The Official #6 Tennessee vs. Missouri Game Thread, 6:00 PM ET, SEC Network

[VolsSportsFan]

You could take solace in that if the losses were to good teams.

Candy sucks, but Mizzou I’d call good.

 

[RockyTop140]

Not incredible at all. I’m sure the opposing team has always said bs like that to the guy shooting free throws when the game is on the line.

 

[unfrozencvmanvol]

He always makes excuses for anyone but the team. They have given up. Baseball here we come!

Yes, we can get all excited about Vitello's crew and then they can choke and get bounced out of the tournament early. It's our cosmic payback for Stoerner's fumble I guess. No one else pays such a heavy price for good fortune.

 

[NOLAPhil]

The team has a decision that only they can make and we will know during these next 2 games.

1. Quit and Fold under the frustration

2. Find fortitude and Play like the team in the first 17 games of the season.

I felt like #2 was happening in the 2nd half...until the last couple of sequences.

 

[Butch s]

So then, instead of being a 3 seed, we'd be Auburn, right... currently projected as a 10 seed. See the difference there?

We’re not even a 3 in the sec

 

[05_never_again]

Candy sucks, but Mizzou I’d call good.

Eh, mediocre.

 

[RockyTop140]

The team has a decision that only they can make and we will know during these next 2 games.

1. Quit and Fold under the frustration

2. Find fortitude and Play like the team in the first 17 games of the season.

I felt like #2 was happening in the 2nd half...until the last couple of sequences.

As long as they aren’t complete headcases they won’t fold. We still will be in the tournament and you never know what can happen.

 

[mr.checkerboards]

With Vescovi's struggles late recently, if he is in the game, do you start letting ZZ take the free throws late? Some guys just dont have it late.

 

[Volstylexx]

Proud of the comeback and glad to see Barnes go to the small lineup. We just have to play smarter when the game is on the line and we go under 4 minutes to play.

I can’t see any way we can beat Alabama with 2 guys out. But play hard and get more minutes to the younger guys. Guards have to play better in March to have any kind of run in tournaments.

Will be a tough task. Alabama has some chinks in the armor, though. Over their last 8 games, they've had an 8-point win today, a 10-point win over LSU (was a 6 point game with a minute left), a 3-point win over MSU, and a 12-point win over Vandy (was a 6-point game late), and that ** whipping they took at OU. They've also destroyed Vandy by 50 and Florida by 30. Alabama is beatable. We can beat any team remaining on our schedule and we can lose to anyone left on the schedule. Bring on the Tide.

 

[DuckInAPen]

More pressure in the moment than most here have felt in their lives.

These guys do things I could never have dreamed of doing. If there's criticism to dole out, it won't come from me.

 

[Butch s]

That’s not how it works.

We are Tennessee. That’s always how it works

 

[2EastTnVols]

Maybe what we need is to go into the NCAAT as a lower seed. Blue font

 

[Tenacjim]

With Vescovi's struggles late recently, if he is in the game, do you start letting ZZ take the free throws late? Some guys just dont have it late.

Probably would have in THIS game had he not boneheaded himself out of it

 

[RockyTop140]

With Vescovi's struggles late recently, if he is in the game, do you start letting ZZ take the free throws late? Some guys just dont have it late.

At this point I say yes. Vescovi is in his head now.

 

[tombowalker]

I see. So you’d rather just concede overtime up 2 with 4 seconds left? That’s either some serious hindsight or you have no clue how unlikely that 3 is to go in. There’s not a coach in the world that would foul in that situation.

Yep. Some of these "hot takes" are embarrassing.

 

[Volstylexx]

We’re not even a 3 in the sec

and? what does that have to do with us being a 3 seed in the NCAA.

 

[vol94]

Great assessment. He's limited ONs and Plasvic's minutes lately. Mashack and Awaka have gotten an increase in minutes. That tells me that Barnes is trying to make adjustments and not just sitting on his hands on the sideline. IF we find the right lineup as a result of this stretch of pain, we could be in for a special March.

I can’t recall feeling so dejected over a regular season loss (es). I was @ the Vandy game and thought it was just a once in a lifetime fluke, not dunking the ball, etc. Then tonight- just crazy. We are 19- 6 and most likely drop to 14-17 Monday.

We dropped to a three or four in SEC standings and could end up as a 3rd-6th seed in SEC tourney.

Here’s how I see thing shaping up:
Bama- loss
@Ky- win
@ A&M- had this as a loss two weeks ago
USCjr- win
Arkansas- win
@ Auburn (toss up as both are struggling).

 

[tombowalker]

I've watched the last two weeks. These dudes either don't care or flat out suck.

There are plenty of things you can complain about. But if you claim they don't care or gave up after watching this game tonight, you have no idea what you're talking about.

Simple as that.

 

[OldandStillaVol]

With Vescovi's struggles late recently, if he is in the game, do you start letting ZZ take the free throws late? Some guys just dont have it late.

To take some pressure off him, I think so, at least in the next couple of games.

 

[RockyTop140]

I've watched the last two weeks. These dudes either don't care or flat out suck.

They certainly haven’t played like they’re capable of. But to say they don’t care is completely ignorant.

 

[AthensVol2007]

Because Barnes has given him a boat load of undeserved minutes. There is little question that Awaka is the better Freshman prospect on this team.

Who should take his minutes? JJJ is the only other player on the roster who plays a similar position. Again we played better offensively without JJJ on the floor tonight.

 

[Volstylexx]

Candy sucks, but Mizzou I’d call good.

51st in the net rankings. Missouri has 3 Quad one wins with no Quad 2, 3, or 4 losses. Their 17-point win over #12 a few weeks back was their best win until tonight.

For comparison, Tennessee is 3rd in the net rankings and has 4 Quad 1 wins with 3 Quad 2 losses.

 

[VolFreakJosh]

They certainly haven’t played like they’re capable of. But to say they don’t care is completely ignorant.

Dude doesn’t even post here regularly.

He just hides in the football forum until he’s ready to come out whenever we lose.

 

[tombowalker]

If we had fouled they would not have had the opportunity to shoot a three. Going to overtime is infinitely better than losing.

Sorry man, but this is nonsense. If the only thing that can beat you is a hailmary from half court, you take that every single time.

There isn't a coach in the country who would call for a foul in that situation.

 

[vol94]

Great assessment. He's limited ONs and Plasvic's minutes lately. Mashack and Awaka have gotten an increase in minutes. That tells me that Barnes is trying to make adjustments and not just sitting on his hands on the sideline. IF we find the right lineup as a result of this stretch of pain, we could be in for a special March.

While it was a painful loss, I think Barnes found a better lineup. Awaka has to be in the floor. He can’t make foul shots so that is a huge concern. ON shouldn’t see as many minutes. Uros should rarely be on the floor. I like Mashack being aggressive tonight during the second half. I’d like to see Phillips be on the floor, too, as he is our most athletic player.

Vescovi, Key, Awaka, ZZ, and Phillips. If JJJ returns then let ZZ come off the bench? If ZZ starts, then Key off the bench? Key has played well offensively past two games.