The Vols are Very, Very Close
Photo: WBIR.com
I thought about not writing this. I don’t wanna jinx anything. Don’t wanna be that guy.
As Michael Scott said, “I’m not superstitious, but I am a little stitious”. There are times when I turn games on and they’ll immediately give up 16 unanswered points and the thought creeps in that maybe, just maybe, it’s me. Could my viewership actually be a curse?
Then again, I’m just one man.
6’3” 195 lbs. and a pretty good mustache.
I know I don’t actually have any effect on the outcome, what an asinine thing to think.
Besides, I believe this team is different. It’s deeper, and it feels more complete than in recent years. All of this is to say that I trust implicitly in Peepaw Rick and our slew of nasty lads, so I’ll go ahead and say what everyone’s thinking.
The Tennessee Volunteers basketball team is close enough to taste it. Win out, and they’ll be firmly locked in as a one-seed in the NCAA tournament for the first time in program history.
There are two games left in the regular season, and the first of those takes place tonight in Oxford. Put an extra pot of coffee on because it’s a 9:00 PM EST tip, and it’s a biggie.
This is an Ole Miss team that has stunk recently, losing 3 of their last 4 including a 30-point demoralizer to Auburn. The fact remains that they’re a 20-win team currently projected as an 8-seed with a chance to play spoiler at home, not exactly a pushover. It’s gonna need to be all hands on deck tonight.
Just for tonight, if it’s okay with everyone, can we dial in?
If at all possible, going 5 minutes without scoring should be avoided. A scoring drought of this length against Alabama last weekend was less than optimal, but here’s some good to go with the bad: They stayed within striking distance in that ballgame, and that’s a strong testament to the caliber of defense we play (#1 in KenPom’s defensive efficiency rankings, no big deal, whatever). Part of the gameplan will always be suffocating them on defense, and putting Pedulla in a straightjacket would be an ideal starting point if we hope to achieve that.
Stay hot, Mashack. Nobody has had a better week than Jahmai Mashack after draining the buzzer-beater against Alabama. That shot going in is a big part of the reason why we’re here, still talking about a one-seed. There’s never been any doubt that it’s in there with Mashack, and I’m thrilled to see him gaining momentum at the right time. He must’ve read what I said about him back in early February after the loss to Kentucky. Sometimes all it takes is a kick in the ass to go full meat with it, and I’m glad he’s taken that to heart. We’re gonna need Mashack to keep thriving. I also believe it was my close, personal friend Jon Reed that made a plea for ~8 points a game, and he’s delivered on that as of late. He’s finally playing comfortable in his own role, a multi-tool of athleticism playing with aggression and swagger. He’s harnessing that freakish athleticism and doing a little bit of everything, and this bodes well.
On Felix Okpara: Depsite being listed on the injury report for every game over the last 6 weeks, he’s still been putting his body on the line. Not a shot goes up within a 6-foot radius of him that he doesn’t try to swat fifteen rows into the stands and I love that about him. Not to mention that, for someone who’s 6’11”, he’s a 70% shooter from the charity stripe. Tall folk aren’t classically relied upon to be good free throw shooters so this is an added bonus with Okpara. I’ve said it before, but having a reliable, true big has been insanely refreshing and he has an opportunity to pad his rebounding stats tonight against a team that’s 304th in the nation in total rebounds per game. Crash the boards, young man.
Wake up, Igor. Igor wake up. It’s time to wake up. If slumps are gonna happen, then the regular season is an acceptable time to work through it, but 4 points/game over the last three contests is pretty out of character for what we’ve come to expect. He’s still averaging 10.2 points/game on the season, which just shows the inconsistency he’s battled. Going dormant isn’t an option in the tournament, so I’d love to see him in double-digits tonight, getting involved, imposing his will. Jordan Gainey being as good as he’s been has taken some of the pressure off, but Igor remains a vital offensive component if a deep run is to be made.
It’s important for one of the best point guards in the nation, Zakai Zeigler, to do what he does best tonight: Facilitate, take space, capitalize, and protect the basketball. More long-range pain being inflicted by Chaz Lanier has also become an expectation at this point, and we’ll need it to silence what’s sure to be a raucous home crowd.
The road to the Final Four starts here and this is a must-win if we hope to get off to an advantageous start on the 20th of March.
Go Vols - and I solemnly swear that if we get down by double-digits I will turn my TV off to reverse the curse. That usually works.
