The Official #5 Tennessee @ #15 Kentucky Game Thread, 7:00 PM ET, ESPN

[RiseToTheTop]

I watch other teams and it seems that scoring is not an issue, defense is. Defense is not an issue for us, but with us, we play great offensively one game, and then we absolutely suck the next. I do not understand the inconsistency.

I also do not understand Mashack. How do you get to this level of NCAA play and can't throw a stone into the ocean, standing on the rail of a boat, in the middle of the ocean.

literally never trying to defend the 3 pt line, watching your team get buried with it and then never fixing it.....twice.

 

[UTS4EVR]

Frustrating loss, but it takes 50%+ 3 point shooting to beat us. Sucks. But we win otherwise

That is just stupid. Tennessee has a NCAA leading defense….where the hell was it? Kentucky owns Tennessee this year, just admit it. It’s not on Kentucky to miss open threes, but for the Vols to stop them.

 

[MoCo_Vol]

True. Uk is one of those teams that can win or lose any game depending on the offense. Our defense is bad. Honestly the ut offense stopped itself more than anything. Horrible gameplan

Beat Duke, Beat Florida, Beat Gonzaga, Beat A&M, Beat Vols twice

But lost to Ohio State, Vandy, Georgia, & Arkansas

Has to be a frustrating season for Cats fans, but Pope in his first year so I’m sure growing pains were expected.

 

[Caz]

Team has been horrible in the final few minutes. Even with the lead.

That’s what’s so depressing. I’ve come to expect all loses in close games this year. Not sure how that happened at Illinois

 

[orchidvol]

looking like it’s time for a change after this season. Can we please hire a coach that recruits shooters. Man watching Kentucky drop 3s we need those kinda guys

I'm as disappointed as anyone losing to Kentucky, but let's pump the brakes on talk of "a change after the season." Very frustrating game but Barnes is why we've had exciting basketball around here for years and years now. Let's calm down.

I absolutely despise Kentucky (and their fans) but they just hit big shots, often contested, when they had to.

 

[KnoxtotheBoro20]

That is just stupid. Tennessee has a NCAA leading defense….where the hell was it? Kentucky owns Tennessee this year, just admit it. It’s not on Kentucky to miss open threes, but for the Vols to stop them.

We just let them take us out of our element and speed us up. For the 2nd straight game against them

 

[walkenvol]

I hope so. He's running into the same issues he had at Texas. He got lazy and quit recruiting. When was the last 5* or McDonald's all American he signed? He living and dying in the portal.

Where have you been? 2 years ago we signed a 5* freshman and last year we signed an all American?

 

[Freak]

Good job Barnes! You the man! We SUCK

Dude, we're 20-5. The extreme overreaction in this thread during/after every loss is getting out of hand.

 

[cncchris33]

I blame Barnes sticking with Mashack in & Igor on bench so long.

Yeah, Igor was our entire offense outside of ZZ.

 

[SicEmSmokey33]

3 point lead with 6 minutes left and get out scored 20-6...no excuse for that

 

[MoCo_Vol]

When a team shoots 50% against your D from 3pt land twice in the same year, yeah D is kind of an issue.

I think it’s our lack of wing size, our biggest guard is 6’4”

 

[vol94]

He’s been here 10 years! He chose not to sign players this year. He has all the resources anyone else (except maybe Cal) has.

I can’t argue with that.

 

[vavolfan6]

Made a big difference last year

Maybe so, but I don't see any team having a cheat code player like Edey.

Some may the Cooper Flagg, but Duke is always soft and can't hold up to Barne's style defense. And Flagg he isn't 7'4

 

[Vol4lif3]

True. Uk is one of those teams that can win or lose any game depending on the offense. Our defense is bad. Honestly the ut offense stopped itself more than anything. Horrible gameplan

You guys made some good shots I’ll give you credit you have a great offense but if you had a defense that can stop teams from getting inside you guys would be a top 5 team I don’t like Kentucky lol but you guys have talent

 

[KnoxtotheBoro20]

The biggest disappointment of this team is Barnes leaving 2 scholarship spots open going into the year

 

[OrngeJuiceJones]

Dude, we're 20-5. The extreme overreaction in this thread during/after every loss is getting out of hand.

Just don't over analyze this. The shooting from Gainey and Lanier 7 for 25 was simply the ballgame. But we are 20-5 in the hardest league in college basketball.

 

[RiseToTheTop]

The biggest disappointment of this team is Barnes leaving 2 scholarship spots open going into the year

yep, idiotic. Hes getting lazy.

 

[Vols till I fall]

I can't wait for the day Lanier graduates from Tennessee

 

[Go47]

This is a really good defensive team (I know we gave up the three ball to UK), but a very erratic / up and down team on offense.

Our lack of production on offense and poor shooting will most likely lead to an early exit in the NCAA . . . Unless we get on a sustained “hot streak” shooting the ball. It could happen. But it’s not likely. Also, UK is simply a bad matchup for us this year . . . And it appears Pope MAY have Barnes’s number. Too small of a sample size to know yet.

 

[Freak]

Out coached. Will beat our eyes shot in the SECT.

Piss ooor scout again.

Barnes was sitting on his ass.

Don't forget "poll watching".

 

[Mid Tenn Vol]

I'm as disappointed as anyone losing to Kentucky, but let's pump the brakes on talk of "a change after the season." Very frustrating game but Barnes is why we've had exciting basketball around here for years and years now. Let's calm down.

I absolutely despise Kentucky (and their fans) but they just hit big shots, often contested, when they had to.

Yeah you’re probably right. But damn this team is really hard to watch

 

[UTS4EVR]

Refs did give Kentucky like 6 straight fouls..then they seperated from us

Because Tennessee was fouling trying to extend the game! Good grief, let it go….the Wildcats just played better…and short handed too. For crying out loud, they let the freshman Noah kid torch them from three.

 

[Vols2015]

Dude, we're 20-5. The extreme overreaction in this thread during/after every loss is getting out of hand.

This!

 

[patrick]

You think those guys played well?

I’m no Barnes apologist. He decided not to fill a roster. Wonder how much those two “frat rats” Ky played tonight that beat his ass cost them in NIL $?

UK roster isn’t great, its average.

This isn’t a bad matchup. Two piss poor scouts against UK.

Total sh$$ losses vs UK. Vols decided to dribble drive and shoot 2 pt shots that were challenged.

Should have shot the three ball all night. This was sh$$ - our offense is below average.

 

[RiseToTheTop]

UK roster isn’t great, its average.

This isn’t a bad matchup. Two piss poor scouts against UK.

Total sh$$ losses vs UK. Vols decided to dribble drive and shoot 2 pt shots that were challenged.

Should have shot the three ball all night. This was sh$$ - our offense is below average.

atleast Mark Pope can find a shooter which are equalizers. Imagine if we had shooters like they do.