The Official #22 Tennessee vs. #3 Kansas Game Thread, 7:30 PM, ESPN

[gainesvol82]

Colorado also had one guy that absolutely went off against us. Good player that we had trouble guarding when he took it to the rack but he was also hitting everything from deep. We played poor team defense against him and also couldn't hit anything on our offensive end. It was a good wake-up call that we need to be more disciplined and play inside out if we want to reach our potential.

 

[walkenvol]

What I can't fathom is how a team that won 3 games in 3 straight days against stiff competition could lose to a very mediocre Colorado.

Ran the same disfunctional offense last night as we did against Colorado with worse ball security (22 TO). Only difference was ZZZ and Vescovi hit some 3’s and Kansas’ PG didn’t go off on us.

 

[Delmar]

Didn’t respect their opponent. Didn’t mentally prepare for the game. Literally just showed up expecting to win. They admitted to it. If you don’t play hard and don’t respect the other team, it will get you beat.

Sounds like a football team we all know and love.

 

[VolBalls33]

Plus UT played Colorado in Nashville at Bridgestone. Maybe because that Auburn SEC Championship game is burned in my memory, but I don't think UT wins there often.

 

[GUNTERSVOL]

When James returns we have a solid 9 man rotation. Mashack has earned consistent minutes. Key needs to look for his offense more often and we should run more sets for Phillips. Defensively we are locked in. When Vescovi shoots well we can beat a lot of teams. When he isn’t shooting well, our half court offense shuts down. A 9 man rotation may allow us to run more if we rebound the way we did tonight and just wear teams down.

Plus we can work in Awaka and Edwards when game conditions require or allow it. With the defensive intensity we play with you have to have bodies to keep it going. Santi and 36 minutes last night and we need another guy to step up in late in clock situations so he can rest more. Maybe JJJ can cut down his minutes in that long range roll.

The other sort of positive odd fact from last night is we hit 12 of 27 three pointers and that included at least 4 desperation late in clock shots by Santi and I believe at least one each by Key and ZZ. So our in flow 3 pointers were excellent. Got to quit putting guys in those situations by completing the plays inside with stronger drives to the hole. Mayshack and Phillips can help there and Aidoo and Uros can go strong more than once each in the game with rebounds or passes to the low block. It is all out there for this talented and diverse group. I see progression by lots of these guys and we are still early in the season.

 

[TechnoVol]

Plus we can work in Awaka and Edwards when game conditions require or allow it.

Completely agree with this. Both of these guys need minutes to gain experience so they can develop.

 

[cardvolfan]

Tennessee now has 5 players averaging double figures in scoring. Bodes well for the season.

 

[cardvolfan]

Aidoo has 18 total rebounds the last 2 games. is only going to get better.

 

[Coddlecreek1]

Ran the same disfunctional offense last night as we did against Colorado with worse ball security (22 TO). Only difference was ZZZ and Vescovi hit some 3’s and Kansas’ PG didn’t go off on us.

And they play “killer D”, Kansas was a good defensive club. Maybe it will all “come together”…but right it’s dysfunctional

 

[kckempf]

Ran the same disfunctional offense last night as we did against Colorado with worse ball security (22 TO). Only difference was ZZZ and Vescovi hit some 3’s and Kansas’ PG didn’t go off on us.

That isn’t actually true. Against Colorado we had long stretches without movement and we ran almost no pick and roll offense so we never exploited their biggest defensive weakness, despite running it with devastating results against them last year. Against Kansas our turnovers were often a result of trying to feed the post out getting it to post players only to have them run into trouble. More ball movement opens up the offense but it also leads to more turnovers.

The other thing is that the perimeter shooting was in the flow of the offense and it was from open spaces further out. One of our problems all last year was that our perimeter offense was inside closer to the three point line, so teams could drive us off the line without a big defensive penalty. Now Véscovi is releasing from further out and hitting enough that defenders need to commit to defending it.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

The Phog board is absolutely hilarious. TN is a horrible team. The refs missed dozens of 3-second calls, over the backs, pushes, and traveling calls. We’re a bunch of dumb hillbillies and are a mediocre football school. They even mad that a TN fan posted on their board and called them UK. They are correct though. They are KU. UK is their Daddy.

 

[Lankykong]

The Phog board is absolutely hilarious. TN is a horrible team. The refs missed dozens of 3-second calls, over the backs, pushes, and traveling calls. We’re a bunch of dumb hillbillies and are a mediocre football school. They even mad that a TN fan posted on their board and called them UK. They are correct though. They are KU. UK is their Daddy.

There was a ton of pushing all game by both teams, I will give them that. I’m sure the refs missed millions of 3 second calls in the game considering it’s almost never called. They got one, that’s lucky enough

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

There was a ton of pushing all game by both teams, I will give them that. I’m sure the refs missed millions of 3 second calls in the game considering it’s almost never called. They got one, that’s lucky enough

They also whined that Santi travels every time he has the ball and EVERY screen set by TN was a moving screen. They are hilarious. They even complained that Barnes walks his center up court for his PG to scrub off his defender.