Importance of Springer

[CAVPUT]

Springer is day to day per Basilio repeating Grant Ramey.

Reportedly, one of our great advantages this season was our depth. We could plug someone in and keep beating folks. If we now consider Springer to be that indispensable.....consider my jets not just cooled but extinguished!

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

Hopefully Springer isn’t out of service for very long, but this could actually be beneficial in the long run. One of the team’s strengths is how balanced it is. Springer was starting to emerge as the offensive MVP. If he sits for a game or two Johnson and James could be pressed to elevate their offensive participation. Johnson looked like he tried but he didn’t take over with a lot of success. If James would look to score more often then his contribution could advance dramatically.

Springer also looked to be taking more and more minutes at PG. Vescovi, Bailey, and James need to be pushed to improve at that position.

 

[cardvolfan]

Sometimes I think coaches ought to go back to the old school when fouls are concerned. Let your marquis player keep playing first half until he gets a third foul.

Pons having to leave early in the first half with foul trouble was the biggest nail in the coffin. Had he played more, he could've had 6-7 blocks.

Fulky pretty much just stunk it up. Like his head was in the clouds.

We'll rebound. Probably have 3-4 losses in conference.

Interestingly enough, there is a new stat out that tracks playing time percentages in the first half of players who specifically get their second foul. It is basically a confirmation on head coaches philosophies in that regard. Some coaches will do it to some degree, and some will never do it to any degree.

 

[CAVPUT]

Hopefully Springer isn’t out of service for very long, but this could actually be beneficial in the long run. One of the team’s strengths is how balanced it is. Springer was starting to emerge as the offensive MVP. If he sits for a game or two Johnson and James could be pressed to elevate their offensive participation. Johnson looked like he tried but he didn’t take over with a lot of success. If James would look to score more often then his contribution could advance dramatically.

Springer also looked to be taking more and more minutes at PG. Vescovi, Bailey, and James need to be pushed to improve at that position.

I'll grab on to that silver lining and hope for the best. This program needs something...anything good to help mitigate the disaster that is UT football. The sports gods owe us a bone or two.

 

[jmcarr33]

Reportedly, one of our great advantages this season was our depth. We could plug someone in and keep beating folks. If we now consider Springer to be that indispensable.....consider my jets not just cooled but extinguished!

We are fine without him if we can shoot halfway decent. Vescovi, Bailey and James couldn’t hit the side of a barn from 3 point range last night hence the comments regarding Springer. The majority of nights we are deep enough with or without him. Obviously we are better with him but no need to extinguish all your jets.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

Reportedly, one of our great advantages this season was our depth. We could plug someone in and keep beating folks. If we now consider Springer to be that indispensable.....consider my jets not just cooled but extinguished!

It looks like the depth advantage has more to do with the first 7 spots than further down the bench. There seems to be a huge drop off with body number 8. Subbing in Nkamhoua, Anosike, Pember, or Uros is a major drop in talent when Pons sits down. Barnes was sending messages that one of those four can grab some of Fulk’s minutes if they are able. I think that inserting Pember for a few minutes was a signal that competing for more PT is not futile.

 

[cardvolfan]

It looks like the depth advantage has more to do with the first 7 spots than further down the bench. There seems to be a huge drop off with body number 8. Subbing in Nkamhoua, Anosike, Pember, or Uros is a major drop in talent when Pons sits down. Barnes was sending messages that one of those four can grab some of Fulk’s minutes if they are able. I think that inserting Pember for a few minutes was a signal that competing for more PT is not futile.

Exactly. Barnes even said post game that he would be fine giving Fulky's minutes to someone else. As you said, the Pember insertion was Barnes' plea for someone to earn more minutes.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

Exactly. Barnes even said post game that he would be fine giving Fulky's minutes to someone else. As you said, the Pember insertion was Barnes' plea for someone to earn more minutes.

Pember was torched in the Bama game thread. I really don’t think that there is a clear separation between Anosike, Uros, Nkamhoua, and Pember at this point. Anosike and ORN should have elevated well above the other two but so far they’ve been wildly inconsistent. Pember is still learning to play in the paint versus opponents over about 6’5” and 225 pounds.

 

[cardvolfan]

Pember was torched in the Bama game thread. I really don’t think that there is a clear separation between Anosike, Uros, Nkamhoua, and Pember at this point. Anosike and ORN should have elevated well above the other two but so far they’ve been wildly inconsistent. Pember is still learning to play in the paint versus opponents over about 6’5” and 225 pounds.

It was reported Pember spent 52 days total in quarantine, apparently the most of any player. He lost valuable practice time. Maybe he's showing signs of his value in current practices. I still think with some experience, he could still become an important addition to the depth of this team.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

It was reported Pember spent 52 days total in quarantine, apparently the most of any player. He lost valuable practice time. Maybe he's showing signs of his value in current practices. I still think with some experience, he could still become an important addition to the depth of this team.

Pember could potentially get minutes at the 2-5. He’s probably the only player that could do that unless Walker emerges. Pons doesn’t look comfortable at the 2. JJJ could go 1-4 and Springer/Johnson might be able to fill the 1-4 in certain situations. Pember would benefit if Barnes ever embraced zone defenses, but that’s not likely to happen.

 

[cardvolfan]

Pember could potentially get minutes at the 2-5. He’s probably the only player that could do that unless Walker emerges. Pons doesn’t look comfortable at the 2. JJJ could go 1-4 and Springer/Johnson might be able to fill the 1-4 in certain situations. Pember would benefit if Barnes ever embraced zone defenses, but that’s not likely to happen.

Yes, Barnes and the zone are not close pals.

 

[GSD82]

Even though I didn’t watch the game, I will just throw out there what I said before and that we will lose games we’re favored in. Not too worried about one loss. But the lines for Fulky and especially pons are troubling. They’re our veterans. Pons played well against Mizzou but otherwise has struggled to start the year

Pons is a grown man on defense but he’s largely a non factor on offense. I catch hell from my friends because I have always said Fulkerson is not very good, he’s just an average player.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

I’d like to hear an official release that Springer’s injury isn’t too serious. Seems like they are usually pretty quick when announcing seriously torn up, season ending joint damage. Might as well keep Arkansas in the dark a bit as they prepare for TN.

 

[cardvolfan]

I’d like to hear an official release that Springer’s injury isn’t too serious. Seems like they are usually pretty quick when announcing seriously torn up, season ending joint damage. Might as well keep Arkansas in the dark a bit as they prepare for TN.

My guess is that he's in the process of an MRI today and that we will know results, etc tomorrow. Hopefully it's not one of those nagging little injuries that keeps him out for 3 weeks.

 

[i2amavol]

Even though I didn’t watch the game, I will just throw out there what I said before and that we will lose games we’re favored in. Not too worried about one loss. But the lines for Fulky and especially pons are troubling. They’re our veterans. Pons played well against Mizzou but otherwise has struggled to start the year

Pons was a beast on defense in the second half. It seemed everyone struggled on offense.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

My guess is that he's in the process of an MRI today and that we will know results, etc tomorrow. Hopefully it's not one of those nagging little injuries that keeps him out for 3 weeks.

It could affect him for much of the season. I’m fine with him not being rushed back into the rotation. Ticket is very capable of contributing.

 

[PandamoniumReigns]

Pons was a beast on defense in the second half. It seemed everyone struggled on offense.

Pons was all over the place in the second half. I was surprised the refs didn't blow their whistle on a couple of those blocks. They did in the first half. It's almost like they were making up for a couple of those bogus calls.

 

[Sea Ray]

So Springer is DTD? Hopefully he can be back by Arkansas Wednesday. If he’s not, we could be in trouble in that one too.

We're not as deep as we think we are if we need Springer to beat Arkansas. We should be able to weather injuries this year, particularly to our guards. An injury to Fulky or Pons would be much more difficult to navigate

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

We're not as deep as we think we are if we need Springer to beat Arkansas. We should be able to weather injuries this year, particularly to our guards. An injury to Fulky or Pons would be much more difficult to navigate

I think that keeping Springer healthy is critical. Ticket is better suited to spell Johnson right now. Vescovi and Bailey bring similar, although not identical, skills. If Johnson steps up his offensive production quickly then Springer’s absence won’t hurt as much. But IMO, we really need Springer in the rotation to prop up the offense. Perhaps JJJ could also become a reliable scorer along with Johnson. Another option minus Springer is to put in more opportunities for Bailey to produce points.

Bottom line is that Springer’s offense seems a critical component if TN is going to go far in the post season.

 

[wmcovol]

Fulky is the primary focus of the opponents defense. Vescovi is 2nd. They’ve got to get dominant performance from others (only a matter of time Springer goes off) to change the scouting reports.

 

[walkenvol]

Pons is a grown man on defense but he’s largely a non factor on offense. I catch hell from my friends because I have always said Fulkerson is not very good, he’s just an average player.

You should listen to your friends more

 

[GSD82]

You should listen to your friends more

In an ideal scenario he would be coming off the bench

 

[walkenvol]

In an ideal scenario he would be coming off the bench

Laughable - he was selected as one of the top 5 players in the SEC and you want him coming off the bench?

 

[GSD82]

Laughable - he was selected as one of the top 5 players in the SEC and you want him coming off the bench?

If he's a top 5 player in the league then the SEC is a terrible basketball conference

 

[bleedingTNorange]

In an ideal scenario he would be coming off the bench

Lmao