Starters have 3 points*

[jeff93]

Nt

[Souldore]

That’s cause three of our best guys don’t start. Makes a lot of sense to me.

[Vandy187187]

well the starters had 13 points. Our freshmen had 18 in the first half and didn't play in the 2nd.

[Versus75]

Difference tonight was putting in Liam and Manjon about 3 minutes into the game. Robbins got his usual 23+ minutes, but QMB only 8+ and Dort 8+. Manjon 27 minutes. Wright 24.

[docdore]

the starting lineup remains mystifying….and our most competent and confident shooter was mia in the second half. go figure….

[Nashmann]

Stute & Wright regressing...Our real starters only averaging 50 points a game. Stute and Wright only 10 each a game ...

[memphisVUalum]

Stute & Wright regressing...Our real starters only averaging 50 points a game. Stute and Wright only 10 each a game ...

Stackhouse said that Tennessee and other teams have focused on limiting what Stute can do because they know he is a leading three point shooter. And I would think they probably key on Wright as well. That is when you need the other players to make shots. Sometimes they have a good night shooting but last night wasn't one of them at times.

We had some good moments towards the end of the first half.

Tennessee didn't get to be number five by accident. We were playing a difficult team on the road. Maybe we will do better at home I hope. Like we didn't the end of the first half against them. It's not like we can't beat them (Colorado managed it) but we have to not have shooting lulls.

[AuricGoldfinger]

Lineups and rotations used for this team continue to be one of the great mysteries of our time...

[EagleDore]

Lineups and rotations used for this team continue to be one of the great mysteries of our time...

Right, we promptly got ourselves into a big hole at the start of the game, for example. Once CJS switched the lineup we managed to dig out of the hole, but why spot the other team, the number 5 ranked team, a big advantage?

[dore74]

I’ve heard Stack defend his starting 5 philosophy, it’s based on stamina of the three non-starters and wanting to have them available late.

Would love to hear him speak on the rotation and why the freshmen who were electric in the first half weren’t utilized in the second. The guy’s obviously basketball knowledgeable and seems to have the team’s confidence and realizes his tenure is hinged on these decisions.

Odd hoops year indeed. I think there is a lot more parity in college hoops, especially among the non-elite teams. Wish we were just a bit better to take advantage of this rather than simply, at this point anyway, looking like just another up and down team. But even where we at this point in the season are if we keep this effort up we have a chance to be a .500 SEC team…or not. 9-9 could get us back to the NIT anyway.

[OldDude]

We are a poor shooting team from 3 (SEC games) but competing in percentage overall. From the floor we are
82-186 while opponents are 82-187 (weird so close) . However we are .288 to opponents .342 from three so we are getting it done inside but not from deep. Also telling is a FT disparity of .731 vs opponents .836 although we have taken 67 FTs to opponents 61.

To get to my point. If this team could be anything close to a traditional VU team from deep and get closer to the opponents rate in FTs, they could have a good season still. coach has to find a way to get Stute to work harder to get open ( we can't have him 2-12 over three games) and make shots and get Shelby more playing time. Wright leads the team from 3 and can be a force in the paint. Not sure Trey can overcome his size limitations and may need to provide rest minutes sacrificing game minutes to Shelby.

[VUgearhead]

The game announcers noted that UT's coach Barnes had a similar player rotation, in that several of their key players were not in the starting lineup.

Maybe it's not so unusual in today's game??

[docdore]

"I’ve heard Stack defend his starting 5 philosophy, it’s based on stamina of the three non-starters and wanting to have them available late."

if these three non-starting starters had their minutes spread out over a 40 minute span rather than a 35 minute one, stamina should theoretically be enhanced. if they don't have to overexert to dig out of holes as often, that could also help. if they are subbed out/in one or two at a time, stute isn't left as our only dependable scoring option and hence not as likely to be the victim of smothering defense. playing our most effective freshmen more could further assuage the stamina issue. isn't much of this just common sense management 101?

[Jason94]

The game announcers noted that UT's coach Barnes had a similar player rotation, in that several of their key players were not in the starting lineup.

Maybe it's not so unusual in today's game??

UT had a starting lineup that had multiple legitimate scorers in their lineup, while we did not, which is why their starters outscored ours 55-13. They do have very good players off the bench as well, though this is more a function of their depth than anything. I can see playing a bench guy big minutes, taking your three best players and playing them off the bench and then inserting in their place three players who struggle to score is not quite the same thing.

[geeznotagain]

We are a poor shooting team from 3 (SEC games) but competing in percentage overall. From the floor we are
82-186 while opponents are 82-187 (weird so close) . However we are .288 to opponents .342 from three so we are getting it done inside but not from deep. Also telling is a FT disparity of .731 vs opponents .836 although we have taken 67 FTs to opponents 61.

IMO, 73.1 is pretty darn good. I'm surprised it's that high. I believe I remember in a previous post that you graduated in 1969. (I apologize in advance if I'm remembering incorrectly). But the FT percentage of the teams back then, in the "good old days" -- who I thought were very shooters -- are as follows:

63-64 team 70.1
64-65 team 70.1
65-66 team 74.2
66-66 team 72.8
67-68 team 77.0 !
68-69 team 73.9

[charlestonalum]

The game announcers noted that UT's coach Barnes had a similar player rotation, in that several of their key players were not in the starting lineup.

Maybe it's not so unusual in today's game??

Do you think Barnes and even Stackhouse know something about roster management?

[OldDude]

We are a poor shooting team from 3 (SEC games) but competing in percentage overall. From the floor we are
82-186 while opponents are 82-187 (weird so close) . However we are .288 to opponents .342 from three so we are getting it done inside but not from deep. Also telling is a FT disparity of .731 vs opponents .836 although we have taken 67 FTs to opponents 61.

IMO, 73.1 is pretty darn good. I'm surprised it's that high. I believe I remember in a previous post that you graduated in 1969. (I apologize in advance if I'm remembering incorrectly). But the FT percentage of the teams back then, in the "good old days" -- who I thought were very shooters -- are as follows:

63-64 team 70.1
64-65 team 70.1
65-66 team 74.2
66-66 team 72.8
67-68 team 77.0 !
68-69 team 73.9

Actually, I was surprised at the FT number as well (both ours and opponents) as we seem to be improving as season goes on but opponents are really strong. I think the overall numbers show that we could have a decent finish if we can improve from three. Appreciate the research on the 60's teams.

You have a much better memory than mine; I actually finished in 1970 as I was having so much fun I stuck around another year.

[Jason94]

The game announcers noted that UT's coach Barnes had a similar player rotation, in that several of their key players were not in the starting lineup.

Maybe it's not so unusual in today's game??

Do you think Barnes and even Stackhouse know something about roster management?

Do you seriously believe that what Barnes and Stackhouse are doing is the same thing? I'd say the winning that Barnes has done at multiple schools gives him some leeway on roster adjustments, but it isn't like he has any players in his starting lineups that wouldn't start at other schools - we'd be more than happy to any of their starters start for us, certainly when compared to our starting lineup.

If we were 14-2 instead of 8-8 we wouldn't be having this discussion, much like UT fans aren't concerned about their lineups. When the starters perform night in and night out there tends to be a lot less concerns than if they struggle to score 15 points as a unit.