A few thoughts from BTO

#101
#101
bleedingTNorange said:
Again, there’s 5-6 from B10 and another 5-6 from B12 that are ahead of us currently, they aren’t all getting through unscathed, especially since they’ll be playing each other. You’ve also got Florida and Vanderbilt ahead of us, even got Vandy twice on the schedule to close out the year. I think if we go 7-2 were right in the 2/3 seed conversation, I would be stunned if we were 4.
Click to expand...
I had a nice, long reply typed out and accidentally closed the browser 🤦‍♂️

Basically, it said I think 2 seed is off the table with 2 more losses. 3 seed is possible because, as you said, conference cannibalization. The "who to pull for" threads will be interesting for sure.

We have ~5 more Q1 games remaining (depending on whether Missouri can keep themselves in the top 75 and Mississippi St perhaps vaulting into the top 75). If we're truly considered in the 5 seed range right now and we're battling a pretty deep field this year at the top, we need to make a statement. If we drop 2 of those games (let's say it's at Kentucky and at Vandy), that leaves our best remaining statement win as a home win over Vandy. In the same way Big 12/Big 10 teams could beat each other up, they're also given more opportunities for statement wins (like what we had in the SEC the past couple seasons). I don't know, I guess I'll retract a bit and say 8-1 gets us a 3 seed. 7-2 puts us in the conversation.
 
  • Like
Reactions: NighthawkVol
#103
#103
Willy14 said:
Looking at the rest of the 9 games of our schedule, we have the bottom 4 teams in the SEC (@Miss State, LSU, @SC, OU) and then we should defend home court (Vandy, Alabama) which leaves us with our 3 tougher road games (@UK, @Missouri, @Vandy).

Looking at the schedule if we can take advantage of the easier schedule and go 7-2 in this stretch, and finish 13-5 that should get us close to the 3 seed line which I think is a great goal considering it seems the top 10 teams in the nation aren’t losing right now unless they are playing each other.

We do need some help though and need teams that we are fighting for seeding for like Virginia, BYU, and Texas Tech to start dropping some games.
Click to expand...
Man if this team ends up at a 3 after what I was thinking less than 3 weeks ago, that's amazing.
 
  • Like
Reactions: NighthawkVol, berryvol, chuckiepoo and 4 others
#104
#104
My guess would be that we will have 3 more losses, counting SEC tourney.
That could possibly earn a 3 seed, and no less than 4 seed.

If we can somehow come up with only 1 more conference loss and 1 tourney loss, a 2 seed could be had, depending on other teams records.
 
#106
#106
wtmvol said:
It's huge. Really wish we had closed out Kansas, and Syracuse too, for that matter.
Click to expand...
That second half against Kansas was a jolt to this team's confidence that lasted for over a month. We looked like a top 5 team in the first half against them. Thank goodness for the marathon of a basketball season. We might end up being better as a result of those growing pains
 
  • Like
Reactions: sami, Woodlawn VOL, berryvol and 5 others
#107
#107
One thing Phillps brings to the game is effort. He plays 100% all the time. Runs the court. Battles for loose balls. Blocks shots. Rebounds. Inspiration is one of the ingredients of a good team. He adds that and at times we seem to lack it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: volfan__18 and walkenvol
#108
#108
Volnanza said:
One thing Phillps brings to the game is effort. He plays 100% all the time. Runs the court. Battles for loose balls. Blocks shots. Rebounds. Inspiration is one of the ingredients of a good team. He adds that and at times we seem to lack it.
Click to expand...

I wish he’d up his FT%. Maybe he will next year after giving his shoulder nearly a year to heal.
 
  • Like
Reactions: volfan__18, VOLINVONORE, chuckiepoo and 1 other person
#111
#111
I'm less concerned about getting a 3 seed than I am about avoiding Michigan, Arizona, and Florida. Those 3 would be monsters for Tennessee to overcome in the NCAAT. Arizona and Michigan are on a level above everyone else. And Florida is a) a terrible matchup for Tennessee, and b) getting better every game...like last year, they're just built for the tournament. They'll be a top 3 team in the country by March, even if they're not seeded that way.

If we end up with a 4 seed, but avoid those 3 teams, I like our chances much better than if we got a 3 seed in the same bracket as one of those.
 
#113
#113
wtmvol said:
And just like that, Michigan State, Gonzaga, and BYU all lose games they were pretty heavily favored in. Not a bad night!
Click to expand...
Was just coming here to say this…like I was saying all day yesterday, we aren’t gonna make it through another month without B10 & B12 schools slipping up some. Yes they will have a bunch at the top, but they aren’t getting 10-12 of the top 16 seeds.
 
#114
#114
NighthawkVol said:
I'm less concerned about getting a 3 seed than I am about avoiding Michigan, Arizona, and Florida. Those 3 would be monsters for Tennessee to overcome in the NCAAT. Arizona and Michigan are on a level above everyone else. And Florida is a) a terrible matchup for Tennessee, and b) getting better every game...like last year, they're just built for the tournament. They'll be a top 3 team in the country by March, even if they're not seeded that way.

If we end up with a 4 seed, but avoid those 3 teams, I like our chances much better than if we got a 3 seed in the same bracket as one of those.
Click to expand...
Like most years idc who the 1 is, if we play them it’s E8 game going to a F4, not likely easy whoever you play, also the chances of both teams making it to that game are small. As for Florida, it’s likely they’ll have to separate us depending on where both finish in the SEC.
 
#116
#116
NighthawkVol said:
I would take this bracket right now.
Click to expand...
I would, too, for selfish reasons. I know two kids who play for Liberty (Tennessee's potential 2nd rd opponent). Getting to see them play against Tennessee would be pretty awesome. Although, for Tennessee's sake, I'd prefer to see them get Purdue's slot at 3 as opposed to their current projection of a 4.
 
  • Like
Reactions: chuckiepoo
#117
#117
cncchris33 said:
I would, too, for selfish reasons. I know two kids who play for Liberty (Tennessee's potential 2nd rd opponent). Getting to see them play against Tennessee would be pretty awesome. Although, for Tennessee's sake, I'd prefer to see them get Purdue's slot at 3 as opposed to their current projection of a 4.
Click to expand...
Do you know Decker?
 
#118
#118
bleedingTNorange said:
Do you know Decker?
Click to expand...
No, not personally. I know of him, though. He is Liberty's leading scorer and can absolutely fill it up from 3. He'd remind Tennessee people a lot of Ja'Kobi Gillespie if JG played exclusively at SG. He played at Central Hardin which is on the other end of the state from me, about an hour south of Louisville, near E-Town.

He's someone I'd like to see Tennessee unofficially "get in contact with", though I'd suppose Louisville would also likely get involved if he entered the portal.

I know Liberty's starting PG, Colin Porter, who is a senior, and a freshman guard named Zander Carter who likely starts for them next season after Porter, Harper, and Metheny graduate. They were high school teammates.
 
#119
#119
cncchris33 said:
No, not personally. I know of him, though. He is Liberty's leading scorer and can absolutely fill it up from 3. He'd remind Tennessee people a lot of Ja'Kobi Gillespie if JG played exclusively at SG. He played at Central Hardin which is on the other end of the state from me, about an hour south of Louisville, near E-Town.

He's someone I'd like to see Tennessee unofficially "get in contact with", though I'd suppose Louisville would also likely get involved if he entered the portal.

I know Liberty's starting PG, Colin Porter, who is a senior, and a freshman guard named Zander Carter who likely starts for them next season after Porter, Harper, and Metheny graduate. They were high school teammates.
Click to expand...
Gotcha…yea Decker is a guy that I’ve kept in mind, not anything I’ve heard, just a guy that would make a bunch of sense for Tennessee next season. As you said I’m sure Louisville & Kentucky both probably would be more attractive to him, but maybe they don’t prioritize him, who knows.
 
#120
#120
bleedingTNorange said:
Gotcha…yea Decker is a guy that I’ve kept in mind, not anything I’ve heard, just a guy that would make a bunch of sense for Tennessee next season. As you said I’m sure Louisville & Kentucky both probably would be more attractive to him, but maybe they don’t prioritize him, who knows.
Click to expand...
UK might seem less attractive with what they have returning at guard. Jaland Lowe, Collin Chandler, Jasper Johnson, Kam Williams, and Trent Noah all have eligibility left. Williams and Noah could both be viewed as SFs, I guess. UK also has zero commitments from 2026 high school kids, so that may be a selling point.

Louisville, on the other hand, loses their top 3 scorers, all guards, in Ryan Conwell, Isaac McKneely, and Mikel Brown Jr.
 
  • Like
Reactions: chuckiepoo
#121
#121
cncchris33 said:
UK might seem less attractive with what they have returning at guard. Jaland Lowe, Collin Chandler, Jasper Johnson, Kam Williams, and Trent Noah all have eligibility left. Williams and Noah could both be viewed as SFs, I guess. UK also has zero commitments from 2026 high school kids, so that may be a selling point.

Louisville, on the other hand, loses their top 3 scorers, all guards, in Ryan Conwell, Isaac McKneely, and Mikel Brown Jr.
Click to expand...
I agree. I think this would put us in a better situation. Would you want to step into a school that is established for taking portal guys and evaluating them for fit (Tennessee). Versus a school possibly in a rebuild mode choice. (Louisville) Then come the real question which coach of the three can get you onboard the quickest.
 
  • Like
Reactions: cncchris33 and chuckiepoo
#122
#122
bleedingTNorange said:
Like most years idc who the 1 is, if we play them it’s E8 game going to a F4, not likely easy whoever you play, also the chances of both teams making it to that game are small. As for Florida, it’s likely they’ll have to separate us depending on where both finish in the SEC.
Click to expand...
You don't think there's a difference between Michigan/Arizona and the other 1 seeds? I'd definitely prefer Duke over either one of those teams. Same for UConn.
 
  • Like
Reactions: chuckiepoo
#123
#123
What's the obsession with avoiding great teams after getting to a potential Sweet 16? We are not getting to our first Final Four without beating at least one great team. This is the NIL/portal era. Teams like that are not getting bounced in the second round. You get better and be great yourself so you can beat a team like Michigan or forget it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: MinisterofDef#92
#124
#124
NighthawkVol said:
You don't think there's a difference between Michigan/Arizona and the other 1 seeds? I'd definitely prefer Duke over either one of those teams. Same for UConn.
Click to expand...
I’m not saying there’s not a difference in them, I just am not really sweating that…much rather be a higher seed and get a better early round draws than take a lower seed and tougher draw but land the 1 seed I think is maybe a better draw.
 
  • Like
Reactions: NighthawkVol
#125
#125
ColinS said:
What's the obsession with avoiding great teams after getting to a potential Sweet 16? We are not getting to our first Final Four without beating at least one great team. This is the NIL/portal era. Teams like that are not getting bounced in the second round. You get better and be great yourself so you can beat a team like Michigan or forget it.
Click to expand...

You’re going to have to play great teams the Second Weekend, yes. There is just a fairly large gap in the Top 4-5 teams and the next crop in the 2-3 seed range. Avoiding them as long as possible is always preferred. Would much rather be a 3 and face Houston, Nebraska, or Gonzaga, than a 4/5 and face Arizona in the Sweet 16.
 
New Posts
You must log in or register to reply here.

Advertisement



Back
Top