The Official #5 Tennessee vs. Kentucky Game Thread, 12:00 PM ET, ESPN

[hUTch2002]

I’d bet my house Kentucky didn’t game plan with any concern about Tshiebwe not being able to guard a guy averaging 15 minutes and 5 points a game.

Exactly. He’s so FOS.

 

[OrangeBeachVol]

Lets just admit KY's defensive scheme today was excellent. They pressured and denied Santi and ZZ and took their chances with On and Plav. Really thought Barnes would adjust at the half but he didn't.

 

[ndubvols]

Lets just admit KY's defensive scheme today was excellent. They pressured and denied Santi and ZZ and took their chances with On and Plav. Really thought Barnes would adjust at the half but he didn't.[/QUOTE

You can say that, but make layups and we win going away. Difference in the game was rebounding

 

[southgatevol]

Yep. Do that and shoot 14% from 3 and you’ll lose to anyone in March.

Or any month in which you play?

 

[SouthknoxTN07]

Revenge in Rupp gone be sweet

Please !!! This was our chance to thump them and we played like crap . Embarrassing!

 

[Ned Ray McWorkher]

South Carolina-esque....

 

[hUTch2002]

Or any month in which you play?

Nah. You play a super crap team and you can still win. Come March even the 16 seeds have some capability.

 

[hUTch2002]

Lets just admit KY's defensive scheme today was excellent. They pressured and denied Santi and ZZ and took their chances with On and Plav. Really thought Barnes would adjust at the half but he didn't.

I guess he got lucky that Phillips and James didn’t go off then.

 

[southgatevol]

Nah. You play a super crap team and you can still win. Come March even the 16 seeds have some capability.

Show me the wins we have had with those stats please.

 

[sami]

The one thing I do miss about the "old" days of TV/radio broadcasts is the radio and TV used to be mostly in sync so you could watch the game and listen to the radio call. I remember Ward used to almost give an audible wink to the audience knowing some were watching, like I remember a Vol foul shot bounced around the rim then went in but Ward said "Shoots....nothing but the bottom of the net" and you could almost hear him laugh when he said it.

Yes! I remember a lot of Walkmans and transistor radios (remember those?) in the stands at UT games then.

 

[MoCo_Vol]

Just hope Dillone & Carr are capable drivers next season and Mashack/Edwards take strides as well.

 

[hUTch2002]

Show me the wins we have had with those stats please.

I’m just saying it’s possible. Then again if it’s a really crappy team then you are pretty unlikely to have those stats. If you really want to go game by game and check I’ll allow it. Now go argue with yourself, I’m bored. Just be aware of the hairy palms.

 

[southgatevol]

I’m just saying it’s possible. Then again if it’s a really crappy team then you are pretty unlikely to have those stats. If you really want to go game by game and check I’ll allow it. Now go argue with yourself, I’m bored. Just be aware of the hairy palms.

Bored... YOU beware of the hairy palms. Wasn't arguing just asking. If we were arguing...you lost.

 

[sami]

I see all the whining and quitting already on here, just amazing. Yeah, bad loss, laid an egg in a big spot against our main rival, missed layups, couldn't throw it in the ocean from 3, beaten up on the boards, outcoached - all of that is true. Now it's over, we're first round fodder?

It's January. If we take a loss like that in late February, I'm way more concerned. Hopefully this game serves as a major wake up call and sends the message that we just can't just show up expecting teams to lay down. It's all about the tournament, and taking a loss like this now might not be the worst thing, as painful as it was to watch.

 

[VolsSportsFan]

I see all the whining and quitting already on here, just amazing. Yeah, bad loss, laid an egg in a big spot against our main rival, missed layups, couldn't throw it in the ocean from 3, beaten up on the boards, outcoached - all of that is true. Now it's over, we're first round fodder?

It's January. If we take a loss like that in late February, I'm way more concerned. Hopefully this game serves as a major wake up call and sends the message that we just can't just show up expecting teams to lay down. It's all about the tournament, and taking a loss like this now might not be the worst thing, as painful as it was to watch.

We literally just had the "wake up call" game with Vandy.

 

[Hoosierbilly]

If we hit our 3's we win, we don't, we lose. It is as simple as that. We have no one who can take over a game. JJJ should be that guy and Phillips should be close behind, 5 ☆s both, because other teams have that but we seem to never have it. GO VOLS anyway!

 

[volbound1700]

The ironic thing is they did a segment during the first half where Barnes placed tape onto the upper corner of the backboards for layup drills. The players made sure to “hit the tape” with each layup attempt. Our FG % has increased over the last few games since then. It didn’t help today, however.

Uros was the only exception as he is using the glass now. I don’t understand why they stopped going inside. Barnes was yelling on the sideline to feed the ball inside but…..

Panic probably. Yeah it doesn't seem like it is 100% Barnes. Barnes is a genius about getting teams to play tough defense and keeping opponents from scoring but our offense has been dreadful for the most part. Need to hire an assistant from a team that scores 100s of points regularly and figure out how we can score more often.

 

[KB5252]

Idk who your responding to so not sure which side your arguing, but the amount of missed layups this game was the difference. That’s on players.


2-3 of those led directly to fouls on the rebound and points for Kentucky. This one was on the players 100%

Agreed

 

[KB5252]

No, im saying the coach should call plays that put the ball in the right hands, and teach them what to do with it.

Right plays with the right players on the court were called..... They just didn't execute. Vescovi and ZZ were off today, of they weren't we win that game. It's no more complicated than that. Coach put them in the right situations, they came up short.

 

[D3Athlete]

Just annoying. Kentucky scored 63 points and 22 of it came from the free throw line. That’s 35% of their points. Defense did their job. Pat Adams ruined another Elite defensive performance.
The missed layups tho. Sometimes we struggle down low, but that was just uncharacteristic

 

[southgatevol]

Right plays with the right players on the court were called..... They just didn't execute. Vescovi and ZZ were off today, of they weren't we win that game. It's no more complicated than that. Coach put them in the right situations, they came up short.

But Barnes should have told them to make the shots. Right?

 

[mr.checkerboards]

Right plays with the right players on the court were called..... They just didn't execute. Vescovi and ZZ were off today, of they weren't we win that game. It's no more complicated than that. Coach put them in the right situations, they came up short.

But they werent. ZZ and SV are not finishers and shouldnt be asked to drive to the rim at the end of the game.

 

[CAVPUT]

Or, maybe they just had a bad day?

They literally were showing and praising the way he taught layup technique.

Incredible that players at this level need to be taught a layup. WTH has happened to this game?!

 

[SouthknoxTN07]

Pretty horrific when Uros is our best player today , and I’m the first to admit I have talked negative about him a lot . Props to the big guy for being only one who “tried” to play today .

 

[Volfan1000]

Plavsic played his ass off today and kept Tennessee in this game.

We were out worked on the glass today and that hurt us more than missing 5 or 6 layups in the game.