The Official #8 Tennessee vs. #22 Auburn SEC Tournament Championship Game Thread, 1:00 PM ET, ESPN

[GetEmVols]

Because it's not football.

It’s football time now!

 

[TNnative]

And as true as that may be, they play like this again and it'll be a SHORT tourney run.

The SEC tourney is an appetizer for what they're gonna see EVERY. SINGLE. GAME. in the AA tourney. If they can't get up for the CHAMPIONSHIP GAME of the SEC tourney (that they haven't won in, what 40 years? Against a team that literally DAYS ago cost them a regular season championship??) what are they gonna get up FOR???

I look at it like this; it was the last time they could lose before the tourney starts for a national title. Then it is lose and go home. Now, they have to play like we all know they can play IF they will keep focused. And if they do, the only regret I will have is watching videos about the run narrated by Bob Kessling.

 

[ButchPlz]

I think it is comical to think Tennessee didn't get up for this game. Yes, we lost by 20. Its a bad matchup. We didn't lose because of effort. You can always blame effort and sound right when getting blown out, but this was about us playing a team that shoots 40+ threes, which is our achilles heel. Auburn getting long rebounds and shooting 10/15 out of the half is fortune. We won't lose like this in the tourney

Did you watch the first half?

12 turnovers in a half, most of them stupid, lazy passes and fumbled dribbles, is the definition of low effort.

 

[FlVols]

Auburn is a bad match-up for the Vols. Small, quick, agile, and deadly 3 pt shooters. They got every loose ball, every long rebound, and we turned the ball over 19 times!!! These quick little ***** OUT REBOUNDED us!! We had 0 offensive rebounds in the 2nd half, and they had 11!! Just a poor effort, by this team. Auburn wanted it more!!

I guess that last sentence wrapped it up. Auburn seemed to want it more and that’s the game. Put it in the past and get ready for the dance. If we’re a 2 seed playing in Jacksonville I’m going to be at the games here to cheer them on!! Go Vols!

 

[SCVol2018]

Well just like Calipari played it yesterday, maybe we just have bigger goals!!????

 

[nickp91]

What a sad day for the Big Orange going into the NCAA Tournament

 

[kbear01]

Make a statement! Beat Auburn's ASS!!!!

Well Auburn made the statement today. The Vols do not deserve a #2 seed, much less a #1 seed. They didn't even belong on the same court, as Auburn. They beat us in every statistical category. They are the better team. 14 freakin' steals!!!!

Auburn vs. Tennessee - Team Statistics - March 17, 2019 - ESPN

 

[MikeVol44]

Pearl coaches like a gambler by playing the percentages with so many quick 3s. He gets more offensive possessions per games by relying on 3s. Yes, we lost the first half due to 12 turnovers that led to Auburn points. We were so deep in trouble and never attempted enough 3s ourselves to even try to get close, even when we were shooting decent from the 3 point line. No adjustments. No win.

Turnovers were forced by focused and intense defensive effort by Auburn--even in their 4th game of the tournament.

WE got nothing from Williams, Schofield, Alexander, or Fulkerson today.

Auburn was making them WORK for everything by playing aggressive defense and laying it all on the line.
Auburn is flat out more athletic than our guys and--as Jimmy V was pointing out--fronted Williams and denied him the ball on the blocks.

It's just sad that our guys cannot play with focus and intensity when there is a Championship on the line.

And Auburn shot poorly thru most of the 1st half.

 

[GhostVol]

I think it is comical to think Tennessee didn't get up for this game. Yes, we lost by 20. Its a bad matchup. We didn't lose because of effort. You can always blame effort and sound right when getting blown out, but this was about us playing a team that shoots 40+ threes, which is our achilles heel. Auburn getting long rebounds and shooting 10/15 out of the half is fortune. We won't lose like this in the tourney

I'll give AU credit for actually making shots, contested or otherwise. That should have NO affect on letting balls slip through your hands, blowing lay-ups, and missing a majority of open looks. That's focus. How they could come out for that game as flat as they did is beyond belief. I won't blame coaching because this is an upper-class laden team that should be able to motivate THEMSELVES. Obviously, that's not the case......

 

[Freak]

I'm not concerned that we lost, I'm concerned by how we lost. Auburn gets hot and we lose a tough one, fine. But to get completely run out of the gym is tough to swallow.

 

[golfballs]

We lost because of the 17 turnovers.

Very atypical of our team.

 

[ButchPlz]

Turnovers were forced by focused and intense defensive effort by Auburn--even in their 4th game of the tournament.

WE got nothing from Williams, Schofield, Alexander, or Fulkerson today.

Auburn was making them WORK for everything by playing aggressive defense and laying it all on the line.
Auburn is flat out more athletic than our guys and--as Jimmy V was pointing out--fronted Williams and denied him the ball on the blocks.

It's just sad that our guys cannot play with focus and intensity when there is a Championship on the line.

And Auburn shot poorly thru most of the 1st half.

You can't believe that first sentence.

 

[MikeVol44]

It was just one of those days. Their confidence kept growing and growing, and we’d got a stop and they’d get a long rebound or we would turn it over. This team is mature enough to respond with a good run and can beat anyone in the country .

NO--they are NOT!

 

[Freak]

You can't believe that first sentence.

Auburn's defense completely smothered us and took away passing lanes, forcing a lot of those bad plays.

 

[VolsSportsFan]

I'm not concerned that we lost, I'm concerned by how we lost. Auburn gets hot and we lose a tough one, fine. But to get completely run out of the gym is tough to swallow.

That's my problem. First half Auburn didn't even look good. We were up 15-11 and like a switch we just started playing awful. Everyone knew if we didn't take advantage of Auburn not hitting 3s it would bite us, and it did. Plus we never really responded.

 

[kbear01]

Turnovers were forced by focused and intense defensive effort by Auburn--even in their 4th game of the tournament.

WE got nothing from Williams, Schofield, Alexander, or Fulkerson today.

Auburn was making them WORK for everything by playing aggressive defense and laying it all on the line.
Auburn is flat out more athletic than our guys and--as Jimmy V was pointing out--fronted Williams and denied him the ball on the blocks.

It's just sad that our guys cannot play with focus and intensity when there is a Championship on the line.

And Auburn shot poorly thru most of the 1st half.

Auburn took 15 more shots than UT.

 

[RDU VOL#14]

NO--they are NOT!

Ok. Then go watch something else next week.

 

[GhostVol]

I'm not concerned that we lost, I'm concerned by how we lost. Auburn gets hot and we lose a tough one, fine. But to get completely run out of the gym is tough to swallow.

And why the apologists can't see this is beyond me......

 

[tward]

NO--they are NOT!

They’ll not win another game if they keep playing like they did today.

 

[jeff1vol]

Bruce simply coached circles around Barnes. We are UT.

 

[MikeVol44]

Auburn's defense completely smothered us and took away passing lanes, forcing a lot of those bad plays.

That is exactly what I saw during the game. It revealed a complete lack of discipline and focus by our guys.

This Vol BB team hasn't proven that they can play with a sustained intensity and focus from one game to the next.
That doesn't not speak of a good outcome in the Dance.

 

[goooooovols]

I'm not concerned that we lost, I'm concerned by how we lost. Auburn gets hot and we lose a tough one, fine. But to get completely run out of the gym is tough to swallow.

1) I think our teams championship was yesterday, Auburn’s was today...

2) we have a major problem guarding a guard heavy team... if we can’t get that fixed we are screwed. Schofield is too slow to guard the third guard and when the pace isn’t controlled by us we fall apart.

 

[InVOLuntary]

Well that was a disaster. Such a high last night to such a low today. I'm sure the boys are hurting.

 

[BreatheUT]

Shooting 3's like AU does results in a lot of long rebounds Their players are used to it and UT got out-rebounded big time in the 2nd half.

I said it before the game and I'm sure others pointed it out as well. This was not a poised Auburn team that beats you with basketball intelligence. They are a team of high risk, high reward. They want a frenzied pace. Get them behind and they are done because they keep playing the same way but you have to execute and make them pay. You can't miss on opportunities to bury them. If you get behind then you are in trouble because they're like suicide bombers. They might blow themselves but there is a chance you will.

 

[Freak]

That is exactly what I saw during the game. It revealed a complete lack of discipline and focus by our guys.

This Vol BB team hasn't proven that they can play with a sustained intensity and focus from one game to the next.
That doesn't not speak of a good outcome in the Dance.

I'm not sure if it was a lack of discipline. To me it looked more like we had no plan of attack against it.