Next game (Links): NCAAT - Sunday 3/31/2024 (2:20pm CBS) Purdue

Agree 100%. I may be wrong, but I think us jumping out in front of any team would be a near insurmountable advantage in any given game.

I think Barnes and his staff should potentially play 10 to 12 people tomorrow night to wear South Carolina down and keep fresh troops in the game at all times.
 
Championships are hard to come by in the SEC. So when we are this close, I get a little anxious. I spent some time yesterday reviewing the boxscore from the first time we played South Carolina.

In our last meeting, South Carolina won by 4 points 63 to 59. 59 points is the lowest point total we had all year. We only scored 60 against Kansas but that was our third game in three days. In the rest of our games we actually looked like the 17th ( according to kenpom) best
offensive efficient team in the NCAA.

In our first meeting ZZ scored only 2 points off of 2/4 free throw shooting. JJJ only scored 2 points and Gainey went o for six from the floor. One two point shot from three of our key players. Santi, Jonas and Awaka all scored but were pretty much held in check. Dalton had 31 points and carried the team. SC is 43rd in defensive efficiency in the NCAA according to kenpom. Therefore, using kenpom numbers, SC's defense should not have been able to hold us to 59 points.

Although, we are rated 66th in pace of play, SC is rated over 300th. So, we need to make SC uncomfortable in our pace and get ZZ, JJJ and Santi in the scoring column early.

My only concern is SC is ranked second in the NCAA in the luck category. They trail only Tarleton State in that category.
Scoring early is the key. In the last game we didn't score in the first 4 minutes. Missed a ton of shots in the paint. UT bigs must have forgotten about this game because they didn't even show up.
 
We need to win tonight! I’m so nervous about us tonight. I’m gonna be watching and cheering for the good boys to beat the cocks!
 
If we can go into Rupp and Coleman and win both games, we can win in Columbia. It’s about us, not South Carolina. If we play focused and come ready, we’ll win no matter what South Carolina does. We’re just better and it isn’t as close as the rankings and standings show. But we gotta show up ready to play first. They can’t beat us when we’re playing at the top of our game.
 
It was a perfect storm for them to win the first game. I’ll be surprised if tonight’s game is close and completely shocked if we lose. Just need an average shooting night to take this one
 
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It will be interesting to see what Barnes does to counter the back to the basket bully ball in the paint that was so difficult to stop at the TBA. And is USCjr going to dictate the tempo again?

That was a really frustrating game to watch.
Yeah, when they start bulling with a slow dribble I kept expecting SV or ZZ to sneak up and steal the ball but it was like they let him just slowly bully Mashack and score. I thought Mashack should had went down on some of those shoulder blows but he hung tough. Mashack would never flop although sometimes when you're outsized its a tool in your arsenal. I think we will see more of Awaka & Aidoo together tonight, unless the refs blow 2 on them early.
 
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Am I forgetting Awaka & Aidoo getting backed down in the post as I only recall that happening when we went small ball at the end? We were struggling to score and Barnes was attempting to provide an offensive spark by going small and SC exploited it with physical post play. Doubt we give them that same look again tonight.
 
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Championships are hard to come by in the SEC. So when we are this close, I get a little anxious. I spent some time yesterday reviewing the boxscore from the first time we played South Carolina.

In our last meeting, South Carolina won by 4 points 63 to 59. 59 points is the lowest point total we had all year. We only scored 60 against Kansas but that was our third game in three days. In the rest of our games we actually looked like the 17th ( according to kenpom) best
offensive efficient team in the NCAA.

In our first meeting ZZ scored only 2 points off of 2/4 free throw shooting. JJJ only scored 2 points and Gainey went o for six from the floor. One two point shot from three of our key players. Santi, Jonas and Awaka all scored but were pretty much held in check. Dalton had 31 points and carried the team. SC is 43rd in defensive efficiency in the NCAA according to kenpom. Therefore, using kenpom numbers, SC's defense should not have been able to hold us to 59 points.

Although, we are rated 66th in pace of play, SC is rated over 300th. So, we need to make SC uncomfortable in our pace and get ZZ, JJJ and Santi in the scoring column early.

My only concern is SC is ranked second in the NCAA in the luck category. They trail only Tarleton State in that category.
Yep, I'm not sure it was luck or not but Jr. played most of the game using the whole shot clock. Hitting some of the, I've got to shoot this they've played great D clocks running out throw it up dang it went in or great we missed but we got the long rebound, lets run another 30 and keep this game at our pace. IMO that was the way the game at the Tommy went, was frustrating to watch. I think we need to start out in a press and speed them uo and cause turnovers.
 
TN 13-3
USCjr 12-4
Bama 12-5
Barn 12-5
KY 11-5
FL 11-6

TN: at USCjr, v KY
Bama: at FL (L), v Ark
USCjr: v TN, at MSU
KY: v Vandy, at TN
FL: v Bama (W), at Vandy
Barn: at Mizz (W), v GA

Tuesday:
Bama at FL (FL wins)
Barn at Mizz (Barn wins)

Wednesday:
UT at USCjr
Vandy at KY

Saturday:
KY @ TN (4pm, CBS)
Ark @ Bama (12pm, ESPN)
USCjr @ Miss State (2:30pm, SECNW)
GA @ Barn (6:30pm, SECNW)
FL @ Vandy (4:30pn, SECNW)
I'm playing what-ifs here, but let's say Tennessee wins out. Chalk holds in every other game. Looks like that would put Tennessee 1, Auburn 2, Alabama 3, South Carolina 4, Kentucky 5, and Florida 6. Do I have that right?
 
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It
Am I forgetting Awaka & Aidoo getting backed down in the post as I only recall that happening when we went small ball at the end? We were struggling to score and Barnes was attempting to provide an offensive spark by going small and SC exploited it with physical post play. Doubt we give them that same look again tonight.
was mostly Mashack giving up size not backing down but not much he could do with size difference. Since then we have starting using Awaka & Aidoo together. The staying away from early fouls will be a factor IMO.
 
It

was mostly Mashack giving up size not backing down but not much he could do with size difference. Since then we have starting using Awaka & Aidoo together. The staying away from early fouls will be a factor IMO.
If memory serves, it was only 3 times. Mack first backed JJJ down then we gave Mashack a go and he got backed down twice? IIRC, then this is only a defensive issue if we decide to play small.
 
I'm playing what-ifs here, but let's say Tennessee wins out. Chalk holds in every other game. Looks like that would put Tennessee 1, Auburn 2, Alabama 3, South Carolina 4, Kentucky 5, and Florida 6. Do I have that right?
I think if we are capable of beating USC jr tonight they lose on the road at Miss State like Bama did at UF after we knocked the wind out of their sails.
 
Myles Stute will be available for tonight's game. He is going to give it a go. I like it because I wanna make sure we beat him too. Not a fan of him.
You are much kinder than me. My version of "not a fan" is that punk standing at mid-court crying like his life has been ruined. He has had the most punchable smug irrelevant face/demeanor in the SEC for the last several years.
 
You are much kinder than me. My version of "not a fan" is that punk standing at mid-court crying like his life has been ruined. He has had the most punchable smug irrelevant face/demeanor in the SEC for the last several years.
Well... I just wanted to word it in the nicest way possible. I try to not post publicly what I really think of some players because it's a non-filtered version but I keep in mind that they're still college kids. But yes, trust me I have similar opinions.
 
I think if we are capable of beating USC jr tonight they lose on the road at Miss State like Bama did at UF after we knocked the wind out of their sails.
Maybe. But I thought Bama would lose to Florida even before they lost to Tennessee. Florida took them to OT in Tuscaloosa, so the swing sim home court was bound to make a difference.
 
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I’m very excited for tonight’s game. I really like South Carolina’s team and coach. I like the way they play. Both teams are going to come in focused and I could see it going either way. Would be a big road win and make losing to them in Knoxville sting a little less. Go Vols.
 
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