Honest assessment of UT B-ball

#26
#26
Unless this team comes up with a true point guard to replace not relieve Golden I dont look for much better play. Golden can't go left, plays no defense, and can't shoot on a consistent basis. Hubbs will help and hopefully they'll find someone who can get the ball inside to Stokes but he has to be able to finish also. He should average 20 per night but he's gotta hit layups and free throws. If he can do that it will only improve McRae and everyone else's game.
 
#28
#28
atlantavol62 said:
Many of you are missing the point (not a shock). Yes, we didn't have Maymon, but can anyone honestly claim this was a good year???
Click to expand...

You're kind of contradicting yourself. No we didn't have our best player, but yes we have the same expectations regardless.

I think if you told people Maymon was out for the year most would've hoped for a 20 win season and bubble team...that's essentially what we got.

I don't think it was a stellar or over achieving job, but I do think it was an adequate job for the situation.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 people
#29
#29
Agree, Chris4Vols22. I don't think we sucked. We were mediocre far too often. Some may think that's too strong a word - at best we were average over the course of the season.
 
#31
#31
atlantavol62 said:
Agree, Chris4Vols22. I don't think we sucked. We were mediocre far too often. Some may think that's too strong a word - at best we were average over the course of the season.
Click to expand...

An average team wouldn't find itself on the bubble as an at-large. UT was above average and arguably the first team left out of the NCAA tourney. Nov and Dec they underachieved. They got things together by the start of Feb and went on a run. They were one more win away from making the tourney.
 
#33
#33
Chris4Vols22 said:
We earned 20 wins without our best player. We beat Wichita State, UF, UK, Mizzou, and won a 4OT game on the road. Our chances of making the tournament on Sunday were about 50/50. We didn't make it, tough luck.

Honest assessment is that we won more games than last year and lost less. We improved despite not having our most productive and efficient player. We were playing like sh!t in the middle of the season, and it would be very alarming had we not shown some fire and resilience.

Bottom line is that you have to judge for yourself. If not firing Martin before next season breaks your boner, you are being pretty unreasonable. To say that is going to take us to the top is also unreasonable at this point. What's not unreasonable is seeing the pool of talent coming back for next season, the return of Maymon, Hubbs/Davis/Landry/possiblyThompson, and expect some more improvement. Like all the reasonable posters have said for months and months and months, if we struggle next season and miss the tourney, Martin will most likely be gone, but it's much more likely that we will be a very good team all season, and we won't be anywhere near the bubble.

Again, the choice is yours.
Click to expand...


And if we are one and done due to a slight in seeding and an unfavorable matchup and the Coaches and players feel they were wronged; again? Huh?
 
#35
#35
I don't think you should put much stock into last night when looking at this season or what the teams did. It's the NIT. I know it's still a regular game but c'mon.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
#36
#36
So last night's game isn't anything to worry about ? What about the effort against Bama in the SEC tournament ? Nothing to worry about...right. What did anybody see over the last two games that gives you hope for next year ? Do these games not count when evaluating this team's performance ? What about CCM's record the last two years for the SEC and NIT tournament's ? We didn't fail on the road last night we sucked at home. Let's not over evaluate next years talent until we see them on our court playing for UT.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
#37
#37
The saying goes: Close only counts in horse shoes and hand grenades. But in all honesty, we were as close as you could possibly be to making the tourney. You take any one of our loses (does not matter which one) and turn that into a win, then we are comfortably in. I don't think you can say that to too many other bubble team. Again, we had a hell of a ride down the stretch. We've got some definite glaring problems. There is no secret about that. CCM is a stubborn coach early in his carreer. There will be growing pains for him also. He's definitely got one more year here, so the only thing that all true fans should do is get behind next years team and we will see where the chips fall.
 
#39
#39
MrVol said:
Year 1: Martin exceeded expectations.

Year 2: Martin did not meet expectations.

Year 3: NCAA or fired.
Click to expand...


Plain and simple assessment... I agree except it depends on the financial situation of the AD before 'fired' is a guarantee...
 
#41
#41
Shaun1985 said:
I don't think you should put much stock into last night when looking at this season or what the teams did. It's the NIT. I know it's still a regular game but c'mon.
Click to expand...

Fans do not want or accept this, even though it may be true. We should expect 100% desire and effort every game, especially if you bought a ticket.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
#42
#42
I've been peeved since last night over that game. Don't think Martin can motivate worth anything, but when I think about it...if McRae is on last night, we win (we probably even win or lose a very close one if we could hit a free throw!)
Next year should be awesome...Ky looks like they've REALLY spent the money, but we hold our own with them most years anyway!
 
#43
#43
Shaun1985 said:
I don't think you should put much stock into last night when looking at this season or what the teams did. It's the NIT. I know it's still a regular game but c'mon.
Click to expand...

This is the team attitude that leads to being a bubble team, losing to UGA twice and letting UA knock us out of the tournament. We need to be there to win, every game, every day. Losing happens, but there should never be games where we say, "oh come on, it's the NIT." Or Georgia, or Oakland, or whoever... If you don't take care of business, in both big and "meaningless" games, you don't grow and you don't succeed. That's why this team struggles. It will continue to struggle unless CCM or a player steps up and leads the team out of that mindset.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
#44
#44
His posturing was ridiculous. We had no business being in the NCAA tourney. The mid major teams selected instead of us would all beat us on a neutral floor. We beat no one on the road and our marquee home wins were against injured teams in Florida and UKs case and Wichita and Missouri both played exceptionally poor games with droves of unforced and
uncharacterstic errors.
 
Last edited:
#45
#45
vols 30 said:
Fans do not want or accept this, even though it may be true. We should expect 100% desire and effort every game, especially if you bought a ticket.
Click to expand...

Show me a team that does that every game. You can't. Every team will take a game off or two. The ones lucky enough to win usually have unbelievable talent.
 
#46
#46
BOP said:
His posturing was ridiculous. We had no business being in the NCAA tourney. The mid major teams selected instead of us would all beat us on a neutral floor. We beat no one on the road and our marquee home wins were against injured teams in Florida and UKs case and Wichita and Missouri both played exceptionally poor games with droves of enforced and uncharacteric errors.
Click to expand...

Yeah, it was ridiculous to question why his team didn't make it three years ago when it would've made it this year with the same committee when they went apesh*t and picked every mid-major on the bubble. An argument could be made for any of the bubble teams. That's why they were on the bubble.

And yeah, let's make excuses and not give credit when UT beat good teams, but point out that the other teams were just better on the road. You're truly a pathetic troll.
 
#47
#47
BOP said:
His posturing was ridiculous. We had no business being in the NCAA tourney. The mid major teams selected instead of us would all beat us on a neutral floor. We beat no one on the road and our marquee home wins were against injured teams in Florida and UKs case and Wichita and Missouri both played exceptionally poor games with droves of enforced and uncharacteric errors.
Click to expand...

Solid man. First you disqualify our best wins, saying we only won because our opponents were injured or played like ****. You really don't think we deserve credit? NO credit?

Next you make a ridiculous blanket statement. "The mid major teams selected instead of us would all beat us on a neutral floor." Please tell me, O Wise One. How exactly do you know that?

You can't look at our resume and say we had no business being in the tourney. That's ridiculous. We absolutely should have been in ahead of MTSU. But even if you don't believe that, you can't accurately say that 'we had no business.' Because we absolutely WERE close. I'd wager we were the first team out. And if we'd been in, few would have complained.

Stop trying to twist every little detail of every little aspect of this season in a negative way. I was astonished as I read that post.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
#48
#48
OrangeBalls said:
Yeah, it was ridiculous to question why his team didn't make it three years ago when it would've made it this year with the same committee when they went apesh*t and picked every mid-major on the bubble. An argument could be made for any of the bubble teams. That's why they were on the bubble.

And yeah, let's make excuses and not give credit when UT beat good teams, but point out that the other teams were just better on the road. You're truly a pathetic troll.
Click to expand...

This this this.

That sentence right there is why I hate it when people say, "We shouldn't have been in," or "We clearly didn't belong," and just act like that's all there is to it and there's no discussion.

We absolutely WERE in the conversation. Therefore, we absolutely DID "have business" being in the tournament.
 
#49
#49
Chris4Vols22 said:
We earned 20 wins without our best player. We beat Wichita State, UF, UK, Mizzou, and won a 4OT game on the road. Our chances of making the tournament on Sunday were about 50/50. We didn't make it, tough luck.

Honest assessment is that we won more games than last year and lost less. We improved despite not having our most productive and efficient player. We were playing like sh!t in the middle of the season, and it would be very alarming had we not shown some fire and resilience.

Bottom line is that you have to judge for yourself. If not firing Martin before next season breaks your boner, you are being pretty unreasonable. To say that is going to take us to the top is also unreasonable at this point. What's not unreasonable is seeing the pool of talent coming back for next season, the return of Maymon, Hubbs/Davis/Landry/possiblyThompson, and expect some more improvement. Like all the reasonable posters have said for months and months and months, if we struggle next season and miss the tourney, Martin will most likely be gone, but it's much more likely that we will be a very good team all season, and we won't be anywhere near the bubble.

Again, the choice is yours.
Click to expand...

Excellent post, Chris. Needs to be stickied.
 
#50
#50
MTSU had a better team and a better resume. They made it because the committee realized that. If we switched schedules they would have faired better than we did. Did you forget what happened when everyone was excited for the NIT last year? Kermit can coach circles around Martin. He is the guy we need.
 
Last edited:
New posts
You must log in or register to reply here.

VN Store



Back
Top