✴️ #18/17 Tennessee vs Mercer Game Thread (SECN+ 7:00pm)

New faces, everyone forcing for playing time, facing a quick, handsy team… it was bound to get sloppy. Things will start to settle, eventually.
 
Need to rebound better and take better care of the ball, everything else will work itself out. The line-ups tonight were even odder at times than the exhibition game. Flow should be better once mass substitutions stop and the rotation shortens.
 
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Good debut for Ament, Kobi was pressing too much first time in TBA he’ll settle down.

JP second leading scorer, he might end up being the main C in mpg if Felix can’t be more under control.

Brown continues to impress, also really liked what Burg & Henderson were doing. Carey rebounds everything but will ride pine if he stays sloppy with the ball.
 
Somewhat disjointed - talented players for sure but most haven't played together as a unit and it shows. Way too many turnovers. Gave up 17 offensive rebounds...woof.

A lot to work on- no doubt CRB will wear them out. Looking for a lot of improvement in game #2.
 
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Really need to clean up the turnovers, because this team is not going to be the elite defensive team we’ve seen the past few years so we can’t afford to give free possessions. I’m not saying we’ll be bad defensively, just don’t see this team being Top 3 like usual.
Man, I feel like I'M usually the pessimist lol. I think we will get better and benefit from a relatively weak OCC schedule. If we are clicking when SEC comes around, I think we will do well. To your point, that's a big "IF"
 
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Three weeks to shore things up before playing major opponents. Obvious given the number of turnovers, but the team didn’t play with the level of discipline I’ve come to expect from Tennessee basketball under Barnes although that’s something they assuredly will be rectifying come an angry string of practices.
 
Three weeks to shore things up before playing major opponents. Obvious given the number of turnovers, but the team didn’t play with the level of discipline I’ve come to expect from Tennessee basketball under Barnes although that’s something they assuredly will be rectifying come an angry string of practices.
I imagine a few of them will see the inside of their esophagus…
 
Barnes did a good job with the schedule this year as it is going to take a bit of time to figure out a rotation. Hopefully we figure it out over these next 4 easy games because come 11/24th through 12/16 we are going to learn a ton about this squad.

Good things: for the most part we took good shots. 10 guys scored and we have an interior game which was non-existent the last couple of years.
Bad things: Turnovers across the board was horrible and almost everyone contributed. And we didn't create many turnovers off Mercer as they only had 5 for entire game. That is # 1 priority to fix. Effort defensively needs to improve as Mercer was able to drive and get to the foul line. They had 21 FT attempts and we only had 15 despite having a size advantage.
 
Man, I feel like I'M usually the pessimist lol. I think we will get better and benefit from a relatively weak OCC schedule. If we are clicking when SEC comes around, I think we will do well. To your point, that's a big "IF"

I don’t think it’s pessimistic to think this team is built differently than previous Barnes teams. I think we can be a good defense. But we lost some of the best defenders in Tennessee history in ZZ and JM, which led some of the best defenses we may ever see. You could sustain yourself in the game with turnovers because of those elite defenders.

Maybe someone develops into that, but this team seems to be built more to score and play with pace, so turnovers need to be curbed. Just my thoughts.
 
This brand of bball will be completely different. They are not built to play defense like we have in the past. I know Barnes willl press them and we will get better on that end but the turnovers are an issue. I hope we clean that up a lot because as we seen with Duke, they will cost us. All in all first game and is a win. Get to work for the weekend! Go Vols!
 
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Excited by what I saw. Yeah.....could have won by 30 but happy.

When Ament finds his feet.....look out! Gonna have a massive year the more trust he gets in himself.

Loved the paint points! Do or die from the 3 has been our nemesis.

Could be a realllllllly good year!

GBO!
 
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