defensive rebounds. Great job by him. He won't shoot 5-17 again. That's a anomaly.
8. One more Jarnell point. He does need to finish better with his left and stop hesitating after making his original move. For example. He made a great drive to his right with a beautiful spin move. He had his man beat. But instead of immediately going up, he hesitated. GET THE FOUL YOUNG MAN. Also, go INTO the defender. Not straight up. Get closer to the basket and use your huge frame to clear space when taking your shot.
9. I gave Josh Richardson a pass in the first game for his defense. He shut Tyler Greene down the last ten minutes of the game. That's why he got a pass.
10. Tennessee got its first win of the season. Too many negatives tonight. But a good amount of positives. They attacked the basket, moved better on offense, and their defense was great in the second half. They contested every shot. The ball reversal isn't there yet. The spacing is a little off (which I think is just getting use to playing with Maymon after going four guard so much last year). But it's just nice to celebrate UT win. Enjoy your favorite adult beverage tonight and take the win.
Go Vols!!! :hi:
1. A win is a win is a win. It wasn't pretty. It was hard to watch the first 25 minutes. But Tennessee got the first win of the season and got that monkey out of the way. USC Upstate is a better team than I originally gave them credit for. However, this was not a perfect game.
2. Look guys! It's our first edition of "Dear God, Z is going to talk about attacking the basket...AGAIN"!!!! I'm so excited!!! Anyways, UT won because they hit three throws and kept going to the hoop. They were relentess. It's why they won. They went 28-31 after their 1-5 start. That's winning basketball.
3. I don't know whether I should be encouraged or discouraged. I thought Tennessee got good looks all night. They had a bad eight minute stretch in the first half. The rest of the game, they got good looks. They couldn't finish. Is it because they aren't tough enough around the rim, or just an unfortunate stretch? I"m leaning to the former....but I think that is my optimist side talking.
4. I called for more pick and rolls to the side and Coach Martin listened to me (okay maybe not). However, the side pick and roll was there all night. Maymon and Stokes set better screens and I thought movement was there. They had a nice zone play where they went double high on the left side with Maymon at high post and Stokes in the box, swung the ball to McRae to the right side, and kept Stokes and Maymon over there, running an iso with McRae. It worked really well and McRae had an advantage with that.
5. Dear Coach Martin. Please...please...#FreeMoneyMoore
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/v/eKvIClFIJLo[/youtube]
I don't ask for much.
6. The defense was AWFUL in the first half. Tennessee adjusted. UT did not run on off ball screens. USC Upstate was using that space to get to the basket and uncontested jumpers. Tennessee had McRae/Richardson/Hubbs them chase and it really made a difference. Hubbs did a great job in the second half off ball. Much better and gave me some hope for him on the defensive side after a bad first half.
7. The Bernard King Player of the Game: Jarnell Stokes. I'll give him a pass on the misses. It was just not his night. But he never relented. He had 18 boards, was a great 7-8 from the free throw line, played much better D in the second half, and made the last three defensive rebounds. Great job by him. He won't shoot 5-17 again. That's a anomaly.
8. One more Jarnell point. He does need to finish better with his left and stop hesitating after making his original move. For example. He made a great drive to his right with a beautiful spin move. He had his man beat. But instead of immediately going up, he hesitated. GET THE FOUL YOUNG MAN. Also, go INTO the defender. Not straight up. Get closer to the basket and use your huge frame to clear space when taking your shot.
9. I gave Josh Richardson a pass in the first game for his defense. He shut Tyler Greene down the last ten minutes of the game. That's why he got a pass.
10. Tennessee got its first win of the season. Too many negatives tonight. But a good amount of positives. They attacked the basket, moved better on offense, and their defense was great in the second half. They contested every shot. The ball reversal isn't there yet. The spacing is a little off (which I think is just getting use to playing with Maymon after going four guard so much last year). But it's just nice to celebrate UT win. Enjoy your favorite adult beverage tonight and take the win.
Go Vols!!! :hi:
