The Official #5 Tennessee @ #15 Kentucky Game Thread, 7:00 PM ET, ESPN

[joevols89]

I live in Kentucky. I’m quite familiar with their team. I hate losing to them as much as anyone. But I have this very strange ability to maintain my rational thinking after a loss.

You sure don’t show it.

 

[87&91ALUM]

On any night, anything goes. Get a call here or there, an injury, ball bounces for us or miracle night shooting, good home crowd. One game at a time. I hate we lost but, it is what it is. Practice and play better. Go Vols!

 

[omghulkhands]

You sure don’t show it.

Haha ok.

 

[BernardKingGOAT]

I'm glad you liked how it was playing out

That you care way after the fact is indicative of a hypersensitive, thin skinned fellow.

 

[joevols89]

Haha ok.

Ok

 

[MoCo_Vol]

I live in Kentucky. I’m quite familiar with their team. I hate losing to them as much as anyone. But I have this very strange ability to maintain my rational thinking after a loss.

I mean Arkansas is their only loss outside Quad 1...

They now have wins over
6 Duke
5 Vols x2
3 Florida
8 A&M

At this point them finishing 5-2 or 6-1 would be the biggest benefit to us. But I'm not sure how well they'll play if Butler and Robinson are out for awhile. We 100% blew both games, shouldn't have lost to Kentucky with them missing starters in both games. But it's done with now.

 

[UTS4EVR]

Try and keep up, sweetie. Realistically, meaning I know they’ll be seeded higher due to their total resume, but they are playing like fringe top 25 team.

Think about that for a moment. If they are playing like a fringe top 25 team….what does that say about Tennessee? This the second time that Kentucky has torched the Vols from three.….the same Tennessee team that is supposedly the #1 three point defense in the country. If UK is playing like a fringe 25 team, then Tennessee is playing like a fringe top 35 team. The performance tonight, against a team dealing with injuries to 2 starters, was inexcusable.

 

[BernardKingGOAT]

I live in Kentucky. I’m quite familiar with their team. I hate losing to them as much as anyone. But I have this very strange ability to maintain my rational thinking after a loss.

 

[joevols89]

Think about that for a moment. If they are playing like a fringe top 25 team….what does that say about Tennessee? This the second time that Kentucky has torched the Vols from three.….the same Tennessee team that is supposedly the #1 three point defense in the country. If UK is playing like a fringe 25 team, then Tennessee is playing like a fringe top 35 team. The performance tonight, against a team dealing with injuries to 2 starters, was inexcusable.

Tennessee is capable of playing like a top 5 team or a top 35 team when the shooting goes cold. It is who we are at this point which is why people taking potentially losing to a 7 seed for granted are out of touch.

Last year we nearly lost to a 7 seed and sorry but that team was clearly better than this one. How quickly people forget.

 

[omghulkhands]

Think about that for a moment. If they are playing like a fringe top 25 team….what does that say about Tennessee? This the second time that Kentucky has torched the Vols from three.….the same Tennessee team that is supposedly the #1 three point defense in the country. If UK is playing like a fringe 25 team, then Tennessee is playing like a fringe top 35 team. The performance tonight, against a team dealing with injuries to 2 starters, was inexcusable.

So what does that make Florida for losing to us down 2 starters? Or Mizzou for losing to us? Both of those games happening in the last 2 weeks…

You can’t think that way. It’s not how this works.

 

[UTS4EVR]

Tennessee is capable of playing like a top 5 team or a top 35 team. It is who we are at this point which is why people taking potentially losing to a 7 seed for granted are out of touch.

Last year we nearly lost to a 7 seed and sorry but that team was clearly better than this one. How quickly people forget.

Exactly. Not to mention how loaded the SEC is this year.

 

[UTS4EVR]

So what does that make Florida for losing to us down 2 starters? Or Mizzou for losing to us? Both of those games happening in the last 2 weeks…

You can’t think that way. It’s not how this works.

That’s right….trying to suggest that Kentucky is a fringe top 25 team is asinine.

 

[joevols89]

That’s right….trying to suggest that Kentucky is a fringe top 25 team is asinine.

Down Robinson/Butler they are.

 

[UTS4EVR]

Down Robinson/Butler they are.

Didn’t look like it tonight. Their second and third stringers smoked Tennessee…the supposed #1 three point defense in the country. 12 of 24 from three!!! How do you let that happen??

 

[GBO18]

Tennessee is capable of playing like a top 5 team or a top 35 team when the shooting goes cold. It is who we are at this point which is why people taking potentially losing to a 7 seed for granted are out of touch.

Last year we nearly lost to a 7 seed and sorry but that team was clearly better than this one. How quickly people forget.

Hmmm so if a team shoots good they have a better chance to win than if they don’t shoot it well? Got it.

 

[joevols89]

Hmmm so if a team shoots good they have a better chance to win than if they don’t shoot it well? Got it.

We aren’t a good shooting team. Down to 37 in kenpom in efficiency. It’s who we are. It’s mid February.

 

[Les Paul Vol]

Kentucky goes 24 - 48 from three in the two games and Tennessee 13 - 63 , safe to say Tennessee is very inconsistent on offense and credit to Pope again tonight. Same exact game plan and it worked to perfection both games.

 

[cwbytruckers]

Hate saying it but I’m growing tired of the Barnes defense first system.

 

[VOLtaism]

This team is either hot or cold, with no in-between. That means it's a roller coaster ride. With this inconsistency, they will never be able to put together a long win streak, which bodes bad for tournament play. They can beat anyone or lose to anyone.

 

[SGMVols]

Hate saying it but I’m growing tired of the Barnes defense first system.

Defense is necessary to win whether you like it or not. There is no team in the kenpom era that has won a national title without a top 25 defense and most of those teams had a top 10 defense.

Kentucky had the 3rd best offense in the country last year and went one and done in March because they gave up 30 points to a guy who’s probably doing their taxes now.

 

[rocketskates]

You cannot be a legend with no national championships. Doesn't work that way.

Serious question, and I’m not saying this to be a smart axxx; do you consider Peyton to be a Tennessee legend?

 

[UTS4EVR]

Defense is necessary to win whether you like it or not. There is no team in the kenpom era that has won a national title without a top 25 defense and most of those teams had a top 10 defense.

Kentucky had the 3rd best offense in the country last year and went one and done in March because they gave up 30 points to a guy who’s probably doing their taxes now.

Only problem with that team was Calipari’s inability to make in game/season adjustments. Kentucky was pretty easy to gameplan then.

 

[SGMVols]

You cannot be a legend with no national championships. Doesn't work that way.

Guess I missed all those national titles Clemson, Texas, and Tennessee won in men’s basketball before Barnes.

 

[tnvols72]

Setting us back?

My god, just shut up.

Your stupidity is out of this world.

Hey Skippy I am talking about his style of offense is setting them back.I guess reading comprehension is not your strong point. Now you shut up.

 

[LittleCat]

Only problem with that team was Calipari’s inability to make in game/season adjustments. Kentucky was pretty easy to gameplan then.

Nah that team was good. That Oakland dude had the game of his life. Nothing you can do about a guy hitting that many threes while we went ice cold.