bleedingTNorange
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1. Had you told me that we would score a near season high allowed by LSU and that we would shoot 37 free throws I would feel pretty confident that we would win that game. I definitely didn’t see our defense electing not to make the trip and allowing LSU best offensive showing against a P5 school on the season. They out physicaled us all game long and our turnovers came at bad times and led to really ease baskets for them.
2. Shooting 38%fg 25%3pt 62%ft is really bad on all 3 levels, I know that’s a good LSU defense, and our KenPom offensive efficiency actually went up after last nights game (if that tells you how bad it’s been), but if we had shot just decent at all 3 levels 45/35/75 we win that game pretty handily, kind of hard to fathom.
3. Barnes is at a crossroads with some guys, Fulk looked bad again and even worse he looked as if he didn’t really even want to be there or care, his energy has always been his best attribute and if that’s not there then he’s tough to watch. JJJ is key for many reasons and a guy we need, but his shooting looks absolutely abysmal, shouldn’t be a confidence thing or a short leash thing because he continues jacking up 3’s with no regard at all, 1-7 last night with not a single 2pta taken.
4. I hoped to see a better game from Powell, for those that missed it he got absolutely whipped on the FT play that LSU got the rebound and putback which in the moment felt like a big momentum play, Barnes sat him after that for a very long time. If you don’t want to play Bailey and you’re going smaller Powell has to play, I’m sure it’s about what he’s seeing in practice too but Powell needs to know he’s got a little room for error and that he’s gonna get back out there, on a night we struggled shooting he’s riding the pine.
5. Some positive, Santi again looked good so won’t spend much time there, but Plavsic considering competition played probably his best game as a Vol. In just 15 minutes he scores 12 points and grabs 7 rebounds, he missed some FTs and had an embarrassing block on a layup attempt, but he was pretty good. If he could continue to develop an aggressive and physical style he could be even more effective, not claiming he’s a world beater but you can see why Barnes was hell bent on going to him early in the season.
6. Big picture, losses happen especially on the road in conference play, Alabama just lost at Missouri and were down 20 at one point, so the result isn’t a huge deal considering it was actually one of the most likely losses on our schedule by most metrics. However, it’s how we looked and that problems that we saw early on don’t appear to be getting corrected and we continue to struggle in the same areas, and that is the frustrating part. One of the big complains many have had with Barnes is his teams peak too early, I don’t think anyone would say we are playing our best ball right now so maybe they continue to work things out and improve over the course of the season and peak at a better time, then again maybe not. I said prior to conference play starting there was a very real chance we start out 2-3 and that if we do that wouldn’t really even be bad, likely road losses @Alabam, @lsu and @UK, probably on paper the 3 hardest SEC games all in the first 5…that obviously sets up for being able to make some noise later if we can get some things worked out. For now, home to Knoxville to play a South Carolina team we should beat and then on the road to Rupp.
GBO!!!
2. Shooting 38%fg 25%3pt 62%ft is really bad on all 3 levels, I know that’s a good LSU defense, and our KenPom offensive efficiency actually went up after last nights game (if that tells you how bad it’s been), but if we had shot just decent at all 3 levels 45/35/75 we win that game pretty handily, kind of hard to fathom.
3. Barnes is at a crossroads with some guys, Fulk looked bad again and even worse he looked as if he didn’t really even want to be there or care, his energy has always been his best attribute and if that’s not there then he’s tough to watch. JJJ is key for many reasons and a guy we need, but his shooting looks absolutely abysmal, shouldn’t be a confidence thing or a short leash thing because he continues jacking up 3’s with no regard at all, 1-7 last night with not a single 2pta taken.
4. I hoped to see a better game from Powell, for those that missed it he got absolutely whipped on the FT play that LSU got the rebound and putback which in the moment felt like a big momentum play, Barnes sat him after that for a very long time. If you don’t want to play Bailey and you’re going smaller Powell has to play, I’m sure it’s about what he’s seeing in practice too but Powell needs to know he’s got a little room for error and that he’s gonna get back out there, on a night we struggled shooting he’s riding the pine.
5. Some positive, Santi again looked good so won’t spend much time there, but Plavsic considering competition played probably his best game as a Vol. In just 15 minutes he scores 12 points and grabs 7 rebounds, he missed some FTs and had an embarrassing block on a layup attempt, but he was pretty good. If he could continue to develop an aggressive and physical style he could be even more effective, not claiming he’s a world beater but you can see why Barnes was hell bent on going to him early in the season.
6. Big picture, losses happen especially on the road in conference play, Alabama just lost at Missouri and were down 20 at one point, so the result isn’t a huge deal considering it was actually one of the most likely losses on our schedule by most metrics. However, it’s how we looked and that problems that we saw early on don’t appear to be getting corrected and we continue to struggle in the same areas, and that is the frustrating part. One of the big complains many have had with Barnes is his teams peak too early, I don’t think anyone would say we are playing our best ball right now so maybe they continue to work things out and improve over the course of the season and peak at a better time, then again maybe not. I said prior to conference play starting there was a very real chance we start out 2-3 and that if we do that wouldn’t really even be bad, likely road losses @Alabam, @lsu and @UK, probably on paper the 3 hardest SEC games all in the first 5…that obviously sets up for being able to make some noise later if we can get some things worked out. For now, home to Knoxville to play a South Carolina team we should beat and then on the road to Rupp.
GBO!!!
