Is Barnes the Best Coach in CB right now?

[cncchris33]

Maybe if Barnes makes a S16 for the first time in a decade this year he can change my mind. I’ll take the guy with 4 FF’s, four 30 win seasons, 11 different SEC titles, and a national championship this decade

I think we can all agree that Barnes is a different coach today than he was 10 years ago. He has basically changed everything about his approach. He is just now getting an opportunity to reap the rewards of it. Last year was a disappointing finish, and I'm convinced losing KA made a difference. Still, they should have advanced past Loyola-Chicago.

I still believe Barnes is a better Xs and Os coach than Cal, and an equally effective recruiter (which is different that saying a better recruiter). I think both coaches do a great job of grabbing kids who fit their vastly different systems and molding them into a team. Cal's model, while infinitely more talented and able to immediately contribute, is also a much more volatile approach. He's won a national title and lost in the 1st round of the NIT with the exact same approach.

It's a little early to judge whether Barnes will be able to sustain more stable success with his new approach.

 

[Dr H Lecter]

I suppose it comes down to what you determine to be the criteria. If your criteria is tournament success, the answer is obvious. If it’s who does more with less and who does less with more, that’s pretty obvious too.

 

[cncchris33]

Mikal Bridges.

Wright has done it in a way where he has gotten high level talent that stay around a few years. Bridges, Jenkins, Hart, Booth, Brunson, and Spellman were all high level recruits, and three were first round picks.

This seems to be the model Barnes is shooting for.

 

[wmcovol]

Top 5 coaches:
K
Self
Izzo
Wright
Williams.

You guys are funny.

 

[VolDaddy61]

I think so.

Getting his team to possibly the #1 ranking by tomorrow without a bunch of One & Done talent is pretty impressive.

My top coaches right now would be:
1. Barnes
2. Coach K
3. Bennett
4. Mark Few
5. Kermit Davis

I'd have Few higher.

 

[omghulkhands]

I think so.

Getting his team to possibly the #1 ranking by tomorrow without a bunch of One & Done talent is pretty impressive.

My top coaches right now would be:
1. Barnes
2. Coach K
3. Bennett
4. Mark Few
5. Kermit Davis

This is a good list for coach of the year candidates.

It’s not the list of top 5 coaches. Those are different things.

 

[SalVolinus]

And I thought the football board overreacted to success.

UT is, if not the best team out there right now, certainly in the top two or three. But its tournament performance that makes or breaks your season, don't delude yourselves.

Idk, I think I'm going to enjoy the hell out of November-March, regardless of what happens in April.

 

[VolGirl1126]

Calipari is not a great x's and o's coach, he's a good recruiter and does a great job of getting freshman to mold year in and year out though.

Also good at cheating.

 

[golfballs]

I think the OP is really talking about a ranking for coach of the year. Jay Wright is a great coach but certainly not a COY candidate at this point. Neither is Cal

 

[The Original Fade]

He may be the best coach ever.

In any sport

 

[lawgator1]

Idk, I think I'm going to enjoy the hell out of November-March, regardless of what happens in April.

Trust me, if you don't get to the Elite 8 with this dominant team you will be pretty unhappy. That's the thing about regular season success in the NCAA -- it puts crazy pressure on you to perform when it counts, or else you get labeled an underachiever.

 

[SalVolinus]

Trust me, if you don't get to the Elite 8 with this dominant team you will be pretty unhappy. That's the thing about regular season success in the NCAA -- it puts crazy pressure on you to perform when it counts, or else you get labeled an underachiever.

I'm more of a live in the moment type sports fan. I'm not even considering what's going to happen next week ,let alone 2 months from now. We could lose in the first round and I will have enjoyed 5 months of the season tremendously.

 

[cardvolfan]

Also what crazy person would take Tony Bennett over John Calipari? And Kermit Davis??? Goodness[/QUOTE

Also what crazy person would take Tony Bennett over John Calipari? And Kermit Davis??? Goodness

That would depend on what parameters you define the term "coaching" to mean. Calipari has done the least with the most talent of any coach in college basketball.

 

[cardvolfan]

Hell no. Not even the best SEC coach.

Hell no. Not even the best SEC coach.

So tell me, who is the best SEC coach, right now. I would love to hear your answer.

 

[lawgator1]

I'm more of a live in the moment type sports fan. I'm not even considering what's going to happen next week ,let alone 2 months from now. We could lose in the first round and I will have enjoyed 5 months of the season tremendously.

That's not going to happen, but if you aren't playing the second weekend prepare for it to be pretty loud around here.

 

[cardvolfan]

Yes and it’s not even close

By what parameters? Certainly not coaching. Recruiting, yes.

 

[cardvolfan]

Wow...totally disagree, and so would a large portion of UK fans if you ask them. And I'm not even a Cal hater. I've made a case for him on several occasions on this very board, bit I wouldn't trade Barnes for Cal and his brand of recruiting/coaching, right now. It might be personal preference, but for the talent he's had, he has underachieved in the hardware department.

Vastly underachieved with his talent. Look at Saban in football and Calipari in basketball over the past decade. Each have had vast talent, yet one achieved according to his talents and the other did not.

 

[zjcvols]

By what parameters? Certainly not coaching. Recruiting, yes.

Results. Who cares if Barnes might be better at X’s and O’s? He hasn’t made the second weekend since Bush was President. Calipari has much much much better results. He’s the better coach.

 

[LittleCat]

While I think the OP's assertion is pretty silly, I can't think of a single coach in the SEC I'd trade Barnes for. He is 42-10 and 18-5 in conference over the past season and a half. So, who are you implying is currently better?

Calipari and Pearl (just barely).

Coach of the year? Sure.

Overall body of work as a coach? Calipari and its not even close.

 

[zjcvols]

Calipari and Pearl (just barely).

Coach of the year? Sure.

Overall body of work as a coach? Calipari and its not even close.

Calipari’s ten year run at Kentucky would be the best run in any school’s history except for about 3-4 schools. Calipari is a very good coach people just want to lie to themselves that he isn’t because they don’t like him.

 

[LittleCat]

Vastly underachieved with his talent. Look at Saban in football and Calipari in basketball over the past decade. Each have had vast talent, yet one achieved according to his talents and the other did not.

It's almost like it's harder to win a 68 team tournament. Basketball rarely has the best team from the regular season win. It's almost always a top 10 team, but it's a crapshoot to win 6 games at the end after 30+.

 

[VolFreakJosh]

Calipari and Pearl (just barely).

Coach of the year? Sure.

Overall body of work as a coach? Calipari and its not even close.

Barnes has a winning record against Cal since he’s been at Tennessee.

Barnes seems to be better at getting the most out of players that wasn’t highly ranked coming out of high school.

Calipari has always had the best talent next to coach K and only has one title to show for it.

 

[cardvolfan]

Results. Who cares if Barnes might be better at X’s and O’s? He hasn’t made the second weekend since Bush was President. Calipari has much much much better results. He’s the better coach.

I think you're getting lost on the original title of the thread. The operative words are "right now." As far as you looking over his time as a coach, yes, he is a better recruiter, and yes, he has lots of positive history, but what he has done with all that talent compared to what he could have done with all that talent....the difference is substantial.

 

[whodatvol]

If you’re gonna be a homer...swing for the fences

 

[cardvolfan]

It's almost like it's harder to win a 68 team tournament. Basketball rarely has the best team from the regular season win. It's almost always a top 10 team, but it's a crapshoot to win 6 games at the end after 30+.

To your earlier point, Calipari has the most talent right now, but Barnes is clearly the best coach, RIGHT NOW.