BTO’s Missouri Postgame Report

[omghulkhands]

We dropped two spots in KenPom

 

[NighthawkVol]

He smoked Auburn in 2018, jus sayin

And Missouri in 2019.

 

[CAVPUT]

We dropped two spots in KenPom

You look like we did and it's deserved. Well deserved. Every team will have "off" nights, but that first half....thing...can't call it "effort" was just shameful. Really makes you question the competitive drive of some players on this team. We should still get a 2 seed unless this kind of play continues and a stretch collapse happens, but one thing I just know is coming....the #1 seed in our bracket will most certainly be Houston. I shudder at the thought.

 

[OrangeTsar]

That was fun. We thought Pruitt and JG were good back then

At times, they were. Pruitt wasn’t without skill and knowledge. His management and people skills weren’t up to running a team over the long haul, however

 

[Tennman]

The best thing about last nights game is a comment I heard after the game, made by one of the three discussing the game. I apologize , I can't recall their names, but they discussed the fact that Tennessee playe a C- game but still won. They then started running the table and saying, Would Kentucky, alabama, auburn, etc, have won that game performing at a C- scale. They all said no. Hats off to pulling it out Vols. Our guys were hacked and pushed all night, but a win on the road, is a win.

 

[Stoked]

Ngl I got that feeling when were down I think it was 27-22? (I might be wrong on that exact score) but you guys know what I'm talking about... the feeling that we were about to get upset. I have to give it to the coaches for making adjustments and the players fighting back and getting that ugly win! A loss there would have made it to where we really would have had to finish out 5-0 or 4-1 to still be a 2 seed imo. It would have not been good!

 

[HalfullVol]

We have to cut down on the turnovers, plain and simple. 15 turnovers led to 15 points for them. Not only are you robbing yourself of a shot attempt, you are giving them easy points for a team that was struggling to score for most of the night. The 3 point shooting left something to be desired, but we shot pretty well outside of that overall. That's why you need to not turn the ball over. That was the biggest issue tonight, and we didn't have as many assists as we normally do.

DKnecht has been found lacking against a physical, double team.

In this situation on numerous occassions last night, he didn't handle the ball well and showed poor court vision to get out of the pressure.

DK had almost 30% of his turnovers for the entire season to date just last night.

Barnes will have to address this concern as other teams will see this weakness and attempt to exploit it.

 

[posivol]

when a football game breaks out on the bb court.good adjustment by barnes playing jonas and awaka.turned the game in our favor.

 

[GBO18]

You look like we did and it's deserved. Well deserved. Every team will have "off" nights, but that first half....thing...can't call it "effort" was just shameful. Really makes you question the competitive drive of some players on this team. We should still get a 2 seed unless this kind of play continues and a stretch collapse happens, but one thing I just know is coming....the #1 seed in our bracket will most certainly be Houston. I shudder at the thought.

Are you a Debbie downer IRL? Your negative to positive post ratio has to be 1000000 to 1. It is quite impressive actually.

 

[MCScots4]

I saw the fouls way different and thought we were in good shape with the stripes tonight. Missouri had 7 in the 2nd half before we got our first.

But then there was a stretch where they were trying to even it back up because we were getting called for reach ins that probably should have been jump balls, and our guys were getting fouled going to the basket on what should have been 2-3 And1's and we didn't get the calls.

 

[CAVPUT]

The best thing about last nights game is a comment I heard after the game, made by one of the three discussing the game. I apologize , I can't recall their names, but they discussed the fact that Tennessee playe a C- game but still won. They then started running the table and saying, Would Kentucky, alabama, auburn, etc, have won that game performing at a C- scale. They all said no. Hats off to pulling it out Vols. Our guys were hacked and pushed all night, but a win on the road, is a win.

While that's true, if you're going for a final 4 appearance, you are very, very unlikely to draw under sized, finesse teams all the way to Phoenix. There will be games that get physical. Some of our players need to toughen up and respond in kind instead of turtling up. We've got some guy like ZZ, Awaka, Knecht and Mashack who will sack up in games like that, but others...I'm not so sure. Refs will change. Opponents will change. Some nights the shots won't fall. Great teams need to be able to adapt half by half and game by game to what's before them. How well this team does that will, in large part, determine how far they'll go in March. They come anywhere close to playing the way they did last night in the tournament and this team is toast. ToasT.

 

[b_gann]

1. Quite the tale of two halves, but it resulted in a W and that’s obviously waists most important, no matter how ugly it may be. Missouri clearly wanted to muddy the game up, be physical and see how we reacted, in the first half it felt like nobody except Awaka was ready for it. Made adjustments at the half and while the final score made it look closer than it was that was a solid 2nd half from Tennessee winning it 46-38.

2. Not sure if it was the quick turnaround, or playing on the road, or facing a win less team or all of the above, but that was a disappointing team that opened the game. That’s a bad Missouri team and they were in it simply due to effort and physicality, we compounded that with horrible shooting, including at the FT line, too many turnovers and bad rebounding as well. That’s a bad recipe and how you find yourself down on the road to a winless team, but again credit for the Vols for coming back and not suffering a horrible loss.

3. We’ve seen teams try and physical/muddy the game up and us struggle, so not a shock that Missouri did just that, I thought Barnes was slow on the adjustments but credit for going to them and sticking. JJJ was horrible this game and couldn’t handle the physicality, he was removed early in the second half in lieu of a 2 big lineup and playing Tobe Awaka who you can county on bringing the physicality, which he did just that. Aidoo also had a great second half after I’m guessing he was ripped at halftime, Knecht competed all night and after a bad first half Zeigler also responded well in the second half. Barnes has options on that bench, Mashack and Awaka are better suited for physical games than JJJ, that’s a luxury to have, but don’t hesitate to make the move, against a better team it could cost you.

4. Speaking of Awaka, what a great game from him, 22mins 18pts 10rbd 6-8fg 6-7ft, he was a major difference maker and I’m not sure we win that game without him, and he committed just 2 fouls allowing Barnes to play him 13/20 minutes in the second half. Certain games are going to suit him better, but again having him as your backup 5 and able to come in as a physical 4 is a nice luxury to have.

5. I don’t want to beat a dead horse, however we’ve seen this theme so much in tourney losses or big games to where we can’t hit a shot, Santi & JJJ disappear and you’re left wondering how well possibly score or will we be sent home. We’ve seen it a few times this year already and so that’s why we all get nervous watching it, but seeing the move to Awaka, seeing Knecht keep on pressing knowing his shots will eventually fall, Aidoo bringing his game that second half and Zeigler not backing down is a great sign. JJJ & Santi again pretty much no showed offensively, and nobody is going to feel confident that that won’t happen again, and maybe at the most important time, but again that’s where seeing Zeigler, Knecht, Aidoo & tonight Awaka is a little reason for optimism. When the going gets tough, which it has at times, they’re hopefully finding ways to get some buckets and get things going.

6. Big picture that was a game you sure didn’t want to drop, and they didn’t, so no harm done. Come home Saturday for a rematch with a struggling Texas A&M team and a chance to make it 4 games in a row as they enter the much talked about rough 4 game stretch to close out the season. A win Saturday and it really makes a 2 seed all that much more likely with an outside shot at still fighting for a 1 seed, would also build up some additional hype for the following game when Auburn comes to town the following week.



GBO!!!

Like you said, Awaka was huge in this one. He'll have to be able to stay on the court. He's our best answer to these teams that try to get physical with us. Love to see a quicker trigger on JJJ too. If we have to play two bigs, it is what it is. We don't have a ton of straight line drive guys that need space anyways.

 

[CAVPUT]

Are you a Debbie downer IRL? Your negative to positive post ratio has to be 1000000 to 1. It is quite impressive actually.

 

[CornbreadVol]

Another negative that I saw during the game is that Mashack has obviously lost ALL confidence with his shot. Earlier in the year he was shooting 3's, finishing at the rim, and getting to the foul line. Need him to be more aggressive on the offensive end

 

[Clad in Big Orange]

It’s going to be real easy to pull for anyone playing MO in hopes that they go winless in the conference.

 

[MackDaddyVol]

I don’t post much on the basketball board, and after reading this thread, I know why.
1. NOBODY (besides one poster) gave Mizzou a lick of credit. Those guys left it all on the court. Respect.
2. Part of me is looking forward to next season to find out who the new whipping boy will be with Santi and JJJ gone.
3. Without DK, Tennessee loses that game last night. Awaka and Aidoo got it done last night but neither of them are pure scorers like Knecht.
4. I guess Purdue sucks because they had the temerity to lose on the road to a team that just fired their coach. Which leaves…
5. Basketball happens. I’m old enough to remember getting assjacked by Kentucky 101-40. Those days are gone. Enjoy the season.

GO VOLS!

 

[CAVPUT]

It’s going to be real easy to pull for anyone playing MO in hopes that they go winless in the conference.

Honestly, I don't give them that much thought....well...any thought actually unless they're our next opponent. The SEC is full of great whites. Don't really care what a mullet is up to. Best keep our focus on those programs.

 

[CAVPUT]

I don’t post much on the basketball board, and after reading this thread, I know why.
1. NOBODY (besides one poster) gave Mizzou a lick of credit. Those guys left it all on the court. Respect.
2. Part of me is looking forward to next season to find out who the new whipping boy will be with Santi and JJJ gone.
3. Without DK, Tennessee loses that game last night. Awaka and Aidoo got it done last night but neither of them are pure scorers like Knecht.
4. I guess Purdue sucks because they had the temerity to lose on the road to a team that just fired their coach. Which leaves…
5. Basketball happens. I’m old enough to remember getting assjacked by Kentucky 101-40. Those days are gone. Enjoy the season.

GO VOLS!

 

[FeelVol]

I love seeing Aidoo and Awaka playing together when teams are trying to play physical with us.Put ZZ,DK and whoever else has the hot hand on the floor together.I realize that defensive matchups won’t always dictate this lineup but it sure was productive last night.

 

[ColinS]

The Pumpers on another thread have declared this a great win. I don't agree. We played well for a long stretch in the second half when we finally got the right lineup in there. That's the most important and best thing that happened. Our staff finally has the counter to the physical muck it up gameplan teams have been using against us. They have sampled it a few times but last night they let it eat. Awaka and Aidoo together were a hit.

 

[TheMookieMonster]

He made a few great putbacks to keep our momentum when DK was heating up. True group effort tonight. Don’t love how bad we started, but we’re likely gonna have to fight through some controversy at some point in march. Glad to see us bounce back and handle it well tonight.

Yep. I couldn’t watch, but it’s great to look at the box score and see this team fight through a stinker and win. Great teams know how to win when it’s not your night. And we did that. Which is all that matters.

Also I love seeing DK continue to stuff the stat sheet and become a well-rounded player. 10 rebounds last night was fantastic.

 

[hatingbamaisawayoflife]

take an ugly loss over pretty win any day.
that 4 possession stretch in second half where Knect had 3 buckets and an assist were HUGE and great game AWAKA

 

[TheMookieMonster]

We dropped two spots in KenPom

With how bad Mizzou is, feels like we were destined to drop just for the sake of that fact we played that game at all. We also dropped in AdjO after our incredible offensive performance against Vandy. Some teams are just so bad they hurt you no matter what.

 

[TheMookieMonster]

The Pumpers on another thread have declared this a great win. I don't agree. We played well for a long stretch in the second half when we finally got the right lineup in there. That's the most important and best thing that happened. Our staff finally has the counter to the physical muck it up gameplan teams have been using against us. They have sampled it a few times but last night they let it eat. Awaka and Aidoo together were a hit.

All road wins are great wins, especially this time of year. Style points don’t matter. Great teams know how to win ugly games. Very often we lose that exact type of game. This time we didn’t. We found a way. Right now, it’s late in the season. Winning is the only outcome that matters on the road.

 

[onevol74]

This is the kind of game that scares the h out of me in the tournament.