‘21 GA PF Jabari Smith (Auburn commit)

#477
#477
MinisterofDef#92 said:
Are we in a position where we need immediate help in the post? How has our post play been compared to other teams under CRB?

Landing elite players is an obvious recruiting formula...I'm just glad we have a coach who can look beyond star rankings to make his own judgments and successfully find the players who will excel under him and deliver wins. IMO, CRB is about the best there is currently in college basketball at evaluating both the talent and the fit of recruits.
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We’re not in a position where we need immediate help for the upcoming season. We have Pons, Fullerton, and Anosike.
The following season is what is unknown right now. On paper we have Walker, Pember, Nkamhoua, and Plavsic. I honestly had forgotten about Walker. He is one of those elite recruits that gives you hope.
The other three have shown potential at times and next season will be year three for 3/4 of them. But as of now the three returning players haven’t shown us enough to be confident that they will be elite players. Role players/contributors yes. But not elite. YET.

Recruiting and rankings mean more to fans than it does the coaches. Barnes has earned my trust. It’s just easier to get excited about the future when recruits are highly ranked.
 
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#478
#478
volball57 said:
We’re not in a position where we need immediate help for the upcoming season. We have Pons, Fullerton, and Anosike.
The following season is what is unknown right now. On paper we have Walker, Pember, Nkamhoua, and Plavsic. I honestly had forgotten about Walker. He is one of those elite recruits that gives you hope.
The other three have shown potential at times and next season will be year three for 3/4 of them. But as of now the three returning players haven’t shown us enough to be confident that they will be elite players. Role players/contributors yes. But not elite. YET.

Recruiting and rankings mean more to fans than it does the coaches. Barnes has earned my trust. It’s just easier to get excited about the future when recruits are highly ranked.
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That 3rd year with Barnes seems to be the year that it clicks with the players and they show mad improvement. Admiral, Bone, Alexander, Pons, Turner and even Grant, all took a big jump in their 3rd year
Edit: can't believe I forgot Fulk
 
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#479
#479
The Dog said:
That 3rd year with Barnes seems to be the year that it clicks with the players and they show mad improvement. Admiral, Bone, Alexander, Pons, Turner and even Grant, all took a big jump in their 3rd year
Edit: can't believe I forgot Fulk
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Fulk may not be an nba caliber guy but I love his work ethic and he’s a great all around guy. I do like the caliber of young men that Rick recruits. I like the direction of the program, if you wanna go there. Lot of genuinely awesome people who want our young men successful in every facet of their lives.
 
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#480
#480
volball57 said:
We’re not in a position where we need immediate help for the upcoming season. We have Pons, Fullerton, and Anosike.
The following season is what is unknown right now. On paper we have Walker, Pember, Nkamhoua, and Plavsic. I honestly had forgotten about Walker. He is one of those elite recruits that gives you hope.
The other three have shown potential at times and next season will be year three for 3/4 of them. But as of now the three returning players haven’t shown us enough to be confident that they will be elite players. Role players/contributors yes. But not elite. YET.

Recruiting and rankings mean more to fans than it does the coaches. Barnes has earned my trust. It’s just easier to get excited about the future when recruits are highly ranked.
Click to expand...

As you said, Walker is an elite player and I am willing to bet at least 1 of the other 3, and likely more, contribute in a significant way before they graduate (Pember showed some toughness and grit in his limited appearances last year that I found impressive). As noted by others, it is likely Fulk and/or Anosike return for the following.
 
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#481
#481
Its possible that Anosike or Fulky or both could come back next season if the NCAA approves an extra year for everyone this week. I would think that Anosike probably would if thats approved. Fulky could play his way into the draft possibly.
 
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#482
#482
volball57 said:
We’re not in a position where we need immediate help for the upcoming season. We have Pons, Fullerton, and Anosike.
The following season is what is unknown right now. On paper we have Walker, Pember, Nkamhoua, and Plavsic. I honestly had forgotten about Walker. He is one of those elite recruits that gives you hope.
The other three have shown potential at times and next season will be year three for 3/4 of them. But as of now the three returning players haven’t shown us enough to be confident that they will be elite players. Role players/contributors yes. But not elite. YET.

Recruiting and rankings mean more to fans than it does the coaches. Barnes has earned my trust. It’s just easier to get excited about the future when recruits are highly ranked.
Click to expand...
I can't help but think about the names you listed along with the possibility of Fulky and Anosike returning and I think back to when I was in school for the Wade Houston era. We had Steve Hamer and I think our next big was 6'4 kid playing power forward. Steve was a good player but when he went out we were tiny. Any of those guys you mentioned as question marks would have been relied on for big minutes back then. Just a trip down memory lane and a little perspective from a longtime Vol Basketball fan who appreciates where we are today.
 
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#483
#483
MinisterofDef#92 said:
As you said, Walker is an elite player and I am willing to bet at least 1 of the other 3, and likely more, contribute in a significant way before they graduate (Pember showed some toughness and grit in his limited appearances last year that I found impressive). As noted by others, it is likely Fulk and/or Anosike.
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It’s possible Pember could grow to 7’2 260 with unlimited range and a tan.
 
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#485
#485
I'll believe it when I see it. I don't believe the NCAA is interested in punishing any decently big college basketball program (i.e. LSU, Auburn, etc.) or else they would have done it already. Kansas and Arizona had egregious offenses and they pretty much got a hard slap on the wrist. North Carolina created fake classes for struggling athletes to maintain their grades and nothing happened. It just is what it is at this point and I have little confidence anything will change.
 
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#486
#486
TheMookieMonster said:
I'll believe it when I see it. I don't believe the NCAA is interested in punishing any decently big college basketball program (i.e. LSU, Auburn, etc.) or else they would have done it already. Kansas and Arizona had egregious offenses and they pretty much got a hard slap on the wrist. North Carolina created fake classes for struggling athletes to maintain their grades and nothing happened. It just is what it is at this point and I have little confidence anything will change.
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Gary Parish has insinuated that the NCAA is investigating Will Wade, which involves interviewing student athletes on other campuses. Maybe the pandemic has slowed that process. He also suggested that it could happen at Memphis as well. I don't believe the NCAA can just rely on the tapes that Wade is on. I think they have to investigate and get some of the student athletes to talk.
 
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#490
#490
Jimmy Football said:
Exh. B in my case against Auburn in this recruitment.

(Has he signed yet, btw?)
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This is a classic case of we know we've been cheating but now that we aren't expected to make the NCAA tournament much less probably be that good let's just go ahead and self impose a post season ban as a good gesture.
 
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#499
#499
Vol49er said:
Seems like it would be a harbinger for worse penalties though, no? Not saying he ends up here but I think him going to the G league is more probable than it was 48 hours ago
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I definitely think G League is possible, and VQ has said as well recently...just saying that penalties and this investigation were known about all during his recruitment, he still chose to choose Auburn, not like this came out of thin air.
 
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