[Van Hagar]

Before anybody points out our flaws, and we’ve got some, I think we should agree that that was one hell of a gutsy win on the road and short-handed. This is an easy team to like.

[Bluecat]

Glad I was wrong about this game. Without Carr and Butler I thought we had no shot. Yes, gutsy performance in this one.

[TheTruth!]

Skoooo

[rookie57]

Wow! What a fight in the cats! But, we gotta get better at offensive rebounding, period!
So glad for coach Pope and this team!

[Old School Hound]

The guys really brought it tonight. Great performance. Really took it to the Vols from the start. But how the hell did we win??? Tennessee had 72 shots; we had 50. We had just one more made three and just four more made free throws, committed 13 turnovers, and had an incredible 22 less shot attempts than the homestanding Vols.

[King Kong]

How bout them Cat's baby!

Whoooooooo!!!

I'll be danged if they didn't still play Rocky Top after the game even though we got the win! 

[Old School Hound]

How bout them Cat's baby!

Whoooooooo!!!

I'll be danged if they didn't still play Rocky Top after the game even though we got the win! 

I'd be ashamed to play that stupid ass song after a home loss... but they have no shame in Big Orange country. Someone check on Tony Pietrowski. His Hounds beat the daylights out of the Little Orange tonight but his beloved Big Orange took a Big L tonight against Big Blue.

[Cactus Jack]

Did we see the best of Mark Pope, the worst of Rick Barnes, or both?

Was Barnes thought process that it'd surprise the hell out of everyone if they sat back and watched us set our feet, load up, and take open 3's? If so, yea... it definitely surprised everyone.

Sarcasm aside, to let over 45% of our points come from three and over 2/3rds of our point come from threes or the charity stripe is ridiculous (and we didn't shoot that well from the free throw line). There's no way a team of their supposed caliber should get beaten by a Kentucky team without Butler and Carr that had to play Chandler, Perry, and Noah a combined 30 minutes.

Can't say enough about how well Amari Williams played on the whole. Also seems like Kentucky fans going hard on Robinson is now is a distant memory. I think I even saw Brea block a shot.

Yes, the Vols missed Zeigler during the time he was out with an injury, but he also led them with 35 minutes played. Their atrocious defense aside, the Vols did not shoot the ball well. If they shoot a decent clip, we're probably having a different conversation. Still, this loss and an ugly loss to Florida shows the ugly side of a Tennessee team that has a definite ceiling.

[Old School Hound]

Did we see the best of Mark Pope, the worst of Rick Barnes, or both?

Was Barnes thought process that it'd surprise the hell out of everyone if they sat back and watched us set our feet, load up, and take open 3's? If so, yea... it definitely surprised everyone.

Sarcasm aside, to let over 45% of our points come from three and over 2/3rds of our point come from threes or the charity stripe is ridiculous (and we didn't shoot that well from the free throw line). There's no way a team of their supposed caliber should get beaten by a Kentucky team without Butler and Carr that had to play Chandler, Perry, and Noah a combined 30 minutes.

Can't say enough about how well Amari Williams played on the whole. Also seems like Kentucky fans going hard on Robinson is now is a distant memory. I think I even saw Brea block a shot.

Yes, the Vols missed Zeigler during the time he was out with an injury, but he also led them with 35 minutes played. Their atrocious defense aside, the Vols did not shoot the ball well. If they shoot a decent clip, we're probably having a different conversation. Still, this loss and an ugly loss to Florida shows the ugly side of a Tennessee team that has a definite ceiling.

You and I might be the only people on here who will never underestimate the awfulness of Rick Barnes, as a coach. I'm sure he's a wonderful guy. He's a dear friend of Cal so I'm sure he's a sweetheart of a man, but gosh all mighty , can he ever coach some bad basketball.


Cats have won three straight in their home away from home---TBA.  I'm starting to love that damn place. The Cats seem to always play well there. Oh, by the way,   George Mason, Florida Atlantic,  St. Bonaventure ,  Loyola(Chicago), and  Western Kentucky have all made the Final Four. Tennessee =   ZERO Final Fours.  Ol' Rick Barnes will do his best to keep that big zero intact. Possibly , only Dale Brown could have rivaled Barnes for roundball ineptitude, and even Dale made a Final Four.

[Mr. D]

I read an incredible stat earlier. Tennessee has only lost five home games since the beginning of the 2021-2022 season. 3 of those 5 losses have been to UK. We have made a habit of pulling off some gritty performances down in Knoxville.

In Pope's first season with a roster we cobbled together in the transfer portal we have wins against Duke, Gonzaga, Louisville, Florida, and Tennessee plus a couple more ranked wins against Texas A&M and Mississippi State. We play our best when the lights are the brightest. That was my biggest criticism against Cal was we started to really struggle to get ranked wins especially in the non-conference. This team just has to learn how to play with that same intensity and focus against the average teams.

[-STAT-]

That sure was a heck of a game and a heck of a win. This was truly a next man up mentality for Kentucky. Perry, Noah, and Chandler all provided valuable minutes.

I'll agree that we're having a different conversation if Tennessee doesn't shoot the 2nd most 3's in program history last night and only made 11. UT does a lot of their damage offensively driving to the basket, and with their bigs in the low post, outside of Lanier who is their best 3pt shooter, and Ziegler who can shoot the 3 but looks for contact driving, but they definitely settled for a lot of long contested shots last night.

From the opening tip, Kentucky just wanted it more, played with a ton of heart and effort tonight. Anything can happen on Saturday, a lot of emotions going into that game, but feel a lot better going into it with a W instead of a 3-game losing streak!

[Bluecat]

One good thing is with the way the SEC is we will be playing a ranked team most nights. Scary thing though is the first round or two of the NCAA will be against a weaker opponent. Weaker teams seem to be our kryptonite. I shouldn't say weaker teams, I should say unranked because no SEC team is truly a weak opponent.

[Old School Hound]

The Cats remind me a lot of my Corbin Redhounds. There are times, especially against a quality opponent and when their backs are kinda up against the wall, when they come out primed and focused to get a win. But there are those nights, or even stretches in games, when they lose that focus and intensity, or never have it from the opening tip. It makes me think that both teams' seasons could very well end the same way- with a loss to a lesser opponent on one of those nights when their "desire" meter is on low. I hope not. When these guys play with focus and passion , don't shy away from physicality, AND hit shots , they are tough to beat.

[Bluecat]

Big performances from some guys who had to step up. Not a lot of big numbers but Noah, Perry, and Chandler was good in their role. Brea shot it really well as did Almonor. I am not a fan of the bigs trying to handle the ball but Williams was able to do this and it was a big part late. Robinson has been playing much better lately.

[jetpilot]

Edward Alan Marlowe
@dreamarlowe85
I mean, seriously, Mark Pope just took guys from BYU, Dayton, Fairleigh Dickinson, Drexel and Oklahoma -- and a bench with two guys who played against each other in the 2024 KHSAA state championship -- and won in Knoxville.

[Old School Hound]

Edward Alan Marlowe
@dreamarlowe85
I mean, seriously, Mark Pope just took guys from BYU, Dayton, Fairleigh Dickinson, Drexel and Oklahoma -- and a bench with two guys who played against each other in the 2024 KHSAA state championship -- and won in Knoxville.

I mean, seriously, Cal did it the past two seasons with teams led by an Illinois State transfer and a North Laurel graduate. Props to Pope, but also to the Hall of Famer , who lulled off the Knoxville stunners the past two years.

[jetpilot]

Edward Alan Marlowe
@dreamarlowe85
I mean, seriously, Mark Pope just took guys from BYU, Dayton, Fairleigh Dickinson, Drexel and Oklahoma -- and a bench with two guys who played against each other in the 2024 KHSAA state championship -- and won in Knoxville.

I mean, seriously, Cal did it the past two seasons with teams led by an Illinois State transfer and a North Laurel graduate. Props to Pope, but also to the Hall of Famer , who lulled off the Knoxville stunners the past two years.

You can kid yourself but you can't kid me. Cal had all those McDonald's all-Americans that he's making millions for in the NBA you keep bragging about. He didn't have 3 key players out either, including arguably the 2 most important players on the team. And he wasn't in his first year either. Cal sucked for years and almost everyone is glad he's gone.