Small Ball

#1
C

ColinS

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 4, 2013
Messages
3,413
Likes
3,434
#1
We have no center. We should just go all out with small ball and see what happens.
 
#2
#2
I think Tennessee has a capable center just nothing at back up and pretty much just freshmen and very thin at PF.
 
#3
#3
Also Tennessee has plenty of “size”.....it’s just inexperienced size.

Down low Tennessee has: 6-8, 6-9, 6-9 (I think 6-10), and 6-11

Size isn’t the problem.......useable size could be a problem (SEC ready).
 
  • Like
Reactions: Larkin and sport3500
#5
#5
So with Plavsic out you have to think Fulky and Kent will be our 5’s. Given their injury history this scary thin depth. Fulky will have to watch his fouls too. Pons gets a lot of minutes at the 4 with ON as his likely backup to start the season but likely starter at some point imo. Pember, Gaines getting an opportunity to contribute as well. JJJ and JJ getting the minutes at the 3. Bowfin at the 2 with JJ backing him up. Turner the pg with JJJ getting minutes there. I am afraid some teams will pound us inside.
 
#8
#8
Jax_Vol said:
We can be like Auburn was last year
Click to expand...
I really wish Bone had come back. With him pushing it and the other pieces in place it would have been really fun to watch. I’ll still be watching gut feels like a rebuilding year to me with ncaa bubble type team. I was there in the Wade Houston tears so I have seen worse
 
  • Like
Reactions: Larkin
#9
#9
LeannaVol said:
I really wish Bone had come back. With him pushing it and the other pieces in place it would have been really fun to watch. I’ll still be watching gut feels like a rebuilding year to me with ncaa bubble type team. I was there in the Wade Houston tears so I have seen worse
Click to expand...

'tears'.....good choice of words! lol
 
#10
#10
Fulky is a serviceable role player but I'm not so confident with Kent. He was the player I was most interested in watching in the exhibition game and I didn't see him put a body on anyone the whole time he played.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Vols All Day
#11
#11
ColinS said:
Fulky is a serviceable role player but I'm not so confident with Kent. He was the player I was most interested in watching in the exhibition game and I didn't see him put a body on anyone the whole time he played.
Click to expand...

Yea

I’m not sure he can post up on anyone......I mean if he can’t do it vs Eastern.

His shot looked good, but other than that.......I’m just hoping he is better than what we saw.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Vols All Day
#12
#12
In the non conference schedule Tennessee only plays 5 teams (Wash, Memphis, Cincy, FSU, and Wisky) who have multiple 7ft or 7ft + players......Kansas only has one, Purdue only has a 7ft 3 guy and VCU has none.

No team in the SEC has multiple 7ft’s
Only 3 have a 7ft player (none on KY, Fla, Aub or LSU).
 
#13
#13
JoAllan said:
In the non conference schedule Tennessee only plays 5 teams (Wash, Memphis, Cincy, FSU, and Wisky) who have multiple 7ft or 7ft + players......Kansas only has one, Purdue only has a 7ft 3 guy and VCU has none.

No team in the SEC has multiple 7ft’s
Only 3 have a 7ft player (none on KY, Fla, Aub or LSU).
Click to expand...
I see your point, but its not all about height in my opinion. When we play Florida who is guarding Kerry Blackshear? Pons might be able to pull it off, but he can't play the entire game. Lacking depth in the post is going to hurt us.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Larkin
#14
#14
Willy14 said:
I see your point, but its not all about height in my opinion. When we play Florida who is guarding Kerry Blackshear? Pons might be able to pull it off, but he can't play the entire game. Lacking depth in the post is going to hurt us.
Click to expand...

I agree

Height really isn’t the problem.

Tennessee has Fulky at 6-9
Kent at 6-11
Pember at 6-9 (I say he’s 6-10)
Olivier at 6-8

And they got gaurds at 6-5, 6-6, 6-6, 6-6, and 6-7

Experience is really the problem.

Hopefully the young guys will grow early.
 
  • Like
Reactions: sport3500 and Willy14
#15
#15
I think you will see Tennessee try to stretch the floor and run at every opportunity with any points from the center position considered a bonus.

Also, I think Gaines or Pember could red shirt this season to get stronger and Bowden and Turner will be the leaders of this squad.

Fulkerson and Pons need to take a big step forward on the offensive end this season to help Bowden and Turner.

Fulkerson and Pons could be the peanut butter and jelly combo this season.

Get ready for an exciting season and Go Big Orange!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
#16
#16
sport3500 said:
I think you will see Tennessee try to stretch the floor and run at every opportunity with any points from the center position considered a bonus.

Also, I think Gaines or Pember could red shirt this season to get stronger and Bowden and Turner will be the leaders of this squad.

Fulkerson and Pons need to take a big step forward on the offensive end this season to help Bowden and Turner.

Fulkerson and Pons could be the peanut butter and jelly combo this season.

Get ready for an exciting season and Go Big Orange!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Click to expand...
I could be wrong but I don't think anyone is redshirting now that Uros is ineligible. We only have 10 scholarship players as it is and we will probably need every one of them to play considering our depth, again I could be totally wrong.
 
  • Like
Reactions: walkenvol
#17
#17
Yea

I’m sure Tennessee would love to red shirt one or two......however the depth is thin and inexperienced......they need all the plying bodies they can get (2 guys on team who can’t play).
 
#18
#18
LeannaVol said:
So with Plavsic out you have to think Fulky and Kent will be our 5’s. Given their injury history this scary thin depth. Fulky will have to watch his fouls too. Pons gets a lot of minutes at the 4 with ON as his likely backup to start the season but likely starter at some point imo. Pember, Gaines getting an opportunity to contribute as well. JJJ and JJ getting the minutes at the 3. Bowfin at the 2 with JJ backing him up. Turner the pg with JJJ getting minutes there. I am afraid some teams will pound us inside.
Click to expand...

I don't think that Fulkerdon's injury history is a big deal. He had a broken wrist and a dislocated elbow from the same incident and they were repaired almost 3 years ago. He's left handed and the injuries were to his right arm.

Kent's issues haven't been disclosed as much. Seems like he had a knee scoped just before last season. Maybe he's had a foot problem as well... I'm not sure. No idea if he had issues in high school. Pember missed a ton of early games last year but played through the state championship game.
 
  • Like
Reactions: StrangeVol
#19
#19
After watching the last exhibition game and UP being ineligible, there is no way in hell that Pember redshirts (unless he is injured). I really don't think Gaines redshirts either. Gaines and Pember can both, play. Yeah, they need to get stronger (especially, they need a year under UTs S&C guy, he's damn good, although I can't remember his name, right now), but they really impressed me against ENM. UT, stills need ON to produce at a high level for a freshman, too. From what I've seen so far, this last recruiting class is underrated and UT needs 'em to be
 
  • Like
Reactions: StrangeVol and JoAllan
#23
#23
I think Fulk will be fine down low. Only question for me is if he can play good D w/o fouling.
 
#24
#24
The great thing about the sport of basketball is that there are multiple ways to negate an opponent's advantage. But it takes mental preparation, court awareness, and high basketball IQ.

For that reason, youth is our greatest weakness, not height.
But that also means that by tourney time... :cool:

Last season, with an experienced team and high expectations, each game was its own war. This year, with a young team, each game is just the next chapter in a book being written in real time. Settle into a comfortable chair and enjoy the book, one page at a time.
 
  • Like
Reactions: JelloPuddinPup and StrangeVol
#25
#25
BruisedOrange said:
The great thing about the sport of basketball is that there are multiple ways to negate an opponent's advantage. But it takes mental preparation, court awareness, and high basketball IQ.

For that reason, youth is our greatest weakness, not height.
But that also means that by tourney time... :cool:

Last season, with an experienced team and high expectations, each game was its own war. This year, with a young team, each game is just the next chapter in a book being written in real time. Settle into a comfortable chair and enjoy the book, one page at a time.
Click to expand...
Good post. That being said, Pember is smarter and more basketball savvy than your average freshman.
 
  • Like
Reactions: JelloPuddinPup and StrangeVol
New posts
You must log in or register to reply here.
Advertisement



Back
Top