Played a lot better last night. There was effort and energy for most of the game but not the entire games. The first 18 minutes were brutal and the last 22 were pretty solid. Still plenty of concerns but hoping they can ride the momentum of those last 22 minutes to get some stuff figured out. Really need to cut down on turnovers, especially at the point guard position. Tate and Davis combined for 8 of the team’s 16 turnovers. Sills added 1 and Notae and Moody had two a piece, with your five guards combining for 13 turnovers with a negative assist to turnover ratio. Transition offense still needs a lot of work, and breaking presses in general. I think guys have played out of position most of the year and now they’re finally playing where they’re supposed to but are uncomfortable. Jaylin Williams is a huge boost. His game is perfect for the NBA. Talent isn’t there for him yet but he’ll be an NBA player. Another poor outside shooting performance, and I think that just comes down to confidence at this point. Auburn blocked nine shots, a lot of which came from Arkansas over-penetrating and shooting contested layups. Ball moved much more quickly around the perimeter in the second half to open up driving and cutting lanes. Desi and Moses even beat guys off the dribble a few times, which is something no one has done consistently. Moving forward, you almost have to play a shorter rotation, but fatigue and foul trouble are two potential areas that might hurt. Tate fouled out and Devo had four fouls last night. Hopefully the game is on Saturday and they can carry the momentum from this win and get back to even in conference and right the ship. Vandy won’t be a cake walk. They have some legit pieces, but it’s a game we should win.
