How we looking next year?

#27
#27
Maybe soft D goes along with these types, but we need some shooters at the 2,3, and even 4. They don't have to be $4M with great handles and 6-10. Just some 6,5 - 6,9 types that can stroke 3s w catch + shoot. But, if they have slow feet they can be liabilities on D too. And we know @ that. But, to make a legit FF run you cannot be close to depending on 2 scorers. You need 5 or 6 real shooting threats who can be interchanged for the various situations needed to win 6 straight games. 5 of which are going to be losable games if you don't play pretty well.
Yeah it's got to be tough to balance as a coach. Ultimately, Barnes isn't going to change his mindset...and that's OK. You can get to FF by being a power team just as well a team stacked w/ talented shooters... you can advance, as the Vols have done the last 3 years, but if you want to get to FF, you can't do it w/ 2 primary scorers. Even if they were both "on" today, we weren't going to win that one, unless Mich helped us.
 
#28
#28
Maybe soft D goes along with these types, but we need some shooters at the 2,3, and even 4. They don't have to be $4M with great handles and 6-10. Just some 6,5 - 6,9 types that can stroke 3s w catch + shoot. But, if they have slow feet they can be liabilities on D too. And we know @ that. But, to make a legit FF run you cannot be close to depending on 2 scorers. You need 5 or 6 real shooting threats who can be interchanged for the various situations needed to win 6 straight games. 5 of which are going to be losable games if you don't play pretty well.

Ideally you end up with a balanced team of at least four players consistently scoring 15 per game, and any one able to go for 20+ when the match up favors it, plus bigs that can make their free throws. Tough to find that combination having to rebuild the team every 8 months.
 
#30
#30
There will be some kids wanting in Power four conf wanting to compete for a championship. And there are kids in mid majors who are unknown but can play at this level.

you have players from over seas - it’s amazing how some of these teams find those guys.
 
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#31
#31
I have no doubt Barnes will do us right again. With ament probably gone we are going to need some serious guard help true playmakers. Felix will be HARD to replace as rim protector. I think it’s obvious that Barnes physical d serves us well in tourney, but it’s also obvious that when we hit uber talented teams in the tourney, we can’t compete. Barnes can bring in the talent if the NIL checkbook is there. We need to leapfrog in portal if we want to make a higher move. I’m kinda out on over paying frosh. Ament is awesome, but super talented one and done’s really haven’t ever majorly paid off with the way Barnes develops players over 3-4 years.
Didn't we have the 3rd or 4th most expensive team this year and lost 12 games and tied with 3-4 teams for 4th in the conference and broke the record for the worse loss in the elite 8 this yr. ? NIL money isn't everything it seems.
 
#32
#32
There will be some kids wanting in Power four conf wanting to compete for a championship. And there are kids in mid majors who are unknown but can play at this level.

you have players from over seas - it’s amazing how some of these teams find those guys.
I was wondering about that too. I saw on a VN thread some “shooters” from mid major type schools, (I think one was from Belmont), that were entering the portal and were considered to be hot commodities. Barnes seems to be pretty good at finding the right pieces to fill needs imo, but the overseas market is interesting too. Wasn’t Henderson supposed to be a top player/shooter as well? I know he battled injuries this year.
 
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#33
#33
I'd say that these are gone Okpara, JG, Ament, Abrams, Massamba, possibly Jefferson?

That would leave us ...
1 - Berg / Jefferson?
2 - Boz / Evans
3 -
4 - Carey / Phillips / Brown
5 - Estrella

Flight Risk$ or Look Elsewheres: 1.Carey 2.Evans 3.Brown ... awww heck; all of them.

Freshman: 2-Green 3-Scott 1-Clark

Portal Needs ...
Biggest - SF
Next - PG
Next - C
Next - SG
Next - SF

... this is the new CBB normal. We won't have an idea until the portal opens. We need to spend $$$ to hit home runs in the 2 biggest needs in order to have a chance. Then add solid players to the rest if we want to have a real shot at a FF.
We got a couple freshman SF coming in, but I have no idea if they’re expected to contribute in any meaningful way. I think Evans can still play the 3.

Henderson seemed promising as a potential backup role player next year.

I think PG is by far the biggest need.
 
#35
#35
I was wondering about that too. I saw on a VN thread some “shooters” from mid major type schools, (I think one was from Belmont), that were entering the portal and were considered to be hot commodities. Barnes seems to be pretty good at finding the right pieces to fill needs imo, but the overseas market is interesting too. Wasn’t Henderson supposed to be a top player/shooter as well? I know he battled injuries this year.
Idk anything about players from overseas except a few teams have a pipeline.
 
#38
#38
Auburn ought to have a roster full of transfer talent available, as well as Kentucky, not sure about how bolted to Missouri their guards are, but Barnes can assemble a team capable of reaching the Sweet 16, but the Uber talent necessary to reach the Final Four is rather hard to come by these days
 
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#40
#40
Got some guys coming back but gonna need a lot of help replacing offensive production from Gillespie and Ament.

Who’s coming back?
No idea who will be back but, if I could be an oracle of the obvious for a second, we need to recruit some big-time scorers through NIL/the portal. Guys who can score against the Michigans of the world.
 
#45
#45
I'd say that these are gone Okpara, JG, Ament, Abrams, Massamba, possibly Jefferson?

That would leave us ...
1 - Berg / Jefferson?
2 - Boz / Evans
3 -
4 - Carey / Phillips / Brown
5 - Estrella

Flight Risk$ or Look Elsewheres: 1.Carey 2.Evans 3.Brown ... awww heck; all of them.

Freshman: 2-Green 3-Scott 1-Clark

Portal Needs ...
Biggest - SF
Next - PG
Next - C
Next - SG
Next - SF

... this is the new CBB normal. We won't have an idea until the portal opens. We need to spend $$$ to hit home runs in the 2 biggest needs in order to have a chance. Then add solid players to the rest if we want to have a real shot at a FF.
Jefferson has been underutilized significantly. No stats at all is unacceptable. That Henderson boy might have some promise, though.
 
#48
#48
In about two seasons he will eclipse 900 total career wins. Next season, if his averages continue, he will be the Vols all-time winningest coach. He is a lock for one more year, and I'd say about 90% for two more seasons at least.
I don’t think retirement for a HC is the same as us blue collar people.
 
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#49
#49
Not that I believe he’s retiring this year, but I don’t think he will admit to it till later on when he does make that decision. He may actually believe he isn’t in the moment but have a change of heart later - like Bennett and a few others.

Bennett left because he didn't want to deal with the new realities of NIL and the portal. Rick seems to have come to terms with it and accept it even if he's not a fan of it in his heart of hearts. Even made a joking reference that recruiting is a lot easier, just a matter of "what's your number?".
 
#50
#50

I don't think it's any secret what separates the few elite programs with everyone else, and Rick has to know it, but he wasn't going to trash his team after getting to an elite 8. It's about money and an acceptance that even the toughest defense isn't going to win a championship if you can't score the ball.

I don't think it would have made a difference against that team yesterday, but I wonder how different this season might have looked if Rodney Rice had decided to come. Maybe a higher seed and a better draw? We'll never know.
 

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