vs GaTech (11/13)

We'll have a pretty good shooter back when Turner returns. But need him to keep his head on straight and get healthy of course.

 

I am also concerned about the lack of dynamic, game-changing, NBA talent. I mean, Grant Williams is the SEC POY, so maybe he's that guy, but he just feels like a good player with some talent who has just worked really, really hard to get every ounce out he can out of himself. He's not the otherworldly prodigy who can just take over.

Basically, I feel the same as Tenny. I feel like we've got a lot of solid players who have been coached into being an excellent *team*. I'm just not sure if that's enough when you've got the target on your back all season, and then even more so when we come to March and you have to get through a bunch of lottery picks if you want to make the final four.

Maybe this is just me projecting onto this team because it's a Tennessee basketball team and I'm not used to us having nice things. But that's definitely how it feels. Not worried about this performance in particular--we grinded out a win, and it was really never in doubt--just worried about us going through the entire season getting everybody's best shot.

 

We probably wont win another game this year. Might be in our best interests to cancel the season and terminate the program.

 

We’ll be fine

 

We’ll also be a good FT shooting team. Not worried about that either.

 

But basketball fan overreactions are one of the best things about it.

Some guy tweeted about one minute into the 2nd half, “This won’t get it done in March,”

It was Nov 13

 

I am 1000% guilty of this, and in also doing what NYY warned against earlier - perceiving a basketball season in the same vein and with the same emotion as I see football, and where every single possession is important and every game is live-or-die.

Still, my overarching concern is that this team lacks consistent playmakers on the offensive end, and I don’t see any solution in sight.

 

Guarding the other guys is the last thing I’d worry about

 

I dont see a lack of playmakers. I see 6 guys that are weopons we can isolate and get good looks, with Turner

 

We also will have a brother-in-law scoring on most nights. That isn't a bad thing, unless it's final possession and down 2. Turner will alleviate a lot of that fear. If this team keeps same defensive intensity, and stays healthy, then most of these worries that some are talking about after this game will be for naught.

 

Yeah. Last night will hopefully be the worst of the season.

 

This is a 30 win team.

And I'll happily take a team in March with a bunch of juniors and seniors.

5 wont let this team lose either. Just get him the ball in crunchtime. I'll ride with him.

 

I definitely think when we lose, it’ll be because we scored less points than the other guys

 

Jordan Bone has developed a nice little jump shot from around 15 feet. If he can just get a little better at finishing around the rim, that's gonna be a huge factor moving forward.

I've said it many times before, but we will go as far as he takes us in March. PG play is crucial.

Now that we have multiple scoring threats, with Williams, Scofield, Bowden and Turner (from 3) and even Alexander improving around the basket, we are a much more complete team than last year.

 

25 regular season similar to last year imo

 

Got this vibe from Pastner:

 

I'll say 26 regular season and 4+ in tournaments.

 

We will know whether we are a 25 win or 30 win team really, really soon.

 

We play 31 regular season games - in no way am I saying we are going 30-1.

I will say 26-5.

 

I genuinely don't know how much better this group can be than last year. Lost one backup PG/perimeter threat. Added a babyfaced center. A lot of guys have rounded their games off more but there still isn't an explosive play maker among the group.

Feels like they played at their ceiling last year.