The Official #6 [2] Tennessee vs. #2 [1] Houston Game Thread, 2:20 PM ET, CBS

[connor]

Great season. Another 30 win season another elite 8. Houston the better team, but the first half was so bad. Just never was gonna recovr

That’s always going to be the ceiling for Tennessee basketball because when it comes to breaking records or setting new barriers we don’t come prepared in the least to play on gameday.

 

[UTK]

Ehhh rip my final four hat. Two elite 8s in a row is not bad. But I think next year we need an internal scorer and a three point shooter both.

I think we need to find a dominant big man for sure, when the 3s don’t fall for us against teams that have good inside defense, it’s a tough time as seen in the first half. Gotta find a big that will go in and make tough shots.

 

[Mid Tenn Vol]

and the Bob Kessling era is done.

Can’t say I’m disappointed. No fire or passion calling the games.

 

[sportsnut624]

You rang?

Underrated response! Haha

 

[cherokeeeVOL]

I think we just lost to the eventual champions like we did in football. Houston is really really good.

 

[WarDamnVols]

Tough loss, but Houston is a top 3 team imo. You have to show up with your best to take down a team like that, and we clearly didn’t. That poor 1st half was just too much to overcome.

Overall, still a solid season altogether! Will sincerely miss ZZ and Mashack

 

[connor]

Im gonna just go nap off this anger. It’s hard to see any positives out of what happened today

 

[TN1111]

Barnes never has dominant big men. If we run his typical team and add a dominant post player we have something to lean into when we go cold. Get a difference maker in the paint. Surround them with athletes

This... outside of a lob for a dunk we don't have an interior game.

 

[mackievol]

Can't win em all.

 

[Switch 625]

Barnes can't stop the ball from slipping out of Chaz's hands like it did at the start of the game. Barnes can talk with Igor, but he can't fix Igor mentally in three weeks.

The whole team missed wide open shots all day. Houston did not. Same rims. Same court.

 

[Other_Guy]

Just hate THIS was how it ends for ZZ.

 

[SKV84]

Estrella was such a big loss early in this season. He would have made impact today.

 

[orange_glory]

On a positive note Lady vols softball just won the series against the number 2 team in the country at their place.

 

[99gator]

Unpopular opinion: Barnes and his staff got the absolute most out of the squad this year.

Lanier ended up being a little too streaky for our #1 option and Estrella getting hurt really hurt us down low. Igor really fell off the last month or so of the season

Elite 8 with this group is something that should be celebrated, IMO.

Sometimes, you have a matchup problem. They have a guy that can guard ZZ. They can make life difficult for Lanier. Tennessee doesn't score in the post and their bigs can't play as a "stretch 4", although that''s what Igor is supposed to do.

Aren't many options to turn to.

In a lot of ways, Igor not doing what Igor is on the roster to do was a lot of the problem.

 

[Tenacjim]

Dug too big of a hole. Pretty even in the 2nd half. Still allowed too many wide open 3s after getting it down to 10.

I will miss ZZ, JM and JG. CL was an “OK” one year rent and IM turned out pretty “meh”.

Would have loved a FF but back to back EEs isn’t bad.

I’m now turning my full attention to a back to back NC run by our #1 ranked BaseVols.

GBO!

 

[Caz]

I see lots of blame on Barnes here, but he didn't shoot all bricks all game. I think he did an amazing job this year when we had to replace our entire staring 5 with the exception of Z. We have a lot of hurt here, but none hurts as bad as TN in that locker room now. We just didn't show up at the right time. It happens, but there's no crying in basketball! Lol

 

[DuckInAPen]

CRBs bonus structure needs to be readjusted. No incentive pay unless it’s a F4.

That'll get us over the hump . . .

 

[Deathandtaxes]

ZZ Mashack and Gainey, thank you.

 

[Other_Guy]

and the Bob Kessling era is done.

Brah

 

[njvols]

Houston is basically the roster Barnes wants…strange he hasn’t managed to build it yet.

Bigs are 6’8” but long arms and athletic enough to guard in perimeter.

Yep. If we played like we did against Ky we could have made a game of it but Houston had something to do with it. They’re a better version of us and we can’t handle that sort of D.

 

[MoCo_Vol]

Ehhh rip my final four hat. Two elite 8s in a row is not bad. But I think next year we need an internal scorer and a three point shooter both.

I just hope we fill all 13 scholarships…

 

[deezvols]

Beat ourselves today…. Was a great season and our fight gave us a shot late. Our first half put us in a bad spot where we had to double and leave people wide open for 3.

 

[Tnphil]

I'll never understand how a whole team can go cold and it happens to often. I can understand a player going cold....but a whole team at the same time?!!

 

[jtdavis]

Disappointed but proud of the guys. They started the season with little expectations and played well. I will miss Mashack and Gainey. They never got the credit they deserved.

 

[LegionnaireOfTheMiserable]

It was a good year. This team never really looked like a Final 4 team once SEC play started, so losing in the Elite 8 feels about like they maxed out. Can’t complain about 30 wins and an Elite 8 at Tennessee, especially when you beat Kentucky in the tournament.

But man, it was tough to go out this way, and even tougher knowing this was Zakai’s and Jahmai’s last game.