The Official Tennessee @ #3 Kansas Game Thread, 4:00 PM ET, ESPN

[1985Vols]

Yeah of course they are... just has a different feel to it because we are in the same conference and we play them 2 times a year. I guess I should say it hurts to come so close every time but not pull any of them off against the other blue bloods besides Kentucky.

Beat Kansas when they were #1 when Pearl was the coach

 

[1985Vols]

We need 10 conferences wins. That’s doable, but we need a split of the road games at MSU or Bama and then beat two of Arkansas, UK, UF, and Auburn at home.

This wil be difficult to accomplish

 

[Warriorvol]

Fully and pons putting on more steam, starting to show out, they keep playing like that we make tourney

 

[sport3500]

I am proud of this team for the way they hung with Kansas today.

Fulkerson and Pons played very well and Bowden had a great 2nd half.

Thank goodness Adizuke is a senior and we just had no answer for him.

James looked a little tentative out there today.

 

[Roustabout]

Team deserves a lot of credit for how they played. Pons and Fulk are setting up for big time senior years. Azabuke was the difference. This is Why Barnes needs to be recruiting a big. This game was too much for our freshman. JJJ basically curled up in the fetal position. Uros, nope. ON, still trying to find it.
Vescovi played the best out of all of them.

 

[VolGee4]

This wil be difficult to accomplish

Not easy but those four teams are beatable at home.

 

[Sugaray13]

Azubuike just too much at the end. Had we fouled him out, we would have won.

She should have only played 10 minutes. Go back and watch how many times we pushes off to get open. He can t score unless he pushed off, lobs, or scores off rebounds.

 

[VOLINVONORE]

Jalen Johnson keeps giving us better and better minutes as well

He did get the 1 point produced by the bench. I am not sure that is getting better and better.

 

[VOLINVONORE]

Total BS! Barnes is 100% to blame for this loss.

Only if you blame him for not signing Azubuike. He takes the #3 team to the wire with only of last years top 6 players playing and a team with almost of his players being Freshmen.

 

[JoAllan]

Yes turnovers have been all season and are a problem in this game. No surprise and that’s not going to change this year against good defensive teams. Let’s see what Kansas does the second half with Azubuike. I’m betting if we play man they’ll go to him 60% of the time and Fulky will foul out, if we don’t play some zone

He did get his, but Tennessee kept him in foul trouble a lot, and Kansas only got to him 13% of the time.....and Fulk did not foul out.......and NO zone was played by Tennessee......nor was it needed.

 

[i2amavol]

Josiah and Olivier 0 points and 9 turnovers. Hopefully both guys get better over the summer.

They both need confidence. Olivier needs to bring a sleepin bag to the weight room.

 

[Flovol]

Not sure if he will get any better, but I feel confident in saying that Olivier isn't going to get any worse.

Yes! I’m pulling for the kid to do well but I can’t understand how he gets so many minutes.

 

[JoAllan]

Tennessee had a great game plan to try and get the win......they stuck to it, played it well and came close to getting the win.

Tennessee fouled a lot.....but that was to be expected.....as that was half of the game plan.

If the refs would have called fouls on Azubuike like they should have, he would have certainly fouled out and I believe Tennessee would have won.

When he came back in after his 4th foul at times Azubuike was almost murdering Fulk....and nothing was called.

Give credit to Dotson though.....Tennessee had to “over” help at times and it left Dotson open and he made Tennessee pay (most of the time).

 

[JoAllan]

Yes! I’m pulling for the kid to do well but I can’t understand how he gets so many minutes.

Size is the reason.

he has it and Tennessee needs it.....especially today after Pons and Fulk both got 2 fouls.

Remember it doesn’t matter as much if “he” picks up some fouls.....Tennessee is wanting that to happen.

 

[JoAllan]

At about 4 minutes (or so) to go until about 3:50, Azubuike fouled Fulkerson twice, neither was called......the first he almost flattened Fulk to the ground, then just a few seconds later on the offensive end sure looked like he shoved Fulk in the throat.......I think Kansas got like 4 points out of that deal (maybe a different one).

I’ve certainly seen worse officiating, and for me it wasn’t “real” bad.....but there were probably 4 (or more) fouls (blatant) by Azubuike that wasn’t called.

 

[Johnnyreb#VFL]

She should have only played 10 minutes. Go back and watch how many times we pushes off to get open. He can t score unless he pushed off, lobs, or scores off rebounds.

Cmon now. Dude is a baller and an NBA talent

 

[bray2milton]

Cmon now. Dude is a baller and an NBA talent

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

She should have only played 10 minutes. Go back and watch how many times we pushes off to get open. He can t score unless he pushed off, lobs, or scores off rebounds.

Zhe has lots of gender confusion as well.

 

[walkenvol]

They were both exceptional today. The problem is that when either of those two exit the game, the drop off is enormous. See Exhibit A: ORN

Very few college teams have backups that are of the same level as their starters. The problem yesterday was the guards didn’t score very well (I view Bowden as a small forward)

 

[1985Vols]

He did get his, but Tennessee kept him in foul trouble a lot, and Kansas only got to him 13% of the time.....and Fulk did not foul out.......and NO zone was played by Tennessee......nor was it needed.

A zone defense against Azubuike might have won the game For us. He pretty much dominated inside the paint when he was in the game. Guess we’ll never know.

 

[whodeycin85]

A zone defense against Azubuike might have won the game For us. He pretty much dominated inside the paint when he was in the game. Guess we’ll never know.

Get over yourself and the zone. Lol.

 

[VolsAgainstTheWorld15]

Very few college teams have backups that are of the same level as their starters. The problem yesterday was the guards didn’t score very well (I view Bowden as a small forward)

It isn't a problem for bench players not to be as good as the starters. That is the case for basically ever team in the country, but when you go from two guys capable of putting up double-doubles on any given night to a guy who turns the ball over almost every time he touches it is too much to overcome against a top 5 team.

 

[JohnWardForever]

Save it.

JJJ had been, largely, very good this second half of the season. He had a clunker today, but so have a lot of players. Not all 5 stars are Anthony Davis.

Really. I musta missed that good play. I guess I was getting snacks; cuz I saw lots of TOS and Missed shots. And anticipation? They aren't Freshmen at 20 games in.

 

[Unimane]

Really. I musta missed that good play. I guess I was getting snacks; cuz I saw lots of TOS and Missed shots. And anticipation? They aren't Freshmen at 20 games in.

It seems as if you are having trouble reading the post, so check it again, paying particular attention to "season" in contrast to "today".

And, yes, he's still a freshman.

 

[gainesvol82]

It seems as if you are having trouble reading the post, so check it again, paying particular attention to "season" in contrast to "today".

And, yes, he's still a freshman.

Especially with all the preseason work he missed. He needs to be more aggressive and trust his athleticism.

He already has an NBA body. He needs to realize that and go abuse smaller guards or out-quick bigger guys.

It's frustrating to me to think what I could have done if blessed with his athleticism. I see very few kids these days with a wide range of moves/shots. Needs to be more development when young on a running floater, baby hook, turnaround mid range jumper, using the glass on mid range jumpers from angles, etc.

If a middle-aged white guy like me can get creative to score then I know these kids can but they aren't taught it because that's not done in the NBA any more and they all want to get to the league.