Vols Take a beating in Oxford

[lewindha]

I agree with Chuck. College basketball used to me a very,very close second to college football.

Now I watch it b/c there is absolutely nothing else on. If there is a re-run of That Seventy's Show on, I'll watch it instead of college basketball.

The NBA has ruined basketball for me. It has ruined college basketball and my general interest in the game.

I've had several friends say the same thing to me. It's not as fun as it used to be.

[fastbrk4]

Hey, I'm happy we are even having this conversation. That is people arguing over fan support, where the basketball program is going, etc. It shows there is interest.

I have to agree with MTown and GTown Rebels. I can tell both of them have attended quite a few if not all home games from reading their posts. No offense to Chuck in Austin, TX, but if you just see a game here and there on TV then you don't get the full picture. For whatever reason, we often play our worst in TV games. Don't know why that is, but it's true the majority of the time. Especially when it's a CBS or nationally televised game and not the local Raycom or formerly JP games. This has gone for all Ole Miss sports until recently of course in football. Even early in the football season the Wake Forest game I knew we'd lose when we scored with so much time left. But hey we turned the season around and maybe we are breaking away out of these old "big game choking" chains. I believe this is the year for baseball to do the same.

I don't like watching the NBA until the playoffs because you can tell the effort, defense, intensity, etc is not there until then. This is where college basketball differs. For the most part, college kids bring more effort than NBA players. What some here are arguing is that the most talented players go to the NBA early so it hurts the college game. That may affect the talent level, but that doesn't correspond to quality of play. Personally, I'm looking for hustle, effort, intensity, continuous growth and improvement, coaching strategy, etc. If the argument is based on talent then college baseball should be rated at the very bottom. Why do many people like high school football? It's not the talent. College basketball can be great regardless of the NBA. Now bad coaching and players without fundamentals (gained alone or high school coaching) can turn college basketball for the worst. Don't blame it on players jumping to the NBA. Hell, college baseball has the worst talent pool of all 3 college sports due to the tremendous Pro baseball farm system, but it's fun to watch. I actually think college basketball defense was at it's pinnacle from about 1988 to 1996. The early 80s, there was too much zone. The 88 to 96 time period, there was a lot of full-court pressing, trapping, etc. This was the time period of UNLV, Arkansas, and Kentucky beating teams into submission with their defense. Now defense has regressed somewhat. I think shooting is as good or better than ever which surprises some people, but look at three point shooting statistics. The percentages are way up. I do think that post play is the worst it's ever been. Playing with your back to the basket is almost a lost art. Very few college players can effectively pivot, drop step, etc.

If you were in the Tad Pad for AK's first 2 years and even this year on a couple of occasions, then you have seen several of the best games that the coliseum has ever hosted. In a 3 game span, in Kennedy's first year I witnessed 3 of the best college basketball games I've ever seen, anywhere. Alabama, LSU, and Auburn--We had over 9500 people in attendance for Alabama--they were highly ranked to start the year but Gottfried couldn't coach dead and we came out lights-out. Todd Abernathy who led the nation in Assists to Turnover ratio made a bounce pass from half court to "The Beard" for a dunk that I'll never forget. Dwayne Curtis got a rebound with a few seconds left and fell to the floor to secure the win. It was a back and forth nailbiter the whole way. The next game outdid it though. With Ole Miss down and time expiring, LSU just had to milk the final seconds. Brian Smith intercepted a Glenn "big baby" Davis pass and pushed it up the floor to Abernathy who found Clarence Sanders in the corner for a 3 that won the game for the Rebels and sent the Tad Pad into a frenzy. The "shot" was replayed on ESPN for a week. The Auburn game was another nailbiter that the Rebels pulled out in the end.

I watched the tape and ironically AK was right. It's been blown into a "big deal". The coaching staff should never have been out that late. You do know that cab drivers are often the scum of the earth. I've experienced being ripped off a time or two myself. Bottom line, he's charged with assault on a cab driver. No marks on the guy and it's a he said/she said case. AK probably did say some racial slurs, I don't know, but if your guy gets called some crap and you are locked into a vehicle you may shout some profanities and slurs also. It's not nearly as bad as it's made out to be. Think about what happened for a second and put yourself in those shoes.

Get your *beep* in the Tad Pad today and cheer the Rebels on because we are going to sweep the rest of this schedule and next year we are going to win the SEC. Jump on the bandwagon now because there won't be room for you in March next year!!!!

[done]

Hey, I'm happy we are even having this conversation. That is people arguing over fan support, where the basketball program is going, etc. It shows there is interest.

I have to agree with MTown and GTown Rebels. I can tell both of them have attended quite a few if not all home games from reading their posts. No offense to Chuck in Austin, TX, but if you just see a game here and there on TV then you don't get the full picture. For whatever reason, we often play our worst in TV games. Don't know why that is, but it's true the majority of the time. Especially when it's a CBS or nationally televised game and not the local Raycom or formerly JP games. This has gone for all Ole Miss sports until recently of course in football. Even early in the football season the Wake Forest game I knew we'd lose when we scored with so much time left. But hey we turned the season around and maybe we are breaking away out of these old "big game choking" chains. I believe this is the year for baseball to do the same.

I don't like watching the NBA until the playoffs because you can tell the effort, defense, intensity, etc is not there until then. This is where college basketball differs. For the most part, college kids bring more effort than NBA players. What some here are arguing is that the most talented players go to the NBA early so it hurts the college game. That may affect the talent level, but that doesn't correspond to quality of play. Personally, I'm looking for hustle, effort, intensity, continuous growth and improvement, coaching strategy, etc. If the argument is based on talent then college baseball should be rated at the very bottom. Why do many people like high school football? It's not the talent. College basketball can be great regardless of the NBA. Now bad coaching and players without fundamentals (gained alone or high school coaching) can turn college basketball for the worst. Don't blame it on players jumping to the NBA. Hell, college baseball has the worst talent pool of all 3 college sports due to the tremendous Pro baseball farm system, but it's fun to watch. I actually think college basketball defense was at it's pinnacle from about 1988 to 1996. The early 80s, there was too much zone. The 88 to 96 time period, there was a lot of full-court pressing, trapping, etc. This was the time period of UNLV, Arkansas, and Kentucky beating teams into submission with their defense. Now defense has regressed somewhat. I think shooting is as good or better than ever which surprises some people, but look at three point shooting statistics. The percentages are way up. I do think that post play is the worst it's ever been. Playing with your back to the basket is almost a lost art. Very few college players can effectively pivot, drop step, etc.

If you were in the Tad Pad for AK's first 2 years and even this year on a couple of occasions, then you have seen several of the best games that the coliseum has ever hosted. In a 3 game span, in Kennedy's first year I witnessed 3 of the best college basketball games I've ever seen, anywhere. Alabama, LSU, and Auburn--We had over 9500 people in attendance for Alabama--they were highly ranked to start the year but Gottfried couldn't coach dead and we came out lights-out. Todd Abernathy who led the nation in Assists to Turnover ratio made a bounce pass from half court to "The Beard" for a dunk that I'll never forget. Dwayne Curtis got a rebound with a few seconds left and fell to the floor to secure the win. It was a back and forth nailbiter the whole way. The next game outdid it though. With Ole Miss down and time expiring, LSU just had to milk the final seconds. Brian Smith intercepted a Glenn "big baby" Davis pass and pushed it up the floor to Abernathy who found Clarence Sanders in the corner for a 3 that won the game for the Rebels and sent the Tad Pad into a frenzy. The "shot" was replayed on ESPN for a week. The Auburn game was another nailbiter that the Rebels pulled out in the end.

I watched the tape and ironically AK was right. It's been blown into a "big deal". The coaching staff should never have been out that late. You do know that cab drivers are often the scum of the earth. I've experienced being ripped off a time or two myself. Bottom line, he's charged with assault on a cab driver. No marks on the guy and it's a he said/she said case. AK probably did say some racial slurs, I don't know, but if your guy gets called some crap and you are locked into a vehicle you may shout some profanities and slurs also. It's not nearly as bad as it's made out to be. Think about what happened for a second and put yourself in those shoes.

Get your *beep* in the Tad Pad today and cheer the Rebels on because we are going to sweep the rest of this schedule and next year we are going to win the SEC. Jump on the bandwagon now because there won't be room for you in March next year!!!!

I have not seen a live game under AK, that is true, but I have seen many in the Tad Pad. My frat house was right across the street and I never missed a home game in college. Up until 4 years ago I always took my boys out of school and we followed the Rebs to every SEC tourney.

I have seen games coached by Jarvis, Weltlich, Hunt, Murphy, Evans and Barnes in person...all of them plus AK on TV. I am not judging the quality of athletese on the court, but the quality of play is worse now than ever. I do not attribute all of that, or even most of that, to AK. I attribute most of it to the overall deterioration of the game of basketball (college and pro). It is really no longer a game that focuses on team. It is now form over substance. Possibly no other game more accurately reflects the reduction in standards of our society as it relates to discipline, teamwork, dignity and selflessness than basketball. And it breaks my heart, because I have served as president of a high school basketball booster club followed the Murrah high team that had Lindsey Hunter and James Robinson all over the southeast), I have always loved the experience of watching college basketball in person and on TV.

But the game has been hijacked by "showtime" and the downward spiral is actually becoming more rapid. I fear the beauty of this game is gone.

And I hate that.

[GtownRebel]

Your explanation is exactly how I feel too. Back in my day I played with Johnny Neumann in HS, officated during ny college years, etc. and the game has evolved from what it was to now. Your last statement about being "hijacked" by showtime is how I feel. Used to be a game I enjoyed watching, but now it seems to be controlled too much by officating and the TV folks. Games that lasted about an hour and a half back then, now last up to 3 hours if televised. Consequently, you can't get any rythem in the game because of all the timeouts from the media. And I won't watch NBA because that isn't basketball to me.

So Chuck, you expressed it very well.