Credit to Rick Barnes

#52
#52
Yesterday was a pleasant surprise. It still hurts like hell to get that close to the major upset and not pull it off, but I can’t fault this young team for losing.

All that matters now is how this team chooses to build on this game. They’ve been wildly inconsistent all year. If they can play close to this level the rest of the season, and we get THAT Bowden the rest of the year, we can make the tourney. But if we fall back into our routine of playing sloppy basketball, we won’t make it. Gotta be consistent from here on out.
 
#54
#54
VOLED said:
So he's done getting stronger and better? You do realize Fulky is 22 years old and how much better did he get this year?
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Fulky doesn’t appear to have gotten significantly stronger / heavier than last year. He’s absolutely playing better on the offensive end of the court. The 18 year old freshmen should see quick and substantial strength gains from the program’s nutrition/S&C. All players are capable of improving in this area, but the improvements come more slowly with age and time spent in strength training. Quick gains at first then the improvements become much harder to generate. Obviously all players are capable of improving their bball skills.
 
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#59
#59
VolGee4 said:
Turns the program around and people aren’t happy. Figures. The world we live in.
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I think some of those always complaining about not winning but one or two in the tournament just can't seem to "get it" that ONLY ONE TEAM wins it all. Their premise is that 364/365 teams are failures.
 
#60
#60
cardvolfan said:
I think some of those always complaining about not winning but one or two in the tournament just can't seem to "get it" that ONLY ONE TEAM wins it all. Their premise is that 364/365 teams are failures.
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After the First Four, 75% of the NCAAT field wins one or no games. TN typically makes the tournament less than half the time, probably more like a third of the time since the field has been 64+. Any UT fan that can't appreciate what Barnes is doing is delusional.
 
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#61
#61
Thunder Good-Oil said:
After the First Four, 75% of the NCAAT field wins one or no games. TN typically makes the tournament less than half the time, probably more like a third of the time since the field has been 64+. Any UT fan that can't appreciate what Barnes is doing is delusional.
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Exactly! I'm as competitive as anyone and would love to win it all, but even the great college programs of the past 2 decades have early exits many years. If anyone experienced Coach Houston's years firsthand, they might have a clue, especially his 5 wins in his last year.
 
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#62
#62
Since we're back to Barnes Bashing today, I'd like to say that he needs to push away from the dinner table a little quicker. Saw him last night minus his jacket during his radio show. He's getting awfully thick around the middle.

Oh, also he was sleep walking through 2 recruiting classes, doesn't make the S16, EE, or FF often enough, isn't mean enough to the refs, and $5mm. Am I doing it right?
 
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#63
#63
Thunder Good-Oil said:
Since we're back to Barnes Bashing today, I'd like to say that he needs to push away from the dinner table a little quicker. Saw him last night minus his jacket during his radio show. He's getting awfully thick around the middle.

Oh, also he was sleep walking through 2 recruiting classes, doesn't make the S16, EE, or FF often enough, isn't mean enough to the refs, and $5mm. Am I doing it right?
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We get it. You're okay with a HOF coach in his 5th year that puts a team on the floor and has no control over how they play. they can show up every other game if they feel like. The not enuf talent is BS in a game like TAM.
Especially when you play #3 to the wire previous game.
People like u are part of the problem. So keep knocking the Bashers if it cools yer tool. But, stop making excuses for a guy that isn't delivering.
 
#64
#64
calban said:
We get it. You're okay with a HOF coach in his 5th year that puts a team on the floor and has no control over how they play. they can show up every other game if they feel like. The not enuf talent is BS in a game like TAM.
Especially when you play #3 to the wire previous game.
People like u are part of the problem. So keep knocking the Bashers if it cools yer tool. But, stop making excuses for a guy that isn't delivering.
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Weren't we #1 in the country for several weeks about a year ago? How many top 30 ranked recruits are being added to next year's roster? Obviously he's not delivering. People like you are miserable fans.
 
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#65
#65
Thunder Good-Oil said:
Weren't we #1 in the country for several weeks about a year ago? How many top 30 ranked recruits are being added to next year's roster? Obviously he's not delivering. People like you are miserable fans.
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Miserable fans are people who think every thing the guy does should be beyond criticism. That's how you end up with the Cincy Bengals. They revel in mediocrity.
A 5 year 'HOF' coach shouldn't be putting a mess on the floor like u saw last nite. Oh. It's okay cuz he's got guys comin in next year and look at what he did last year. What's that got to do with his coaching job this year? losses are normal. Not showing up for a 'HOF' coach is not. Something's not right.
 
#66
#66
calban said:
Miserable fans are people who think every thing the guy does should be beyond criticism. That's how you end up with the Cincy Bengals. They revel in mediocrity.
A 5 year 'HOF' coach shouldn't be putting a mess on the floor like u saw last nite. Oh. It's okay cuz he's got guys comin in next year and look at what he did last year. What's that got to do with his coaching job this year? losses are normal. Not showing up for a 'HOF' coach is not. Something's not right.
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People keep harping on what he did last year. He had a perfect storm of talent, upper class talent at that.. and leadership.. I get that some people put a ton of stock into the regular season and it does mean something but many would agree that the tournaments are where legends are born in college basketball. Last years squads absolute floor was the sweet 16, well that’s what we got.. and really they made it to the sweet 16 by the skin of their teeth. Did they win the sec tournament? Again I understand some people have a different philosophy on what’s important so it’s understandable that many herald last year as such a success and in part it was. I guess all I’m saying is I didn’t see any miraculous coaching job last year, he took a hell of a team and had a hell of a regular season and then when greatness was there to be had they crapped all down their legs.
 
#67
#67
calban said:
Miserable fans are people who think every thing the guy does should be beyond criticism. That's how you end up with the Cincy Bengals. They revel in mediocrity.
A 5 year 'HOF' coach shouldn't be putting a mess on the floor like u saw last nite. Oh. It's okay cuz he's got guys comin in next year and look at what he did last year. What's that got to do with his coaching job this year? losses are normal. Not showing up for a 'HOF' coach is not. Something's not right.
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As far as the basketball program stands, I'll give the coaching an A minus, the players a B minus/C plus, the overall fan support a B, and certain miserable fans and posters an F.
 
#69
#69
Alex10 said:
People keep harping on what he did last year. He had a perfect storm of talent, upper class talent at that.. and leadership.. I get that some people put a ton of stock into the regular season and it does mean something but many would agree that the tournaments are where legends are born in college basketball. Last years squads absolute floor was the sweet 16, well that’s what we got.. and really they made it to the sweet 16 by the skin of their teeth. Did they win the sec tournament? Again I understand some people have a different philosophy on what’s important so it’s understandable that many herald last year as such a success and in part it was. I guess all I’m saying is I didn’t see any miraculous coaching job last year, he took a hell of a team and had a hell of a regular season and then when greatness was there to be had they crapped all down their legs.
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He is the reason he had a good team. He took 3 stars, developed them, and they got drafted. He was the reason for those expectations. It all falls back to him.
 
#70
#70
VolGee4 said:
He is the reason he had a good team. He took 3 stars, developed them, and they got drafted. He was the reason for those expectations. It all falls back to him.
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Then he’s the reason we have a crap team now... see how that works?
 
#71
#71
VolGee4 said:
He is the reason he had a good team. He took 3 stars, developed them, and they got drafted. He was the reason for those expectations. It all falls back to him.
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And also I agree with you to an extent. I wasn’t really praising last years team because again, that was a loaded team that had a great regular season but when it really mattered didn’t rise to the occasion. What I agree with you on is the head coach should get the majority of praise for the good in their program.. and there is plenty of that. I also believe they get the blame for the crap as well. That’s what he gets paid the big bucks for. Just don’t know why so many always refuse to place any blame at the door of the coach. Always an excuse for everything, always.
 
#73
#73
Alex10 said:
And also I agree with you to an extent. I wasn’t really praising last years team because again, that was a loaded team that had a great regular season but when it really mattered didn’t rise to the occasion. What I agree with you on is the head coach should get the majority of praise for the good in their program.. and there is plenty of that. I also believe they get the blame for the crap as well. That’s what he gets paid the big bucks for. Just don’t know why so many always refuse to place any blame at the door of the coach. Always an excuse for everything, always.
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I’ve never said that he shouldn’t shoulder the blame for some of what has happened this year. I have never provided an excuse. In fact, I think most would actually say that he deserves blame. But I also expected an up and down year with being a fringe NCAAT team. The goal is to always go to the NCAAT, but it wasn’t a given this year. I am fine with this the blip with reinforcements coming next year. We are simply not a blue blood that can turn over talent like that. Never have been and probably never will be.

But the very reason why we had high expectations last year was because the coach created them. I stated this a few weeks ago: Duke had 3 lottery picks and made the EE. Gonzaga had 2 higher draft picks and made the EE. UK had 3 first round draft picks and made the EE. UNC had 3 first round draft picks and made the SS. These are all HOF coaches. Our team last year had a mid to late first round pick and two late second round picks and were 2 seconds from an EE. Sure, I was disappointed, but these results simply don’t necessitate the belly aching over what was perceived to be “underachieving.”

It just amazes me the criticism of these things after how far the program had fallen. The grass is not always greener.
 
#74
#74
walkenvol said:
Fulky doesn’t appear to have gotten significantly stronger / heavier than last year. He’s absolutely playing better on the offensive end of the court. The 18 year old freshmen should see quick and substantial strength gains from the program’s nutrition/S&C. All players are capable of improving in this area, but the improvements come more slowly with age and time spent in strength training. Quick gains at first then the improvements become much harder to generate. Obviously all players are capable of improving their bball skills.
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No time to hit the weights. He's gotta to condition that mop he wears.
 
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