Next 4 games could decide the season

#1
bleedingTNorange

bleedingTNorange

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#1
I'm fully aware, there's a percentage of the fanbase that is of the mindset that the season is already over, this post isn't for them. Please try your best to just avoid this thread if you can't help, but turning it into another "fire Martin" thread or "bring back Bruce" thread, there's plenty of those. This is for those that are willing to let the season play out in its entirety, and realize there's 2+ months left to the season.

The next 4 games are as listed: (H) Ole Miss, @ Alabama, @ Vanderbilt and (H) South Carolina. If this team plans on being a tourney team, and not as a bubble team, these are all teams that they are capable of beating.

Ole Miss is a decent team, and when you have Marshall Henderson you can get hot and beat anyone. If we don't come out focused and with energy we could watch our season slip away in the very next game. Ole Miss is 5-1 in conference, and if they were to beat us that would really create a separation between 1-3 in the SEC and everybody else.

We have struggled against Alabama in the past couple years, but everyone of those teams was better than this one. Quite honestly this isn't that great of an Alabama team, and we should beat them. However, what team will decide to show up?

Vanderbilt is another team, that on paper it really shouldn't even be close. However, you overlook them and think they're gonna lay down, and you'll end up like Missouri and getting beat by them at that crazy ass gym.

South Carolina at home should theoretically be a cake walk, but if we've learned anything with this team it's to not overlook any one team. Frank Martin is a good coach, and he's got some good players, let them get some confidence and hand around and we could be in a dog fight.

If this team could win the next 4 games, to move to 16-7 (7-3) they would have positioned themselves very nicely, and created some momentum headed into a couple big games. At 16-7 they would be in a great position to close out the season strong and make the dance pretty easily, and be playing for seeding in the SECT.
 
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#2
#2
Agree. If.

There is still time, but these guys must pull it together. We can only hope the UF loss motivates them and maybe things will click.

I don't have much faith at this point, but if we can win the next four it will make for an interesting stretch run.
 
#3
#3
Freak said:
Agree. If.

There is still time, but these guys must pull it together. We can only hope the UF loss motivates them and maybe things will click.

I don't have much faith at this point, but if we can win the next four it will make for an interesting stretch run.
Click to expand...

Since beating down Virginia, they've gone 6-1, hopeful we have a similar wake up call.
 
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#4
#4
I do not see this group of players pulling it together and making the tourney. It is not unusual for a player to have an off night but, it is extremely rare for the entire team to have an off night. There is something missing on this team that is not talent related. I do not believe they have the heart to pull off a strong run to the tourney. It takes heart to continue to give it your all on the court and do all the little things that make a difference when you are having an off game. I just do not see it in this team. This is not necessarily a thing that the coach can teach but is more a thing that just lives inside of you. It is that drive to keep trying your best even though you are down by 20 with only a few minutes on the clock. The never give up attitude. We are just sorely missing that attribute at this time. Talent can take you a long way but the never give up attitude takes you even further. I hope we get some of those type of players in the near future. They will make a huge difference.
 
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#6
#6
volfan53 said:
I do not see this group of players pulling it together and making the tourney. It is not unusual for a player to have an off night but, it is extremely rare for the entire team to have an off night. There is something missing on this team that is not talent related. I do not believe they have the heart to pull off a strong run to the tourney. It takes heart to continue to give it your all on the court and do all the little things that make a difference when you are having an off game. I just do not see it in this team. This is not necessarily a thing that the coach can teach but is more a thing that just lives inside of you. It is that drive to keep trying your best even though you are down by 20 with only a few minutes on the clock. The never give up attitude. We are just sorely missing that attribute at this time. Talent can take you a long way but the never give up attitude takes you even further. I hope we get some of those type of players in the near future. They will make a huge difference.
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Very, VERY well said brotha! It isn't talent. This team is weak, fragile and soft..period. I don't think they have the heart and swagger either. Bunch of clowns at times..its ridiculous! This team just doesn't have the ganas.
 
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#7
#7
I'm just really hoping history repeats itself and we get red hot. If we can do what we've done the past 2 years, we will be in good shape.
 
#8
#8
Chris4Vols22 said:
I'm just really hoping history repeats itself and we get red hot. If we can do what we've done the past 2 years, we will be in good shape.
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It might be interesting to look back in detail at Tennessee's late runs the past couple of years to see how they compare to where we sit right now.
 
#10
#10
bleedingTNorange said:
What do you mean?
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My memory is short so I think it would be interesting to look back at the past two years: where we were at this point in the season, when was the low point, when did the run start, what was the best 10-game conference stretch, etc.

I think some are looking for reasons to remain hopeful. I am.
 
#11
#11
Freak said:
My memory is short so I think it would be interesting to look back at the past two years: where we were at this point in the season, when was the low point, when did the run start, what was the best 10-game conference stretch, etc.

I think some are looking for reasons to remain hopeful. I am.
Click to expand...

I too remain hopeful... missing the NIT would be a shame.
 
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#12
#12
You guys are delusional. So we're down to hoping we make a late season run so that we can be a "bubble team" in Martins 3rd season with his most talented and veteran team to date?? Even if this comes to fruition, this team has under-performed... He needs to go.
 
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#14
#14
For a bubble team, what four-game conference stretch isn't important?

You could say this anytime in January or February.
 
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#15
#15
lostsheep said:
You guys are delusional. So we're down to hoping we make a late season run so that we can be a "bubble team" in Martins 3rd season with his most talented and veteran team to date?? Even if this comes to fruition, this team has under-performed... He needs to go.
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Would you rather us hope we lose out??
 
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#16
#16
lostsheep said:
You guys are delusional. So we're down to hoping we make a late season run so that we can be a "bubble team" in Martins 3rd season with his most talented and veteran team to date?? Even if this comes to fruition, this team has under-performed... He needs to go.
Click to expand...

My sentiments exactly. Please stop the madness.:crazy:
 
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#18
#18
Lostsheep, it wasn't me but you should probably re-read the OP. :hi:
 
#19
#19
lostsheep said:
You guys are delusional. So we're down to hoping we make a late season run so that we can be a "bubble team" in Martins 3rd season with his most talented and veteran team to date?? Even if this comes to fruition, this team has under-performed... He needs to go.
Click to expand...

Tennessee shouldn't be in this spot, IMO, but one can think Martin needs to go while still hoping the team wins out.
 
#20
#20
I look around at other teams and see coaches do more with less. Texas comes to mind. But our team looks lost and I just don't think you can fix that in the next 12. It's lack of leadership on the court and by the staff. While they are not out of it by the numbers, I have seen nothing consistent from this team that tells me they can go better than 6 and 6 to close. Ole Miss wins, they might just quit
 
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#22
#22
(Copy & pasted from another thread)
This could be way off, but I see Ole Miss as the biggest threat. We can beat them, but I think they come in and give us all they have. Really want to say that if we can beat Ole Miss, the other 3 make it seem feasible to come out 4-0. However, we know that nothing is a given for this team, so nothing would really surprise me besides losing 3-4 of the 4 games.
IMO:
4-0 - 32%
3-1 - 33%
2-2 - 20%
1-3 - 10%
0-4 - 5%
 
#24
#24
The back half of the schedule is a lot softer than the front half. Get through the next 4 games in good shape and we should be favored in most of the games the rest of the season.
 
#25
#25
Not saying we make the NCAA tourney, but staying mildly optimistic, after yesterday's loss
We only dropped 1 spot in the RPI (from 50, to 51) and
Moved up 8 spots in the strength of schedule (from 18, to 10)
Staying optimistic is hard, especially when you have a team like this that is underachieving as badly as they are.
 
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