Stats to follow

[BruinVol]

When Keon OR Springer take 11 or more shots in a game we are 2-5.

In our 16 wins Keon/Springer average taking 15 shots a game.

In our 5 losses with both Keon/Springer playing they average taking 22 shots per game.


I think most would agree the South Carolina game was our best offensive game in a long time and just for reference Keon and Springer took 13 shots in that game.

 

[you]

nice work.

So, if we can keep them at 15 shots we have a better chance of winning.

 

[BruinVol]

nice work.

So, if we can keep them at 15 shots we have a better chance of winning.

The Kentucky game appears to have been fools gold. I know myself thought at that point it was time for those two to start getting as many shots as possible. They shot 27 times that game but the Truth is that Kentucky team just plain ole sucks.

 

[SGMVols]

Many of the regular Barnes bashers here were clamoring for the team to play more through the freshmen.

 

[Vols8086]

When Keon OR Springer take 11 or more shots in a game we are 2-5.

In our 16 wins Keon/Springer average taking 15 shots a game.

In our 5 losses with both Keon/Springer playing they average taking 22 shots per game.


I think most would agree the South Carolina game was our best offensive game in a long time and just for reference Keon and Springer took 13 shots in that game.

Well South Carolina is also 6-14 and have made a lot of offenses look good this year. So if we can play bad teams every night, yeah I bet we look pretty good.

Jaden Springer is shooting just under 50% from 2 and 47% from 3. Yeah lets limit his shots....

Who are you wanting to take more shots if those guys aren't shooting it? We know it isn't Pons and surely you aren't going to try and tell us we need to run the offense through Fulky. When Bailey is shooting well he certainly needs more looks and touches. Santi can hit open shots (minus the last few games). I think ORN should get more burn.

It's not like we have a litany of options.

 

[BruinVol]

Many of the regular Barnes bashers here were clamoring for the team to play more through the freshmen.

I am not a Barnes basher but I’ll admit I thought we needed to turn the keys over to them. I was wrong. They need to play within the system and keep their shots down and the stats prove that

 

[BruinVol]

Well South Carolina is also 6-14 and have made a lot of offenses look good this year. So if we can play bad teams every night, yeah I bet we look pretty good.

Jaden Springer is shooting just under 50% from 2 and 47% from 3. Yeah lets limit his shots....

Who are you wanting to take more shots if those guys aren't shooting it? We know it isn't Pons and surely you aren't going to try and tell us we need to run the offense through Fulky. When Bailey is shooting well he certainly needs more looks and touches. Santi can hit open shots (minus the last few games). I think ORN should get more burn.

It's not like we have a litany of options.

Fulky needs more shots for sure.
In the first 5 games of the year he averaged 9 shots a game and just 6 the last five games and that is slanted higher due to him taking 12 Against USCe.


The entire key to get back into a good place is James imo.
Him being hurt and being 1/11 in his two games since coming back has placed more pressure on Keon and Springer.

 

[keenobserver]

I'd actually like to see less Vescovi early in the SEC tournament. It doesn't look as if we should ever expect anything offensively from Fulkerson and very little from Pons so I'd just have them focus 100% of their attention on trying to get a rebound. Our only hope tournament time is let the freshman continue to attack, play great defense, and hope Bailey is hot and stays hot.

 

[BruinVol]

I'd actually like to see less Vescovi early in the SEC tournament. It doesn't look as if we should ever expect anything offensively from Fulkerson and very little from Pons so I'd just have them focus 100% of their attention on trying to get a rebound. Our only hope tournament time is let the freshman continue to attack, play great defense, and hope Bailey is hot and stays hot.

I find the chances of us winning more than 1 game in either tourney next to impossible relying on just Johnson, springer and Bailey.

if pons, Fulky or James can’t play big roles we are finished imo

 

[Vols8086]

Fulky needs more shots for sure.
In the first 5 games of the year he averaged 9 shots a game and just 6 the last five games and that is slanted higher due to him taking 12 Against USCe.


The entire key to get back into a good place is James imo.
Him being hurt and being 1/11 in his two games since coming back has placed more pressure on Keon and Springer.

What has Fulky done to warrant more shots lately? Nothing. The first 2 games of the year (Colorado and Cincy) he was a combined 8 for 21. That isn't very good. Now the next 3 games against App State, TN Tech, and St Josephs he was above 60% every single game. So yeah, if we are playing bad teams, Fulky will look good. He isn't an alpha and I don't know how anybody can think he is the answer to our offensive woes.

We do not have an alpha that we can depend on night in and night out. I said it at the beginning of the year and it remains true now. I don't see our offense drastically improving this year short of a miracle.

 

[BruinVol]

What has Fulky done to warrant more shots lately? Nothing. The first 2 games of the year (Colorado and Cincy) he was a combined 8 for 21. That isn't very good. Now the next 3 games against App State, TN Tech, and St Josephs he was above 60% every single game. So yeah, if we are playing bad teams, Fulky will look good. He isn't an alpha and I don't know how anybody can think he is the answer to our offensive woes.

We do not have an alpha that we can depend on night in and night out. I said it at the beginning of the year and it remains true now. I don't see our offense drastically improving this year short of a miracle.

The last good game we played Fulky was 7/12 and had 19 pts

 

[keenobserver]

I find the chances of us winning more than 1 game in either tourney next to impossible relying on just Johnson, springer and Bailey.

if pons, Fulky or James can’t play big roles we are finished imo

You're probably right.

Those three have just been so inconsistent this year, I suppose I've lost faith. I don't follow stats much, but it seems like we've played our best this season when Bailey catches fire. That's the only way we're tough to beat even with Fulky, James, or Pon's struggling offensively. It seems like in many of those games that we looked good with VB shooting it well, JF, JJJ, and Pons didn't rebound particularly well. I guess my point was I am hoping they can at least do that.

 

[Lurker]

This has been a frustrating year. This team should be much better than its record, but you are what your record says you are.

Personally, I think the number one missing piece on this team is that there appears to be no on-the-floor leadership. Every team that I can remember being successful had one or two players who held others to account. Freshmen, no matter how talented, can't usually do that. They don't have court cred yet. I expected Fulkerson, Pons or Vescovi to supply it to this group. It doesn't have to be the most talented player - think Dane Bradshaw - but it has to be someone with both a brain and a backbone. Add in skill and you've got a dog -- think Admiral or Slay. An on-the -floor leader isn't just a buddy or a cheerleader. He requires smart team play at the risk of unpopularity.

This team has no individual player that is either willing or capable of putting themselves on the line to hold the other players accountable for taking plays off or doing dumb stuff. When no one calls you on stupid stuff, it snowballs -- like repeated careless turnovers or quick shots from three when a hard drive to the basket will do nicely to add points for us and foul trouble to the other side. Coaching can only do so much and when a coach has to provide all of the discipline he quickly gets accused of over coaching and bruising tender egos. Teams need alphas on the floor and this team is flat lacking in that department.

 

[Vols8086]

The last good game we played Fulky was 7/12 and had 19 pts

And it was against arguably the worst team in the conference. Us looking good had as much to do with a lesser opponent as it did us figuring things out.

 

[BruinVol]

And it was against arguably the worst team in the conference. Us looking good had as much to do with a lesser opponent as it did us figuring things out.

But yet we looked really bad against two other bad teams in vandy and auburn when Fulky took just 6 shots total in those two games. Auburn is the worst defensive team in the league btw

 

[zjcvols]

Blame the two best players on the team, not the system by the 30+ year head coach.

Brilliant.

 

[Vols8086]

But yet we looked really bad against two other bad teams in vandy and auburn when Fulky took just 6 shots total in those two games. Auburn is the worst defensive team in the league btw

The problem with this is that Fulky can't generate his own offense. He needs to be active and be the garbage man, but you can't just give him the ball on the block and let him work. That South Carolina game we had 26 assists when we have been averaging 14/game in SEC play. You have to drive and dish to Fulky, but the offense seeks out the mid range jumper. Or you need to put him in some pick and roll action, but we don't set many ball screens.

Which is why myself and others have said the offensive scheme we run is bad, especially for this personnel.

 

[PEPPERJAX]

OP

Barnes can change the rotation and adjust minutes. You realize this correct?

 

[BruinVol]

Blame the two best players on the team, not the system by the 30+ year head coach.

Brilliant.

This thread isn’t about blame at all. It’s meant to show that the “system” this team has run is at its best when shots are spread more evenly and the two freshmen don’t pile up shot attempts into the double digits.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

The problem with this is that Fulky can't generate his own offense. He needs to be active and be the garbage man, but you can't just give him the ball on the block and let him work. That South Carolina game we had 26 assists when we have been averaging 14/game in SEC play. You have to drive and dish to Fulky, but the offense seeks out the mid range jumper. Or you need to put him in some pick and roll action, but we don't set many ball screens.

Which is why myself and others have said the offensive scheme we run is bad, especially for this personnel.

I think Fulk would be a better contributor by spending more time at the high post. But for whatever reason Pons roams the perimeter and EJ never was consistent underneath the basket. IMO putting Olivier under the basket and Fulk around the free throw line might be productive. But TN’s defense is better when Pons can protect the rim. There are too many deficiencies that can’t be addressed in the window of this season.

 

[zjcvols]

This thread isn’t about blame at all. It’s meant to show that the “system” this team has run is at its best when shots are spread more evenly and the two freshmen don’t pile up shot attempts into the double digits.

The problem is nobody else can create their own shot besides Jaden and Keon and we don’t run ball screens to get guys open looks so how do you suggest we get more shots for other guys

 

[zjcvols]

I think Fulk would be a better contributor by spending more time at the high post. But for whatever reason Pons roams the perimeter and EJ never was consistent underneath the basket. IMO putting Olivier under the basket and Fulk around the free throw line might be productive. But TN’s defense is better when Pons can protect the rim. There are too many deficiencies that can be addressed in the window of this season.

Where has that been all year? Remember against UK last year we ran a ton of iso/spread the floor in high post situations or ran a ball screen to force a switch so he can attack and that’s gone. Now it’s all 15 foot low post attempts with bad spacing.

 

[VolPack22]

Keon and Springer have nothing to do with our failures as a team. Yeah they turn the ball over more than you would like but they are freshmen and that’s what freshmen do. The post play has been nonexistent the majority of the season. Pons and Fulkerson are the seniors. They both have the athleticism to average at minimum 8 rebounds per game and they are being out rebounded by James, a guard/wing player. They have not lead this team like you would expect seniors to do. Freshmen are forced to lead this team because the seniors would rather be role players.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

Where has that been all year? Remember against UK last year we ran a ton of iso/spread the floor in high post situations or ran a ball screen to force a switch so he can attack and that’s gone.

That KY game is highly memorable.

I don’t think that Keon and Springer have emerged as great passers. Springer makes one occasionally, but their offensive attacks (although unstoppable at times), are a bit one dimensional.

 

[BruinVol]

The problem is nobody else can create their own shot besides Jaden and Keon and we don’t run ball screens to get guys open looks so how do you suggest we get more shots for other guys

Look I have agreed with you that the offense needs tweaking but that isn’t going to happen this season anyways.

I think what we have seen is when things aren’t going well we see Keon in particular assert his alpha male and try to take over games. I love that attitude but outside of the Kentucky comeback that hasn’t been the recipe for getting our team going. I think it’s clear his shots don’t need to get into the teens.
He’s taking too many midrange jumpers and much of our team is standing around waiting for him to take a shot