It’s the same question as in football.

#51
#51
Barnes is developing a great foundation without the benefit of deep tradition and success at UT. He is getting alot out of players and has these guys playing tenacious defense - something he can control. Improved offensive shooting consistency is harder to teach. We have some shooters, but not much depth when Vescovi, Chandler and ZZ go cold from three. I think Barnes knows what he is doing. Just need more consistency with shooting.
 
#55
#55
Yea but Bobby Cox actually won the World Series , Barnes hasn’t come close minus the 2003 Final Four appearance nearly 20 years ago. The facts are he routinely underachieves and chokes in the big dance. He just can’t adjust to tournament play. I would trade Barnes consistent regular seasons for a coach who could win a national title here or at least get us to the final four just once.
 
#56
#56
We are looking at this wrong. Post record against lower seeds, that is what is matter. Here was the SEC's performance this year on whether they lived up to seed.

Alabama - lost to 11 seed as 6 so -1 points

LSU- same as Alabama

Kentucky - As 2 seed, they should have gone to Elite 8 and post in first game so that is 3 games failed to meet seeding so -3 points

Tennessee - As 3 seed, they should have been in Sweet 16 but were one game short so -1 points

Auburn - As 2 seed, they should have gone to Elite 8 but are 2 games short so -2 points

Arkansas - Only team that wasn't a **** show. They lived up to seed. If they advance further, SEC gains more points

Overall SEC is -8 points and by far put in one of the most embarrassing tournament performances ever. F*** all of the players and coaches involved in this debacle. They should all be a shame for being joke lovers that embarrassed the conference. All of the teams, minus Arkansas, listed above deserve ridicule and scorn. The SEC, was supposedly, supposed to be a top league but instead they looked like the Sunbelt.
 
#57
#57
Which absolutely no one cares about, especially in the most corrupt college sport there is.

Most do care about integrity. You are among a very loud and contentious minority who would sell out for a better NCAAT win record - even at the risk of vacating the w's like UMass, Memphis and other alleged "winning" programs. Without question, most Vol fans prefer a well run, clean, competitive program that we can be proud of. We had high hopes for Bruce and he let us down. Barnes hasn't done that and isn't going to in the future. Most Vol fans are extremely happy with this coach. While we all want the last game of the year to be a win, most Vol fans find happiness with this basketball program, especially after wandering in the basketball wasteland for so many decades.
 
#58
#58
I'll give Barnes credit for getting us there. Football is a different animal. We can compete in Basketball at the moment, several steps behind in football still.. Back to Barnes. I think the SEC was a little overrated this year. They have crapped the bed in the Tourney so far. I'd let Rick leave Tennessee on his own terms. The firing talk is really dumb.. Get there enough times and at some point you'll get lucky and break through..
 
#59
#59
It depends on what you value. Do you want a good regular season with possibly playing for the conference tournament championship or do you want want NCAA tournament success and playing for a national title? If it’s playing for a national title, Barnes isn’t it. He’s only 25-26 in his career in the tournament. You aren’t going to play in a final four every year, but you should at least contend for one with all of the resources Tennessee has. Mark Few has had Gonzaga in 2 final fours. I know he hasn’t won one yet, but at least they’ve played for the title.
If Tennessee played Gonzaga’s schedule they would be 31-3 and a #1 seed every year which is much easier
 
#61
#61
I think it would help if Barnes had some cohesion in his assistant coaches, seems like every year one or two get hired on to be a HC so would be nice to find a few that will stay for a longer period of time or just hire a mercenary like phill Martelli is for Michigan who is a HC in his own right and is great at making game plans to take the pressure off of himself.
I figured there was a solution bouncing around up in your noggin’. Bravo 👏
 
#64
#64
I figured there was a solution bouncing around up in your noggin’. Bravo 👏
Im fine with constructive criticism it’s just the negative statements with no thought or reasoning where we just state the obvious about Barnes tournament record is dumb. I think Barnes has a chance to hire a mercenary assistant coach with that opening hopefully he takes advantage
 
#65
#65
We are looking at this wrong. Post record against lower seeds, that is what is matter. Here was the SEC's performance this year on whether they lived up to seed.

Alabama - lost to 11 seed as 6 so -1 points

LSU- same as Alabama

Kentucky - As 2 seed, they should have gone to Elite 8 and post in first game so that is 3 games failed to meet seeding so -3 points

Tennessee - As 3 seed, they should have been in Sweet 16 but were one game short so -1 points

Auburn - As 2 seed, they should have gone to Elite 8 but are 2 games short so -2 points

Arkansas - Only team that wasn't a **** show. They lived up to seed. If they advance further, SEC gains more points

Overall SEC is -8 points and by far put in one of the most embarrassing tournament performances ever. F*** all of the players and coaches involved in this debacle. They should all be a shame for being joke lovers that embarrassed the conference. All of the teams, minus Arkansas, listed above deserve ridicule and scorn. The SEC, was supposedly, supposed to be a top league but instead they looked like the Sunbelt.

Loved your line of reasoning and point system looking at this year’s tournament specifically. Got a little irrational there at the end. At best the Sunbelt would have scored neutral as they wouldn’t have seeding to protect. Relax. It’s baseball season. We’ve got a pretty good team. Try to enjoy today.
 
#66
#66
Im fine with constructive criticism it’s just the negative statements with no thought or reasoning where we just state the obvious about Barnes tournament record is dumb. I think Barnes has a chance to hire a mercenary assistant coach with that opening hopefully he takes advantage
He’s got at least one option in his back pocket, the guy they brought in from the nba. Plus Frank Martin as an additional option. Don’t know much about Martello. Would prefer a fresh look from a younger assistant with tourney success.
 
#67
#67
Do you want a coach that averages 10 wins a year, or do you want one national championship every 30 years or so, but some bad seasons in between?

Barnes reminds me of Bobby Cox in a way. Great regular season, but can’t adjust in the post season.

None of this is meant as an insult or complaint, just an observation.

He is a hall of fame coach and this year has proven his capability again. High seeded team and SEC champions. I like the way he can change his offense and defense to meet his player's capabilities, flexibility. Coach Cal takes top athletes and runs them thru the only system he knows. Results are good most of the time, but he is winning because he has good players. Barnes can win with whatever you give him. I was a huge Pearl fan but I take Barnes over him any time. If you try to hire for guaranteed national championships get ready to hire every 3 years and start over.
 
#68
#68
If Tennessee played Gonzaga’s schedule they would be 31-3 and a #1 seed every year which is much easier

That still doesn’t mean he’d get them to a final four. Barnes couldn’t take Gonzaga to a final four. He’s only good enough to break your heart.
 
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#69
#69
#70
#70
That still doesn’t mean he’d get them to a final four. Barnes couldn’t take Gonzaga to a final four. He’s only good enough to break your heart.

Sweet Lord.

Maintain unrealistic optimism while expecting nothing. Expect nothing, because none of us are owed anything.

I’ve found this outlook the key to happiness, especially where athletics are concerned.
 
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#71
#71
I agree it takes luck to win a tournament. But I saw a stat in an article that said a Rick Barnes team has only beat a higher seed in a NCAA tournament once. I don’t think anyone is that unlucky.
The two losses under CRB that pain me are to Loyola/w Sister Jean and this year to MI. A team I did not think belonged in the NCAA Tourney at 17-14. Going into those games I did not see any way for the Vols to lose. Unfortunately, I also did not even conceptually see the Vols going 2 for 18 from 3 point land.
 
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#72
#72
Bobby Cox won the NL 5 times and the World Series once. Every year of the 90s the Braves were in at least the NLCS except for the strike shortened 94 season. May want to choose a different comparison because it’s a lot harder to win in a sport like baseball. You can’t just “out athlete” the opponent like you can sometimes in basketball or football.
A Bobby Cox type would be a coach that made the second weekend almost every year and had multiple Final Fours.
 
#73
#73
Thanks, that is a big difference. I don’t expect a winning record like Pearl, but 1-11 is rough. Even like 4-8 would be alright
Every time there was a timeout Michigan's less experienced coach owned the next two or three minutes. That in itself explains the 1-11. Barnes is good with game planning, player development, and just overall leadership of a program. He gets owned with in game decision making and adjustments. When push comes to shove he gets pushed and the other coach is doing the shoving. I don't know the solution to this nor am I suggesting one. It is what it is but overall we still have a quality program.
 
#75
#75
Never understood this. Done a ton of analysis into the regular season / postseason relationship and it’s just a myth. The numbers don’t support it at all. Good coaches are good coaches. Barnes didn’t go from a great coach to a bad one between winning the SECT and losing in the R32.

March Madness is a crazy game. Sometimes the ball bounces a bit worse than in the regular season, and if it does once, so long.
I love Barnes, but surely you aren’t arguing that he has just been unlucky in March
 

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