What happened to the Vol's defense?

[gum797]

That was obviously a great game for the Zags, but I was blown away with Tennessee's defense. They looked like a shell of themselves when we played them last year and earlier this year. I felt like they got away with a ton of reaching in those two games, but at least they were aggresive. Maybe it was a result of Matt being aggresive or we just figured them out. What are your thoughts. Plus can you imaging if Matt plays that aggresive the rest of the year and Pargo picks it up again. That will be tough to beat.

[cggonzaga]

Tennessee is reeling right now. It was a big win for us but it wasn't like it was against a great team. While that win seems to have made people believers around here again I'll wait to see what happens over the next couple weeks. Maybe it's all the team needed to get things changed around but one game doesn't do it for me. Especially a game we didn't exactly look great in. Hopefully Matt has turned a corner but again one game doesn't make a season. JP needs to find "it" again. He was the unquestioned leader of this team a month ago. Lately he's just been a body on the court.

[former1dog]

Tennessee is struggling right now.... seems kind of familiar... I wonder why?

[FuManShoes]

I'm not sure they were a good defensive team at any point this year and the stats bear it out (55th in def efficiency, 215 in FG% allowed, 205th in steals). They are scrappy but get burned on screens a lot. They overplayed, swiped at but didn't pressure the ball all that much and allowed the Zags to start their offense from anywhere they wanted -- inside-outside, high-low, you name it. Bilas was all over the Vols for playing hard but undiciplined ball on both ends of the court. That worked better for them offensively because they attack the glass and clean up like nobody's business but the lack of discipline on the defensive end will - and has - killed them against savvy offensive teams. I think in a lot of ways this matchup, even in enemy territory, was a good tonic for the Zags.

[CDC84]

Where pressing teams fail

Tennessee's pressure was a lot more intense last season. It helped cover up some of their halfcourt defensive issues.

Even though this team has some vets, the Vols are still a very young team that is still trying to forge a defensive identity. One of the problems with pressing teams - particularly young teams - is that they sometimes develop into poor halfcourt defensive teams. There is so much effort exerted while pressing that the kids fail to lock down in the halfcourt. A lot of great defensive coaches like Ben Howland do not like full court pressing due to this tendency....he would rather see his guys exert all their effort while defending in the halfcourt.

[krozman]

With the SEC down this year, theres still a pretty good chance of them getting a fairly decent seed, good for us.

[bartruff1]

It was the officiating...

the key to their defense is grabbing, swiping at the ball, .....without mugging ( as Memphis call it ) they are below average on defense...

[BroncoZAG615]

They are just a team trying to find an identity. Remember, they beat two of the best teams in the Big East (Georgetown, Marquette) by a combined total of 24 points.

I think their defense will come around in the SEC where the 'mugging' type of defense is generally more effective. The problem will be with their offense. I heard on the radio the other team that no team values the basketball less than Tennessee and that is a very true statement. They don't like to hold the basketball long and that is because they are still a team that thinks they can shoot the three point shot effectively. Guys like Tatum and Woolridge can hit three sometimes but UT is too athletic to settle for poor shots.

They are going through a tough phase right now but the SEC is weak and the Vols should be fine. I do like that Arkansas team a lot though.

[BobZag]

Tennessee needs to win at Georgia tomorrow about as much as Gonzaga needs to win tomorrow. Vols need a confidence-builder. They are doubting themselves now. They return to play Kentucky on Tuesday so they gotta have that Georgia game for confidence. Once they start feeling good about themselves, the D should pick up.

[CDC84]

Scotty Hopson was as sick as a dog on Wednesday night. He's one of their most talented offensive players. It would help the Vols to have him back at full strength for their upcoming games.

[Reborn]

Tennessee is a very good team. I thought they fought like heck against the Zags. You won't convince me otherwise. That was a great basktball game. I don't understand the need of some of our bloggers to diminish the game and make it into a negative thing. i am just getting more and more convinced that certain members here will never be happy unless they are unhappy and negative. They always look for something/someone to criticize. Bruce Pearl is a great coach, and his team will be just fine. I for one, do not want to play them again this year.

[gum797]

I dont feel like anyone was bashing that game on this thread. I think everybody is extremely happy GU won, but some realize one victory is not the cure-all. I hope this gets them going again because this team is amazingly talented. It was a must needed win and GU showed some mental toughness to bounce back. It was a great win.

[cggonzaga]

Sorry to offend Reborn. Like I said it was a much needed win but that's all it was. We didn't look great in the game and nowhere near what we looked like earlier in the season. I'm just not ready to annoint us Final Four contenders again until we start playing better. Many around here are acting like everything is A ok again. As some have noted there are still many things and a few players that need to continue to improve. Great win, Yes. Final Four material, NO (not yet).

[Reborn]

Sorry!!! But I wasn't offended by your post in the least. Why would I be. I feel you do attempt t0 diminish the beauty of that game. And diminish what was necessary for the Zags to accomplish what they did Wednesday. Rather than give them some credit, it's now only because Tennessee is not playing as tough as they were earlier in the year. Or it was just one game, and really not against a very good team. No. It couldn't be because we played well and somehow found our swagger (another word for confidence). It was a matter of making open shots. In our losses we missed them. In our victory Wednesday we hit them. The shots we took were all good shots. In our losses they weren't falling. The difference between making shots and missing them, at times can be, attitude and confidence. And losing can affect confidence.

Tennessee is a good team. The Zags played pretty good I think. And, to me, it seems that it just wasn't good enough for some of you. Austin Daye, had a great second half, and if you coldn't see that then you are blind. He may have perhaps played his best game this year. He rebounded his butt off, and got 8 boards. Josh got 12. He too boarded his butt off the 2nd half. Josh got a double double, against a tough teaM, AND THAT JUST ISN'T GOOD ENOUGH. Bouldin played his best game of the year easily, and Pargo is still struggling, but he is begging to bust his butt. Big Will clearly had his best game of the year. Clearly. The Zags looked good with him. Maybe. Just maybe, this was our BEST game this year as a team.

Part of the problem as I see it was the hype in early season, and honestly, prettty irrational thinking. I for one, never bought into the Final 4 hype, and clearly said so a couple of times, that it would be very tough to get past the Sweet 16. But I would say that about any Zag team in December.

In what preseason game did we look better? I'd love to know that. So far the toughest game of the year, and by far, was the game Wednesday AT TENNESSEE. Do you know what it is like to go into a home Arena like that one where there are 22,000 hostile fans awaiting you. Fans who are every bit as hotile as the Zag fans in K2 accept there are 22,000 of them vs 6,000 in K2. We beat them in Orlando by 9, and beat them in Tennessee by 10 in overtime. I remember real well what it was like for the Zags to go into Virginia a few years back. That too was a huge packed Arena filled with orange shirts. WE got killed and embarrassed. WE were like down by 40 before we reallized where we were. I, and I believe along with many others, wondered if that would happen again. IT DIDN'T. And nowhere close. The Zags really showed who they are.

[ambition]

ok Reborn... this is getting a bit wild here!

Tennessee is a decent team... not a good team. They have their strengths and weaknesses just like every team. But they have TERRIBLE defense.. and here is an example- Bouldin does not do good against tough defenders... it has been like this in the past. But during the Tennessee game he got by their guards, which was great, and he played tremendous. But some of the shots he got from the perimeter off the dribble would not happen against good defensive teams, simply because he is just not quick enough.

Tennessee has a strength and it is rebounding, and they made us look terrible on the offensive boards...just terrible! But we stuck in and fought which no one has seen since the Uconn game.
And honestly I dont think the Vols are very well coached, they are wild and out of control and it only works in their favor at times. They have no plays, they are all one on one, if they got half as many offensive boards that game, the game would have ended in regulation.... Im sticking to it just like most of america's annaylist... Tennessee is a decent team.. they are not good. Just athletic.