The Official #14 Tennessee @ #19 Alabama Game Thread, 9:00 PM ET, ESPN2

[Cartervol]

I just hate all things Alabama.. Even after sleeping on it, it's still the same. We can't even have a better basketball team than them.. As far as Barnes goes. I'd say some of things we're setting here complaining about are the very reasons Texas fired him..

 

[OrangeBeachVol]

I just hate all things Alabama.. Even after sleeping on it, it's still the same. We can't even have a better basketball team than them.. As far as Barnes goes. I'd say some of things we're setting here complaining about are the very reasons Texas fired him..

Yeah it really pisses me off to that we cannot seem to beat Bama in any men's sport. Maybe the LV's will beat them tonight. That will only make me feel a tiny bit better.

 

[Cartervol]

Yeah it really pisses me off to that we cannot seem to beat Bama in any men's sport. Maybe the LV's will beat them tonight. That will only make me feel a tiny bit better.

The women always beat Alabama. That doesn't do much for me though.

 

[LieutenantNeyland]

I just hate all things Alabama.. Even after sleeping on it, it's still the same. We can't even have a better basketball team than them.. As far as Barnes goes. I'd say some of things we're setting here complaining about are the very reasons Texas fired him..

I’m with you, my wife lives watching Tenn sports with me. The first question she always asks is if we’re playing Alabama. She says it’s no fun because I hate them more than the taliban.

 

[VolFreakJosh]

Rick Barnes is the Butch Jones of TN basketball. He will put people in the pros and fans will wonder why he couldn't get more out of them while they were here.

congrats.

Dumbest post I’ve read on here all week

 

[walkenvol]

The most sobering thing to me about this loss is that what we saw tonight is a preview of what we'll see next year, since Chandler's gone and Fulkerson's all outta eligibility. And maybe Vescovi goes pro or heads on to his next opportunity as well. Goodness. I mean, there's certainly a lot of talent on the roster regardless, but goodness anyway.

Personally, I’m optimistic about next season with the development of ZZZ, Frenchie, Mashack, and BHH.

 

[walkenvol]

We went at him a few times for like a minute and gave up when he got the “strip steal” (aka raked) on Ziegler

And he could have easily been whistled for fouling on each of those plays. Refs swallowed the whistle late

 

[walkenvol]

Lol is Barnes losing his mind? Bailey gets blown by every single time.

I don’t think Bailey is a great one on one defender either, but Quinerly blew by everyone we put on him all night. That dude is tough driving the lane

 

[TheMookieMonster]

I just hate all things Alabama.. Even after sleeping on it, it's still the same. We can't even have a better basketball team than them.. As far as Barnes goes. I'd say some of things we're setting here complaining about are the very reasons Texas fired him..

We have a better baseball program than them. And, really, by a wide margin at this point. Vitello took two of three from them in Tuscaloosa and if not for a horrific interference call would have essentially knocked them out of SEC Tournament in our first Game.

 

[calban]

Rick Barnes is the Butch Jones of TN basketball. He will put people in the pros and fans will wonder why he couldn't get more out of them while they were here.

Hmm. Never heard that knock on Barnes. Post season, meh, but has a rep of getting the most from his guys. Honestly, most thought we'd be blown away last nite after hearing abut the line up. We always play close at the Tusk, just didn't go our way. that's the road in the SEC.

 

[JCP201]

Alabama basketball survives short-handed Tennessee media reaction

 

[MoCo_Vol]

Tough loss, played a better game than I expected with Chandler and Fulkerson out.

My only real comments are about JJJ & Bailey.

JJJ is too big and athletic to be bailing out defenses by taking 7 3s a game. He usually gets the other team's best offensive player guarding him and that player essentially ends up not having to defend much because the 6'6" 200lbs+ athletic guard he's defending (James) is willing to throw up 3s all game. In 7 of his 9 games he's played he has shot 5 or more 3s, only 1 time in those 7 games did he shoot over 34% from 3 doing it (against UNC Greensboro). Last year in his 25 games played he only shot 5 or more 3s in 9 games, for the entire year.

Bailey is ice cold this year, seems to be rushing the shots when he gets them. I'm not sure how to fix it honestly, I'd like to see Powell/Mashack get more of those minutes personally. Bailey has looked better on defense this year at least but he's not shooting well from the field or from 3 and rarely attacks the basket to get to the free throw line (averaging less than a half of a FTA a game).



Powell just seems to do more when he's on the court than Bailey...and with his youth and size I think he will improve more as the season goes on getting extra minutes.

 

[JCP201]

Rick Barnes is the Butch Jones of TN basketball. He will put people in the pros and fans will wonder why he couldn't get more out of them while they were here.

Yeah, you would have fired Coach K.

 

[MoCo_Vol]

Personally, I’m optimistic about next season with the development of ZZZ, Frenchie, Mashack, and BHH.

Development of ZZ, Quentin, Mashack, BHH... and then if you can get anything in year 2 from Aidoo or Tamba. Plus Santi, Nkamhoua, James, and Plavsic are all Juniors right now. Not to mention Powell is only a Sophomore.

Fulky will be gone, but doesn't count towards our 13 anyway. So assuming things go as expected KC will leave for the draft and Bailey graduates. So without transfers if the limit stays at 13 should have 2 spots for next season's class.

 

[BreatheUT]

Development of ZZ, Quentin, Mashack, BHH... and then if you can get anything in year 2 from Aidoo or Tamba. Plus Santi, Nkamhoua, James, and Plavsic are all Juniors right now. Not to mention Powell is only a Sophomore.

Fulky will be gone, but doesn't count towards our 13 anyway. So assuming things go as expected KC will leave for the draft and Bailey graduates. So without transfers if the limit stays at 13 should have 2 spots for next season's class.

Bama got the highly ranked player from Cane Ridge High over us. It would've been nice to put egg on their faces. I don't see them going far this year. Everything came together for them last year.

 

[SGMVols]

Yeah it really pisses me off to that we cannot seem to beat Bama in any men's sport. Maybe the LV's will beat them tonight. That will only make me feel a tiny bit better.

Well they’re the reigning SEC champs in both football and basketball, so it’s not like many other schools have had much success against them either.

 

[SGMVols]

Bama got the highly ranked player from Cane Ridge High over us. It would've been nice to put egg on their faces. I don't see them going far this year. Everything came together for them last year.

Brandon Miller is a Bama legacy. He was always going there

 

[Volhoops]

This is a brainless comparison. Butch owns the only winless SEC season in UT football history and left the program a mess.

Last I checked they both have the same number of national championships. How many more 5 stars does Barnes need ?

 

[Volhoops]

congrats.

Dumbest post I’ve read on here all week

Barnes is so overrated it's pathetic. Just another Jerry Green at best

 

[SGMVols]

We really do have the dumbest fans in America.

 

[southgatevol]

We really do have the dumbest fans in America.

I will agree we do have some intellectually challenged fans. However many that post this idiotic stuff aren't fans.

 

[1985Vols]

I remember the days when Tennessee being ranked in men's college basketball was the stuff of dreams. I think we have a lot to be proud of. If Fulky and Chandler had played we'd have won by 10 or more.

I also remember the days when the Vols were ranked, a lot. Jerry Green took us to the top 10 and 4 straight NCAAT with a Sweet 16 in 4 years. I remember a coach named Bruce Pearl that took an under .500 team and went to the NCAAT every year he was here, including our ONLY Elite 8. Don’t act like Barnes is the “ savior” or UT basketball.

 

[LadyinOrange]

Don’t act like Barnes is the “ savior” or UT basketball.

Go back and quote me where I said that.

 

[ColinS]

Well they’re the reigning SEC champs in both football and basketball, so it’s not like many other schools have had much success against them either.

Alabama is not all that in anything but football. They are currently reaping the benefit of a great coaching hire in basketball but history says big time basketball success is not sustainable because the state doesn't care that much. I suspect there coach will be headed to greener pastures soon.

 

[BleedOrange81]

When you can’t make a jump shot all they need to do is stop the dribble drive. When they did that we went ice cold. Amazing how it is that no one can shoot a jump shot anymore.