Notes/Predictions for the 2017/2018 Basketball Season

2017/2018 Basketball Season Wins [Regular Season]

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#30
#30
I got us winning 20 games I think we will go into sec play with at the most 3 losses. I feel Barnes know our key to win.
 
#32
#32
I don't do predictions.
I'll leave that to Volstradamus and his quatrains.
But, the current roster definitely has a great vibe to it.
I'll be very surprised if this Vol team does not have great success.
 
#35
#35
I went for 16-17. Don't get me wrong, I think this is our best team since our sweet 16 run but the SEC has improved from last year. We play a tough schedule and still have a lot of Somphmores and Frosh on the squad.
 
#36
#36
amillz said:
I went for 16-17. Don't get me wrong, I think this is our best team since our sweet 16 run but the SEC has improved from last year. We play a tough schedule and still have a lot of Somphmores and Frosh on the squad.
Click to expand...

9 of 13 on scholarship are freshmen and sophomores. TN should keep getting better for several years if the roster remains intact.

The 5 freshmen are heavily skewed as forwards/inside players. TN will need to sign at least two guards/perimeter players with the next 4 scholarships that open up... maybe 3 guards. Barnes can be very selective with the next paint player or two that he signs.

1 senior (Daniel)

3 juniors (Alexander/Schofield/Darrington)

4 sophomores (Bone/Bowden/Turner/Williams)

5 freshmen (Fulkerson/Johnson/Pons/Kent/Walker)
 
#37
#37
I really like this roster. When TN had Ernie and Bernie it wasn't a real good mix. PG (Woods/Darden/Bertelkamp), a bunch of small forwards (Ernie/Bernie/Mike Jackson), and a smallish power forward (Ashworth) playing center when a lot of the best teams had true centers. They added a great one in Reggie Johnson, but he was young when he played with Ernie and Bernie. RJ was forced to play the 5, but he was a skinny power forward while at TN. Mike Jackson was a big shooting guard... could easily been the 3/small forward if that wasn't Ernie's and Bernie's natural spots. Really the PG and Ernie (or Bernie) were possibly the only regulars from those teams playing their natural position. Bernie was a 3 playing the 4. Ashworth was a smallish 4 playing the 5. Jackson was kind of a 3 playing a big 2. Even Bertelkamp was a shooting guard that played a PG most of the time.

The 2017-18 roster lacks an ideal 5, but is pretty flexible with what can be assembled to put on the court. They can probably go up tempo with just about any opponent but could struggle defending a big team in the half court. How the games are officiated will be important to how good this team can be. At least Walker may be able to bang if refs call games loosely and let them play. It will be critical that he stays out of foul trouble in those types of games. The trend in officiating has been to be less physical and more finesse. TN is in a good spot with their roster if that continues. I do wish they had an excellent perimeter shooter though. Maybe Bowden and Turner can fill that role. Daniel maybe as well, but he looks like he's more of a moving target that scores instead of a pure shooter... lots of motion with that guy. A little bit like the white guy that was at Mississippi a few years ago, but without as much range. He attacks the basket better than Marshall Henderson did IMO.

I wonder how good those E&B teams could have been had they not lost David Moss. He came in with Jackson and was potentially a beast of a forward. Rumor was that he could touch the top of the backboard... like Tyrone Shoelaces.
 
#38
#38
Win at least 8 games OOC and and they should have themselves in a position where they don't have to do anything crazy in league play. 8-4 OOC and 9-9 in conference to finish 17-13 would likely have them in the conversation as the conference tourney got underway.
 
#39
#39
After reading some of these predictions I don't know what to think.

I honestly can't tell if there is some trolling going on. Seems like people are setting the bar pretty high so they can slam Barnes if he doesn't meet their lofty expectations.

Obviously the NCAA tourney should be the goal but I wouldn't be disappointed with an NIT bid. That could change though depending on how the season is playing out.
 
#40
#40
FleeceItOut said:
After reading some of these predictions I don't know what to think.

I honestly can't tell if there is some trolling going on. Seems like people are setting the bar pretty high so they can slam Barnes if he doesn't meet their lofty expectations.

Obviously the NCAA tourney should be the goal but I wouldn't be disappointed with an NIT bid. That could change though depending on how the season is playing out.
Click to expand...

Actually, there is some real optimism this season.
Barnes added scoring, a perimeter game and some size and aggressiveness in the front court. Exactly what he needed.
It may take 2 in SECT to get to 20, but much more attainable this season with the additions.
 
#41
#41
calban said:
Actually, there is some real optimism this season.
Barnes added scoring, a perimeter game and some size and aggressiveness in the front court. Exactly what he needed.
It may take 2 in SECT to get to 20, but much more attainable this season with the additions.
Click to expand...

I agree that he addressed certain needs and I'm not saying that this team can't make the tourney. I'm just pointing out that a lot of people are setting the bar high without watching one game and with UT still being picked to finish towards the bottom of the SEC.
 
#42
#42
FleeceItOut said:
After reading some of these predictions I don't know what to think.

I honestly can't tell if there is some trolling going on. Seems like people are setting the bar pretty high so they can slam Barnes if he doesn't meet their lofty expectations.

Obviously the NCAA tourney should be the goal but I wouldn't be disappointed with an NIT bid. That could change though depending on how the season is playing out.
Click to expand...

Yea I was thinking the same, almost 90% of posters are expecting 18+ wins out of this team. Given the very challenging OOC slate and the improved SEC, that would very likely have them in the dance.

Year 1: 13-18(6-12
Year 2: 15-15(8-10)
Year 3: ?

To me 17-13(9-9) or better and I would be pretty happy, whether that results in NIT or NCAAT is unknown but it should get the Vols into some sort of postseason play.
 
#43
#43
I said 18-19. I think that's realistic and obtainable. The two x-factors/unknowns that could get us above 20+ wins is Darrington and Daniel. If one of them can come in and score like Kevin Punter, then the sky is the limit for this team.

The scoring will be way more balanced this year than the previous years. We have at least 7 players that can put up 15+ points on any given night imo. Turner, Bowden, Schofield, Daniel, Darrington, Bone, and Williams.
 
#44
#44
calban said:
Actually, there is some real optimism this season.
Barnes added scoring, a perimeter game and some size and aggressiveness in the front court. Exactly what he needed.
It may take 2 in SECT to get to 20, but much more attainable this season with the additions.
Click to expand...

This team did lose off last years team: 49 starts, almost 90mpg, 34ppg and 15rpg...I think we have some capable players but there will definitely some games last year that Hubbs was dominant and we won because of, can someone step into that role? The other 3 guys lost were role players and I don't see as much of a question on replacing their productivity, Hubbs though is the one I do question, Schofield would appear he'll take a crack at it.
 
#45
#45
"... but the SEC has improved from last year."

Never overestimate the quality of SEC teams and the league.

The level of play is rarely very good. Kentucky couldn't dominate the league year after year if the league offered good basketball.

Kentucky would likely have more trouble beating Belmont in Nashville at the Curb Event Center than they do at most SEC arenas.

SEC BB is a bit of a joke except for KY and occasionally Florida.
 
#46
#46
1200DPI said:
"... but the SEC has improved from last year."

Never overestimate the quality of SEC teams and the league.

The level of play is rarely very good. Kentucky couldn't dominate the league year after year if the league offered good basketball.

Kentucky would likely have more trouble beating Belmont in Nashville at the Curb Event Center than they do at most SEC arenas.

SEC BB is a bit of a joke except for KY and occasionally Florida.
Click to expand...

Maybe you missed the fact that half the teams in the final four this past year was from the SEC?

SEC is expected to be better top to bottom this season than any year in past recent memory, there has been quite a few people saying 6-7 teams could very well get into the dance.
 
#47
#47
Thunder Good-Oil said:
I really like this roster. When TN had Ernie and Bernie it wasn't a real good mix. PG (Woods/Darden/Bertelkamp), a bunch of small forwards (Ernie/Bernie/Mike Jackson), and a smallish power forward (Ashworth) playing center when a lot of the best teams had true centers. They added a great one in Reggie Johnson, but he was young when he played with Ernie and Bernie. RJ was forced to play the 5, but he was a skinny power forward while at TN. Mike Jackson was a big shooting guard... could easily been the 3/small forward if that wasn't Ernie's and Bernie's natural spots. Really the PG and Ernie (or Bernie) were possibly the only regulars from those teams playing their natural position. Bernie was a 3 playing the 4. Ashworth was a smallish 4 playing the 5. Jackson was kind of a 3 playing a big 2. Even Bertelkamp was a shooting guard that played a PG most of the time.

The 2017-18 roster lacks an ideal 5, but is pretty flexible with what can be assembled to put on the court. They can probably go up tempo with just about any opponent but could struggle defending a big team in the half court. How the games are officiated will be important to how good this team can be. At least Walker may be able to bang if refs call games loosely and let them play. It will be critical that he stays out of foul trouble in those types of games. The trend in officiating has been to be less physical and more finesse. TN is in a good spot with their roster if that continues. I do wish they had an excellent perimeter shooter though. Maybe Bowden and Turner can fill that role. Daniel maybe as well, but he looks like he's more of a moving target that scores instead of a pure shooter... lots of motion with that guy. A little bit like the white guy that was at Mississippi a few years ago, but without as much range. He attacks the basket better than Marshall Henderson did IMO.

I wonder how good those E&B teams could have been had they not lost David Moss. He came in with Jackson and was potentially a beast of a forward. Rumor was that he could touch the top of the backboard... like Tyrone Shoelaces.
Click to expand...

I had to go back and look. I had it in my memory that Bertelkamp was a Devoe recruit, along with Gary Carter, but I guess I was thinking of Steve Ray. Bertelkamp did actually play for Devoe though.

I think the difference (besides talent level) between the Earnie/Bernie teams and this one is in depth and versatility (as you stated). I believe we have the numbers to cover for injuries/illnesses, and we have enough guys who can bang underneath.

No, we may not have a prototypical center ready to go, but we have enough guys who can throw their weight around. We don't have to just depend on 1 or 2 players like we have in years past. That is especially true if Kent doesn't redshirt.
 
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#48
#48
bleedingTNorange said:
Win at least 8 games OOC and and they should have themselves in a position where they don't have to do anything crazy in league play. 8-4 OOC and 9-9 in conference to finish 17-13 would likely have them in the conversation as the conference tourney got underway.
Click to expand...

Agree. I can't imagine that many teams playing a tougher schedule. I said 18 wins would be enough for a tourney appearance, but 17 might do it too
 
#49
#49
I'm w Trish. While I definitely expect to be better, we do have a relatively tough schedule.

Obviously, UK and UF. Then @IA St, @Wake Forecast, Purdue and UNC...
 
#50
#50
NIT wouldn’t be hot seat time just yet, but it would be a disappointment. If he fails to make it next year, I think think the heat gets turned up sky high.


Guess it depends, how close to the bubble we are.
 
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