10 games in, 10 points of discussion

#52
#52
BernardKingGOAT said:
There are a number of great teams at the highest level that don't have a true PG. I am certainly not saying we are a great team right now, but I believe Barnes can make the Gillespie/Boswell tandem work out. Maybe our most impressive victory last season was without our PG.
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I believe he can make it work as well, but to what level exactly? I don't know if Henderson is ready, but he's a true PG who might be an answer.

My main problem with Gillespie at the point is it takes him away from what he is best at, which is getting his own shot. I'd rather him be in the Chaz Lanier role of running around screens and spotting up than facilitating.
 
#53
#53
adam.vol said:
It was a tough game to watch from the stands. I can’t believe we kept it close for as long as we did.

I know this team has the talent to be good. I don’t see how they’ll figure out how to play to their strengths or even use their strengths.
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I have confidence in our coach. We will improve as the season progresses. Way too soon for that last comment to be anything but an overreaction to a couple of games
 
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#57
#57
TheMookieMonster said:
Great write up. I appreciate you doing it.

Your point on Barnes setting unrealistic expectations for Ament is a good one. I still think this team has the pieces to be great, but I’ll admit my faith has been shaken a bit. I left the Houston game thinking this team had great depth and was only scratching the surface of its potential; however, the past 3 games have made it clear our depth is probably more of an issue then most of us expected.

We spent most of the off-season excited about how we may be 10-11 deep with a beefy 6-man front court to rival any in the country. But Cade and Felix have been huge disappointments, Estrella can’t stay healthy, and Brown is a true freshman that we’re asking a lot from right now to make up for other players’ inconsistency.

I’m not going to continue to harp on Ament. It’s been said a million times but our entire fanbase.

Gillespie, on the other hand…..people are quick to point out the $4 million we’ve spent on Ament, but seem to quickly overlook the $2 million spent on Gillespie only for him to be almost as bad as Ament in big games. 6-20 FG tonight with just 5 assists to 3 turnovers. He has some really bad passes, too.

I think the part that frustrates me the most though, and gives me the most concern about this team figuring it out, is the mental part. We simply fold when things are going bad. We don’t fight back. I wanted to throw my remote at the screen the last few minutes of the game when I saw us give up on trying to get rebounds. I’m not sure who will step up, but Gillespie is not the vocal leader Zakai was and we obviously don’t have anyone else filling that void. If someone doesn’t find their voice and lead this team, it’s going to be a long season.
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What’s weird though is we did fight back against Houston. A couple times in the first half of the Houston game, I thought Houston was going to pull away. We dominated Houston in that second half, though, and did a great job of closing the game out with clutch FTs. The effort we showed in that game and then to see what we did against Syracuse is truly baffling.
 
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#58
#58
volfeeva said:
The formula for most college programs for a while now seems to be get the ball to the big man in the middle and if he can't get off a shot, kick it back out and try again and again, eventually making a shot outside the perimeter . We can't get the ball into the middle cause most other teams have the same tall guys as ours, and when the ball is kicked back out to make a shot, we can't make those either. Not sure what you can do other than practice making shots.
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We can get the ball in the middle, we just haven’t been for some reason. I’d love to see more high post action.
 
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#61
#61
Stoerner Fumbles said:
Good assessment. I expressed some reservations about Ament's size and durability, and moaned a lot about how close we got to Rice, and what a loss it was. Preseason is no time to make friends with doubts. I was overly optimistic about JP and his durability. I agree that his offense could draw defenders in and make Ament much more successful by giving him some space to operate. I think I'd be in the minority in saying this, but I'd almost rather play Boswell at point to get Gillespie better looks. We're losing a lot of three looks, and drives by leaving him at the one. Boswell obviously lacks some tools to be a great PG, but I think he's better on ball D on the drive and is a serviceable passer at this point. Burg is just not an SEC body/talent, and Abrams is too volatile. He's enough of an athlete to cover good guards, but he might just do something crazy one in three trips. Cade is a reliable dud, Felix can't seem to generate any offense without ZZ's lobs, and JP isn't getting the minutes. That leaves us with the blue collar bruiser duo of Brown and Carey as the best lay brick/putback plan. Carey is definitely a "less than" expected contributor, but will bang. Brown has a very high ceiling and is fearless, but misses some key assignments on D, and I think the 4/5 combos will grow into something better than it is as JP gets more minutes and we find a good rotation. Our guard play is just a sad situation. On ball D is bad. Watching one guy recover on the drive, while another guy misses the open three shot is just torture. Barnes doesn't see a way out with the older guys. Obviously there is a real SEC athlete in Evans and promise in Henderson too, but this isn't a learn on the go offense. I think the break is going to have to be dedicated to a tighter/younger lineup, and commitment to defense. I have to assume Ament will grow, and we will find a way to get him some space. I think treating him like DK iso magic is a mistake that won't fix itself. Hopefully JP will return to form, and the young guards will develop. Right now this is a middle SEC team on one side or the other of the bubble.
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I remember your post about Ament and know that at the time, it slightly dampened my enthusiasm about how he would impact the team this year. It seems like it was a very prescient call by you.

It seems like we took so many swings at a 2 that didn’t work out (McKneeley, Rice, Miles) that Barnes knew what the weak spot was going to be. I agree, this barely looks like an NCAAT team at this point - the roster construction is too flawed.
 
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#62
#62
cncchris33 said:
I'll say this about Phillips and Okpara (to those frustrated with him). Their issue is a bit complex. They scored the majority of their points last year on lobs. That was facilitated by ZZ, who could put those balls on a dime, but also the threat of an outside shooter like Chaz Lanier.

Because Jakobi Gillespie is our best shooter, when he is driving the paint, teams are packing it tight and wiping away the lob threat because they don't fear anyone else shooting from outside. They are far more willing to risk someone else hitting a 3 while protecting the rim from a sure 2 on a lob.

This all goes to my concern of Gillespie being our only ball-handler and only reliable and willing shooter. He can't do both simultaneously and his driving the ball just clogs the lane with defenders.
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Spot on
 
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#63
#63
McGeesPub said:
I remember your post about Ament and know that at the time, it slightly dampened my enthusiasm about how he would impact the team this year. It seems like it was a very prescient call by you.

It seems like we took so many swings at a 2 that didn’t work out (McKneeley, Rice, Miles) that Barnes knew what the weak spot was going to be. I agree, this barely looks like an NCAAT team at this point - the roster construction is too flawed.
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One of those things I wish I were wrong about. Obviously I hope he gets stronger and can play more aggressively as the season progresses.
 
#64
#64
McGeesPub said:
I remember your post about Ament and know that at the time, it slightly dampened my enthusiasm about how he would impact the team this year. It seems like it was a very prescient call by you.

It seems like we took so many swings at a 2 that didn’t work out (McKneeley, Rice, Miles) that Barnes knew what the weak spot was going to be. I agree, this barely looks like an NCAAT team at this point - the roster construction is too flawed.
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Several people greatly questioned the glaring hole at the SG spot, but were drowned out, perhaps even swayed by those who were convinced the rest of the team would mask the deficiencies at that position.

What we've seen so far seems to emphasize the importance of good guard play at the highest level in 2025. You have to have multiple ball-handlers and you have to have multiple shooters. We are short on both, again. Probably the barest the guard cabinet has been under Barnes in his 10 years at Tennessee if we are being honest. We have one guy that can do either of those things well, and it is the same guy, which makes it even worse.
 
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#65
#65
cncchris33 said:
Several people greatly questioned the glaring hole at the SG spot, but were drowned out, perhaps even swayed by those who were convinced the rest of the team would mask the deficiencies at that position.

What we've seen so far seems to emphasize the importance of good guard play at the highest level in 2025. You have to have multiple ball-handlers and you have to have multiple shooters. We are short on both, again. Probably the barest the guard cabinet has been under Barnes in his 10 years at Tennessee if we are being honest. We have one guy that can do either of those things well, and it is the same guy, which makes it even worse.
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Seems as though we might be short handed right now. I think Abram is ready to step up. Boswell has to be more assertive taking open 3s too. He is 7-11 for the year. He looks good when he has taken them, especially the last few games. There is no doubt the Houston game unlocked some confidence in him. He needs to parlay that with other parts of his game. As you know, that's not something that happens overnight in this game. Repetition will come as he gets more games under his belt. Evans has enormous potential too. He's going to get more PT going forward. When Gillespie goes out, it's incumbent that Boswell builds on that confidence that he can take the point
 
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#66
#66
sami said:
I believe he can make it work as well, but to what level exactly? I don't know if Henderson is ready, but he's a true PG who might be an answer.

My main problem with Gillespie at the point is it takes him away from what he is best at, which is getting his own shot. I'd rather him be in the Chaz Lanier role of running around screens and spotting up than facilitating.
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Agree re: Williamson. I’d like to see a push to get him up to speed enough to be the backup PG over Burg. Burg just ain’t it.
 
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#67
#67
Stoerner Fumbles said:
One of those things I wish I were wrong about. Obviously I hope he gets stronger and can play more aggressively as the season progresses.
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We should have been willing to pay Rice what USC offered. Same with McKneeley. At the time, the excuse was that we had to stay within budget, but then we (boosters) paid Ament more than either got (maybe combined?). And why? He’ll be here 1 season, won’t be as productive as either in that season, then he’ll go to the NBA. We’re paying out the ass for a guy because he’s a future lottery pick, not because he’s going to be productive at UT…which is kinda the thing you’re supposed to be paying for.

If what we’re paying combined for Ament, Abram, and Burg is more than what it would have taken to get Rice and McKneeley…we effed up royally. And I think it is.
 
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#68
#68
A few thoughts on this ...

1. Too many times during the games I look at our offensive lineup and ask, "who are the scorers"? Often there are only 2! That is so much easier to defend than a team of 5 decent, but equal opportunity scorers. Cade is out. But if we have Felix Cade and Berg, we are dead in the water offensively.

2. Smalls: Abram needs the green light and the minutes. Berg is not SEC ready IMO. Evans needs more minutes to develop for season's end to hopefully help. Jefferson is still developmental w Massamba. What we feared pre-season has arrived.

3. Bigs: We either get JP and 30+ minutes per game from him or we are cooked. He can make a huge difference for us in the post. Jaylen is a bull in a china shop, but treats the backboard that way too. He needs to calm down and stop clanking shots at point blank. Felix still doesnt have enough offensive skill to help. Brown is somewhat developmental. Without JP our bigs are just pedestrian. What I expected to be awesome is a bit disappointing. Maybe there is time?

We can't score well in the 1/2 court and don't push the break. We have 2 players trying to break down Ds off the dribble and sub par scorers supporting them. Defensively, we are the worst I've seen in Barnes last 8 or 9 years. The deficiencies are many. Rebounding is pretty good.

IMHO, Rick is going to have to shrink the rotation to predominantly Gillespie, Abram, Ament, BB, JP, Felix, and Jaylen. Get Evans minutes and use Henderson, Brown, and Berg simply for resting others briefly. Crazy, but all we've really got is a 7 man rotation wo Cade. And honeslty, his lack of offense hurt us. We cannot lock anyone down on defense, so were going to have to find a way to score.
 
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#69
#69
livefaith said:
A few thoughts on this ...

1. Too many times during the games I look at our offensive lineup and ask, "who are the scorers"? Often there are only 2! That is so much easier to defend than a team of 5 decent, but equal opportunity scorers. Cade is out. But if we have Felix Cade and Berg, we are dead in the water offensively.

2. Smalls: Abram needs the green light and the minutes. Berg is not SEC ready IMO. Evans needs more minutes to develop for season's end to hopefully help. Jefferson is still developmental w Massamba. What we feared pre-season has arrived.

3. Bigs: We either get JP and 30+ minutes per game from him or we are cooked. He can make a huge difference for us in the post. Jaylen is a bull in a china shop, but treats the backboard that way too. He needs to calm down and stop clanking shots at point blank. Felix still doesnt have enough offensive skill to help. Brown is somewhat developmental. Without JP our bigs are just pedestrian. What I expected to be awesome is a bit disappointing. Maybe there is time?

We can't score well in the 1/2 court and don't push the break. We have 2 players trying to break down Ds off the dribble and sub par scorers supporting them. Defensively, we are the worst I've seen in Barnes last 8 or 9 years. The deficiencies are many. Rebounding is pretty good.

IMHO, Rick is going to have to shrink the rotation to predominantly Gillespie, Abram, Ament, JP, Felix, and Jaylen. Get Evans minutes and use Jefferson, Brown, and Berg simply for resting others briefly. Crazy, but all we've really got is a 7 man rotation wo Cade. And honeslty, his lack of offense hurt us. We cannot lock anyone down on defense, so were going to have to find a way to score.
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7-8 man rotation has worked well for Barnes. He has given some flexibility up until now with a group of players that he had said haven't played much together in critical situations. He sort of foreshadowed that strategy during his in-game interview against Duke in the exhibition right before halftime. The Houston game and first half of the Kansas game were a bit of teasers for him. He and staff will settle in to a rotation here before the SEC starts.
 
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#70
#70
livefaith said:
A few thoughts on this ...

1. Too many times during the games I look at our offensive lineup and ask, "who are the scorers"? Often there are only 2! That is so much easier to defend than a team of 5 decent, but equal opportunity scorers. Cade is out. But if we have Felix Cade and Berg, we are dead in the water offensively.

2. Smalls: Abram needs the green light and the minutes. Berg is not SEC ready IMO. Evans needs more minutes to develop for season's end to hopefully help. Jefferson is still developmental w Massamba. What we feared pre-season has arrived.

3. Bigs: We either get JP and 30+ minutes per game from him or we are cooked. He can make a huge difference for us in the post. Jaylen is a bull in a china shop, but treats the backboard that way too. He needs to calm down and stop clanking shots at point blank. Felix still doesnt have enough offensive skill to help. Brown is somewhat developmental. Without JP our bigs are just pedestrian. What I expected to be awesome is a bit disappointing. Maybe there is time?

We can't score well in the 1/2 court and don't push the break. We have 2 players trying to break down Ds off the dribble and sub par scorers supporting them. Defensively, we are the worst I've seen in Barnes last 8 or 9 years. The deficiencies are many. Rebounding is pretty good.

IMHO, Rick is going to have to shrink the rotation to predominantly Gillespie, Abram, Ament, BB, JP, Felix, and Jaylen. Get Evans minutes and use Jefferson, Brown, and Berg simply for resting others briefly. Crazy, but all we've really got is a 7 man rotation wo Cade. And honeslty, his lack of offense hurt us. We cannot lock anyone down on defense, so were going to have to find a way to score.
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Obviously you mean Troy Henderson, not Jefferson.

BTW, DJ Jefferson hasn’t been able to crack the starting lineup at Gardner-Webb.
 
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#71
#71
Just can’t have 2-3 players on the court who don’t even look at the basket. Too easy to guard and for them to give help D. Igor frustrated me last year doing the same thing. Be a threat to make a shot or play off the dribble or sit. Can’t just pass and go pick all day.
 
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#72
#72
NighthawkVol said:
We should have been willing to pay Rice what USC offered. Same with McKneeley. At the time, the excuse was that we had to stay within budget, but then we (boosters) paid Ament more than either got (maybe combined?). And why? He’ll be here 1 season, won’t be as productive as either in that season, then he’ll go to the NBA. We’re paying out the ass for a guy because he’s a future lottery pick, not because he’s going to be productive at UT…which is kinda the thing you’re supposed to be paying for.

If what we’re paying combined for Ament, Abram, and Burg is more than what it would have taken to get Rice and McKneeley…we effed up royally. And I think it is.
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This will hopefully end up being a learning situation - leave the one-and-dones to the usual suspects, recruit HS kids and identify stud transfers who can thrive in this system, ala Chaz and DK.

I believe that for this group to have any chance to be special that Rick has to step out of his comfort zone and give Abram, Henderson, and Evans more time and see if a Bowell/Henderson PG rotation is possible before we get to the meat of the league schedule.

This might not bode well for how far we go this season, but would pay great dividends moving forward as a core of the three FR guards and Brown form the core of the program along with Boswell, Cade and Carey the same was ZZ and Mashack did. Then you go out and find the most dynamic transfer(s) you can each year.
 
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#73
#73
BernardKingGOAT said:
Seems as though we might be short handed right now. I think Abram is ready to step up. Boswell has to be more assertive taking open 3s too. He is 7-11 for the year. He looks good when he has taken them, especially the last few games. There is no doubt the Houston game unlocked some confidence in him. He needs to parlay that with other parts of his game. As you know, that's not something that happens overnight in this game. Repetition will come as he gets more games under his belt. Evans has enormous potential too. He's going to get more PT going forward. When Gillespie goes out, it's incumbent that Boswell builds on that confidence that he can take the point
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Boswell has to be handed the ball, as any chance of this group reaching its potential depends on Gillespie being freed up to do what he does best. That in turn will provide more space for Ament as the staff figures out ways to get him the ball in his spots most effectively.

Burg seems like a great kid, but Abram and Evans need more run to get them acclimated to this level, and Burg is clearly in over his head, or so it seems.
 
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#75
#75
I wonder if Barnes is bold enough in one of his final seasons to experiment and go out and recruit just a bunch of ball-handlers and shooters/scorers regardless of their defensive ability? Teach them how to defend to the best of their ability, be patient with their defensive shortcomings, and just try a different formula. Maybe that ends up looking like Pearl's Auburn team of 2022-23 with KD Johnson and Wendell Green...yuck...or maybe it ends up looking like Florida, last year, with Walter Clayton, Alijah Martin, and Will Richards.

This isn't a call-out on Barnes by any means, but far too often we are finding ourselves on the short end of ballhandlers and shooters.
 
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