Article about Barnes

[89 VOLS grad]

I think Awaka wasn't in more because Aidoo was playing well and the one time TA got in he looked lost on D plus we couldn't have 2 big slow guys in at once. We had to go small and maybe should have went even smaller. The Edwards situation is confusing and has been all season, so I can't explain that at all. Rebounding is pretty easy, they shot alot of outside shots that lead to long rebounds and their players chased them down. They also boxed out better than most NCAA teams because they have to. Aidoo could have been called for 2 over the backs that he put back in.

Awaka should have played more, ON less based on performance last night.

 

[Dougie_D]

This is crazy talk. People don’t realize how hard it is. If you want to complain about Barnes, then why do they not complain about Bob Huggins, Matt Painter, Jamie Dixon, etc?

 

[89 VOLS grad]

Why are you yelling? Mizzou wasn’t average but I agree UT should’ve beaten them. Yes, we should’ve beaten FAU but we shouldn’t have beaten Duke and we shouldn’t have beaten Kansas or Bama but we did. Overall, we ended up right about where people predicted us at the start of the year.

Mizzou was an average SEC team. They were only ahead of UT due to UT giving away at least 3 games they had easily won down the stretch. Out of 14 teams, 5 is definitely average and where Mizzou should have finished.

 

[Boston Vol]

This is crazy talk. People don’t realize how hard it is. If you want to complain about Barnes, then why don’t they not complain about Bob Huggins, Matt Painter, Jamie Dixon, etc?

Who doesn’t complain about Matt Painter? He’s been ripped to shreds the past few years for his lack of success in March.

 

[brockytop]

She nailed it. Same stuff I’ve been preaching since 2018.

 

[OrangeUTopia]

Did Barnes shoot 33% from the field, 26% from 3, or 57 % from the ft line? The players played scared and it cost us. Should Barnes have used a TO earlier during the run? Yes he should have, but to say this loss is only on him is ridiculous.

Always excuses but always the same ending

 

[brockytop]

W

WHo you going hire? who will come here that is proven? You think a Mid Major coach is the answer?

Bruce Pearl says hi.

 

[hog88]

Barnes's contract runs through 2028 and I would not be surprised if he and White agree on a contract extension.

It runs through the 26-27 season but yeah I have no doubt he gets an extension but it's the details of that extension that matter.

 

[brockytop]

I’ll say this, as much as despise Alabama football and Kentucky basketball, if they’re not competing for championships then their fanbases aren’t one bit happy. At TN, accepting being “in the mix” (as Doug Dickey used to say) is good enough to please the masses. Been that way for years.

 

[kell7517]

I hope Barnes steps away and the next one comes in so I can see all these people complain when Tennessee doesn’t even get to the tourney. The Barnes hate is incredible. Coach puts his players into position to perform. If they don’t, that’s not on him. I agree with orbs son that Barnes isn’t the one shooting terrible from the field, free throw or TO’s.

 

[Pennheel]

The article didn't bring up anything new regarding Barnes, but I get where it's coming from. As a fan, it can be really frustrating no matter your opinion on Barnes as a coach. Maybe it's recency bias,and while it wasn't Barnes best team at Tennessee, I really thought this was going to be a better matchup for Tennessee,and they finally would make the deep run to get the monkey off their back as a program. My biggest criticism of Barnes last night was not calling a time out during the big run to stop the bleeding. Reminded me of Roy Williams mindset of "playing through the adversity"... Hats off to FAU and their coach. He's going to be a steal for any program that hires him.

 

[kell7517]

And all Who says you know what you are getting with coach Barnes. Well if that’s the case. And so and so knew they were destined to lose in the tourney (some guessed first game , then second game until they were eventually right) then why watch it?

 

[Voltopia]

I’ll say this, as much as despise Alabama football and Kentucky basketball, if they’re not competing for championships then their fanbases aren’t one bit happy. At TN, accepting being “in the mix” (as Doug Dickey used to say) is good enough to please the masses. Been that way for years.

lol, why are you comparing Alabama's attitude in football, where they're a football school in the middle of the best football run they'll ever have, (solely because of a single fortunate coaching hire), with Tennessee's attitude in basketball? If you're comparing football to football, Tennessee's football fanbase hasn't been one bit happy with the last ten years of Tennessee football. And if you're comparing basketball, Tennessee and Alabama have near identical records in basketball. So what's the point? If Alabama's so hard to please, why is their basketball record almost identical to Tennessee's?

I'll bet you don't even know that know that Tennessee is ranked third in win percentage out of all SEC schools, ahead of so-hard-to-please Alabama (who's fourth). Each school's been to the NCAA tournament about two dozen times, and neither has ever made a Final Four. If the fanbase at Alabama is so much more demanding, where's their basketball results? Why are their results, historically, just as middle of the road as UT's?

I'm all for wanting to be hungry for championships, but let's not go kissing Alabama's butt like they're some sort of magical unicorn that gets results from sheer force of will. They're the same idiots who hired Mike Price and think "wrong place wrong time" can excuse anything from gunfights to incest. Their passion is not special. and aside from an alarming lack of intelligence coupled with a habit of ignoring genetic concerns when approving marriage applications, they aren't any different from any other fanbase.

 

[brockytop]

lol, why are you comparing Alabama's attitude in football, where they're a football school in the middle of the best football run they'll ever have, (solely because of a single fortunate coaching hire), with Tennessee's attitude in basketball? If you're comparing football to football, Tennessee's football fanbase hasn't been one bit happy with the last ten years of Tennessee football. And if you're comparing basketball, Tennessee and Alabama have near identical records in basketball. So what's the point? If Alabama's so hard to please, why is their basketball record almost identical to Tennessee's?

I'll bet you don't even know that know that Tennessee is ranked third in win percentage out of all SEC schools, ahead of so-hard-to-please Alabama (who's fourth). Each school's been to the NCAA tournament about two dozen times, and neither has ever made a Final Four. If the fanbase at Alabama is so much more demanding, where's their basketball results? Why are their results, historically, just as middle of the road as UT's?

I'm all for wanting to be hungry for championships, but let's not go kissing Alabama's butt like they're some sort of magical unicorn that gets results from sheer force of will. They're the same idiots who hired Mike Price and think "wrong place wrong time" can excuse anything from gunfights to incest. Their passion is not special. and aside from an alarming lack of intelligence coupled with a habit of ignoring genetic concerns when approving marriage applications, they aren't any different from any other fanbase.

Can you read? I specifically said Alabama football and Kentucky basketball.

 

[MDsweetT]

I’ll say this, as much as despise Alabama football and Kentucky basketball, if they’re not competing for championships then their fanbases aren’t one bit happy. At TN, accepting being “in the mix” (as Doug Dickey used to say) is good enough to please the masses. Been that way for years.

We’re a football school through and through even though basketball has been what we’ve been best at the last 7-10 years compared to the gridiron. But yeah, it’s tough.

The Tournament is all about matchups and catching fire at the right time. I saw an earlier post that mentioned Auburn, USCjr being in the Final Four the last 5-6 years. Those teams aren’t consistently good as UT has been. It’s crazy how just one run changes the entire perception of a program.

We’re literally just like Virginia. Great defensively, hard to watch on offense. The year they won the Natty they could’ve lost any of their 3 remaining games. We have to get better offensively though because giving up 61 and losing ain’t it.

 

[Pennheel]

And all Who says you know what you are getting with coach Barnes. Well if that’s the case. And so and so knew they were destined to lose in the tourney (some guessed first game , then second game until they were eventually right) then why watch it?

I don't know if this is a rhetorical question, but just being a fan of the team and for some (like me) , you hope that Barnes finally gets to the Final Four one more time before he retires,and Tennessee gets their first Final Four. No different than watching the Braves in the 90's and early 2000's. A lot of division titles, and having that one World Series that at least proved that for one year, you're at the top or one of the last few teams left at the end in this case.

 

[knoxvol52]

Bruce Pearl says hi.

Lol Pearl will ever coach here again or his son either

 

[hog88]

I don't know if this is a rhetorical question, but just being a fan of the team and for some (like me) , you hope that Barnes finally gets to the Final Four one more time before he retires,and Tennessee gets their first Final Four. No different than watching the Braves in the 90's and early 2000's. A lot of division titles, and having that one World Series that at least proved that for one year, you're at the top or one of the last few teams left at the end in this case.

If Barnes gets us to the final 4 he'll set 2 milestones, 1st final 4 for TN and the oldest coach to take a team to the final four.

 

[Boston Vol]

Lol Pearl will ever coach here again or his son either

That’s not his point. The point is that pearl was a “mid major” coach when he was hired in the spring of 2005.

 

[CAVPUT]

According to rivals going back to 2018. Our classes have been 49th, 24th, 6th, 12th, and 22nd. To be honest i am not sure as far as ability vs production. I honestly am not a good judge to turn to on that. I know we have had several either one and dones or people who left. To me just watching i feel like we need a scorer. lofton was that guy. Seemed like with admiral and grant we had the guys who weren't afraid to be the man. I am just puzzled, sad and puzzled lol. And you are correct with fulmer we went to football purgatory for a long while before we got it right. But i feel like the baskeball team is on the up and up year in and year out contending. Plus i dont think even with as elevated as expectations are in bball they are still as insane as the football expectations. There is pressure but not kind of pressure. I am so torn as to the barnes feeling because i know the history and lack thereof and it really is nice to know in march we have a shot at the tourney every year. Something i don't take for granted.

Barnes is a good coach. I think it's his unwillingness to change and adapt that has him "stuck". He needs to recognize his deficiencies as it pertains to offense and surround himself with assistants who can help in that area. I also applaud the culture he's built. Having said that, I think he might be placing too much weight on a recruits defensive abilities while ignoring their offensive liabilities. Also, I can appreciate a desire to avoid dealing with problem players, but sometimes you need some attitude and fight in your players. Guys like JJJ are great people, but there's just not enough dawg in him to be anything more than just a nice player when he's into the game. Long winded way of saying that Barnes needs bench help and more complete players who can do more than just play defense and say yes sir to him.

 

[brockytop]

Lol Pearl will ever coach here again or his son either

Lol Pearl will ever coach here again or his son either

I was referring to a mid-major coach.

 

[brockytop]

We’re a football school through and through even though basketball has been what we’ve been best at the last 7-10 years compared to the gridiron. But yeah, it’s tough.

The Tournament is all about matchups and catching fire at the right time. I saw an earlier post that mentioned Auburn, USCjr being in the Final Four the last 5-6 years. Those teams aren’t consistently good as UT has been. It’s crazy how just one run changes the entire perception of a program.

We’re literally just like Virginia. Great defensively, hard to watch on offense. The year they won the Natty they could’ve lost any of their 3 remaining games. We have to get better offensively though because giving up 61 and losing ain’t it.

Well said.

 

[CAVPUT]

I hope Barnes steps away and the next one comes in so I can see all these people complain when Tennessee doesn’t even get to the tourney. The Barnes hate is incredible. Coach puts his players into position to perform. If they don’t, that’s not on him. I agree with orbs son that Barnes isn’t the one shooting terrible from the field, free throw or TO’s.

Don't see it as hate. More frustration. And it is on him when his players don't perform. He recruited them. He's coached them. He plays them. If they don't perform, he's ultimately responsible especially if they don't get replaced for "not performing". As they say, the buck stops with the man in charge especially if he's making almost $6m.

 

[BigOrangeTrain]

Did Barnes shoot 33% from the field, 26% from 3, or 57 % from the ft line? The players played scared and it cost us. Should Barnes have used a TO earlier during the run? Yes he should have, but to say this loss is only on him is ridiculous.

Who is the guy that recruited these players? Who is the guy that’s supposed to develop these players? This loss was about 90% on Barnes.

 

[Buddr]

Barnes is what he is. If we're just happy and content with getting to the Tournament on a steady basis then losing in one of the first three games then he's spot on.