I’d rather lose by 15

#1

wmcovol

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 10, 2012
Messages
17,476
Likes
30,693
#1
And know you just don’t have the players yet than to see your team basically give a game away cause they’re too scared to execute at critical times.
 
#7
#7
Up against a hot team on the road. Tough loss but still I think they are playing as well as they can. This team does not have anyone who can consistently carry them. They went to Fulky, I thought he made a good move to win the game. Had a good shot at the end to tie. Can't ask more than that from this group.
 
#8
#8
What some fail to realize is we really don’t have the players yet. We had 2 guys leave early for the draft, our senior leader had a bum shoulder and the other senior that was suppose to be a leader has been quite awful all year long and still jacks up 3s when everyone knows they aren’t going in. Any other player in the country would’ve been benched but he has to play out of necessity. He went from being a 38%-40% 3 point shooter to a 26% shooter this year. How do you explain that? He’s just not ready for the moment and he’s not a leader. He’s a role player and he was thrust into a position he didn’t want to be in.

Other than him, we are still growing as a team and I have seen improvements through the year. Fulky has finally mentally gotten over his injury he had a couple years ago and is playing to his full potential. Pons is starting to become a force almost on a daily basis. Vescovi has been up and down but he only joined the team in January. Barnes didn’t want to play him this year but had to. JJJ has been playing injured all year so we won’t really know what he is until next year.

With the class coming in next year we will contend for the SEC Championship and be at minimum a 4 seed in the NCAAT. Everyone will be back on the bandwagon next year. We’re entitled to a down year after losing 4 starters from one of the greatest teams in program history. That’s just how it goes some years.
 
#9
#9
What some fail to realize is we really don’t have the players yet. We had 2 guys leave early for the draft, our senior leader had a bum shoulder and the other senior that was suppose to be a leader has been quite awful all year long and still jacks up 3s when everyone knows they aren’t going in. Any other player in the country would’ve been benched but he has to play out of necessity. He went from being a 38%-40% 3 point shooter to a 26% shooter this year. How do you explain that? He’s just not ready for the moment and he’s not a leader. He’s a role player and he was thrust into a position he didn’t want to be in.

Other than him, we are still growing as a team and I have seen improvements through the year. Fulky has finally mentally gotten over his injury he had a couple years ago and is playing to his full potential. Pons is starting to become a force almost on a daily basis. Vescovi has been up and down but he only joined the team in January. Barnes didn’t want to play him this year but had to. JJJ has been playing injured all year so we won’t really know what he is until next year.

With the class coming in next year we will contend for the SEC Championship and be at minimum a 4 seed in the NCAAT. Everyone will be back on the bandwagon next year. We’re entitled to a down year after losing 4 starters from one of the greatest teams in program history. That’s just how it goes some years.

Without Bowden's defense TN is probably 3 games or more under .500 right now instead of 3 games over .500.
 
  • Like
Reactions: TJSVOLS
#10
#10
I don't think anyone on our team was scared. They just came up short in a tough conference road game. I'm proud of the effort they gave, for the most part.

Also, I think Penny Hardaway may be moonlighting in Columbia, teaching the art of the flop.
That is so true - especially the flop from their big guy when he made contact with Gaines!
 
  • Like
Reactions: savannahfan
#11
#11
I rarely pout about refs because they are bad for both sides in most games. However, has anyone other than me noticed that when on the road in the SEC and the teams are about even that the home team usually wins? At the time and after the game you can remember things, like fouls not called against the home team (big one here) or strange fouls or calls against the visitors, and possession calls favoring the home team. AND my biggest insult to the rules, WHERE IS THE INTENTIONAL FOUL RULE!!! The idea of allowing guys to grab, hold, what ever to put a team or player on the line or to burn off "fouls to give" just to run clock or force an in bounds play and no intentional foul call when everyone in the place knows what is going on is ridiculous. Drives me up the wall.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Lankykong
#12
#12
That is so true - especially the flop from their big guy when he made contact with Gaines!

It's really odd that we have several players on the roster with bodies like Olive Oyl and Gilligan get hammered throughout the games and manage to knock down so many defenders that are built like Admiral Schofield.
 
#13
#13
Without Bowden's defense TN is probably 3 games or more under .500 right now instead of 3 games over .500.
We don’t know that for sure. I’m not playing the “What if” game. I’m playing the facts game which is if see that I’m only making 1 out of every 4 3’s maybe I should stop shooting that and take the mid range shot instead. It’s simple math. I know the 3 is more valuable than the 2 but not in Bowden’s case this year. There’s been so many games where I look up and he’s 0-5 or 0-6 and that’s the exact definition of insanity. Stop shooting the 3 and take the shot you have confidence in. Just face it, it’s not going in. Yeah he plays great defense but he’s also setting a bad example on offense.
 
  • Like
Reactions: cardvolfan
#14
#14
Losing a game by 15 is easier to take sometimes cuz then u know u just aren't good enough...but losing a game like this is tougher cuz you know you COULD have won. I get what the OP is saying. This year is what it is. We've won plenty of close games where the other side left feeling "Dang...we could of/should of won that game if not for this or that". It happens often in sports. It feels better when you're on the other side of it for sure. This just isn't one of our years. Better times ahead.
 
#15
#15
So you prefer the blow out losses in football opposed to being competitive but coming up just short?

Simple minded aren’t you. They just didn’t come up short. They lost a 4 pt lead shooting 1-1 inside 2 minutes. Other than JJJs last shot, they didn’t get a shot off after that. And consistently fouled SC to allow them to take the lead.
 
#16
#16
What some fail to realize is we really don’t have the players yet. We had 2 guys leave early for the draft, our senior leader had a bum shoulder and the other senior that was suppose to be a leader has been quite awful all year long and still jacks up 3s when everyone knows they aren’t going in. Any other player in the country would’ve been benched but he has to play out of necessity. He went from being a 38%-40% 3 point shooter to a 26% shooter this year. How do you explain that? He’s just not ready for the moment and he’s not a leader. He’s a role player and he was thrust into a position he didn’t want to be in.

Other than him, we are still growing as a team and I have seen improvements through the year. Fulky has finally mentally gotten over his injury he had a couple years ago and is playing to his full potential. Pons is starting to become a force almost on a daily basis. Vescovi has been up and down but he only joined the team in January. Barnes didn’t want to play him this year but had to. JJJ has been playing injured all year so we won’t really know what he is until next year.

With the class coming in next year we will contend for the SEC Championship and be at minimum a 4 seed in the NCAAT. Everyone will be back on the bandwagon next year. We’re entitled to a down year after losing 4 starters from one of the greatest teams in program history. That’s just how it goes some years.
Agree with most of your post but Bowden plays great D always on the other teams best player. Sure his outside shot is not falling but you cant judge a player of what he means to a team based off 3 point line.
 
  • Like
Reactions: VolPack22
#17
#17
Agree with most of your post but Bowden plays great D always on the other teams best player. Sure his outside shot is not falling but you cant judge a player of what he means to a team based off 3 point line.
According to some, Bowden rarely plays on the other team's best scorer. Imagine that.
 
#18
#18
According to some, Bowden rarely plays on the other team's best scorer. Imagine that.
I know his shooting has been off this year but without Turner you also take Bowden off this team we would be pushing to have a winning record.
 
#19
#19
Agree with most of your post but Bowden plays great D always on the other teams best player. Sure his outside shot is not falling but you cant judge a player of what he means to a team based off 3 point line.
I’m not debating whether he plays great defense. I know he plays great defense and he’s probably exhausted because of it but he’s suppose to be a leader and leaders don’t continually jack up 3s when they haven’t been making them all season. Maybe it’s confidence or maybe it’s dead legs or maybe he’s been playing hurt and hasn’t told anyone. Idk but If he would cut his 3 point attempts down and attack he would score more points rather than having empty possessions. He would be averaging at least 3 points/game more. He’s an 80%+ FT shooter. He should be trying to live at the line and getting easy points all game long. Mid range and FT’s are his bread and butter so why keep doing something that’s clearly not working?
 
#20
#20
And know you just don’t have the players yet than to see your team basically give a game away cause they’re too scared to execute at critical times.
No worries. It is better to lose close ones in my opinion. We learn more in pressure situations, the more we experience them. We outplayed SC and it was an unfortunate loss, but to compete on the road and learn how to win isn’t easy. Never can just point to one instance but that missed front end of the 1&1 by Pons was a killer. He missed that and their 52% FT shooter canned both of his.
 
  • Like
Reactions: wmcovol
#22
#22
What some fail to realize is we really don’t have the players yet. We had 2 guys leave early for the draft, our senior leader had a bum shoulder and the other senior that was suppose to be a leader has been quite awful all year long and still jacks up 3s when everyone knows they aren’t going in. Any other player in the country would’ve been benched but he has to play out of necessity. He went from being a 38%-40% 3 point shooter to a 26% shooter this year. How do you explain that? He’s just not ready for the moment and he’s not a leader. He’s a role player and he was thrust into a position he didn’t want to be in.

Other than him, we are still growing as a team and I have seen improvements through the year. Fulky has finally mentally gotten over his injury he had a couple years ago and is playing to his full potential. Pons is starting to become a force almost on a daily basis. Vescovi has been up and down but he only joined the team in January. Barnes didn’t want to play him this year but had to. JJJ has been playing injured all year so we won’t really know what he is until next year.

With the class coming in next year we will contend for the SEC Championship and be at minimum a 4 seed in the NCAAT. Everyone will be back on the bandwagon next year. We’re entitled to a down year after losing 4 starters from one of the greatest teams in program history. That’s just how it goes some years.
It's easy to explain really, 3 point shooting across the nation has dropped because of the line being moved back. Bowden struggled early but he's been pretty good the last 10 games. If he gets hot these next 5 all will be forgiven.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Caculator

VN Store



Back
Top