ON MY ALLEGED MIND (2-4-22)
GIVE ME THAT: Prior to their game versus Texas A&M, Tennessee was a defensive stalwart and an offensive stall. Every conference game with the exception of LSU had been such slogs that only Kevin O’Neill and Sean Sinclair DDS (you know you’re my guy Sinco) and the peers of his profession could derive any enjoyment. It was all a halfcourt rasslin match -and though their effort could never be questioned- from a viewer standpoint it was half-ass basketball. The Vols had scored over 75 points only twice in eight league contests and lost by 28 in one of those. Tuesday night’s game was a breath of fresh air after eight contests with the aroma of games played in a convenient store restroom. The defense was not what we’ve come to expect from the Vols allowing the Aggies to shoot 57.1% from the field and 42.9 from beyond the arc. They also turned the ball over 17 times leading to 18 points. But it was easily the most aesthetically pleasing game since Arizona.
For the first time since the turn of the year Tennessee’s offense looked to be in synch and in rhythm. The movement of the ball and personnel was crisp and efficient. They also took advantage of live-ball turnovers scoring 24 points off 16 A&M turnovers. They appeared to be as comfortable and loose on the offensive end as at any point and were willing to score from anywhere on the court that the defense allowed. The flow of the game was what made it so much more enjoyable than the dual suffocating styles we had seen in the first eight league games. Give me both teams scoring rather than the hockey matches we’ve watched previously every day and twice on Saturday.
THAT’S THE WAY FOR JJJ: That’s the game we’ve been waiting on from JJJ all season. He is supposed to be the Vols Swiss Army Knife not their long-range sniper. JJJ scored 14 points on 4 of 7 shooting from the field, 1 of 2 from beyond the arc, 5 for 5 from the FT line with 8 rebounds and 5 steals. He stuffed numbers below every category and THAT is what he’s supposed to be for this team. If this becomes the norm the Vols could be much better down the stretch than the season to-date suggests.
STRETCH PREDICTIONS: I’m glad I waited until the entire first half of the Vols conference season ended before predicting how they would fare in their final nine SEC games. It may have been a total tease but the victory over Texas A&M -and how it unfolded- have bolstered my faith going forward. The Vols currently stand at 15-6 and 6-3 and barring a complete meltdown are playing for NCAA Tournament seeding over the next 5 weeks. Here’s how I see those weeks unfolding:
@ SOUTH CAROLINA: WIN The Gamecocks aren’t very good but all Frank Martin’s teams can ugly-it-up with the best of them and the Vols aren’t the greatest road team alive. It’s a scary stop and the Cocks have won three of their last four including on the road at A&M who were a handful for the Vols in Knoxville. Despite the angst I’ll take the Vols.
@MISSISSIPPI STATE: LOSS The Bulldogs are 14-7; 5-3 and 47th in NET rating. They are currently in Joe Lunardi’s first four out and desperate for a win over a quality opponent whether it be at The Hump or on the road. The Bullies are 5-0 at home and unfortunately this one is in Starkville.
VANDERBILT: WIN The Vols will return home for the first time in 11 days and will entertain a cooperative guest. Vandy tried to make the game in Nashville a rugby match and will likely attempt the same in TBA. I doubt it works any better as a matter of fact their attempt to bully the Vols several weeks ago is unlikely to have been forgotten.
KENTUCKY: LOSS The Cats are the real deal again. Transfers Oscar Tshiebwe (WVU) and Kellan Grady (Davidson) have added a veteran, blue collar mix to John Calipari’s usual collection of precocious, blue blood neophytes that gives this version of the Big-Blue their best team since the Anthony Davis crew.
@ARKANSAS LOSS For the second straight season Eric Musselman’s Hogs got off to a painfully slow start in league play only to have the light switch come on for an impressive run. Arkansas has won six straight after starting 0-3 and look to be the third best team in the SEC trailing only Final-4 potential Auburn and Kentucky. If my predictions are accurate this would be the Vols first losing streak of the 21-22 season.
@MISSOURI: WIN Cuonzo Martin’s 5th edition of Tigers are not very good. Mizzou is 8-13 and 2-6 in the league yet somehow beat Alabama in Columbia and drilled Ole Miss by 25 in Oxford. The Vols have yet to suffer a bad loss on the season but losing in either of the Columbias would certainly qualify.
AUBURN: LOSS Bruce Pearl has his high-flying Tigers at #1 in America and looking every bit like his second Final-4 team on The Plains. This is simply a bad matchup for us from start-to-finish
@GEORGIA WIN The only team currently worse than Missouri in the SEC are the Georgia Bulldogs and somehow Alabama lost to them as well. It’s the Dawgs only SEC win and their unlikely to win more than two over the remainder of their slate. Georgia scores 72.4 ppg and surrenders 84.4. The Vols need to contribute to this stat advantage in their trip to Athens
ARKANSAS: WIN This may be a matchup that determines if the Vols are a Top-4 seed and a recipient of a double-bye in the SEC Tournament. Both the Hogs and Vols may receive that benefit regardless of the outcome but a win could also be the impetus needed for deep run in the conference tournament in Tampa.
RESULTS: If my vision is clear the Vols will close out the second half of the league season 5-4 good for an overall record of 20-10 and 11-7 or if the Beano-1 formula proven over history becomes reality 19-11 and 10-8. I think either certainly results in another Rick Barnes-led NCAA appearance and a likely 5 or 6 seed.
RICK BARNES vs THE LAST QUARTER CENTURY AT UT Most of you saw this on Tony’s Monday blog. I thought I would add it here as well since I’m out of bullets otherwise.
There seems to be a still miniscule -yet growing- level of dissatisfaction or more accurately “fatigue" with Rick Barnes and his tenure as Tennessee’s Head Basketball Coach. Its piqued my interest into how Barnes record stacks up beside the Vols recent history. I thought a fair comparison would be to look at the 25 seasons prior to his arrival which begins with Wade Houston’s second season on The Hill (90-91). I offer the following without (almost) editorial.
25 SEASONS PRIOR TO BARNES ARRIVAL (From Wade Houston’s 2nd season 1990-91 through Donnie Tyndall’s only season 2014-15)
OVERALL RECORD: 448-350 .561
WINS/SEASON: 17.9
SEC RECORD: 205-199 .507
SEC WINS/SEASON: 8.2 (21 of 25 seasons were 16-game league schedules)
NCAA TOURNAMENT RECORD 14-11 .560 (11 Appearances)
RICK BARNES TENURE AT TENNESSEE (excluding this season)
OVERALL RECORD: 123-73 .628
WINS/SEASON: 20.5
SEC RECORD: 61-46 .570
SEC WINS/SEASON: 10.2 (All 18-game league schedules)
NCAA TOURNAMENT RECORD 3-3 .500 (3 Appearances)
SUMMARY: As you might expect Barnes exceeds our recent (and overall) regular season success and so far, has gone to the tournament at a more frequent rate yet fares worse after getting there. Not sure the above comparison would sway anyone’s opinion of Barnes tenure nor was the exercise designed to do so.
NEXT TIME: I have no idea. I’ll jump in when I feel froggy again
CLOSING COMMENT: February is when basketball teams either throw it in high or gear down. Let’s hope the Vols are the former.
