South Carolina Postgame Report

[Schasz]

What amazes me is how good Vescovi looks. In spite of the turnovers, he really brings a spark to the team when he is out there. It really felt like our scoring droughts happened while he was on the bench.

I do like him but it is mandatory that he start taking better care of the basketball.

 

[LibertyVolance]

Or maybe Auburn is that good? From what I've seen of them, they(Auburn) are a better defensive team than last year.

When Auburn threw caution to the wind and hired Bruce Pearl, they became a premiere BB program. I don't know whether Pearl is a great recruiter or just a great coach, but he had them in their first final 4 last year and this current team looks almost as formidable despite graduating 4 seniors and having Harper and Okeke leave early for professional BB.

 

[calban]

When Auburn threw caution to the wind and hired Bruce Pearl, they became a premiere BB program. I don't know whether Pearl is a great recruiter or just a great coach, but he had them in their first final 4 last year and this current team looks almost as formidable despite graduating 4 seniors and having Harper and Okeke leave early for professional BB.

Don't praise him too much or you'll trigger the usual character assassinations of his players, assistants ,etc. Remember he's a pig of a human being and we had a dumpster fire to deal with 5 years ago.

 

[USAFgolferVol]

Don't praise him too much or you'll trigger the usual character assassinations of his players, assistants ,etc. Remember he's a pig of a human being and we had a dumpster fire to deal with 5 years ago.

That's not the only other opinion people have expressed. There are varying opinions. Not just two. It isn't either/or exclusivity

 

[calban]

That's not the only other opinion people have expressed. There are varying opinions. Not just two. It isn't either/or exclusivity

Varying opinion about what? Pearl or why we're fielding a team of guys that can't throw it in the ocean. pearl, he's a pig or a great coach. Always been that way even when he was here. Team woes, we had a dumpster fire 5 years ago and therefore losing one player has done us in. What are the other opinions?

 

[bleedingTNorange]

Okay. Give me your 6 pix. Who will we beat? I'll make it easier. We're 2-4 when we shoot 40% or worse. So give me your 6 teams we'll beat. 8 wins gets us to 18, but I'll settle for 6.

Well per Barttorvik we are favored against...

@Vandy
Ole Miss
Texas A&M
Kentucky
Arkansas
@South Carolina
Vanderbilt
Florida

and he projects 18-13(10-8)

 

[calban]

Well per Barttorvik we are favored against...

@Vandy
Ole Miss
Texas A&M
Kentucky
Arkansas
@South Carolina
Vanderbilt
Florida

and he projects 18-13(10-8)

So, you think he's right? See I asked what you thought. I went with the experts on MZ. We were wrong. so you agree with Bart?

 

[USAFgolferVol]

Varying opinion about what? Pearl or why we're fielding a team of guys that can't throw it in the ocean. pearl, he's a pig or a great coach. Always been that way even when he was here. Team woes, we had a dumpster fire 5 years ago and therefore losing one player has done us in. What are the other opinions?

Concerning Pearl. And no, it's not just two opinions. That's a fact. Sorry, your take on things is extremely narrow and uninformed

 

[calban]

Concerning Pearl. And no, it's not just two opinions. That's a fact. Sorry, your take on things is extremely narrow and uninformed

Uniformed? You'been here since December and I'm uniformed. Kay.

 

[VolsSportsFan]

Somebody needs a Snickers. Or a nap.

 

[USAFgolferVol]

Uniformed? You'been here since December and I'm uniformed. Kay.

I've been watching Vols basketball for 50 years. Being a member of a message board doesn't make one informed/uninformed. Your take on Pearl and how he is viewed is less than informed.

 

[calban]

I've been watching Vols basketball for 50 years. Being a member of a message board doesn't make one informed/uninformed. Your take on Pearl and how he is viewed is less than informed.

You are contesting how he is viewed on this message board. In the 10 years I've been here I seen him called a liar and a cheat by those that hate him, and those same people think he's cheating to get the players that got him to a final 4. On the other side you have people who say he was done in by the NCAA and an admin that didn't support him and many coaches have done a lot worse and gotten no punishment. Now search the board and find me something else.

 

[MoCo_Vol]

So you are guaranteeing more than 5 more wins. Who are your 6 left on schedule we'll beat?

Missouri comes to TBA,
at South Carolina
Vanderbilt still left on the schedule twice
A&M comes to TBA
Ole Miss comes to TBA
Arkansas twice
at Alabama


I think Auburn & Kentucky are the only two SEC teams that I see no shot against at this point. We've not played good/great with 2 freshman starting and we're 10-5 (2-1) with a defense that's only allowing 59.3 a game (10th best in the country).

Bowden & Pons aren't going to continue to struggle every game. And you're still playing Pember, Gaines, and Olivier off the bench. 5 freshman in rotation getting this much PT means the team will grow and improve, that's how you get better is playing.

 

[BruinVol]

Missouri comes to TBA,
at South Carolina
Vanderbilt still left on the schedule twice
A&M comes to TBA
Ole Miss comes to TBA
Arkansas twice
at Alabama


I think Auburn & Kentucky are the only two SEC teams that I see no shot against at this point. We've not played good/great with 2 freshman starting and we're 10-5 (2-1) with a defense that's only allowing 59.3 a game (10th best in the country).

Bowden & Pons aren't going to continue to struggle every game. And you're still playing Pember, Gaines, and Olivier off the bench. 5 freshman in rotation getting this much PT means the team will grow and improve, that's how you get better is playing.

unfortunately we don’t play mizzu again

 

[MoCo_Vol]

Small point also, here's our loses.

#10 FSU (14-2)
#21 Memphis (12-3)
Cincinnati (10-6)
Wisconsin (10-6) - has beaten Ohio State & Penn State on the road since finding themselves against us
LSU (11-4)


Yeah you'd like to have won a few of those, but those are some stout teams and playing that sort of OOC will be a benefit in the future even if we don't make the NCAA this year.

 

[calban]

Missouri comes to TBA,
at South Carolina
Vanderbilt still left on the schedule twice
A&M comes to TBA
Ole Miss comes to TBA
Arkansas twice
at Alabama


I think Auburn & Kentucky are the only two SEC teams that I see no shot against at this point. We've not played good/great with 2 freshman starting and we're 10-5 (2-1) with a defense that's only allowing 59.3 a game (10th best in the country).

Bowden & Pons aren't going to continue to struggle every game. And you're still playing Pember, Gaines, and Olivier off the bench. 5 freshman in rotation getting this much PT means the team will grow and improve, that's how you get better is playing.

We don't play MZ again, but that still gives you 8 i think. I think we'll get swept by KY, Aub and Ark.

 

[MoCo_Vol]

unfortunately we don’t play mizzu again

You're right.

Ole Miss, A&M, Arkansas, Vanderbilt, Florida = all home games still ahead, all teams we could beat playing at a higher level
@ Georgia, @ Vanderbilt, @ Mississippi State, @ Alabama, @ South Carolina, @ Arkansas = remaining road games against teams that are beatable if we play well

I mean other than Bowden, Fulkerson & Pons the experience on the team as a whole is just not where it was last season. Jalen has only played in 54 games in his career and 15 of those are this season.

Olivier, James 15 a piece
Gaines just 14
Pember just 11
Santiago just 3

There will be growth with more court time, always is.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

You are contesting how he is viewed on this message board. In the 10 years I've been here I seen him called a liar and a cheat by those that hate him, and those same people think he's cheating to get the players that got him to a final 4. On the other side you have people who say he was done in by the NCAA and an admin that didn't support him and many coaches have done a lot worse and gotten no punishment. Now search the board and find me something else.

Most of this generalization doesn't apply to me. He is a liar. That's not debatable. I don't hate him. I hate a lot of the things he did while here. The NCAA did hit him and UT disproportionally hard. There's circumstantial evidence that he has cheated (Chuck Person for example was put in jail), but not necessarily more than many other NCAA P-5 coaches.

I really liked 80%-90% of his time here as a coach, however it wasn't fair for Cuonzo that Pearl didn't dial down his need for attention after he got himself fired. I hope that he never coaches at TN again and I wish that those wanting him to would STFU.

We paid for his 6 NCAAT appearances and the EE by being left with a dumpster fire. I think that many other coaches could have equalled his success. TN had been a sleeping giant for a long time and mainly needed a competent administration to wake it up.

 

[OrangeVolMan]

I'm disappointed in Pons. Early in the season he looked like he had taken a big step offensively and found a shot, but now his shot looks as ugly ever. I mean I guess it still looks better form-wise but he's not hitting them.

Not sure what you are talking about. He had one bad day. Two games prior he was 5 for 9 and 7 for 12.

 

[Kosmalski]

To be fair, a LOT of looks were easy, and sometimes wide-open due to South Carolina’s horrid defense and we still missed them?

Remember when Fulkerson missed an easy bunny-layup? Yeah, he’s on scholarship folks.

Jalen Johnson and Ives Pons had copious amounts of wide open shots and neither could buy a bucket with a sack full of cash.

Fulkerson was Player of the Game. 5-7 from the field, 5 for 5 Free Throws 10 rebounds Killer defense and played 37 minutes.
But hey you have your opinion

 

[orangemadam]

I am worried that this team will not be able to find 17 wins that will probably be needed to get to the NIT.

Really need to let Bowden be 6th man and think about starting Gaines or JJ in his spot.

 

[VolGee4]

Assuming we win all these, I believe we would still need another win or 2 to get in.

I think this next game against Georgia will be tough, but it's a winnable game

I think that gets us in with 10 conference wins. UK, Arkansas, and UF would be quality wins with Washington and VCU. Committee would reward us for schedule because we could have easily gotten to 20 with two other cream puffs.

 

[VolGee4]

When Auburn threw caution to the wind and hired Bruce Pearl, they became a premiere BB program. I don't know whether Pearl is a great recruiter or just a great coach, but he had them in their first final 4 last year and this current team looks almost as formidable despite graduating 4 seniors and having Harper and Okeke leave early for professional BB.

They’ve played no one. I believe Pearl even publicly said they expected a couple of their OOC teams to be better.

Not saying they are bad, but they will eventually get tested.

 

[cncchris33]

At Georgia is exactly the kind of game we have to win to get to the dance.

Probably correct.

 

[cncchris33]

Glad you have come around on Fulky, I believe for some reason you wanted him to transfer this time last year.

To be fair, Fulk struggled mightly for two seasons following the injury. Expecting him to transfer wasn't really unreasonable at the time, but yes, I am glad he stuck thru it and became a better, more assertive player. His hands have improved TREMENDOUSLY, which was perhaps his biggest concern. He has also gotten stronger, which was an area of concern.

All told, I'm happy to eat a little crow on this one.