The Official “Regular Posters of the Basketball Forum” Thread

I know what you mean @cardvolfan I also dislike the overall absolutes most of these more casual posters seem to have. Like one bad game does not a trend make.

I love this team and most the players on it. Huge fan of Santi, most of you have seen me go to bat for him over the last four years in game threads or even in here. But not a single player on this team is a perfect player. Santi for example is a great shooter, but he can't create his own shot and he's limited at penetrating to the basket. All things he's obviously worked on in his 4 years here, he's better in those areas now than when he arrived, but he's still somewhat one dimensional as an offensive threat.

Turner was quicker and better at driving than Santi is. Lofton was better at it as well and Lofton was better at creating his own shot from 3 because of that dribble drive ability.

But Santi is a gritty player, he works his tail off on defense. He's our best screener and uses screens better than anyone on the team. He should be getting far more calls as well because of how often his defenders simply grab him when he's using screens. I'd actually like to see him work a bit more at cutting to the basket for layups off some of the screening action he's involved in, feel like it'd put even more pressure on his defender and the opposing team's big to help. Georgia did it to us a few times where they'd using a guard to screen then cut to the basket.
Speaking of Santi, it’s pretty egregious that officials let that grabbing, shoving, pulling, tugging, etc go on. I feel like he’s the guy who moves the most and is constantly in motion making him an absolute pain for defenders to chase. Hence, it feels like to me that officials give defenders guarding Santi more leeway as far as calling fouls.
 
Speaking of Santi, it’s pretty egregious that officials let that grabbing, shoving, pulling, tugging, etc go on. I feel like he’s the guy who moves the most and is constantly in motion making him an absolute pain for defenders to chase. Hence, it feels like to me that officials give defenders guarding Santi more leeway as far as calling fouls.
Flipside of that is that I've also seen Santi create more than his fair share of contact while running too. He's smart and knows what he's doing while moving.
 
Speaking of Santi, it’s pretty egregious that officials let that grabbing, shoving, pulling, tugging, etc go on. I feel like he’s the guy who moves the most and is constantly in motion making him an absolute pain for defenders to chase. Hence, it feels like to me that officials give defenders guarding Santi more leeway as far as calling fouls.

For sure, it's why you rarely see him guarded by an opposing teams best offensive guard. They'll be ran to death trying to keep up with Santi and ineffective on offense.

But the Kentucky game was the most frustrating for this reason, so many times Santi would just get outright mugged and no call at all and that was IN TBA...
 
For sure, it's why you rarely see him guarded by an opposing teams best offensive guard. They'll be ran to death trying to keep up with Santi and ineffective on offense.

But the Kentucky game was the most frustrating for this reason, so many times Santi would just get outright mugged and no call at all and that was IN TBA...

I hope Santi is prepared for Rupp, because he’s going to be absolutely beat to hell and he won’t get a single whistle.
 
I hope Santi is prepared for Rupp, because he’s going to be absolutely beat to hell and he won’t get a single whistle.

Yeah hopefully Phillips or JJJ has themselves a big night to help take the pressure off a bit. ON could light up Oscar too, he's not a good 1 on 1 defender. Uros exposed him, Fulky exposed him hopefully ON turns it up and drops 20+ on him.
 
I’m not sure who is or isn’t included in this group you’re referring to. Maybe it’s me, maybe it’s not, but personally none of my disappointment is with the L or that we have 4 L’s on our W/L record. I’m simply discouraged by some of what I have seen in the losses and I am concerned about what this could mean for March because there are themes emerging with what our deficiencies are on this team.

It also doesn’t help that I thought we had an outside shot at winning the SEC, but that is basically gone now unless we go 8-1 the rest of the way so the day or two immediately after a loss like that is going to sting. It’s not the end of the season obviously, it just means there is likely one less trophy that is now possible for this season.

Maybe a I'm being a Debbie Downer but I'm not even entertaining that we win the SEC Championship. I think we lose at Rupp at the very least and I don't seen Alabama losing 3 SEC games; and that was best case scenario that we only lose 1 more SEC game which that I'm not even really entertaining.
 
He's scored at least 6 points in every game he's played in, even against Florida he still scored 11. The blueprint on Santi is out and thus far he's still been able to get some buckets, but hasn't really found a way to take advantage of how teams are defending him. He's one of the only players on our team that every defense basically does the same thing to defend him. They put their best perimeter defender on him or they put a bigger guy with length that plays very physical against him when he's not got the ball (it's what Kentucky did, and they got away with it too).

I do think that shoulder isn't 100% though, he's shooting his lowest % from 3 of his career this season.

I'd actually argue that JJJ and/or Phillips are the two players we need more from.

Julian scored 28 in the two road games against Mississippi State and LSU and in the 3 games since he's only scored 15.
JJJ drops 22 on LSU, then just 6 against Georgia, then 14 against Texas and then just 4 against Florida...he's been a Yo-Yo all season. If the small ball lineup we're trying to run is going to be successful he's gotta be more consistent scoring nightly.

At this point, ZZ has been on fire since the Kentucky game but he needs some help. ON has had 2 really good games offensively back to back, but before the Texas game he hadn't scored 10 since playing at South Carolina.

Don't even wanna talk about Key...1 time since Eastern Kentucky has he scored 10 points and unlike Julian, JJJ, and Santi he really isn't adding a ton elsewhere. Doesn't rebound great, doesn't generate a ton of assists and rarely gets a steal.
I believe Vescovi performs better when some others on our team are creating for their own in some capacity. When we need a bucket and are struggling, other teams know who we will try to go to and they’re gonna make sure to take him out of the game. When someone like JJJ or Phillips is able to create some offense, it opens it up a little for Vescovi. That’s why when we look good on offense, it’s multiple guys scoring and creating for themselves. When nobody else is on, Vescovi tends to have a tough time. That’s why JJJ and Phillips are big pieces to this team. They’ve gotta play consistent down the stretch.
 
  • Like
Reactions: MoCo_Vol
Maybe a I'm being a Debbie Downer but I'm not even entertaining that we win the SEC Championship. I think we lose at Rupp at the very least and I don't seen Alabama losing 3 SEC games; and that was best case scenario that we only lose 1 more SEC game which that I'm not even really entertaining.
I think that’s fair. The SEC title likely flew out the window after our UF loss, but I’ve been told for years that the regular season doesn’t mean anything, so I’m not sweating it.
 
I took 2 days off because I was pissed and knew what this place would be like. Should a read everything or mark 'em read ? I'm over it, but Castelon and the Gators enjoyed it way too much. I still hate Florida in basketball, I want 'em again, so bad
 
I took 2 days off because I was pissed and knew what this place would be like. Should a read everything or mark 'em read ? I'm over it, but Castelon and the Gators enjoyed it way too much. I still hate Florida in basketball, I want 'em again, so bad
Same, I’ve just been lurking for a few days. I’ve been mad and frustrated at the loss, but still annoyed af with the sky is falling crowd.

Anywho, moving forward - This will be an interesting place after we whoop Bruce’s ass tomorrow.
 
I cannot believe, and I’ve read some wild stuff after 14 years on this site, that there are people saying that we should be playing Key more and Santi less in the JP offense thread. It’s one of the most astonishing and, frankly, stupid things I’ve ever seen on here. This season has people going insane. People will argue anything at this point.
 
I cannot believe, and I’ve read some wild stuff after 14 years on this site, that there are people saying that we should be playing Key more and Santi less in the JP offense thread. It’s one of the most astonishing and, frankly, stupid things I’ve ever seen on here. This season has people going insane. People will argue anything at this point.

It’s been a weird season for the relationship between the team and the fanbase for sure. I know it’s arguably a minority, but the loudest portions of the fanbase seem to actually hate this team. I don’t know if it’s the lack of a superstar. Heupel’s offense spoiling people with scoring. Constant March failures. Or what. I’m not sure what it is, but it’s so weird to see some of our fans almost openly rooting against this team, mocking them when the “best team” narrative started going around, and counting this team out from Day 1.

Personally, I don’t think this is the team to make a run. But, I hope hope hope they are so that they can make our fans eat their words.
 
It’s been a weird season for the relationship between the team and the fanbase for sure. I know it’s arguably a minority, but the loudest portions of the fanbase seem to actually hate this team. I don’t know if it’s the lack of a superstar. Heupel’s offense spoiling people with scoring. Constant March failures. Or what. I’m not sure what it is, but it’s so weird to see some of our fans almost openly rooting against this team, mocking them when the “best team” narrative started going around, and counting this team out from Day 1.

Personally, I don’t think this is the team to make a run. But, I hope hope hope they are so that they can make our fans eat their words.
Not say they are or aren’t, but I don’t think 1 road game should sway your opinion that much as you were fully bought in before. JMO
 
Not say they are or aren’t, but I don’t think 1 road game should sway your opinion that much as you were fully bought in before. JMO

I wouldn’t say it’s necessarily this one road game. It’s more of the fact that in 3 of our 4 losses, this team doesn’t go just cold, they go frigid. If one player is bad, everyone is bad. It’s baffling. I wouldn’t say it’s a pattern just yet, but it’s certainly happened enough now to just kind of give me pause.
 
It’s been a weird season for the relationship between the team and the fanbase for sure. I know it’s arguably a minority, but the loudest portions of the fanbase seem to actually hate this team. I don’t know if it’s the lack of a superstar. Heupel’s offense spoiling people with scoring. Constant March failures. Or what. I’m not sure what it is, but it’s so weird to see some of our fans almost openly rooting against this team, mocking them when the “best team” narrative started going around, and counting this team out from Day 1.

Personally, I don’t think this is the team to make a run. But, I hope hope hope they are so that they can make our fans eat their words.
We definitely have some red flags offensively this season that give me pause about March. That said, the 2009 team was WAY worse and made an elite 8. The 2014 team was even worse than 2009 and was a blown call away from an elite 8. It’s hard for me to write off just about any team in March, especially one that is as talented as we have this year, because you’re one upset away from having a guaranteed spot in the sweet 16 like those teams.
 
I wouldn’t say it’s necessarily this one road game. It’s more of the fact that in 3 of our 4 losses, this team doesn’t go just cold, they go frigid. If one player is bad, everyone is bad. It’s baffling. I wouldn’t say it’s a pattern just yet, but it’s certainly happened enough now to just kind of give me pause.

Do you think it would be fair to say you've displayed some erratic emotional swings in between our big wins and our losses in regards to this team? I feel like I've noticed it and I think that is potentially why BTO posed his question like he did.
 
I wouldn’t say it’s necessarily this one road game. It’s more of the fact that in 3 of our 4 losses, this team doesn’t go just cold, they go frigid. If one player is bad, everyone is bad. It’s baffling. I wouldn’t say it’s a pattern just yet, but it’s certainly happened enough now to just kind of give me pause.
I feel like if we looked around the college basketball landscape we’d see many teams have had at least 3 really cold/frigid nights, but maybe not.
 
  • Like
Reactions: berryvol

VN Store



Back
Top