Tennessee has no shooters

[ColinS]

You said you need post scoring to have open looks from 3, Bama proved that wrong.

We don't run Bama's offense.

 

[LAVol1]

This will be our downfall this year. We play good defense and have a descent post game but we don’t have any consistent shooters this year. We will see how the year plays out but I don’t see a pure one on the team.

You would be wrong about that. Vescovi and Bailey are excellent shooters. Pons can shoot well enough. JJJ can shoot. We just need an offense that will get them open. Barnes just got out-coached in this game. He realized too late that he had to put someone on Quinley that would make him alter his shot and NOT help on D, leaving the Bama's shooters open. If Quinley beat you driving the ball on a good defender, you have to live with that. If he beat you with jumpers from 15-20' over a much taller defender, you live with that. Pons and James did a good job on him. No one else did. When we "helped" to defend him, we got beat by the threes or dunks. We also missed 9 free throws, at least two of which were the front end of 1 and 1, so we missed at least 11 opportunities at the free throw line. Fulky was bad tonight.

 

[LucidZ]

Don't agree. Just an off night really. If we didn't have any shooters, then how could you explain the stat spread in our previous games? We may not have someone that is going to score 20+ every game, but we do have a lot of guys who can score and they do. We can have 4-6 guys putting up 10-15 points per game. Last game we had 4 players in that range and two others who were almost at 10.

I said it in the Springer thread and Barnes seemed to echo it as well, but our offense was just off. We weren't playing the way we should be. That we didn't get into our flow offensively, guys got sped up, we weren't making passes, and guys started taking it upon themselves to do something. That's not who we are as a team.

Our shots weren't falling and our time at the line wasn't as good as it has been. We could have won alone if our free throws had counted for something.

 

[Lerxtwood]

Biggest problem with this TN basketball team is the lack of a true 5 man.....

This isn’t the 80’s. Nobody has a 5

 

[cncchris33]

You have to get points from the post to get open looks. Teams don't have to really respect our inside scoring right now. Fulky and Pons seem to have regressed offensively this year.

They just aren't getting looks. Or perhaps they are playing too unselfishly, but in no universe should Vescovi (15 attempts), Bailey (14), or K. Johnson (12) take more shots, individually, than Pons and Fulk do combined (11), right now.

 

[johnnybravo]

Santiago and Bailey are great shooters. But not so sure they are great when the game is on the line. When we need them to hit a shot when we are down.
Right now, Springer is our best offensive player. And Keon is electric and needs more game time experience.
Our team last year was a 500 team. We got 2 studs added this year. Use them and quit toying with them.

 

[calban]

They shooters shot better then our shooters, so they won. On to the next.

 

[cardvolfan]

Yes, Alabama found a weakness and was able to attack our defense. But they still hit 50% from 3, meanwhile we were 19% from 3 and lost by 8. We also lost one of better scorers in Springer. If we just shoot slightly better or Bama doesn't got on a 5/6 run from the 3 pointer we win.

My point is. It took alot if things going wrong for us to lose. Even with Bana getting alot of looks from 3, we should shoot better than we did and win.

Alabama created the perfect storm. As you say, a combination of things happened to help them win. Injury to Springer, Pons foul problems, poor shooting from the field and at the FT line, and a short period in the second half where they went 7-8 from three. It happens. I'm not too worried.

I do think Vescovi has a lot of problems with fast, strong, athletic guards. He went into "no mans land" too often last night and it hurt us. Also, teams are playing Fulky defensively by physically man handling him so that he can't be the aggressor with the ball.

 

[livefaith]

4 of 18 from 3 and 12 of 21 from the line gets you beat... Bad night

This is the beginning and the end of the story. Well, coupled with the fact Bammer's shooters went insane in the 3rd quarter+. Never mentioned once by the commentators. Shoot normal with our looks and we're up 8 @ half. Shoot normal throughout and we win by 6-10 even with that 3pt barrage they had. It happens.

 

[livefaith]

I thought Uros might have given a lift. This isn’t the typical Bama team of thug ballers. This is a finesse team. They exposed how slow we are in spots.

... I'm lost as a goose as to how these 2 fit together.

 

[livefaith]

I don’t like Barnes’ offense. I’ve said that from day one. I think it’s a big part of his lack of postseason success. I like Barnes fine. Great guy. Tonight was a prelude to where teams will attack and expose. He’s allowed Vescovi too many stupid mistakes. Springer needs to be staring at PG. They need more structure on offense in running screens and setting up shooters.

jjj needs a kick in the ass.

I thought he may be turning the corner early with some aggressive plays at the rim. But, dang this boy don't know who he really is. He should be slashing hammering home dunks at the rack. He's a man child that's too nice out there.

 

[Roustabout]

... I'm lost as a goose as to how these 2 fit together.

I’m It talking about 20 minutes. I’m speaking of the few minutes Pember got. For whatever reason we couldnt post up a team that lacked post presence.

 

[ColinS]

They just aren't getting looks. Or perhaps they are playing too unselfishly, but in no universe should Vescovi (15 attempts), Bailey (14), or K. Johnson (12) take more shots, individually, than Pons and Fulk do combined (11), right now.

Agree. We have to play inside out.

 

[DULL_BOY]

Good lord they had a bad night...lid on the rim. Y’all weren’t saying that when they flat out dominated Mizzu...even the Chicago Bulls in the 90’s had nights like that....simmer down now y’all and comeback from the ledge. Barnes is the JC not Pruitt.

 

[tennrich1]

Typical UT fan one off night and all of Knoxville is on fire.

Surely at some point it'll go from embarrassing to funny won't it? That's why I have completely quit all football forums. People take this stuff so personal they lose sight of actual facts. The football forums are so full of utter ridiculousness its impossible to read. NO good info there anymore. I sure hope the basketball forum doesn't become that as well. OF COURSE we have a few shooters....I think Bama has a pretty good team and they shot lights out especially to start the 2nd half. Foul trouble got us and Springer leaving killed us. JMO...basketball forum...I'm watching you like a hawk!

 

[alvinkamara]

We lose to bammer in everything......at home, on the road, no matter the sport.......I'm disgusted with it. What spell do they have on us? We are
clearly a better basketball team, yet we lose by double digits.....AT HOME

 

[cardvolfan]

Surely at some point it'll go from embarrassing to funny won't it? That's why I have completely quit all football forums. People take this stuff so personal they lose sight of actual facts. The football forums are so full of utter ridiculousness its impossible to read. NO good info there anymore. I sure hope the basketball forum doesn't become that as well. OF COURSE we have a few shooters....I think Bama has a pretty good team and they shot lights out especially to start the 2nd half. Foul trouble got us and Springer leaving killed us. JMO...basketball forum...I'm watching you like a hawk!

We have a handful of really good shooters. We also have a number of fans who see things through fuzzy lenses. Sometimes we look at the small picture and base every reaction on one event i.e. last night's game. The big picture shows that Tennessee basketball is going to be a factor and is here for the long haul.

 

[alvinkamara]

I can take losing to Kentucky or UNC or Duke; those are the blue bloods of hoops......but bammer? really? at home with a team that is obviously
superior? I guess living here 25 miles from tuscaloser makes it worse than it really is. I just knew we would win by at least 12 or maybe blow them out.
Such a disappointment!

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

I can take losing to Kentucky or UNC or Duke; those are the blue bloods of hoops......but bammer? really? at home with a team that is obviously
superior? I guess living here 25 miles from tuscaloser makes it worse than it really is. I just knew we would win by at least 12 or maybe blow them out.
Such a disappointment!

Did you notice that TN’s biggest offensive threat went out with an injury and the refs whistles sent TN’s best defensive player to the bench early in the first half and 17 seconds into the second?

 

[alvinkamara]

Did you notice that TN’s biggest offensive threat went out with an injury and the refs whistles sent TN’s best defensive player to the bench early in the first half and 17 seconds into the second?

I know that there are always eventualities in sports that can bring about defeat.....I get it......Look, Barnes will never get us past the elite 8 in BB. I watched his TX teams for years.
He could not even get close with Kevin Durant much less with Fulk (and I love Fulk). Barnes is here to bag an SEC title or two, maybe win the SEC
tournament a few times........he is not an elite coach, never will be......BUT he should never allow a team this good to lose to bammer or auBarn or
Ole Miss....should not happen, no matter who is in foul trouble or who has a hangnail, etc......shouldn't happen, but it did!

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

I know that there are always eventualities in sports that can bring about defeat.....I get it......Look, Barnes will never get us past the elite 8 in BB. I watched his TX teams for years.
He could not even get close with Kevin Durant much less with Fulk (and I love Fulk). Barnes is here to bag an SEC title or two, maybe win the SEC
tournament a few times........he is not an elite coach, never will be......BUT he should never allow a team this good to lose to bammer or auBarn or
Ole Miss....should not happen, no matter who is in foul trouble or who has a hangnail, etc......shouldn't happen, but it did!

Durant was a freshman and Barnes got Texas past the Elite Eight.

 

[alvinkamara]

Perhaps, he will lead us to the promised land then......I certainly hope so. These losses to second tier SEC teams (especially bammer) are just a
bit too emotional for me. Barnes' teams tend to tail off and lose more games as the season draws to a close. I have not googled this so you might prove
me wrong, but it sure seems that way. I don't expect a natty from Barnes, just beat the teams we should beat (especially at home). Go Vols

 

[BreatheUT]

Our inability to stop their guards driving into the paint was disgusting!

That was what bothered me is their guard play outplayed our guard play which we labeled a strength. Even worse is our weak inside game to take advantage of their weak inside game. That is more alarming that our struggling guard play last night.

 

[Col_Cathcart]

I don’t like Barnes’ offense. I’ve said that from day one. I think it’s a big part of his lack of postseason success. I like Barnes fine. Great guy. Tonight was a prelude to where teams will attack and expose. He’s allowed Vescovi too many stupid mistakes. Springer needs to be staring at PG. They need more structure on offense in running screens and setting up shooters.

jjj needs a kick in the ass.

you realize that springer was hurt and unavailable and that Johnson ran point a lot against bama?

 

[Col_Cathcart]

Did you notice that TN’s biggest offensive threat went out with an injury and the refs whistles sent TN’s best defensive player to the bench early in the first half and 17 seconds into the second?

I’m beginning to think he didn’t watch the game. I guess we should just let him vent.