Alexander the key to long March run.

#26
#26
We beat Gonzaga and Kyle only had 2 points. 2!

Not a key player.

He isn’t a key player if all other starters are playing great games but that has not been the case lately. He isn’t the only one who is struggling offensively but his contributions to the team aren’t necessarily scoring. It’s being a force down low on defense and offensive rebounds. He is getting pushed around lately. That is the issue
 
#27
#27
They are a combined 8 -36 (22%) over the last 2 games. I'm not sure involvement is as much the issue as efficiency.
The guy that needs to be a little less involved is 11 - 30 (37%) over the last 2.

They need to be more efficient for this team to reach its peak without a doubt. Until that happens it's hard to argue why they need more attempts and Schofield needs to lose em.
Until that happens? I’m clearly looking at more than the last two games.
 
#28
#28
Alexander is the linchpin of Tennessee's defense with his rebounding and shot blocking abilities. Tennessee has 5 players that can score at least 20 points a game so any offense Alexander provides is a bonus.
 
#29
#29
He isn’t a key player if all other starters are playing great games but that has not been the case lately. He isn’t the only one who is struggling offensively but his contributions to the team aren’t necessarily scoring. It’s being a force down low on defense and offensive rebounds. He is getting pushed around lately. That is the issue
Sure. We need him to play defense and be aggressive on the boards. But I think it’s pretty clear what we can expect from him at this point late in his senior year... Seems odd that all of a sudden Kyle has become so central to our success when he hasn’t up to this point..
 
#30
#30
Until that happens? I’m clearly looking at more than the last two games.

Just felt ironic that your asking for more attempts given recent results.

Do agree they need to produce. The 22 a game you get from them makes a pretty good dent in that UK game.
It's ironic that had those 2 combined with Alexander got their averages we walk out of Rupp with a 2 point win.
 
#31
#31
Alexander is the linchpin of Tennessee's defense with his rebounding and shot blocking abilities. Tennessee has 5 players that can score at least 20 points a game so any offense Alexander provides is a bonus.

Yep. They need him to play well on that end. They can absorb his 8 points a game but asking Grant and Admiral to control the better bigs we ll see going forward and also score 35+ a game on the other end is not gonna end where you want it.
 
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#32
#32
Just felt ironic that your asking for more attempts given recent results.

Do agree they need to produce. The 22 a game you get from them makes a pretty good dent in that UK game.
It's ironic that had those 2 combined with Alexander got their averages we walk out of Rupp with a 2 point win.
In conference play Admirals efficiency has not been good. Yet he continues to force things. Admiral is 2nd in the league in % of teams shot attempts! Only TJ Starks takes more. That is not good... Especially when we have a player like Bowden who is 4th in the league in efficiency. And it jives w what you see on the court. The more Admiral forces it the less efficient he is and the fewer opportunities others have who have been more efficient. At this point he’s not impressing nba scouts. We need to get better looks for Bowden and Turner who have proven in the past they can benefit the team when they get the opportunity
 
#33
#33
He isn’t a key player if all other starters are playing great games but that has not been the case lately. He isn’t the only one who is struggling offensively but his contributions to the team aren’t necessarily scoring. It’s being a force down low on defense and offensive rebounds. He is getting pushed around lately. That is the issue
Yep.

His role for this team to be good isnt 15 and 10 or being a great option in the offense.

If you get his normal 8 and 6 and he holds his own defensively against the better 5s we ll see hes filled his role and been a key to winning.
 
#34
#34
not just KA, but there has been guys having trouble catching bounce passes in/near the paint the past few games and when they do catch them they get slapped away bringing the ball up -- with KA he seems to stand to far under the rim and cant get the missed bounce off of missed shots - mainly on the defensive end
 
#35
#35
Something is wrong with Alexander. Injury? Illness? Does anybody know? He just hasn't seemed the same the past couple of weeks. We need at least 8-10 boards from him every game. Any points he scores is just a bonus.
noticed his fingers were taped up during the Vandy game
 
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#36
#36
In conference play Admirals efficiency has not been good. Yet he continues to force things. Admiral is 2nd in the league in % of teams shot attempts! Only TJ Starks takes more. That is not good... Especially when we have a player like Bowden who is 4th in the league in efficiency. And it jives w what you see on the court. The more Admiral forces it the less efficient he is and the fewer opportunities others have who have been more efficient. At this point he’s not impressing nba scouts. We need to get better looks for Bowden and Turner who have proven in the past they can benefit the team when they get the opportunity
Be interesting to see what happens going forward. Less UK Saturday, we re fixing to run a stretch of very different teams in the conference than those we ve beat so far. They need to get off the 2- 11 and 1-7 type games.
 
#37
#37
Also not sure why Kyle’s defense is being picked on... we wasn’t even guarding PJ Washington. So if there’s any kind of key involving Kyle, maybe it’s to get Barnes to get him in more positions to contribute? Anyway all this hand wringing regarding Kyle seems kind of out of the blue and unnessary. We can all hope that he all of a sudden starts being more of a contributor but I think it is what it is at this point. Need him to just play hard on d.
 
#38
#38
Be interesting to see what happens going forward. Less UK Saturday, we re fixing to run a stretch of very different teams in the conference than those we ve beat so far. They need to get off the 2- 11 and 1-7 type games.
LSU will definitely be interesting given the size and talent of their front court.
 
#39
#39
I will say that when Grant gets double teamed... as soon as he sees it coming making a quick pass to Alexander could be effective. They need to work on that
 
#40
#40
LSU will definitely be interesting given the size and talent of their front court.
I saw someone mention it as a much win earlier. Dont really agree with that necessarily, but it's a must take a step back in the right direction game.
 
#41
#41
I will say that when Grant gets double teamed... as soon as he sees it coming making a quick pass to Alexander could be effective. They need to work on that
UK limiting him to 4 shot attempts has to come with consequences. It didnt on that nite, but it better going forward. I doubt that went unnoticed by the rest of the schedule.
 
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#42
#42
I saw someone mention it as a much win earlier. Dont really agree with that necessarily, but it's a must take a step back in the right direction game.
I don’t like the term ‘must win’. What does that mean? If we lose and then win the rest of our games we’ll likely win the SEC and still be a 1 seed. So obviously not really a ‘must win’. However I do think it’s the most important game we’ve played this year because of the implications in the SEC as well as a test to see how we respond especially against a likely high seed.
 
#43
#43
UK limiting him to 4 shot attempts has to come with consequences. It didnt on that nite, but it better going forward. I doubt that went unnoticed by the rest of the schedule.
They’ll quit doing it if we can beat it. But looked very indecisive when it happened, then got stuck w the ball.
 
#45
#45
Also not sure why Kyle’s defense is being picked on... we wasn’t even guarding PJ Washington. So if there’s any kind of key involving Kyle, maybe it’s to get Barnes to get him in more positions to contribute? Anyway all this hand wringing regarding Kyle seems kind of out of the blue and unnessary. We can all hope that he all of a sudden starts being more of a contributor but I think it is what it is at this point. Need him to just play hard on d.
The issue with Alexander is two-fold. First, he allows offensive players to get too near the basket. His positioning and physical ability to push them away is lacking. Secondly, once they are there, he does not physically challenge them to inhibit scoring. Too easy for opposing bigs.
 
#46
#46
The issue with Alexander is two-fold. First, he allows offensive players to get too near the basket. His positioning and physical ability to push them away is lacking. Secondly, once they are there, he does not physically challenge them to inhibit scoring. Too easy for opposing bigs.
He needs to be more physical, especially if the refs are allowing teams to play that way. Otherwise it puts us at a big disadvantage
 
#47
#47
He needs to be more physical, especially if the refs are allowing teams to play that way. Otherwise it puts us at a big disadvantage

I agree. I expect an absolute mauling in the paint when we play LSU. Really hope we adjust to the physical play this time.
 
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#48
#48
I agree. I expect an absolute mauling in the paint when we play LSU. Really hope we adjust to the physical play this time.
They’re good from the line. It would be just our luck that they start calling the game tight, get our bigs into foul trouble and hit a bajillion FTs
 
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#50
#50
From all of Barnes comments the last few weeks, he think that Alexander has to give us a lot more.
I think Barnes experience tells him that there are teams we will face that Alexander is the key because we just don’t have a better option at his position.
Let’s hope that Kyle can up his game. There have been stretches where he has done us. Go Vols! Beat LSU!
If Kyle has to be productive for us to make a deep run. He's too good to be putting up 4pts, 4rbds, and 4 fouls. He's talented enough to be close to a double double consistently. He's pretty much the only "length" we have, he has to be available and make a difference when he's on the floor.
 
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