Another 20 win season for Barnes at Tennessee

[volbound1700]

What hasn't happened that often in Tennessee history is becoming automatic under Barnes. Only Pearl seem to production 20 win seasons regularly.

I was expecting this team to be down compared to 2024 but so far this team has overachieved in my opinion. There have been some very excruciating losses/finishes (@ Auburn, Vandy, and UK) where I felt Tennessee could have won.

Once again, offense tends to be Tennessee's achilles heel. I do think the lack of depth is causing issues for this team. Because of our lack of shooting consistency and offense in the paint, Tennessee still seems like a very up and down team. One that can beat almost anyone when they are on and a team that could also get beat when they are cold.

One thing that has changed with Barnes the last 2 years is his ability to dip into the portal. I feel like some of our high recruits out of high school have not paned out so well and Barnes has been able to overcome that with solid transfer pickups like Dalton Knecht or Chaz Lanier. It would be nice to have a consistent scorer in the paint. I think Tennessee has had a difficult time finding one and it isn't for lack of trying. Barnes coaching is keeping us in game after game, season after season.

I know it can be frustrating at times but this is a golden era for Tennessee Basketball and some of us can forget that at times during difficult losses.

I do feel comfortable with this team advancing a game or two into the tournament, from there it is a crap shoot as it will depend on our shooting and whether our opponent is hot or cold (plus who our opponent is).

 

[Anti-shunshinepumper]

Barnes is a solid A coach. Consistently gets the most of the guys he recruits. Imagine if He would have had the talent that Kentucky had during the Coach Cal years. Dude might have 3 rings.

 

[JohnnyJava]

If Ken Pom ratings hold as they are right now, this is his best team. Quite an achievement for a "rebuild" year.

 

[Anti-shunshinepumper]

If Ken Pom ratings hold as they are right now, this is his best team. Quite an achievement for a "rebuild" year.

Awesome year without a doubt but if we don’t make it past sweet sixteen I don't see how we can say it's his "best" team.
I think we would have to look at all the metrics to determine this. Kenpom/NET depends on how good the league is, too.
I know this is probably the best SEC has been since he has been here, but we ain't winning a reg season title this year. He has achieved this before, twice. Also has a Tournament title to boot.
Imo, last year's team is gonna be hard to top.
For sure still doable, tho.

 

[mercuryvol]

He certainly has been the best BB coach at UT in my years with the university (since 1968). And, as a representative of the university, possibly exceeding even Gen. Neyland and Nathan Dougherty. I am afraid we saw a preamble to his resignation letter when he spoke last month about ZZ being a gift from God. Now try to imagine replacing his ability and character and comportment with some of the clowns we have seen lately.

 

[walkenvol]

He certainly has been the best BB coach at UT in my years with the university (since 1968). And, as a representative of the university, possibly exceeding even Gen. Neyland and Nathan Dougherty. I am afraid we saw a preamble to his resignation letter when he spoke last month about ZZ being a gift from God. Now try to imagine replacing his ability and character and comportment with some of the clowns we have seen lately.

I’m knowingly pessimistic, but I don’t like our chances finding a comparable replacement success wise who comes close to representing the university with similar integrity and class. Guess we’ll roll the dice when the time comes. The portal era already chips away at my enthusiasm for college sports and if we end up with a Martin, Tyndal, or god forbid ONeal type then I may find better things to do.

 

[Special Ed]

Not for nothing, but when your coach is being paid Final Four level money, you tend to expect 20+ wins per season.
Fortunately, Barnes has been earning his salary this season. Considering how the college basketball landscape has changed lately, you have to wonder how much longer he can keep pace with the blue bloods, though. More than one college coach has given up the reins recently in frustration over NIL and the ins and outs of the transfer portal. I wonder how much longer Rick Barnes will have the stamina and the will to fight the good fight before hanging up his spurs and heading off into retirement land.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

One coach has 4x 20s in 4 years.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

Only 4x since 1950 has UT won 80% of the games in a season. Mears once. Bruce once. Barnes once and he’s currently working on #2 this year. 20-4 is currently the 5th best ever at 0.833 (3rd best since 1950).

BTW, Johnny Mauer had 8x very impressive seasons from 1938-1947 (no season in 1943-44).

 

[JohnnyJava]

Awesome year without a doubt but if we don’t make it past sweet sixteen I don't see how we can say it's his "best" team.
I think we would have to look at all the metrics to determine this. Kenpom/NET depends on how good the league is, too.
I know this is probably the best SEC has been since he has been here, but we ain't winning a reg season title this year. He has achieved this before, twice. Also has a Tournament title to boot.
Imo, last year's team is gonna be hard to top.
For sure still doable, tho.

Yes, I agree with your points. I worded my comment poorly. What I should have written was that, currently, our overall Ken Pom rating is higher than the final Ken Pom rating for any previous Rick Barnes coached Tennessee team. Results on the court in tournament time will of course determine how we remember this season, not a Ken Pom rating. I’m just impressed that he has put this team together after losing Knecht, Santi, JJJ, Aidoo, Awaka, Dilione, Carr, and Estrella. His best coaching job in my opinion.

 

[hUTch2002]

What hasn't happened that often in Tennessee history is becoming automatic under Barnes. Only Pearl seem to production 20 win seasons regularly.

I was expecting this team to be down compared to 2024 but so far this team has overachieved in my opinion. There have been some very excruciating losses/finishes (@ Auburn, Vandy, and UK) where I felt Tennessee could have won.

Once again, offense tends to be Tennessee's achilles heel. I do think the lack of depth is causing issues for this team. Because of our lack of shooting consistency and offense in the paint, Tennessee still seems like a very up and down team. One that can beat almost anyone when they are on and a team that could also get beat when they are cold.

One thing that has changed with Barnes the last 2 years is his ability to dip into the portal. I feel like some of our high recruits out of high school have not paned out so well and Barnes has been able to overcome that with solid transfer pickups like Dalton Knecht or Chaz Lanier. It would be nice to have a consistent scorer in the paint. I think Tennessee has had a difficult time finding one and it isn't for lack of trying. Barnes coaching is keeping us in game after game, season after season.

I know it can be frustrating at times but this is a golden era for Tennessee Basketball and some of us can forget that at times during difficult losses.

I do feel comfortable with this team advancing a game or two into the tournament, from there it is a crap shoot as it will depend on our shooting and whether our opponent is hot or cold (plus who our opponent is).

I really feel like we figured something out after that UK loss. While we’re not a traditional post-up scoring team with good scoring bigs, we can work the ball inside and have been the last few games. Doing that takes the pressure off our perimeter shooting as the defense starts to collapse in to stop us in the paint. We can shoot well but it has to be good looks in the rhythm of the offense, not standing around, making a pass or two in the perimeter only and jacking a 3 the other team is glad to let us take at any time. I guess we will tonight if I’m right. UK baited us into jacking 3s last time and we obliged. We won’t tonight. I bet we take half the 3s we did last time.

 

[hUTch2002]

Awesome year without a doubt but if we don’t make it past sweet sixteen I don't see how we can say it's his "best" team.
I think we would have to look at all the metrics to determine this. Kenpom/NET depends on how good the league is, too.
I know this is probably the best SEC has been since he has been here, but we ain't winning a reg season title this year. He has achieved this before, twice. Also has a Tournament title to boot.
Imo, last year's team is gonna be hard to top.
For sure still doable, tho.

I think a 1 seed and E8 run equals last year. FF run exceeds.

 

[BernardKingGOAT]

Not for nothing, but when your coach is being paid Final Four level money, you tend to expect 20+ wins per season.
Fortunately, Barnes has been earning his salary this season. Considering how the college basketball landscape has changed lately, you have to wonder how much longer he can keep pace with the blue bloods, though. More than one college coach has given up the reins recently in frustration over NIL and the ins and outs of the transfer portal. I wonder how much longer Rick Barnes will have the stamina and the will to fight the good fight before hanging up his spurs and heading off into retirement land.

I think Barnes will be fine keeping pace with the blue bloods as long as he wants to keep coaching. He's actually put us ahead of some of the blue bloods and is maintaining it pretty steadily.

 

[IndianaVol]

Love Rick Barnes and the job he has done here at Tennessee.
Love the fact he has taken us to national relevancy on a consistent basis.
Love that his teams absolutely crush it in the season.

Now the elephant in the room - and all of you are thinking it - is the same thing he was asked to leave Texas.
It's not translating to Final Fours and National Titles.
I get it too, that's a two edged sword...the next guy may not be the coach we have and may go backwards.
So do we become complacent with 25+ win seasons and early exits?

 

[Anti-shunshinepumper]

So do we become complacent with 25+ win seasons and early exits?

We haven't ever had consistent 25+ wins seasons, so I think saying" become complacent" in regards is pretty funny. Prior to Barnes coming here we had 3 -25 win seasons ever. Barnes has had 4! Working on 5.
Minus a few a few good years, and early exists in the tournament is what we've always been about. (Ironically, a majority of those good years have come under Barnes).
That's if we could even make it to a tourney.
It's not like Tennessee has always been guaranteed to make the NCAA tournament.
I remember UT basketball pre Barnes/Pearl and it wasn't exactly pretty.

We lucky to have had Barnes the last decade.
If/when the next coach comes here and was to win it all, he'd owe a great deal of gratitude to coach Barnes for continuing the winning culture that Pearl started. Under Barnes we have become a team that is respected and feared.

If you remember it took Gonzaga several years before they could even get past the sweet 16.
I'm telling you, you let Rick Barnes coach here as long as he wants! He gives us a consistent shot into the Tournament year in and year out.

 

[hUTch2002]

We haven't ever had consistent 25+ wins seasons, so I think saying" become complacent" in regards is pretty funny. Prior to Barnes coming here we had 3 -25 win seasons ever. Barnes has had 4! Working on 5.
Minus a few a few good years, and early exists in the tournament is what we've always been about. (Ironically, a majority of those good years have come under Barnes).
That's if we could even make it to a tourney.
It's not like Tennessee has always been guaranteed to make the NCAA tournament.
I remember UT basketball pre Barnes/Pearl and it wasn't exactly pretty.

We lucky to have had Barnes the last decade.
If/when the next coach comes here and was to win it all, he'd owe a great deal of gratitude to coach Barnes for continuing the winning culture that Pearl started. Under Barnes we have become a team that is respected and feared.

If you remember it took Gonzaga several years before they could even get past the sweet 16.
I'm telling you, you let Rick Barnes coach here as long as he wants! He gives us a consistent shot into the Tournament year in and year out.

Gonzaga actually went to the Elite 8 in 1999. I was watching them play UConn with Mike Jarvis, who was coaching St John’s at the time and made their own Elite 8 run. It was awesome. It was just he and I watching and talking basketball. He was a super-nice guy.

Everything else is spot on though. I generally tend to agree with your takes overall so no surprise there.

 

[Anti-shunshinepumper]

Gonzaga actually went to the Elite 8 in 1999. I was watching them play UConn with Mike Jarvis, who was coaching St John’s at the time and made their own Elite 8 run. It was awesome. It was just he and I watching and talking basketball. He was a super-nice guy.

Everything else is spot on though. I generally tend to agree with your takes overall so no surprise there.

yeah I fogot, they did make it that season.
Only thing I really remember when I look back at that season now was us beating Kentucky twice and winning the the regular season.
Even so, took them a long time to win a championship after that first elite 8.
It's just hard to win a championship. You almost have to catch lightning in a bottle. Just having a team in a position to do that is pretty excellent, IMO.

 

[IndianaVol]

We haven't ever had consistent 25+ wins seasons, so I think saying" become complacent" in regards is pretty funny. Prior to Barnes coming here we had 3 -25 win seasons ever. Barnes has had 4! Working on 5.
Minus a few a few good years, and early exists in the tournament is what we've always been about. (Ironically, a majority of those good years have come under Barnes).
That's if we could even make it to a tourney.
It's not like Tennessee has always been guaranteed to make the NCAA tournament.
I remember UT basketball pre Barnes/Pearl and it wasn't exactly pretty.

We lucky to have had Barnes the last decade.
If/when the next coach comes here and was to win it all, he'd owe a great deal of gratitude to coach Barnes for continuing the winning culture that Pearl started. Under Barnes we have become a team that is respected and feared.

If you remember it took Gonzaga several years before they could even get past the sweet 16.
I'm telling you, you let Rick Barnes coach here as long as he wants! He gives us a consistent shot into the Tournament year in and year out.

I get that and am TOTALLY on board with letting Rick Barnes coach here as long as Rick Barnes wants to coach.
I guess my question was more like, are we going to become Texas and let him coach us to elite seasons and not so great tournaments?

Also, this is the thing that makes college basketball so great.
You can have a completely dominate team during the season and get bailed in the first round of the tourney.
It's SOOOO hard to win a title in any sport that has a tournament format - more reason to treasure and savor the BaseVols accomplishment from last year - hopefully that works into football as well.

 

[BernardKingGOAT]

I get that and am TOTALLY on board with letting Rick Barnes coach here as long as Rick Barnes wants to coach.
I guess my question was more like, are we going to become Texas and let him coach us to elite seasons and not so great tournaments?

Also, this is the thing that makes college basketball so great.
You can have a completely dominate team during the season and get bailed in the first round of the tourney.
It's SOOOO hard to win a title in any sport that has a tournament format - more reason to treasure and savor the BaseVols accomplishment from last year - hopefully that works into football as well.

The tournament format isn't necessarily designed for the best teams to always advance. I've often stated that best 2 of 3 from Sweet 16 through FF would be much better

 

[franklinboy]

Needs 2 point guards for next year and a quality scorer on the wing .Not too mention another big guy and i mean a versitle big man that can run, Especially at the 4 position. But Phillips and Orapka (can't spell his last name) could really make a big difference with quality work on their offensive games. But still the 1,2,3, positions really need to be taken care of with good quality young men.

 

[SGMVols]

The tournament format isn't necessarily designed for the best teams to always advance. I've often stated that best 2 of 3 from Sweet 16 through FF would be much better

They’ll never do that. One and done is better for ratings. You are right that it’s a terrible way to decide a champion though. High level basketball, like baseball, is meant to be a series sport.

If you had to run the whole tournament without losing a game in baseball, we wouldn’t have won the natty last year.

 

[BernardKingGOAT]

They’ll never do that. One and done is better for ratings. You are right that it’s a terrible way to decide a champion though. High level basketball, like baseball, is meant to be a series sport.

If you had to run the whole tournament without losing a game in baseball, we wouldn’t have won the natty last

year.

NCAA crapshoot

 

[volbound1700]

Needs 2 point guards for next year and a quality scorer on the wing .Not too mention another big guy and i mean a versitle big man that can run, Especially at the 4 position. But Phillips and Orapka (can't spell his last name) could really make a big difference with quality work on their offensive games. But still the 1,2,3, positions really need to be taken care of with good quality young men.

We lost alot this year as well and it is showing in some of these brutal losses.