TN guards (Higgins, Holden, & Grindstaff): 10 points between the three of 'em, with Higgins only scoring two. However, these three guards only had two turnovers and Higgins had zero.

TN frontcourt (Slay, Haislip, Yarbrough): 46 points scored, 26 rebounds, and EIGHTEEN turnovers (ouch!).

Of course the numbers that matter most:

Louisville 73, Tennessee 72.

You are correct. VY and the other big men's lackadaisical, nonchalant (COOL, SMOOTH?) ball handling is what cost UT the game. I hope VY develops a taste for European cuisine.

We are sorely lacking for play makers at the guard positions also. If we had Harris and Hathaway back we would be a top 20 team and NCAA bound.

Don't say that to skysheep. The most knowledgeable sports fan on this message board says we're lowering expectations. Last year's team was very talented, and this year's team isn't. Although not talented, they do play hard and I do like the coaching I'm seeing on the floor. I do like the adjustments in the defense and spacing on offense.

SCB--your line about european cuisine was pretty funny.

Skysheep--why was it every year under Jed, that Jed's teams got worse as the season went along? Shouldn't they improve as time went along?

It's all the fans fault, fans cause losses...HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!! I needed a good laugh today.

This is a very talented UT ballclub-- unfortunately they don't have anyone that can play PG, which is the most important position.
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To say this isn't a talented roster is crazy. VY, Ron Slay and Marcus Haislip will all have (financially) productive NBA careers, plus you have B. Crump, E. Wilborn, D Stribling and the troika of shooting guards(Higgins, Holden and Grindstaff-- all of whom are solid college players.
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Put a solid PG with this group and UT has a Top 10 team-- Without A Doubt.

When your top 3 guards combine for 10 points you aren't going to win many games. Buzz has got to address this and find ways to get JH more open looks. Slay & Yarbrough were too non chalant handling the ball. I agree with J1 that Buzz made some nice adjustments from man to zone in the 2nd half.

This team boxes out better than they did under Uncle Jed. The Jed sympathizers don't want to think about us losing 3 of our top 4 guards from a year ago.

Watching Tulsa in the NIT last year I noticed that Peterson's teams went through 4-6 minute lulls in the 2nd half, losing focus in virtually every game. I did not see a let down in focus last night. We played hard but not smart. Now let's hear Sky Sheep tell us how Drunkle would have coached us to a win last night.

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Happy birthday Jesus &
Merry Christmas to the rest of us

This team is talented offensively in the frontcourt, but outside of Haislip and Higgins, they don't play consistent defense. This season, Haislip and Slay are settling for too many outside jumpers.

The ball handling and passing is terrible. Maybe you're watching a different team, but how many passes to the post were intercepted, how many times did we see UT guards struggling to beat a defender one on one?

Plus Slay and Haislip haven't been healthy/eligible the whole season. I'm holding out judgement on the team, and I'm giving Buzz a chance. I mean for crying out loud, his first recruiting class isn't on campus yet. Maybe OSVF could stop being a jethro.

I have to agree with all that it is very pleasing to actually have a coach who knows how and why to make in game adjustments. That play at the end would have rivaled DeVoe's Carter-to-Woods full court completion in 81 at Alabama if Haislip had finished. Also Buzz's substitution patterns are miles ahead of Uncle's jail breaks.

We are missing a guard who can create, distribute and handle a press (T.Harris) and a wide body down low (C.Hathaway) to inflict some pain. I know about Watson at PG but do we have anyone coming in next year that can be the bruiser we need? Is the kid (name escapes me) from the mid-state area that is a project supposed to fill this void?

Oh well, at least I can take solace in the fact that I blew 4 years of the largest stockpile of BB talent that UT has ever amassed.

"Oh well, at least I can take solace in the fact that I blew 4 years of the largest stockpile of BB talent that UT has ever amassed."

I agree SCB. I blew that basketball talent on the hill. If I would have cheered louder at the games, maybe we would have stopped playing that zone against UK last year when Prince and Bogans were draining 3s everywhere. Uncle Jed had nothing to do with it, and he was unjustly canned.

It'll be interesting to see how Watson does at the PG next season. If what everyone says about him is true and he's a pass-first guard, he should fit very well into UT's offense. The guy can also play some defense. Winchester's shooting range should help next year also.

Help is on the way!!! UT's big men are being asked to handle the ball more than they should because of below average guard play. CJ Watson is tearing it up right now. His stock is rising every day. He will be the key. Remember how Tony Harris turned the program around in one year. Too bad TH didn't have a quailty coach. Also, the same could be said about VY. Buzz may be able to save Slay and Haislip pro careers.

We are a point guard away from being a top 15-20 type team. There's no sense in crying over spilled milk (H. Walker, T. Woods). Higgins and Holden are suitable off guards but nowhere remotely close to being full time point guards. I am also a proponent of posting Yarbrough up frequently. This would draw double teams, lending more open shots for JH and TH, hell even Haislip & Slay.

I must say that it's nice to have a coach who actually realizes the importance of changing sets, calling timeouts & drawing up plays out of the TO. For all their faults fouling & handling the ball, Slay & Haislip are playing well together offensively. I'm glad to see Slay has cut a lot of the showboat crap but disappointed in his thuggish takedowns last night. Our backs are against the wall (emotionally). How we play tomorrow could tell us a lot about the rest of the season.

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Happy birthday Jesus
Merry Christmas to everyone else