23-24 Season

I like it better this year tbh

 

Okay, I don't get this one. What did Bruce say?

 

He was voting for the best player on the championship team for SEC POY.

 

I think there is no doubt Barnes is our best coach in school history. I thought it a couple of weeks ago, but come on.

 

In his defense, I probably wouldn't want to vote for the guy who made my entire team his [itch bay] either.

 

I'm no Vols basketball historian, but I can get behind this.

I'm curious to see how this team ranks. Feels like it's potentially our best team ever. Definitely feels like the most well-rounded, complete team, to me. But recency bias is a thing.

 

The landscape is much different than Mears’ days so idk how to compare. An elite 8 run at least and he’s done everything Pearl ever did here and more except for the cheating and philandering

 

We make final 4, best team evah

 

This team deserves to be the first Final 4 team and should be.

 

You should never prefer a two seed over a one, regardless of how far you have to travel. There is a distinct advantage in being a one seed.

 

I agree. There is a cumulative advantage in early match-ups that is inherently there even if it is hard to measure.

 

Agree……

Except I think we matchup with Houston very very well………

 

Honestly I think the biggest difference is the Sweet 16. If everything goes chalk, you’re playing a three seed. That means you’re going up against a team that has spent a lot of the year either in or on the periphery of the top ten. Then you have to follow that up 48 hours later in the Elite 8 by playing one of the top 4-5 teams in the country.

 

Can you expand on the distinct advantage? Obviously a 16 will always be significantly better than a 15. But beyond that?

Not arguing, just asking.

 

Fair point. On the other hand Arizona, who would undoubtedly be the 2 seed in the West should Tennessee be the #1, is 1-6 all time in regional final games played in California.

 

I see you expanding on it above now.

I will say, this year, I'm not sure there's that big of a difference between, say, Duke, at #9 (first 3 seed) and Auburn or Kansas at #13/14 (first two 4 seeds).

 

This year is weird. Pretty clear dip after #3. And I'd say another pretty clear dip after #7.

Personally, I think Iowa State is a bit overrated, and I think we can contend with the top 3 (even though our record is 3 games behind all of them).

 

Their 3rd leading scorer is a 7'0, 260 lb center. I'm not sure I'd look forward to playing them.

 

They don’t math in the coal mines
https://x.com/robadob92/status/1765575957014819222?s=46&t=2b6pP7oj5Clj9DJABXtJCQ