Anyone?

#1
orange+white=heaven

orange+white=heaven

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#1
I clearly have no clue what to expect from this year's edition of Volunteer basketball.
I knew this would be an oddball season with so many freshmen on the floor, but zero for six on the SEC road was not something I was allowing for. If anyone thinks they know what to expect from here on in, I'd be interested in reading the insight.

As for me, I'm now just going to sit quietly on the side and let this all play out. No forecasts of tournament win skeins.... No more plaudits for the freshmen... No more 'Bruce will have them ready'... None of that.

The best thing about a freshman is that he becomes a sophomore. This will be a fine team next year. Next year. This year, well, whatever...

I'll be watching, and hoping, but I'm swapping the Koolaid for coldbeer.
 
#2
#2
Yeah I am starting to debate if I won't to go to the SEC tournament or not! I would of been pi$$ed if I would of made the trip Sat! Worst game of the Pearl era. But I still love em and will probably go ahead and lay the money down for the SEC.
 
#3
#3
orange+white=heaven said:
I clearly have no clue what to expect from this year's edition of Volunteer basketball.
I knew this would be an oddball season with so many freshmen on the floor, but zero for six on the SEC road was not something I was allowing for. If anyone thinks they know what to expect from here on in, I'd be interested in reading the insight.

As for me, I'm now just going to sit quietly on the side and let this all play out. No forecasts of tournament win skeins.... No more plaudits for the freshmen... No more 'Bruce will have them ready'... None of that.

The best thing about a freshman is that he becomes a sophomore. This will be a fine team next year. Next year. This year, well, whatever...

I'll be watching, and hoping, but I'm swapping the Koolaid for coldbeer.
Click to expand...

It has been very interesting to watch the UT freshman explode onto the scene. I think the team has matured, and I am no expert, but good coaches still know how to rattle freshmen. I have seen it with UK's guards this year as well. As soon as you think they have turned the corner other teams adjust to what they have seen on film.

Once they are comfortably developed, adjustments don't come as easily. I think you have the right idea OWH. Just enjoy the bright spots, and think about what this team can do next year...if they add someone like Patrick Patterson to the roster. I think even this year we are in the midst of a remarkable transformation in the history of UT basketball. We actually EXPECT to beat Florida and UK at home every year now. That is progress.
 
#4
#4
I think alot of fans were spoiled by last years performance. In all reality with the lack of a dominate big man inside, suspect free throw shooting and having to have so many freshman play starring roles, we are about where I thought we would be. A couple of wins on the road would have been nice but really should we have expected a whole lot more from such an undersized and young team. I think BP has us going in the right direction and probably at a better pace than we really should be.
 
#5
#5
JOEY'S ALL VOL !!! said:
I think alot of fans were spoiled by last years performance. In all reality with the lack of a dominate big man inside, suspect free throw shooting and having to have so many freshman play starring roles, we are about where I thought we would be. A couple of wins on the road would have been nice but really should we have expected a whole lot more from such an undersized and young team. I think BP has us going in the right direction and probably at a better pace than we really should be.
Click to expand...

Agreed, and to expect to beat Florida in our last game seems unrealistic at this point to me...
 
#6
#6
VOLinthaATL said:
Agreed, and to expect to beat Florida in our last game seems unrealistic at this point to me...
Click to expand...
You see thats the difference from the past! Pearls teams have a chance any time they take the court, no matter the opponent!
 
#7
#7
orange+white=heaven said:
I clearly have no clue what to expect from this year's edition of Volunteer basketball.
I knew this would be an oddball season with so many freshmen on the floor, but zero for six on the SEC road was not something I was allowing for. If anyone thinks they know what to expect from here on in, I'd be interested in reading the insight.

As for me, I'm now just going to sit quietly on the side and let this all play out. No forecasts of tournament win skeins.... No more plaudits for the freshmen... No more 'Bruce will have them ready'... None of that.

The best thing about a freshman is that he becomes a sophomore. This will be a fine team next year. Next year. This year, well, whatever...

I'll be watching, and hoping, but I'm swapping the Koolaid for coldbeer.
Click to expand...
I'm right there with you owh. go Vols.
 
#8
#8
Lexvol said:
I think even this year we are in the midst of a remarkable transformation in the history of UT basketball. We actually EXPECT to beat Florida and UK at home every year now. That is progress.
Click to expand...


JOEY'S ALL VOL !!! said:
II think BP has us going in the right direction and probably at a better pace than we really should be.
Click to expand...

Of course I agree here. I'm loving that we are in a place where I care so much. Problem is, when you really find that it matters to you, the disappointments cut that much deeper...


crimedawg12 said:
You see thats the difference from the past! Pearls teams have a chance any time they take the court, no matter the opponent!
Click to expand...

Crimedawg! Whipping out the optimism on me!
Careful dude, that glass might start to look half full...
 
#14
#14
orange+white=heaven said:
I clearly have no clue what to expect from this year's edition of Volunteer basketball.
I knew this would be an oddball season with so many freshmen on the floor, but zero for six on the SEC road was not something I was allowing for. If anyone thinks they know what to expect from here on in, I'd be interested in reading the insight.

As for me, I'm now just going to sit quietly on the side and let this all play out. No forecasts of tournament win skeins.... No more plaudits for the freshmen... No more 'Bruce will have them ready'... None of that.

The best thing about a freshman is that he becomes a sophomore. This will be a fine team next year. Next year. This year, well, whatever...

I'll be watching, and hoping, but I'm swapping the Koolaid for coldbeer.
Click to expand...

I agree with you 100% O+W. they are not freshman anymore. However the road has proven to be brutal for the entire league this year. Florida is the only team with a winning record at this point on the road and Kentucky is 500. I do believe this team has an identity problem on the road. Maybe the tournament will be a reason for them to see the BIG picture.
 
#17
#17
VOLinthaATL said:
Tru, however, with Brewer guarding Lofton (I assume he will) we will need some other players to step up big time to have a chance...
Click to expand...
....and we'll need them to get in foul trouble and shoot poorly. We're really not asking for much.
 
#18
#18
I think the explanation for where we are is really simple. Smith, Tabb, Crews and Chism are really good freshmen. However, they're not Webber, Rose, Howard, and King. You're not going to consistently go on the road and win in the SEC with freshmen. Ole Miss is probably the best story in the league right now. Guess what? They've got a bunch of guys who have been through the wars before. This team is almost exactly where I thought they'd be when we had our preseason discussions. I'm not in the least bit discouraged.
 
#19
#19
JOEY'S ALL VOL !!! said:
I think alot of fans were spoiled by last years performance. In all reality with the lack of a dominate big man inside, suspect free throw shooting and having to have so many freshman play starring roles, we are about where I thought we would be. A couple of wins on the road would have been nice but really should we have expected a whole lot more from such an undersized and young team. I think BP has us going in the right direction and probably at a better pace than we really should be.
Click to expand...

same here. i thought we'd get to 18 or 19 wins and need to play well in the conference tourney to get in. we still have a shot at 20, but after the last game who knows. we replaced a lot of seniors with freshmen, thats never good. still i thought we'd struggle with the non-con games and play strong in conference, but road games are tough for everybody in the sec this year. i think we make to the ncaa's but we dont make it out of the first weekend. we could win round 1 depending on the matchup, but i think we'll play a 1 or 2 seed in the 2nd round and be outmatched regardless.

to sum up, at the end of last season knowing what we were going to lose i thought things would get worse before they got better. that seems to be the case although not much worse. we wont win our division, but we'll likely have similar results in the con. and ncaa tourneys. it took calipari 5 years to build up talent in a basketball talent rich city(memphis), so it'll take bruce some time to get it there in knoxville, but i am patient. because when this year's freshmen are seniors we could be unbelievable good.
 
#20
#20
hatvol96 said:
I think the explanation for where we are is really simple. Smith, Tabb, Crews and Chism are really good freshmen. However, they're not Webber, Rose, Howard, and King. You're not going to consistently go on the road and win in the SEC with freshmen. Ole Miss is probably the best story in the league right now. Guess what? They've got a bunch of guys who have been through the wars before. This team is almost exactly where I thought they'd be when we had our preseason discussions. I'm not in the least bit discouraged.
Click to expand...

A reasonable position always looks so good, and so reassuring, when stated well....

I'd have to say though, that I am just the least bit discouraged that the pre-conference glow didn't carry a little more wattage into January/February. No, I did not expect eye popping successes. Just maybe a fraction more road toughness than wound up being the case...
 
#21
#21
orange+white=heaven said:
A reasonable position always looks so good, and so reassuring, when stated well....

I'd have to say though, that I am just the least bit discouraged that the pre-conference glow didn't carry a little more wattage into January/February. No, I did not expect eye popping successes. Just maybe a fraction more road toughness than wound up being the case...
Click to expand...
Negavol
 
#23
#23
Our style of play does not in any way lend itself to consistency or road wins. Our defense has been suspect from the get go and that's the one thing that very good teams and road winners can rely on night in and night out. We cannot and do not, hence we're a raft riding the ocean waves. It would help if we could hit the water from that raft in games like that we just witnessed.
 
#24
#24
The biggest thing for me is that now I'm surprised when the team loses. In past years I expected them to lose. Now it feels like someone kicks me in the goods when they lose. Is too much to ask for them to win every game and win the n.c.?
 
#25
#25
hatvol96 said:
I think the explanation for where we are is really simple. Smith, Tabb, Crews and Chism are really good freshmen. However, they're not Webber, Rose, Howard, and King. You're not going to consistently go on the road and win in the SEC with freshmen. Ole Miss is probably the best story in the league right now. Guess what? They've got a bunch of guys who have been through the wars before. This team is almost exactly where I thought they'd be when we had our preseason discussions. I'm not in the least bit discouraged.
Click to expand...

I agree with you Hat. Its been tough for everyone on the road this year in the SEC. I think I read a stat that said the road teams are 18-48 in the SEC this season.
 
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