Confidence is a little shaken.
Defense is still a huge concern.
But Tennessee men's basketball coach Bruce Pearl thinks the No. 15-ranked Vols are at least battle tested enough to begin SEC action.
They don't have a choice.
UT (9-4) heads to Georgia (9-6) to open SEC play noon Saturday.
"We're prepared from a standpoint of having played one of the most difficult schedules in the country in the preseason," Pearl said Thursday. "At the same time we're probably not as confident a basketball team as I'd like heading into conference play."
Back-to-back losses to Kansas and Gonzaga don't exactly have the Vols reeling.
It's just not a feel-good situation around practice when you let a 15-point lead evaporate against the Zags at home on Wednesday.
The lead disappeared and so did a home winning streak that had reached 37 games.
Gonzaga flew back home with an 89-79 overtime victory and UT was left at home wondering what now?
Still, Pearl wasn't all doom and gloom.
A brutal non-conference schedule has provided its benefits despite four losses (Gonzaga twice, Kansas and Temple).
"Obviously when you lose a couple of games now, our toughness is going to be challenged again," Pearl said. "But we've done all this to prepare ourselves for conference play.
"We've been a lot of places and played a lot of great teams. Obviously we haven't won our last two games, but I feel like we've seen about everything we're going to see. I think this team is prepared."
A major part of the conversation during Thursday's SEC teleconference revolved around the low RPI (ratings percentage index) of SEC teams.
According to one RPI service, the SEC has six teams rated below 100 and eight teams rated 73rd or lower.
Only Tennessee (No. 32), Florida (43) and Arkansas (49) have top 50 RPIs.
With overall league ratings so low, it could make impressing the NCAA Tournament selection committee that much harder this season.
"I'm not a mathematician and I'm not a bracketologist," Pearl said. "I've been accused of being a lot of things other than a basketball coach, but that's not one of them.
"I don't know. I guess if going into conference play our overall RPI is low, then we won't be enhancing our RPI, especially since we'll be beating ourselves up pretty good."
The Vols won't be beating anybody if their defense doesn't improve.
Tennessee allowed Gonzaga to connect on 16-of-29 second-half shots (55.2 percent). At the same time, the Vols were hitting 13-of-35 (37.1 percent).
"We're not forcing as many turnovers as any of my previous teams," Pearl said. "We're bigger, we're slower, we're longer.
"Because we're not as quick, we really have a different identity defensively."
Pearl and his staff are trying to figure out what that identity needs to be.
The Vols rank 288th out of 330 Division I teams in scoring defense, giving up 73.8 points per game.
They were 192nd in field-goal percentage defense (43.3 percent) going into the Gonzaga game.
"We've got to find another way, besides forcing turnovers, to be an effective team," he said. "Last year we led the SEC in not only forcing turnovers, but field-goal percentage defense and rebounding margin.
"That was probably the biggest reason we were able to be champions."
The road to a possible repeat begins Saturday with more questions than answers right now.
Tennessee's signing class for 2012
Tennessee defeats Georgia 3-2 in…
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Comments » 42
CoverOrange writes:
Defense wouldn't be as big a concern if we had any kind of consistent offense. Hit above 40% of the second half shots, and we win in regulation. Nobody but Tyler has any kind of touch around the basket. And it seems to be a common theme for all CBP's Vol teams.
sullivanctyvol writes:
2cd
orangecountry21 writes:
3rd
rthestar#368358 writes:
stoooooooooooooopid
yabadabadoo1026 writes:
kindergarden must just have let out
rthestar#368358 writes:
hey 2nd your 3 sisters that follow are stooooooopid too
CoverOrange writes:
I must be in the wrong room.
blitzshoot writes:
what the hell are you kids doing. go to your rooms.
Halftime 7-7 who would have thunk it.
murrayvol writes:
Likewise.
murrayvol writes:
UF is fortunate (and good). It could've been 21-7.
yabadabadoo1026 writes:
yeah Romper Room on Sesame Street
blitzshoot writes:
No doubt. They are very fortunate. Ok 3 and out.
UF looks a little more like UF.
BillVol writes:
Terrence Oglesby, where are you?
bobscleo#330846 writes:
this is by far CBP's biggest challenge-they have no one that can hit the outside shot-although there are a lot of 3 point attempts-which has severely limited the offensive rebound opportunities and no one and i mean no one is playing "d"-this team as it is will be lucky to go 8-8
Volumnus writes:
Terrence Oglesby is in Clemson... but where is that kid who held him scoreless for that 4 minute stretch in the 1st Rocky Top League game.. He was on him like the dew on Dixie, ran his legs off... isn't he in JUCO somewhere?? Oglesby put him on the floor twice and he bounced up like he had springs in his backside. He was tough and fast. If he isn't available maybe he has a brother... we could sure use that kind of quickness and toughness, if nothing else off the bench.
volaholic45 writes:
As good a coach as most believe BP is, the glaring lack of defense is alarming. Pat always says that defense is a matter of will, not talent. If you can't shoot the 3 you can't shoot the 3, but if you're not playing D its because you have no appetite for it, no will.
tmartin writes:
are you referring to the same one that ESPN was making fun of the other night? ha
writer#358485 writes:
I learned the cure for ESPN--it's called the mute button!
db11_cn writes:
Anyone know about the Jurick kid? Is he transferring?
KENVOL writes:
I don't understand this talk about the tourney. I don't think we will make it to the tourney. This team has no will to win.
b_neas writes:
Sure lets get Oglesby....just what we need when defense is our main issue. He sure plays hard and is super quick and tall and long!! Sure he is just what we need. Idiots!
KENVOL writes:
I was hoping that they would turn it around but I see them getting worse. I don't think we would want to play either one of those teams again. I look for Ky., Fl.,& Ar. to own us. I haven't seen the rest of the teams play to comment on them but I see a ruff road ahead. This team has no "team" to them.
KENVOL writes:
I'm not the best bb person around but watching the Vols on offense they seem to just stand around. They will have 2 down low and 3 will just pass the ball around the top of the key. I don't see other teams doing this. No one seems to try to get open.
KENVOL writes:
That explains it. Thanks
johnlg00#206211 writes:
I think statistics would show that it is in fact easier to get offensive rebounds off of missed 3-pointers than off of shots in close. The court is more spread out and the ball tends to bounce farther. On inside shots, everybody is closer to the basket, the defenders are more likely to be inside of the offensive players, and the ball doesn't bounce as far. I agree that we aren't playing well on either offense or defense right now.
yabadabadoo1026 writes:
getting into the tournament is much more important than seeding------if u want to go all the way you have to win all your games whether u a 1 seed or a 16 seed
johnlg00#206211 writes:
"Heart" can't be implanted, it can only be revealed. CPS has shown that she is willing to sit a player who can't or won't play defense; CBP hasn't. If a player feels there are no consequences for playing poor defense, then he has no incentive to get better at it. A coach can't control a player's effort, he can only reward it or punish a lack of it by controlling playing time. CBP has to decide which he values more, a deep bench or a high level of performance, since all the players are NOT equal in ability and desire.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
The flex offense should never look stagnant. Its catchphrase is "pass, cut, screen away"; that is what we are NOT seeing enough of. At the very least, the post players should be screening for each other, low to high, repeatedly. The wings should also be cutting back and forth across the court. If the offensive players aren't moving, the defensive players aren't moving; therefore, no lanes are created for drives or passes.
THE_VOL writes:
Seriously???? Defense wins championships my friend and this team is giving up 83 ppg vs the best 5 teams they've played.
THE_VOL writes:
WHAT???? How many games have 16 seeds won? How many have 13-15 seeds won? If seeding wasn't tremendously important they'd just draw names from a hat! Obviously getting in is step 1 but once you're in seeding makes a huge difference! I wouldn't expect you to understand that though.
Waldorf writes:
"We're not forcing as many turnovers as any of my previous teams," Pearl said. "We're bigger, we're slower, we're longer.
"Because we're not as quick, we really have a different identity defensively."
-------------------------
Now I am really confused.
I know at some point I have read/heard an interview with Pearl saying that we were going to be longer and more athletic and we'd be able to do more stuff that he wanted to do with these type of guys in the full court. I'm pretty sure he's said we'd been somewhat limited in previous years as well for what we could do.
This makes no sense.
THE_VOL writes:
Too many amatuer experts repeating all the talking head nonsense here today. Bottom line.....this team will go 12-4 and WIN THE SEC. They'll end up as a 5 or 6 seed, make the Sweet 16 and after that everything is a roll of the dice anyway. But ya'll keep tryin' to talk each other into believing all your shared BS!
THE_VOL writes:
One last thing.....WHERE IS MARCY_ASH????? I wanna talk about your IMPACT player!!!!! LMFAO!!
MidTennVol writes:
Why don't you Dean Smith wannabes just write up your expert views and send them to Coach Pearl? Stop denying him the benefit of your basketball genius.
Send Mike Hamilton a copy, along with your resume, for when he looks to fire Pearl. Might be just the thing to get you away from that Wendy's kitchen and the drive-through window...
Vol_In_Ohio writes:
How many SEC wins get us in the tourney (assuming we lose to Memphis)? 9-7 plus a first round SEC victory? That would be 19-12 overall.
vol88 writes:
Ohio...I know we don't look like a final 4 team right now, but we will do much better than 9-7 in the SEC. If Arky beats us from the west, and if we split with UF, KY and Vandy, that's just 4 losses. toss in another upset and that's 11-5 at the worst. Just my opinion.
bleed_orange writes:
I agree with you. I believe we can split with FL, KY, & Vandy and probally lose at AR. I believe who ever wins the SEC will get a 4 or 5 seed. However, a 6 seed might be better because you would probally play a 11,3,2 and then a 1 to get to the final 4. As a 8 or 9 you would have to play a 1 in the 2nd rd and as a 4 or 5 you would probally play a l seed in the 3rd rd. I do not see a 1 or 2 seed unless TN goes 16-0, 15-1, or 14-2 and win the SEC tourney on top of that. Let us just start with 1-0 beating the GA bulldogs tomorrow. GO VOLS!
bleed_orange writes:
I believe 8-8 and win 2 games in the SEC tourney would get TN in the big tourney. If they are less than 8-8 in the SEC season, they would have to win the SEC tourney. However, I believe we should sweep GA & SC and win our home games in the SEC and beat Ole Miss & Auburn on the road. But time will tell. We diffently have to get better on D and on O against a Zone D. TN has to have a couple of players step up 3pt shooting(maybe Scotty & Cameron-our my perdictions). However, I also believe it would be nice if Bobby, Josh, and especially Brian step their game up a little. GO VOLS!
bleed_orange writes:
If everyone would play as hard as Negedu all the time, TN would be just fine. I would like to see TN get the ball to Emmanuel a little more inside. One big reason is that he shoots 80+% from the foul line. I know we will not see Daniel or Philip this year playing, however; I would like to see 5+ minutes for Ryan. For a couple of reasons, he plays hard like Negedu, plays pretty smart most of the time, plays good D & rebounds and can shoot better than Wayne from the 3-line. I would like to see Renaldo be just alittle more selective on his shots. GO VOLS!
bleed_orange writes:
Oh, I forgot about JP. I think in my humble opinion he is just not a 3pt shooter. However, he can still drive the ball to the basket and create things. JP & Josh need to really work on their foul shot shooting. If Cameron & Scotty could hit a few more 3's it could open up the inside for Tyler, Wayne, and Brian. Also Bobby, Josh, JP, Tyler, and Renaldo could drive through the zone D and pop it out to Scotty or Cameron for an open 3. Tyler is the best player and I think he should be the team leader in getting everyone elese to play defense like their life depends on it. Their should also be more moving with or without the ball and talking to each other more on Offense and Defense. I believe TN will be OK. IN BRUCE WE TRUST! GO VOLS-BEAT GA!
Volumnus writes:
Please read more carefully, I was suggesting hunting down the JUCO kid from the Rocky TOP League that held Oglesby to free throws only each time he was put on him. The kid was a defensive wizard!
Maybe you would care to retract the idiots remark.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
There are at least a couple of former coaches who post on this board and I am one of them. I don't claim to be SEC HC material, but I have read lots of stuff from the real, no-BS experts in the game and attended several of their coaching clinics. Suffice to say that I have had some fairly lengthy conversations with some of them and if they thought I was a total idiot, they were at least kind enough not to let on. While some of what is said on here may be BS, including some of mine, this isn't rocket surgery. It is pretty much a free-speech forum and everyone can say what they think as long as they don't mind being contradicted from time to time.
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