The Official #6 Tennessee @ Vanderbilt Game Thread, 3:30 PM ET, SEC Network

[JacketVol]

This is a stretch. They’re not a very good team. Winning on the road is hard but this is one of the worst teams in conference play. If you can’t win there, you aren’t going to win many road games period this year.

They are 15-3 and 3-2 in the SEC. This is a new year. They are better than the last few years.

 

[TheMookieMonster]

They are 15-3 and 3-2 in the SEC. This is a new year. They are better than the last few years.

They’re the 50th ranked team in KenPom. I’m fine saying they are a good team, but very good is seems like a huge stretch. They’re fine.

 

[Lurker]

This was one of those games were Barnes failure to recruit another true PG has really hurt us. It is worrisome that next year's starting PG probably isn't currently on the roster. Unless Boswell takes some major strides

Why do you see that as a Barnes “failure” instead of the absolutely likely result of having a returning senior AA point who is the SEC reigning defender of the year? In this day of the portal and NIL, I bet the top point guards were lining up at the door to sit on the bench behind him, Gainey and dearly departed Carr- who said he could fill that role and, instead, rolled out of here mid-season. Yea, Barnes “failed” again.

 

[adam.vol]

Rankings in January really don’t mean anything. It’s March that’s important & thats where Barnes struggles. Seems like his teams rarely, if ever, get better late in the season. The teams that succeed do.

Not fair to compare Lanier to Knecht. DK is about 3 inches taller, & should have been a lottery pick. CL may get drafted but he’s not close to lottery level, no insult intended.

The team lost the game in the first 10 minutes of the second half when VU took the lead to 16. The “Florida” look seemed to appear for a few minutes. Good thing was the team corrected it before the lead grew anymore.

March is what really matters and Barnes doesn’t have a lot to show for 40+ years when it comes to March. However, every time his teams get off to a hot start, it goes out of control in January. Must be the overly simplistic brand of basketball - easy to catch on to for you team in November. Easy to catch up to for the opponents in January.

 

[adam.vol]

The very reason why I avoid game threads after a loss. Way too much overreaction from folks who don’t know much about basketball.

Maybe so. But I promise very few have played more basketball than I have. I’d be surprised if you had or could have.

 

[K-town Vol Fan]

Why do you see that as a Barnes “failure” instead of the absolutely likely result of having a returning senior AA point who is the SEC reigning defender of the year? In this day of the portal and NIL, I bet the top point guards were lining up at the door to sit on the bench behind him, Gainey and dearly departed Carr- who said he could fill that role and, instead, rolled out of here mid-season. Yea, Barnes “failed” again.

That's just an excuse. You're telling me there isn't a true PG in America willing to come off the bench for a year and start next year? Not buying it. It's gonna cost us this year, and most definitely next year unless RB pulls a rabbit out for the 3rd year in a row in the portal.

 

[Cannot believe]

What really sucks, is Millonare Rick Barnes, calls out kid tryin to make a livin “Chaz” (dude, hit a dang free throw”) but, Barnes cannot make a final four. Yet, he tells a kid, he is not earning his money. Is Barnes?

 

[VolCalls]

Is that success? Just curious.

Don’t change the subject. You said we can’t beat teams in the tournament. I’m wagering we will. Put your money where your mouth is.

 

[Lurker]

That's just an excuse. You're telling me there isn't a true PG in America willing to come off the bench for a year and start next year? Not buying it. It's gonna cost us this year, and most definitely next year unless RB pulls a rabbit out for the 3rd year in a row in the portal.

OK. I’ll bite. Who wanted to come here that Barnes failed to reel in? Who did Barnes fail to contact? There may be someone. There may not be. But to say with certainty that RB “failed” to recruit a back up point guard has no factual basis. It’s just a conclusion intended to blame someone for an annoying loss.

 

[VOLINVONORE]

Are you counting neutral site games as road wins?

Well, they were not home wins so they have to be road wins

 

[Col_Cathcart]

I was not a fan of sitting Ziegler for as long as he did in the first half. I think that probably cost us but at the same time, vandys biggest runs came in the second half when we had everyone available. Just didn’t get it done.

 

[MoCo_Vol]

March is what really matters and Barnes doesn’t have a lot to show for 40+ years when it comes to March. However, every time his teams get off to a hot start, it goes out of control in January. Must be the overly simplistic brand of basketball - easy to catch on to for you team in November. Easy to catch up to for the opponents in January.

Or…teams in the SEC are better than those we play to start the season?

3 Sweet Sixteens, 1 Elite Eight, 1 SECT Championship

Barnes has done better in March than any other Vols coach.

 

[K-town Vol Fan]

OK. I’ll bite. Who wanted to come here that Barnes failed to reel in? Who did Barnes fail to contact? There may be someone. There may not be. But to say with certainty that RB “failed” to recruit a back up point guard has no factual basis. It’s just a conclusion intended to blame someone for an annoying loss.

Idk man, I'm just posting on a message board. Barnes gets paid millions and has a full staff to go out and find players and fill the roster.

We don't have a backup PG and that cost us this game and should have cost us the Illinois game. And it will probably cost us in March. Let's just hope and pray Z doesn't go down with an injury again, because then we can just pack it up and start speculating on who our next starting PG is next year.

 

[VolCalls]

Serious question---Do the Refs rotate at half time or do they stay in the same position for the entire game.
Only reason I ask is because today the fouls at one end of the court were called in abundance to the other end. Tennessee did not make it to 1-1 the first half and Tennessee had 9 to 10 fouls called on them. In the 2nd half, I noticed it was completely opposite of the first half.
This is not the first time I have noticed it as it seems that one half of the court is always weighted for more foul calls than the other.

They rotate after every foul call and every change of possession - the lead official under the basket at one end becomes the trailer when the ball goes to the other end, while the trailer becomes the lead, etc.

 

[VOLINVONORE]

They are 15-3 and 3-2 in the SEC. This is a new year. They are better than the last few years.

We are playing with a short beach and fatigue will become more of a problem as our players are not getting a lot of rest. It will help when Chaz becomes more consistent and Igor becomes more aggressive on offense. Our offense looked like it was standing around letting the clock run down and then try to score with the clock reaches 10 seconds. We had to take a lot of “rushed” shots and were not in position to grab offensive rebounds.

 

[Col_Cathcart]

They rotate after every foul call and every change of possession - the lead official under the basket at one end becomes the trailer when the ball goes to the other end, while the trailer becomes the lead, etc.

But that would have the same official under the (say South) basket the whole time with a different official being the one under the North basket the whole time.

 

[D3Athlete]

Still frustrating thinking about that game. Frustrating loss.
Better get revenge in Knoxville

 

[VolCalls]

on the bright side Iowa State lost also so most of the top 10 took L's this week

Yep - 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 11 all lost this week. We won’t drop more than 1-2 places, or may stay at #6.

 

[joevols89]

They’re the 50th ranked team in KenPom. I’m fine saying they are a good team, but very good is seems like a huge stretch. They’re fine.

Yes. This is correct. They're at best a bubble team. 2 wins over the bottom feeders then the upset over us. Their OOC wasn't impressive.

 

[508mikey]

We are playing with a short beach and fatigue will become more of a problem as our players are not getting a lot of rest. It will help when Chaz becomes more consistent and Igor becomes more aggressive on offense. Our offense looked like it was standing around letting the clock run down and then try to score with the clock reaches 10 seconds. We had to take a lot of “rushed” shots and were not in position to grab offensive rebounds.

how many losses must incur before Chaz becomes consistant ?

 

[NEO]

So what is the reason all the regulars on here have for losing this game?

Just wanna make sure I get in line and don’t accidentally blame Barnes for losing to a bubble team at best since he is an elite HOF coach and all.

We don’t have a back up PG and it’s not Barnes fault for failing to recruit one or hsve one ready. Right?

 

[VolCalls]

Not trying to be a hater, but I’ve thought we have been overrated all year. IMO we are a top 20 (teens) ranked team. Not a top 10 team.

Time will tell, but I just haven’t seen what I would consider to be a final four or elite eight level team yet.

Would you consider last year’s NC State team, who was 13-4 on Jan. 18th and not ranked, to be a final four level team? Because they were.

 

[wmcovol]

Would you consider last year’s NC State team, who was 13-4 on Jan. 18th and not ranked, to be a final four level team? Because they were.

Miracles happen occasionally and that was one. George Mason made it one year. So did Penn but we should be beyond hoping for miracles. Tennessee sure isn’t paying for miracles. Barnes is one of the top 5-6 paid coaches last I saw.

 

[GiveHim6InSC]

I saw where Auburn barely beat Georgia, who the Vols beat handily.
I saw where #2 Iowa State lost to unranked West Virginia by 7 points.
I believe UConn lost, also.
I’m sure there’s plays here and there that the Vols could have made or calls that could have been made, but I hardly see this 1 point loss as the end of the world.

 

[FranklinVFL]

Would you consider last year’s NC State team, who was 13-4 on Jan. 18th and not ranked, to be a final four level team? Because they were.

Nope, I would not have.

There are exceptions to every rule.

That is why I said, “Time will tell.”