Comments by johnlg00
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Posted on May 12 at 9:30 a.m.
One more: splinterdand is correct that the 19'9" 3-pt line, the one inside the top of the free throw circle, was an ACC experiment the year before the 3-pt line was standardized in college ball at the current 20'9". When the line is moved out for this coming season, percentages may go down a bit at first and fewer players will take them. The same thing happened when the 3-pt line first came in. Some teams didn't take them at all, and others limited them to one or two players. Now, most players take them at least occasionally. I expect the same thing to happen with the new line.
On Poll: Which new addition will have the biggest impact on Tennessee’s basketball team?
Posted on May 12 at 9:20 a.m.
A few clarifications of some points I raised that some have objected to.
--I am not and have never been supervisor of SEC officials; same name, different guy. If I had been, instilling backbone and consistency in SEC officials would have been a major priority!
--I cited my brief experience as a freshman walk-on at UT as an example of adjusting to a different distance on a particular shot. We did not in fact shoot 3's in the '60's, though I did in my subsequent b-ball experience in Army ball and on a high-level German sports club team. The point is that shooting is a matter of confidence and trained reflex. That is why the conventional wisdom, when a guy has hit several shots in a row from a particular spot, is to try to back him up a couple of feet. At first, the new 3-pt line will take some getting used to. After a month or two shooting at the new distance, it won't make any difference to good shooters. Also, again, the shots from the wing down to the corner won't be any longer at all.
--Whatever the 3-pt distance is this coming year, the 3-pt shot is not going to be as big a part of our offense as it has been in the past, for the reasons many of you have cited. We will be much stronger inside and we should have several decent mid-range shooters, such as Tyler, Scotty, West, and Maze. Several of the others should be better at mid-range next year as well.
--I was effective enough as a player to give UT athletes a good run in pick-up games into my late 40's. My point is that I have played enough to have informed, if not always 100% correct, opinions on most basketball issues.
On Poll: Which new addition will have the biggest impact on Tennessee’s basketball team?
Posted on May 11 at 2:33 p.m.
One other thing about the longer 3-pt distance. Just as the shot is longer--but only from the part of the arc above the foul-line extended--so too is the distance defenders must go to close out on the shooter. A good shooter with an extra fraction of a second to set up will shoot a good enough percentage to be a threat even at a longer distance. However, the wider spacing available around the arc will open up passing and driving lanes into the interior of the defense, which was one of the purposes of the 3-pt shot from the beginning.
On Poll: Which new addition will have the biggest impact on Tennessee’s basketball team?
Posted on May 11 at 2:26 p.m.
Well, Touch, I only played the game for about 40 years, and was a walk-on as a freshman at UT. When I first got there, I considered myself a pretty good shooter from the top of the key. However, the way we ran that play at UT, the screen was set about a step higher than I was used to from high school. At first, my percentage on that play went down, but after a couple of weeks I felt just as confident as before on that shot, which was about two feet longer than it was in high school. I would also remind you that the original 3-pt line in college ball was inside the top of the free-throw circle, then it was moved back about a foot. Season percentages did not change much. For that matter, NBA 3-pt percentages are about the same as those for the college game, and their line is two feet further back than even the new college line. I think the same thing will happen when players get used to the only slightly longer new distance. Besides, as I said, the shots from the wing down to the corner won't be any longer at all. Unlike some on this board, I don't usually just spout opinions off the top of my head. I don't claim to be right about everything all the time, but I usually try to have some basis for the opinions I express. As I said before, I agree we don't in fact have anyone who has proven himself to be the equal of Chris or JaJuan even at the existing 3-pt distance.
On Poll: Which new addition will have the biggest impact on Tennessee’s basketball team?
Posted on May 11 at 11:13 a.m.
Upon further reflection, I'm not so sure the new 3-pt line will have all that much effect. The shot from the side, i.e., from the corner to about the foul-line extended, will be the same as it is now. The arc will be a little deeper across the top of the free-throw circle. It is still about two feet shorter than the NBA line. True, we don't have any 3-pt shooters of the proven caliber of a Lofton or JaJuan, but we have enough to be a threat. If the defenses pack it in, the premium will be on shifting the ball from corner to corner around the top of the key. When the ball gets to the top of the key, it should be easier to find gaps in the middle when defenders get stretched out trying to cover the corners. It is good that we have a couple of great prospects to play the point, but the determining factor will be team ball movement. It would be a big help if we can apply strong full-court pressure and if we can get better at running out with defensive rebounds. I can hardly wait until the ball goes up for real next season!
On Poll: Which new addition will have the biggest impact on Tennessee’s basketball team?
Posted on May 9 at 11:49 a.m.
A few comments about B. Maze's rap video. I am an old white guy who is not a great fan of rap music. However, I have been a lifelong fan of country, old-time, and bluegrass music. Anyone who has listened to any of these with any amount of attention will notice how many songs in those genres are about murder, betrayal, moonshining, blood feuds, bank robbery, and all sorts of unsavory behavior. I could name 50 songs of that type right off the top of my head. Then too, think of how many famous country artists have been in jail at one time or another or have been drunks and/or drug abusers. I would be willing to bet that a good many of those who criticize Maze or rap music in general listen to some form of country music. If not, I'll bet many of you listened to rock music at some point, and the subject matter and life-styles of the artists is similar. Considering how many millions of people fall into one or another of those categories, the number of people who actually LIVE by those songs or emulate those artists in their actual lives is really quite small. Most of those who do, do so as matters of fashion and style rather than conviction. Maze seems to be more or less representative of his generation and his background in his tastes in music and his form of expression about his athletic life. I admit I am somewhat put off by all of that, but I am willing to wait to see what kind of team member and citizen he ACTUALLY is rather than judge him on my admittedly biased surface impression. Most of what we actually know about him, as opposed to what some of us might assume, seems positive. In the meantime, and until given REASON to do otherwise, I welcome him and hope he is productive and happy here.
Posted on May 9 at 9:37 a.m.
tigervol9802, there is an old saying that quantity has a quality all its own. This would seem to be especially true in D-line play. If you have enough guys of, say, 2+* quality that you can rotate in and out, you at least avoid having them tired out in the fourth quarter. The main question is whether or not we have enough warm bodies to play right now. I too long for the return of the days when the Hendersons and Haynesworths and Whites and Atkinses roamed Shields-Watkins Field.
Posted on May 9 at 9:17 a.m.
I knew Staley slightly when he was here before. He seemed like a fairly nice guy with a good personality, but it was clear that he was all about his self-image as an athlete, which was the only thing he seemed to take seriously. I was sad but not surprised when he was dismissed. I am surprised but elated that he has seemingly turned his life around. I agree with others that he would be a great addition to the UT staff in some capacity, while he is still young enough to relate to today's players.
Posted on May 8 at 10 a.m.
IMALLVOL, I think Adams made a good point. If Maze is really a "problem child", CBP's friend Swanson wouldn't have recommended him so highly. CBP is, and will likely remain, such a hot commodity in the coaching profession that no JUCO coach, let alone a long-time friend, is going to jeopardize a close relationship with him for the sake of a player with a bad attitude. As for Maze's bad experience at OU, I can easily see how an ex-Dookie like Capel would feel compelled to bad-mouth a player who didn't fit Capel's image of what a college basketball player should be.
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Posted on May 12 at 11:25 a.m.
Goodness knows I am no fan of Geno, but he really hasn't had enough time on the job for many of his former players to climb up to head coach jobs. I'm sure there a good many former UConn players in assistant jobs around the country. No doubt some of them will be head coaches some day. Still, there is no doubt in my mind that Pat has more coaching proteges out there than darn near anyone. Her influence on women's basketball will be felt for generations to come.
On Ex-UT standout Randall named coach at Ohio