The Year So Far and the Rest of the Season

#1
JohnMcA60

JohnMcA60

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#1
I have to say I've been highly impressed with the youngsters so far and wanted to get the feel of everyone else with how the year has gone and what everyone else expects going forward? The remaining games are:

W 12/22/16 at ETSU
L 12/29/16 at Texas A&M
W 01/03/17 vs. Arkansas
L 01/07/17 at Florida
W 01/11/17 vs South Carolina
L 01/14/17 at Vanderbilt
W 01/17/17 at Ole Miss
W 01/21/17 vs. Mississippi State
L 01/24/17 vs. Kentucky
W 01/28/17 vs. Kansas State
L 01/31/17 at Auburn
W 02/04/17 at Mississippi State
W 02/08/17 vs. Ole Miss
W 02/11/17 vs. Georgia
L 02/14/17 at Kentucky
W 02/18/17 vs. Missouri
W 02/22/17 vs. Vanderbilt
L 02/25/17 at South Carolina
W 03/01/17 at LSU
L 03/04/17 vs. Alabama

18-13 overall
10-8 in the SEC

This team has no quit and if we can start to finish the games we have left we can definitely be an NIT team which would be huge for the continued development of the young guys. I'd say anywhere between 15-18 wins is highly possible. I'm probably being a bit generous but we shall see. What says everyone else?
 
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#2
#2
JohnMcA60 said:
I have to say I've been highly impressed with the youngsters so far and wanted to get the feel of everyone else with how the year has gone and what everyone else expects going forward? The remaining games are:

W 12/22/16 at ETSU
L 12/29/16 at Texas A&M
W 01/03/17 vs. Arkansas
L 01/07/17 at Florida
W 01/11/17 vs South Carolina
L 01/14/17 at Vanderbilt
W 01/17/17 at Ole Miss
W 01/21/17 vs. Mississippi State
L 01/24/17 vs. Kentucky
W 01/28/17 vs. Kansas State
L 01/31/17 at Auburn
W 02/04/17 at Mississippi State
W 02/08/17 vs. Ole Miss
W 02/11/17 vs. Georgia
L 02/14/17 at Kentucky
W 02/18/17 vs. Missouri
W 02/22/17 vs. Vanderbilt
L 02/25/17 at South Carolina
W 03/01/17 at LSU
L 03/04/17 vs. Alabama

18-13 overall
10-8 in the SEC

This team has no quit and if we can start to finish the games we have left we can definitely be an NIT team which would be huge for the continued development of the young guys. I'd say anywhere between 15-18 wins is highly possible. I'm probably being a bit generous but we shall see. What says everyone else?
Click to expand...

That's way generous. I can't see a freshmen laden team go through an entire season without a multi-game losing streak.

IMO the best scenario is to finish at .500 or a game or two better (after the post season).

The TBA crowds are really bad right now. It will take a lot of wins to get the fair weather fans back.
 
#3
#3
I think it's highly dependent on how well Bone performs when he returns. If he picks up where he left off and can give the Vols some consistent focus at the 1 I think your forecast is reasonable.

Turner and Phillips seem to have too many lapses in focus that result in turnovers or bad shots. Hopefully they grow out of it but for now I think Bone is the best hope for a tournament bid.
 
#4
#4
twoffo said:
I think it's highly dependent on how well Bone performs when he returns. If he picks up where he left off and can give the Vols some consistent focus at the 1 I think your forecast is reasonable.

Turner and Phillips seem to have too many lapses in focus that result in turnovers or bad shots. Hopefully they grow out of it but for now I think Bone is the best hope for a tournament bid.
Click to expand...

Bone had 8 assists versus Appy State, but only 1 (or was it zero?) the game before versus UT-C when he scored 21. I hope it doesn't take him long to get back into assist dishing form. There are others on the roster that can score and IMO if they stand around watching Bone shoot the offense won't be effective.
 
#6
#6
If there are 31 games before the SECT, I'll predict:

15-16
2-1 SECT
1-1 in a sub-NIT tournament
18-18 final
 
#7
#7
If we can get to 18 or 19 regular season wins and possibly add 2 in Nashville in the SEC tournament, we'll be squarely on the bubble as our strength of schedule and RPI will be very good.
 
#8
#8
If I have one complaint about this team, it is that they tend to play to the level of their competition. Not sure it has cost them a win yet (Chattanooga maybe?). They seem to play the better teams tough, and yet several times have found themselves in a dogfight with less talented teams. This is a sign of general youth, inexperience, and a lack of upperclassman leadership, none of which can be fixed quickly.
 
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#11
#11
I really don't think the sec is very good this year. I could certainly see us having a pretty good year. No teams rearly took a significant step forward. Everyone has pretty much stayed the same with some teams taking a step back.
 
#12
#12
cncchris33 said:
If I have one complaint about this team, it is that they tend to play to the level of their competition. Not sure it has cost them a win yet (Chattanooga maybe?).
Click to expand...

Bad example as Vandy just edged Chattanooga on a last second 3 point shot. Chattanooga was an NCAA tourney team last season who lost very little and will be an NCAA tourney team again in 2017.

I do agree they play inconsistent like most any freshman / sophomore dominated lineup.
 
#14
#14
walkenvol said:
Bad example as Vandy just edged Chattanooga on a last second 3 point shot. Chattanooga was an NCAA tourney team last season who lost very little and will be an NCAA tourney team again in 2017.

I do agree they play inconsistent like most any freshman / sophomore dominated lineup.
Click to expand...

It wasn't really an example, which is why I put it in parentheses and used a "?". It's the only loss of the 5 that could reallyeven remotely be arguable at this point. The other losses have all came against top 25 competition (Wisconsin, Oregon, UNC, and Gonzaga) and fit the bill of "playing up to our competition.

I agree Chatt has a lot of experience and upperclassman leadership, something Tennessee lacks, but IMO, Tennessee has more talent across the board. They just lack that experience. I think if we played them in February instead of game one in November, the outcome may be different.
 
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#16
#16
JohnMcA60 said:
W 12/22/16 at ETSU
L 12/29/16 at Texas A&M
W 01/03/17 vs. Arkansas
L 01/07/17 at Florida
W 01/11/17 vs South Carolina
W 01/14/17 at Vanderbilt
L 01/17/17 at Ole Miss
W 01/21/17 vs. Mississippi State
W 01/24/17 vs. Kentucky
W 01/28/17 vs. Kansas State
W 01/31/17 at Auburn
L02/04/17 at Mississippi State
W 02/08/17 vs. Ole Miss
L 02/11/17 vs. Georgia
L 02/14/17 at Kentucky
W 02/18/17 vs. Missouri
W 02/22/17 vs. Vanderbilt
L 02/25/17 at South Carolina
L 03/01/17 at LSU
L 03/04/17 vs. Alabama
Click to expand...

Jmo.
 
#17
#17
JohnMcA60 said:
I have to say I've been highly impressed with the youngsters so far and wanted to get the feel of everyone else with how the year has gone and what everyone else expects going forward? The remaining games are:

W 12/22/16 at ETSU
L 12/29/16 at Texas A&M
W 01/03/17 vs. Arkansas
L 01/07/17 at Florida
W 01/11/17 vs South Carolina
L 01/14/17 at Vanderbilt
W 01/17/17 at Ole Miss
W 01/21/17 vs. Mississippi State
L 01/24/17 vs. Kentucky
W 01/28/17 vs. Kansas State
L 01/31/17 at Auburn
W 02/04/17 at Mississippi State
W 02/08/17 vs. Ole Miss
W 02/11/17 vs. Georgia
L 02/14/17 at Kentucky
W 02/18/17 vs. Missouri
W 02/22/17 vs. Vanderbilt
L 02/25/17 at South Carolina
W 03/01/17 at LSU
L 03/04/17 vs. Alabama

18-13 overall
10-8 in the SEC
Click to expand...

I would have agreed with that scenario immediately after the UNC game but I just don't see it now. Turner, Phillips and Bowden have slid somewhat since then and Fulkerson may be on the shelf the rest of the season (6 weeks is a pipedream). Our problems in the paint will dog us throughout the conference slate.

Hope I'm wrong, but I see us winning 7-8 SEC games tops. A couple of SECT wins could get us to .500.
 
#18
#18
Not sure why people are predicting a loss to Alabama at home... They've looked about as bad as Mississippi State so far this year.
 
#19
#19
From what I've seen, I'd predict
L 12/22/16 at ETSU
L 12/29/16 at Texas A&M
W 01/03/17 vs. Arkansas
L 01/07/17 at Florida
W 01/11/17 vs South Carolina
L 01/14/17 at Vanderbilt
L 01/17/17 at Ole Miss
W 01/21/17 vs. Mississippi State
L 01/24/17 vs. Kentucky
W 01/28/17 vs. Kansas State
L 01/31/17 at Auburn
W 02/04/17 at Mississippi State
W 02/08/17 vs. Ole Miss
W 02/11/17 vs. Georgia
L 02/14/17 at Kentucky
W 02/18/17 vs. Missouri
W 02/22/17 vs. Vanderbilt
L 02/25/17 at South Carolina
L 03/01/17 at LSU
W 03/04/17 vs. Alabama
Click to expand...

Which would leave the team at 15-15 (9-9) with a projected RPI of 92 according to RPIWizard. This team has definitely been impressive, playing superior teams close, but that doesn't always translate to wins right away. A .500 season would be good going into next year.
 
#20
#20
GatorsGators said:
From what I've seen, I'd predict

Which would leave the team at 15-15 (9-9) with a projected RPI of 92 according to RPIWizard. This team has definitely been impressive, playing superior teams close, but that doesn't always translate to wins right away. A .500 season would be good going into next year.
Click to expand...

I agree with your comments.
 
#21
#21
GatorsGators said:
From what I've seen, I'd predict

Which would leave the team at 15-15 (9-9) with a projected RPI of 92 according to RPIWizard. This team has definitely been impressive, playing superior teams close, but that doesn't always translate to wins right away. A .500 season would be good going into next year.
Click to expand...

That's 16-15 (9-9)

We need to find a way to go 8-5 OOC and 10-8 SEC for a total of 18-13 (10-8)
 
#23
#23
I originally thought 12-13. After watching them play, I think 15 regular season is their ceiling. No more key injuries though.
 
#24
#24
calban said:
I originally thought 12-13. After watching them play, I think 15 regular season is their ceiling. No more key injuries though.
Click to expand...

I'm not capping them at 15. I think we finish OOC play at 8-5 and then finish .500 or better in league play.

Would have been nice to have that UNC road win or the neutral site zaga win. We could have been a bubble team at the end of the regular season.
 
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