The Official #4 Tennessee vs. #13 Louisiana NCAA Tournament Game Thread, 9:40 PM ET, CBS

[Thunder Good-Oil]

Zero confidence. I hope they serve me crow well done Saturday night. However, not only do I not trust the players, I don’t even trust the coach rn. I see a grandfather on the sidelines more than I see a college basketball coach. Obviously he can’t hit the shots or make the passes for them, but how many times do you have to watch and do the same thing over and over and over before you change something? Injuries this, injuries that. Theres still a big elephant in the room and it all points to one place.

The grandfather coaches have been dominating making Final Fours.

 

[Doctrippin]

Barnes should shake things up by putting Awaka and Uros on the floor at the same time, because Duke is gonna play both their bigs at once and we've got to get inside

 

[hillsborovol]

Those of us who remember Wade Houston, Kevin O’Neil and Buzz Peterson truly understand.

But those who remember Ray Mears, Bruce Pearl, and other Coach Barnes' teams disagree. We have been over-rated for much of the season. Remember we finished 5th in the SEC and got swept by Kentucky. While this is a good team, it certainly won't be remembered as a great team unless we we win at least one more game. The Vols have had 8 Sweet 16 appearances, and we will need to beat Duke to make it 9.

 

[Post4Vols]

I’m going to try the YouTube TV subscription. After the NCAAT is finished.

I have YouTube TV and get all the sports I want but do miss the MLB network. I also split it with a neighbor and only pay half of the costs, supposedly can only have 3 running at one time but we have never gotten a pop up stating all the logins were in use. It’s very affordable that way.

 

[strkr]

No it’s not. The teams that played early today should play early Saturday. You can’t change that Duke played before us today, but you can give BOTH teams at least 48 hours to play again. You are missing the point.

It’s a typical money grab that doesn’t help student athletes.

V
Vescovi should be well rested. Sat for 13 plus minutes in first half.

 

[CNeagleVolFan]

Barnes should shake things up by putting Awaka and Uros on the floor at the same time, because Duke is gonna play both their bigs at once and we've got to get inside

He played Uros and Olivier together a lot, and Oliver held his own against brown when asked to guard him. Brown is just a post scoring machine, and I wish we could get him to come here next year lol. If Uros, Oliver, and Jonas play defense like they did tonight then we will give Dukes bigs trouble. IMO brown is better than any of Dukes bigs.

 

[GregAmsler]

Nahh....he's about to do what he does best. Out in the 1st weekend.

Sorry you ended up disappointed.

 

[GregAmsler]

He played Uros and Olivier together a lot, and Oliver held his own against brown when asked to guard him. Brown is just a post scoring machine, and I wish we could get him to come here next year lol. If Uros, Oliver, and Jonas play defense like they did tonight then we will give Dukes bigs trouble. IMO brown is better than any of Dukes bigs.

This. He would be just what the doctor ordered, along with a PG.

 

[GUNTERSVOL]

I am in disbelief at some of the comments around here - I mean - we aren’t exactly some hoops blue blood program with future NBA stars lining up at our door … we just had a great season given the continuous string of injuries and just made our objective tonight: we survived and advanced.
Pretty sure UVA would gladly trade with us about now ….
Only way you can be pissed about WINNING a March game is if you bet your wife’s paycheck to cover …

The old tried and true fan analysis method of determining if a poster freely applies moral losses and denies the existence of any positive with a victory should do the trick. Find it odd that they do not think value add to a program does not apply to posters. Taking unlimited shots at players and coaches is what it is, regardless of those ever so tricky qualifying statements attached to their typically agenda driven efforts. Redundancy also is what it is.

 

[CNeagleVolFan]

This. He would be just what the doctor ordered, along with a PG.

Just don’t know how much eligibility he has left

 

[GregAmsler]

The old tried and true fan analysis method of determining if a poster freely applies moral losses and denies the existence of any positive with a victory should do the trick. Find it odd that they do not think value add to a program does not apply to posters. Taking unlimited shots at players and coaches is what it is, regardless of those ever so tricky qualifying statements attached to their typically agenda driven efforts. Redundancy also is what it is.

Notice who only shows up to complain during and immediately after games (usually losses), but didn’t post consistently otherwise.

 

[gainesvol82]

I think folks get riled up giving up a 18 point lead, the turnovers, poor shot selection and then the missed foul shots. So the “fan” is frustrated and the commentators add fuel to the fire by saying TN is turning it over too much, etc. At the end of the day, I think most on this board love the Vols. They just want to win.

@ the end of the day, we won the game and I’m ecstatic to watch another TN game. I think Duke comes out and beats us by double figures, however, I still have hope.

I don't mind valid criticism but the over reacting and constant bashing at every opportunity get to me. Barnes, more than anyone, has made Tennessee a destination that people genuinely believe you can win at and that will pay dividends long after he is gone. He may not win a championship at UT but he has laid a lot of the groundwork for someone to win one in the near future. I appreciate not regularly being hot garbage or having to rely on a cheating, shameless self-promoting, scumbag of a snitch in order to win.

 

[GregAmsler]

Just don’t know how much eligibility he has left

Listed as a Junior on the ESPN box score.

 

[CAVPUT]

How old are you? Is this really the first time in your life that TN basketball has been relevant?

There was no UT baskteball before Chris Lofton. Didn't you know that?

 

[CAVPUT]

No it’s not. The teams that played early today should play early Saturday. You can’t change that Duke played before us today, but you can give BOTH teams at least 48 hours to play again. You are missing the point.

It’s a typical money grab that doesn’t help student athletes.

I agree with your point, but like you said, it's about eyeballs and money. Even so, these are 18-22 year olds coming off a near week long break. They will be fine by 2:45 Saturday. Fatigue won't be what sends us home if we lose vs Duke.

 

[JohnD13]

But those who remember Ray Mears, Bruce Pearl, and other Coach Barnes' teams disagree. We have been over-rated for much of the season. Remember we finished 5th in the SEC and got swept by Kentucky. While this is a good team, it certainly won't be remembered as a great team unless we we win at least one more game. The Vols have had 8 Sweet 16 appearances, and we will need to beat Duke to make it 9.

So JJ out those games and ZZ lost for season has no bearing on out losses? GTF out of here. We win at least 3 more of both those guys are healthy. We beat 2 #1 seeds, we beat a #2 seed.

That being said, even with a 100% healthy team, we choke in the NCAA so in the end it doesn't matter who the coach is, UT will never make the final 4...

 

[Volwonder1]

I think folks get riled up giving up a 18 point lead, the turnovers, poor shot selection and then the missed foul shots. So the “fan” is frustrated and the commentators add fuel to the fire by saying TN is turning it over too much, etc. At the end of the day, I think most on this board love the Vols. They just want to win.

@ the end of the day, we won the game and I’m ecstatic to watch another TN game. I think Duke comes out and beats us by double figures, however, I still have hope.

Liked the post until I got to Duke beating us by double figures

 

[JohnD13]

He played Uros and Olivier together a lot, and Oliver held his own against brown when asked to guard him. Brown is just a post scoring machine, and I wish we could get him to come here next year lol. If Uros, Oliver, and Jonas play defense like they did tonight then we will give Dukes bigs trouble. IMO brown is better than any of Dukes bigs.

Barnes went after him when he went in the portal out of AZ. He doesn't want to be in Knoxville.....

 

[Volwonder1]

Teams prove themselves on the court, and we've looked inconsistent at best for weeks. Tonight included. "A win is a win" doesn't work if you barely beat an inferior opponent after leading by 18. Against a team like this, HOW you win does matter. We were lucky to win this, and that doesn't inspire any confidence moving forward.

A win is a win..whether it’s by 1 or 30…

 

[ZZ13]

But those who remember Ray Mears, Bruce Pearl, and other Coach Barnes' teams disagree. We have been over-rated for much of the season. Remember we finished 5th in the SEC and got swept by Kentucky. While this is a good team, it certainly won't be remembered as a great team unless we we win at least one more game. The Vols have had 8 Sweet 16 appearances, and we will need to beat Duke to make it 9.

His last four years, with Grunfeld in all four and King in three of them, Mears was 0-4 in post season with first round losses in two second rate tournaments and two unacceptable NCAA first round losses. I lived through all that and compared to Mears, Barnes this year is a breath of fresh air.

 

[gainesvol82]

How old are you? Is this really the first time in your life that TN basketball has been relevant?

40. Longest period of being consistently relevant by far. Short late 90's run, the Pearl years and then whatever we were under Cuonzo. We have never been a consistent top tier program before Barnes. Pearl came close but his lies caught up with him too soon.

 

[Volwonder1]

You shouldn’t watch then. Saves us from reading your dramatic posts.

As long as the Vols score at least 1 more point then the other team after 4 quarters, does it matter if they score 60,50,40,16 by the end of the game?? No style points in the MADNESS OF MARCH. Win/Advance

 

[volfan102455]

Crazy game - glad for the victory! Yesterday reminded all that this is MARCH MADNESS! Virginia and Arizona found that out, but we survived round 1.

Basketball is not like football, where the predictable generally happens. Any team on any night could rise up and win the game no one expects.

 

[VolGee4]

If the game was scheduled for 5:40/7:00/7:30/9:30, you’d still be complaining that the time slot benefits Duke. You aren’t the only one who’s been around my guy. Stop asking like a child.

Glad you can’t understand it.

 

[RavinDave]

😝. Disinterested. Thanks! Good ole autocorrect.

So it was not the zombie apocalypse?