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KP Report on the Tennessee Vols -- Saturday Noon -- ESPN 2 (same time as our Bowl)

Pilchard

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Tough match up:

Record: 9-1 #11 KP. Wins over #5 Gonzaga (by 3), #37 L'ville (by 11) and # 84 GT (by 13). Loss: to #3 KS in OT; the Vols could/should be unbeaten. TN is 6-0 at home this year, and has won 14 straight home games dating back to January 2, 2018. This is the best team that WF has played this by a mile. The Vols have played the #68 schedule; WF has played the #327 schedule. Huge step up in competition for WF.

Offense: Elite #9. TN does not play at a fast pace (#158 in tempo), and they do everything well on offense. TN shoots the ball well: 56.5% on 2 PT shots (#35), 55.1% in effective FG%, 35% (#134) in 3 PT %. The Vols also do not turn the ball over much 16.8% of possessions (#60), they get to the line (#64 in FTA per FGA) and they offensive rebound well (#73). The majority of the offense comes from inside and from the line as only 26.8% (#283) of their offense comes from 3s. WF's interior D will be tested, frightening.

Defense: Strong #27. TN is big (#23 in height) and plays mostly man to man; it's hard to score inside on them -- #29 in defending 2 PT shots. The Vols also block a lot of shots (#35 in block%). They also defend the 3 reasonably well (31.9% #97 -- WF shoots 38.4% from 3 #39); WF will need to hit a high percentage from deep to keep it close. TN does not play pressure defense (#211 in TO%, #297 in steal percentage), but they don't give up easy scores.

Lineup: Injuries have curtailed the Vols depth. Guard Lamonte Turner has missed 7 games already, and F John Fulkerson missed TN's win over Samford on Wednesday. As a result, TN is #324 in bench minutes. Against Samford, TN played only 8 players, and really only played a 7 man rotation when the game was competitive. Their starters are big and experienced: PG Jr. Jordan Bone (6-3), SG Jr. Jordan Bowden (6-5), SF Sr. Admiral Schofield (6-6 241), BF Grant Williams Jr. (6-7 236), C Sr. Kyle Alexander (6-11). Schofield is the biggest threat from 3 shooting 45% from behind the line. All 5 starters shoot better than 50% from 2. Williams is a beast down low, and is currently the #7 rated player in college basketball.

Bottom line: On December 23, 2017, WF trailed TN by 1 at the half. TN won by 19. Since then, TN has gone 26-8 with 15 wins against top 100 teams. WF has gone 10-18 with 3 wins against top 100 teams. TN has won 14 straight home games, they are bigger and more experienced than WF. KP projects an 18 point TN win (83-65), and gives WF a 6% chance of victory. Sadly, I feel like those projections are optimistic. WF football and basketball play games against TN schools at the same time. Justifiably, everyone's attention will be focused on the football Deacs tomorrow.
 
I predict we actually play them pretty close for most of the game. Maybe even take a small lead mid-way through the second half. But then there will be a stretch where they score on like 6 straight possessions, while we turn it over, settle for really bad shots, and miss a couple easy ones. Next thing you know we end up losing by 13 or so.
 
I predict we actually play them pretty close for most of the game. Maybe even take a small lead mid-way through the second half. But then there will be a stretch where they score on like 6 straight possessions, while we turn it over, settle for really bad shots, and miss a couple easy ones. Next thing you know we end up losing by 13 or so.

Agreed, this will be one of those maddening games where you see we have talent, but our coach is an idiot and eventually we will go scoreless for 5-8 minutes and lose by 20.
 
I predict we lose by 15+ due to an incompetent game plan and sub patterns.
 
Nice of us to have a real game. First of the season.
 
I'd rather spend my time watching a competent coaching staff who at least seems to give two shits when they lose. Football only for me.
 
could you imagine starting 3 juniors (one of them a legit All-America candidate) and 2 seniors, all of whom had been with the program for all of their college careers?
 
I predict we actually play them pretty close for most of the game. Maybe even take a small lead mid-way through the second half. But then there will be a stretch where they score on like 6 straight possessions, while we turn it over, settle for really bad shots, and miss a couple easy ones. Next thing you know we end up losing by 13 or so.
Bless your heart.
 
Agreed, this will be one of those maddening games where you see we have talent, but our coach is an idiot and eventually we will go scoreless for 5-8 minutes and lose by 20.

Wrong, we get our ass kicked from start to finish.
 
I expect us to get smoked from start to finish... Only caveat is if we hit a ton of 3s, which I don't foresee.

Any momentum gained from the last couple of games will likely disappear and we'll all go back to hate-watching the rest of the season
 
Could be we get one of those teaser games. Hit a bunch of threes early, like against Davidson, then regress in second half.
 
I expect us to get smoked from start to finish... Only caveat is if we hit a ton of 3s, which I don't foresee.

Any momentum gained from the last couple of games will likely disappear and we'll all go back to hate-watching the rest of the season

My thoughts as well
 
I predict we actually play them pretty close for most of the game. Maybe even take a small lead mid-way through the second half. But then there will be a stretch where they score on like 6 straight possessions, while we turn it over, settle for really bad shots, and miss a couple easy ones. Next thing you know we end up losing by 13 or so.

Aren't you flashing back to last year? This year will not be anything like that. Safe prediction - Smart will score at least as many as T. Thompson did last year.
 
Young and bad team + first legit opponent + first legit road game = I don't expect good things.
 
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