Recruiting Football Talk VII

[butchna]

Read on Bleacher Report that Garner got a two year extension with a raise. Martinez a one year extension…no raise.

And Pope is up to $550k and signed through 2026.

 

[knoxvol52]

Still waiting to hear back from the dudes that said Burke needed to be benched after the first three games.

Those individuals will make another appearance if Burke goes into a small slump.

Remember first game wanted him benched and dropped to 7th in bating order.

 

[VolGee4]

I wonder if Barnes March woes have something to do with his ultra intense practices? Does he work the team too hard during the regular season? They just seem to fall off so hard in March after looking like national champs all season. I don't know anything about his practices, but I know he has the reputation for working his players hard. There's no way he just turns into an idiot in March and can't remember how to coach, but it's happened for so long, there has to be some reason behind a pretty clear pattern.

This theory came from Texas and would maybe have some merit, but at UT, his teams have been to 3 of the last 5 SECT finals before this year. That requires 3 games in 3 days. That dispels the theory for me. These are also young athletes who want to play almost everyday unless they are hurt. AAU ball plays a lot. They get 4-5 days off between the SECT and the NCAAT. I also don’t see how a coach would put pressure on them. It’s clear that his faith means much to him, and although he’s a great competitor, a game is not the end of the world for him.

 

[drvenner]

Here is what I think about our path to the NCAAT championship. There is no easy route. It is a crapshoot when you get your draw and you have no idea how tough some of your matchups will be until you get to them. Winning 6 in a row against this many good to great basketball teams is very difficult. What I am saying is, if we are going to be a 2 and it appears that we almost definitely will be, I am not going to worry at all about who we face down the road until we get that far down the road. Go Vols!!

 

[Devo182]

That would be an easy draw. If you're worried about that draw, then you're worried about playing ANY team. Gonzaga isn't that good this year (didn't win their conference in the regular season or tournament) and Michigan State sucks.

Agree. And yet...both have very good tourney coaches.

Gonzaga has 8 straight Sweet Sixteens. Not sure if you want to be up against that.


But I DO like the idea of playing brand name teams that also aren't all that this particular year. I think we'll come out vs any brand team and give them our A-game, which is too much for either.

 

[knoxvol52]

I wonder if Barnes March woes have something to do with his ultra intense practices? Does he work the team too hard during the regular season? They just seem to fall off so hard in March after looking like national champs all season. I don't know anything about his practices, but I know he has the reputation for working his players hard. There's no way he just turns into an idiot in March and can't remember how to coach, but it's happened for so long, there has to be some reason behind a pretty clear pattern.

I don't mind the intense practices. I just think he should play the younger guys throughout the season to give the regulars some relax time. Meaning when up by 25 at home put Estrella, Dillone, Carr and Philips in and let them do the mop up work.

You know it's really hard to lose a 25 point lead with 5 or 6 minutes left in game. A team would damn near have to go scoreless to lose.

 

[mr.checkerboards]

That would be an easy draw. If you're worried about that draw, then you're worried about playing ANY team. Gonzaga isn't that good this year (didn't win their conference in the regular season or tournament) and Michigan State sucks.

Both of those coaches are really good and have the ability to scheme us up like MSST did twice.

 

[volinbama256]

View attachment 627427
^^^Joe Lunardi's bracket don't make no sense.

It should be...

1 and 8
2 and 7
3 and 6
4 and 5

That's how it's always been seeded right?

I feel like I'm taking crazy pills

Agree-- this is the way it should be and would be under any normal bracket in sports... that projected one doesn't make sense. We should be in the UNC bracket just like we were going to be in AZ bracket when we thought we'd be the last #1 seed a few weeks ago before 'ishing the bed two times in a row...

 

[Devo182]

Awaka was terrible yesterday. Turning the ball over and packed physicality. Not his usual self

That's basketball. These guys must be worn OUT mentally, emotionally, and physically after the 10 game stretch they just went through to close out a championship. They were flying in entire families from South America to celebrate what we just did.

Nobody in the COUNTRY played remotely close to what we did just the last 2 weeks. We poured everything into making ourselves CHAMPIONS.

I respect that and understanding being drained. Now we have an entire week to reset. I think it will be very good for us. I was honestly going to be worried had we played a B2B2B stretch ending...Sunday (stupid SEC) and going right back out 4-5 days later. It's all just too much to try and repeat for a 3rd insane run (sec reg championship run, sec tourney run, NCAAT tourney run back-to-back-to-back!)

Always wanted us to either win it all (even if it hurt NCAAT odds, it would've been a nice notch in our belt) or go out immediately (and optimize NCAAT energy). I'm fine with us and better than had we lost today or tomorrow imo. UNC is going to steamroll their weak a** tourney regardless.

 

[Ten_Titans]

I think March Barnes is a byproduct of just not being very good offensively. I mean I would just start there. Even going back to Texas, I remember a game around 2012 maybe where they scored like 14 in the first half of their first round game.

I think Barnes team's play with a defensive intensity all year. And then in the tournament, other teams close that gap. And sub-par offense gets exposed.

At least that's what I've seen. Don't know basketball well enough to even have an opinion on why. 19 first half points with the most pure scorer in college basketball. Can't explain that.

 

[Devo182]

And the other 2 teams that were pouring everything into trying to win the sec title...they folded too...

It's no surprise in retrospect to what everyone had on their shoulders the last 3 weeks.

 

[Vol423]

View attachment 627427
^^^Joe Lunardi's bracket don't make no sense.

It should be...

1 and 8
2 and 7
3 and 6
4 and 5

That's how it's always been seeded right?

I feel like I'm taking crazy pills

They did away with that years ago in favor of trying to place teams in brackets that would have them playing closer to home. They called it a pod system back then. It’s a ridiculous failure that they use as an excuse to give certain teams tougher paths.

 

[mr.checkerboards]

Give me this all day.

 

[volinbama256]

On Tennessee's quick exit. Again, lack of a bona fide PF or size underneath gets us beat. It was so evident all season. SC and KY had lots of success underneath.

Team has to regroup. Shake it off. SEC Tourney was not the goal.

This will be more than likely what makes us take a big step back next season... that's partly why I am so frustrated in how we seem to be trending right now because this is by far our best shot to go deep into the tourney (especially if Vescovi and JJJ can pull their heads out of their arses and step up and make baskets)-- unless we get a strong physical big in the transfer portal, we aren't going to be the same team for the next few years. Awaka, while he gives his all, just isn't it unless he makes huge strides in the offseason... Estrella will need to bulk and find a mean streak to have an impact.

 

[Devo182]

I think March Barnes is a byproduct of just not being very good offensively. I mean I would just start there. Even going back to Texas, I remember a game around 2012 maybe where they scored like 14 in the first half of their first round game.

I think Barnes team's play with a defensive intensity all year. And then in the tournament, other teams close that gap. And sub-par offense gets exposed.

At least that's what I've seen. Don't know basketball well enough to even have an opinion on why. 19 first half points with the most pure scorer in college basketball. Can't explain that.

Good thing we're good offensively this year. Like said earlier, 11 straight games 66+ pts and 8/11 were over 80 pts before yesterday. Just avoid the once every ~12-game landmine.

2nd best offense under Barnes behind 2019 and that team had nowhere close the defense.

 

[knoxvol52]

They did away with that years ago in favor of trying to place teams in brackets that would have them playing closer to home. They called it a pod system back then. It’s a ridiculous failure that they use as an excuse to give certain teams tougher paths.

They should let the top 16 seeds host first 2 rounds at home just like the women do.
Still can place other teams closer to home win, win in both areas .

Full arenas and top seeds get the advantage they've earned through the marathon season.

 

[Vol423]

The place to be, in my opinion, is in any bracket that doesn’t have UConn as the #1 seed. In my opinion, Purdue will be the weakest of the #1 seeds.

 

[volinbama256]

Give me this all day.

Yessir, we like this.

 

[Ten_Titans]

View attachment 627427
^^^Joe Lunardi's bracket don't make no sense.

It should be...

1 and 8
2 and 7
3 and 6
4 and 5

That's how it's always been seeded right?

I feel like I'm taking crazy pills

That is how it's seeded? I'm not understanding. The numbers are just the current AP rankings, not his rankings. In his rankings, he has UCONN as the last #1 seed and us as the first #2 seed.

Unless I'm just not understanding what you guys are saying.

 

[Jimmy Football]

Give me this all day.

I still don’t think we can end up in the East, but Andy Katz also has us in the East, so maybe Palm is just wrong about how the placements work (or maybe we’re a lower 2-seed than we expect).

 

[TN-POSSUM]

They did away with that years ago in favor of trying to place teams in brackets that would have them playing closer to home. They called it a pod system back then. It’s a ridiculous failure that they use as an excuse to give certain teams tougher paths.

I thought the pod system was game locations that over lapped regionally but the bracket stayed with the 1-68 seeding.

Example :The West bracket has 3 games in Raleigh NC. (Rounds 1 and 2)

 

[TN-POSSUM]

That is how it's seeded? I'm not understanding. The numbers are just the current AP rankings, not his rankings. In his rankings, he has UCONN as the last #1 seed and us as the first #2 seed.

Unless I'm just not understanding what you guys are saying.

How did UNC jump UCONN?!?


FAHR LUNARDI

 

[Ten_Titans]

How did UNC jump UCONN?!?


FAHR LUNARDI

I don't know. The numbers are definitely the AP rankings. But I have no idea how he's knocked UCONN all the way down.

 

[mr.checkerboards]

I still don’t think we can end up in the East, but Andy Katz also has us in the East, so maybe Palm is just wrong about how the placements work (or maybe we’re a lower 2-seed than we expect).

Lunardi dropped us to the second 2 after last night's loss. Behind AZ. That could be it.

 

[TN-POSSUM]

@Bracketologists.......