Here's the thing

#1
cotton

cotton

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 6, 2005
Messages
11,213
Likes
9
#1
Championship teams have two essential ingredients:

1) they play good half-court defense, and

2) they play good half-court offense.

This is the first game I have watched this year, but this team looks a lot like every Pearl team--they lack those ingredients. To go deep in a tournament, UT is going to have to play teams with guards good enough to break a press and who play good defense. Without significant improvement, we are not going to consistently beat teams who can do those things.

I like Bruce. He has brought excitement to the program, and he has stocked Tennessee with talent. But my first impression is that this team suffers from the same flaws that caused each of his others to bow out before the round of 16 was over.
 
#2
#2
The defense wasn't really that bad. I really think we win this game going away if we can do complete a simple pass while moving the ball up court or trying to inbound it. So many careless, craptastic, unforced TOs in this game. Ridiculous.
 
#3
#3
There are many positives to Pearl's style of play, but as you say there are many negatives too. I have no problem with Chism's shot. If it goes we are all happy and Weezy is a hero. He does more good than harm. Our team is way too undisciplined, but that is our style.
 
#5
#5
You force this team to run a patient half court offense and they can't do it consistently. This team is built to run, jump, and press. Slow them down and the lack of a pure shooter is obvious.
 
#6
#6
I don't see the point on half court defense. Our defense is lightyears better than last years. Hummel got about 20 but he'll do that to anyone. The SEC is loaded this year with their backcourts so we should be ready come tourney time. Now our half court offense is a different story.
 
#7
#7
our pick and roll defense is as pathetic as last year, especially with Hopson. Scotty doesn't look like he ever wants to play defense when he's missing shots on the other end. But I like the overall effort of our defense...Chism is proving to be such a huge defensive force in the paint.
 
#8
#8
Look CBP got a TN basketball team thats not Pats team....in other words, it not like Lane and football...Tn does not have a reat mens BBall tradition...for the love of basketball..we have the 4th best recruiting class comming, on top of a team that might win 25-30 games this yr, and once again make the NCAA's...wow people relax
 
#9
#9
Agree to some extent but you switch shooting guards with Purdue today and we win by 15 or so. Can't really blame that on half court offense or defense. Our PG play is so spotty I don't know if our half court offense is bad because of coaching or because of poor point guard play.
Scotty doesn't distribute the ball in the normal fashion of a guard so that also hurts your half court offense.

On defense neither of your starting guards are quick enough to keep up with and press opponents with quick guards - they just are not. When you have to bring in JP just to get someone in the vacinity of the opponents shooting guard you are going to have trouble with your half court defense. I think our 3, 4, and 5's can play both half court offense and defense against most anyone - (not JP as the 3 offensively.) We are weak right now at both guard spots. Hopefully that will improve.
 
#10
#10
Fullfillmer said:
Agree to some extent but you switch shooting guards with Purdue today and we win by 15 or so. Can't really blame that on half court offense or defense. Our PG play is so spotty I don't know if our half court offense is bad because of coaching or because of poor point guard play.
Scotty doesn't distribute the ball in the normal fashion of a guard so that also hurts your half court offense.

On defense neither of your starting guards are quick enough to keep up with and press opponents with quick guards - they just are not. When you have to bring in JP just to get someone in the vacinity of the opponents shooting guard you are going to have trouble with your half court defense. I think our 3, 4, and 5's can play both half court offense and defense against most anyone - (not JP as the 3 offensively.) We are weak right now at both guard spots. Hopefully that will improve.
Click to expand...
That makes no sense.
 
#11
#11
Bassmanbruno said:
The defense wasn't really that bad. I really think we win this game going away if we can do complete a simple pass while moving the ball up court or trying to inbound it. So many careless, craptastic, unforced TOs in this game. Ridiculous.
Click to expand...

Exactly, this is why that i'm so frustrated.
 
#12
#12
tnman_1000 said:
Look CBP got a TN basketball team thats not Pats team....in other words, it not like Lane and football...Tn does not have a reat mens BBall tradition...for the love of basketball..we have the 4th best recruiting class comming, on top of a team that might win 25-30 games this yr, and once again make the NCAA's...wow people relax
Click to expand...

I'm not excited, just stating a point.

To go far in any tournament, we are going to have to beat multiple good teams. That means teams with good guards and teams that play good half-court defenses themselves.

We lost to a very good Purdue team tonight on a neutral court, and there is no shame in that. The problem I see is that I didn't notice anyting that would lead me to believe we can beat multiple good teams in a row. We are athletic and undisciplined. Individually, we caust match-up problems with anybody we face. But to have success at tournament time, UT must do things that I did not see tonight.
 
#13
#13
Shaun1985 said:
I don't see the point on half court defense. Our defense is lightyears better than last years. Hummel got about 20 but he'll do that to anyone. The SEC is loaded this year with their backcourts so we should be ready come tourney time. Now our half court offense is a different story.
Click to expand...

Have we ever been ready come tourney time?
 
#14
#14
tnman_1000 said:
Look CBP got a TN basketball team thats not Pats team....in other words, it not like Lane and football...Tn does not have a reat mens BBall tradition...for the love of basketball..we have the 4th best recruiting class comming, on top of a team that might win 25-30 games this yr, and once again make the NCAA's...wow people relax
Click to expand...

I'm sorry but i've used all my patience up for that kind of stuff on the football team. I want the basketball team to win now.
 
#15
#15
cotton said:
The problem I see is that I didn't notice anyting that would lead me to believe we can beat multiple good teams in a row. We are athletic and undisciplined. Individually, we caust match-up problems with anybody we face. But to have success at tournament time, UT must do things that I did not see tonight.
Click to expand...

Couldn't have said it better.
 
#17
#17
Never but I'm giving Goins and Maze the benefit of the doubt of improving. I heard so much about Maze whining and complaining about how people didn't see the real maze last year so he better show us something this year. As for being worried? No but concern is something that does come to mind. When you look at Bruce Pearl teams, pg play has hurt us. I'm not blaming him for anything because he took Ramar Smith (highly rated PG) and that flopped,so he picks up this JUCO pg and I just don't see it. When you look at the SEC, they are stacked in the backcourt. Our #4 class consist of 2 SGs and a tremendous PF but a lack of a true PG. We need a good PG.
 
#18
#18
Shaun1985 said:
Never but I'm giving Goins and Maze the benefit of the doubt of improving. I heard so much about Maze whining and complaining about how people didn't see the real maze last year so he better show us something this year. As for being worried? No but concern is something that does come to mind. When you look at Bruce Pearl teams, pg play has hurt us. I'm not blaming him for anything because he took Ramar Smith (highly rated PG) and that flopped,so he picks up this JUCO pg and I just don't see it. When you look at the SEC, they are stacked in the backcourt. Our #4 class consist of 2 SGs and a tremendous PF but a lack of a true PG. We need a good PG.
Click to expand...

Golden is a true PG
Posted via VolNation Mobile
 
#21
#21
Shaun1985 said:
Never but I'm giving Goins and Maze the benefit of the doubt of improving. I heard so much about Maze whining and complaining about how people didn't see the real maze last year so he better show us something this year. As for being worried? No but concern is something that does come to mind. When you look at Bruce Pearl teams, pg play has hurt us. I'm not blaming him for anything because he took Ramar Smith (highly rated PG) and that flopped,so he picks up this JUCO pg and I just don't see it. When you look at the SEC, they are stacked in the backcourt. Our #4 class consist of 2 SGs and a tremendous PF but a lack of a true PG. We need a good PG.
Click to expand...

Man that thought sure is gettin' old.
 
#22
#22
The thing tonight was that Hopson disappeared. If this is the first game you have watched then you might have missed how well he has played and that he is our focal point on O. He was non existent tonight and we are not Championship quality unless he plays well.
 
#23
#23
NoSoupForU said:
Man that thought sure is gettin' old.
Click to expand...

But it's the truth. Golden is bettering his ball handling skills (still a weakness) to play the 1. He's played a 2 prior to that. If he can handle the ball better though, the kid is a great scorer.
 
#24
#24
#1ArencibiaFan said:
That makes no sense.
Click to expand...

Switch shooting guards and we have Moore who scores 22 and they have Hopson who scores 9 and we win by 11. It is just exchanging the points that the two players scored.
Moore is where we hope Scotty will be later in the season, we had no one who could cover him and he could get his shot off - off the dribble against anyone we had trying to cover him. Athletically, he was superior to anyone we had at the guard position. Offensively, he is currently a much better player than any of our guards.
 
New posts
You must log in or register to reply here.
Advertisement



Back
Top