12-6 with 13 games to play.......

[sechamp2012]

Liberty, Duquesne, Harvard and ETSU are close to being top 25 teams!
GBO!!

ETSU beat LSU by 9 @ LSU more than any of their 4 loses. VCU beat LSU a team VOLS beat @ neutral

 

[PEPPERJAX]

I know it won't be a popular idea but long term an NIT appearance would help this team more. Best case we make second round in the dance. We could certainly advance deep into NIT and get guys some game experience and extra practices. Getting excited about the dance is silly if you're likely to be one and done. I know its bragging rights but the real benefits of more games and more practices on a young team long term outweigh that in my mind.

The big dance is always a better option compared to the NIT. If a team gets hot, they could make a deep run.

 

[cncchris33]

That's a matter of opinion but more practices and more games is more practices and more games you wouldn't have had. Id agree totally with your point if going to the dance was likely to be more than a one and done situation or if this was a more veteran team. The competition in the NIT is not the same as the big dance no. but it's not a bunch of scrubs these are teams with decent records that missed the bubble most of them are better than the teams that end up with 14-16 seeds in the big dance. I think the idea of playing in the NIT is overly stigmatized. Its like playing in a low tier bowl is better than no bowl but some fans on here would support turning down an NIT invite and that's insane. its exposure and experience for these kids.

That sounds like a different argument, though. Playing in the NIT vs not playing anywhere, well...obviously, give me the NIT. Same thing with a bowl game. I’ll take the Boise Potato Bowl over no bowl, at all.

My point is that there isn’t a huge difference in playing 33-34 games by losing in the first weekend on the NCAAT, and playing in the NIT and maybe getting a possibility of 37 total games, and a handful of additional practices. And the minimal trade off certainly isn’t worth breaking the streak of NCAAT appearances and the recruiting and program perception advantages an NCAAT appearance brings with it.

 

[TrumpedUpVol]

That sounds like a different argument, though. Playing in the NIT vs not playing anywhere, well...obviously, give me the NIT. Same thing with a bowl game. I’ll take the Boise Potato Bowl over no bowl, at all.

My point is that there isn’t a huge difference in playing 33-34 games by losing in the first weekend on the NCAAT, and playing in the NIT and maybe getting a possibility of 37 total games, and a handful of additional practices. And the minimal trade off certainly isn’t worth breaking the streak of NCAAT appearances and the recruiting and program perception advantages an NCAAT appearance brings with it.

Totally agreed. I always struggle with the answer to the question of whether there are any programs out there for whom a NIT title is truly better than a First Four/Round of 64 bounce in the NCAA tournament but, rest assured, Tennessee is not one of those programs.

 

[IPleadInsanity]

The dance is always better because of the money (coaching bonus) but this current team, the way they are playing now, would be better suited for the NIT. That could change if a star emerges or they manage to upset UK, AU or UF.

 

[TheMookieMonster]

That's a matter of opinion but more practices and more games is more practices and more games you wouldn't have had. Id agree totally with your point if going to the dance was likely to be more than a one and done situation or if this was a more veteran team. The competition in the NIT is not the same as the big dance no. but it's not a bunch of scrubs these are teams with decent records that missed the bubble most of them are better than the teams that end up with 14-16 seeds in the big dance. I think the idea of playing in the NIT is overly stigmatized. Its like playing in a low tier bowl is better than no bowl but some fans on here would support turning down an NIT invite and that's insane. its exposure and experience for these kids.

The experience of playing in the NIT is not the same as the NCAAT. You can refer to them as single elimination games, but it's still the NIT, a tournament that very few people pay attention to. Even just a single game in the NCAAT would be a huge boon to this team next year.

It is invaluable to bring our, mostly freshmen, roster to the NCAAT and have them play under that high pressure and spotlight. If we don't make the NCAAT this year, and the expectation is a Final Four next season, you'll be hard-pressed to get there with Pons and Fulkerson being the (likely) only two major contributors on the 2020-2021 roster with that kind of experience. Getting Vescovi, James, ORN, Gaines, and Plavsic that type of experience is critical, even if it's just one game. You can't simulate an NCAAT game.

 

[cobbwebb0710]

That sounds like a different argument, though. Playing in the NIT vs not playing anywhere, well...obviously, give me the NIT. Same thing with a bowl game. I’ll take the Boise Potato Bowl over no bowl, at all.

My point is that there isn’t a huge difference in playing 33-34 games by losing in the first weekend on the NCAAT, and playing in the NIT and maybe getting a possibility of 37 total games, and a handful of additional practices. And the minimal trade off certainly isn’t worth breaking the streak of NCAAT appearances and the recruiting and program perception advantages an NCAAT appearance brings with it.

I agree, a tourney streak is always a selling point to recruits, I would think. I would put more into a coach selling me on a multi year streak in the big dance, opposed to an appearance here and there, with an NIT run sprinkled in.
GBO!!

 

[wmcovol]

The team is improving. Reducing the # of 3s have helped. Cutting down the turnovers will also.

JJJ is beginning to show why he was so highly rated.