Recruiting Forum Football Talk VI

[Enki_Amenra]

oh stop it, Cucker.

We overachieved, this team was NOT very talented.

I'm happy for them. Not making excuses. FAU was fast, more athletic, and could shoot. Achilles.

I was more worried about FAU than I was Duke, tbh

 

[Jimmy Football]

Problem is I took it off after Duke and FAU coming in. I should have known better! Ha. I accept Barnes for who he is. Good coach who won’t get far in March. Not saying I want him gone. I want changes but he is too old to change now. He is who he is. We just blew a huge opportunity and it sucks. This place just eats you alive if you call a spade or spade or talk down a coach. It’s not wrong to criticize last night, that was a bad loss when it could have shut up analysts, fans, etc. about Barnes and helped UT basketballs image.

Nah, this place only eats you alive if you post referee conspiracy theories.

Edit: or if you have the wrong mayonnaise takes.

 

[volbeast33]

I like Barnes, he is just not good in March and he blew the easiest opportunity to get to an elite 8 or final four probably ever. Some times someone shows you who they are and you just have to accept it. Barnes ceiling is Sweet sixteen. I have not once said fire him or I hate him. Sheesh I see why Bass left this place.

People are so sensitive about Rick Barnes.

 

[Enki_Amenra]

At least Tennessee made a sweet 16. It’d be complete meltdown if this happened yet again in the Rd 32. Still some questions that’ll be asked by many. That bracket was the best Tennessee will get in along time. Just beat undersized #9 FAU, beat KSU and there’s your final 4. Just can’t have nice things.

The crazy thing is, the December Vols would've easily done those two things.

 

[volbeast33]

Nah, this place only eats you alive if you post referee conspiracy theories.

That’s every game…. Win/lose….. doesn’t matter what sport we are playing.

 

[volbeast33]

The crazy thing is, the December Vols would've easily done those two things.

Nah that NCAA tourney Logo causes our balls to shrivel up…. I thought we were playing amazing at the end of last season but they still went back into our stomach when we played Michigan.

 

[MarcoVol]

Problem is I took it off after Duke and FAU coming in. I should have known better! Ha. I accept Barnes for who he is. Good coach who won’t get far in March. Not saying I want him gone. I want changes but he is too old to change now. He is who he is. We just blew a huge opportunity and it sucks. This place just eats you alive if you call a spade or spade or talk down a coach. It’s not wrong to criticize last night, that was a bad loss when it could have shut up analysts, fans, etc. about Barnes and helped UT basketballs image.

UT bball image is already really good (thanks to Barnes), except to some UT bball fans apparently

 

[KB5252]

A terrible argument, but yeah I guess it could be made...

I would say that I've noticed a drop off in that department the last few years. He's still developing talent but I don't think our current staff is as good at that as it was earlier in Barnes' tenure here.

 

[MoCo_Vol]

My thing is this...

Barnes and the team had a disappointing loss, they could have and should have beaten FAU. What I don't get is any time we lose a game the opponent suddenly becomes a bad team. Like it's the sweet 16 if you're there you're a good team, had it been FDU we were playing and lost to then at least I could understand saying that's a bad team we lost to. Because FDU is a bad team that somehow pulled off a miracle beating Purdue.

I'm frustrated too, this was easily the best bracket we've faced for an Elite Eight run. We got a favorable seeding, despite falling a part to end the season. We drew a great 1st game and then we showed up and beat a blue blood. So regardless of who we faced in that Sweet 16 round we had already accomplished a lot to get there. Then Purdue AND Memphis both lost? I agree we were setup majorly. But FAU was a good team and when you don't play well against good teams you lose.

 

[TN-POSSUM]

 

[MarcoVol]

Money talks. It happens all the time. You don’t hear about a coach wanting to leave until a team lays the money down and hooks them. Let’s take FAUs coach Dusty May. You think FAU could bid us if we really wanted him? No way. Throw &6 million a year at May and I bet he comes in a heartbeat.

This whole narrative that we can’t do better than Barnes is absolutely insane.

You’re putting way too much emphasis on one NCAA tournament run if you think this year means Dusty May is better than Rick Barnes.

 

[MoCo_Vol]

I would say that I've noticed a drop off in that department the last few years. He's still developing talent but I don't think our current staff is as good at that as it was earlier in Barnes' tenure here.

I'd agree with that completely. The job they did with Punter in one year, then Hubbs, then how they developed Grant, Bone, Turner, Bowden, Kyle, Admiral were far better than they recent success with Fulky, ON, Santi, and JJJ.

 

[Enki_Amenra]

 

[Dooby15]

Barnes coaches another 3-5 years then retires and leaves the program in great shape. That’ll be the time that UT can decide what kind of basketball program they want. Throw big money around and get a proven tourney winner.

 

[KB5252]

Do we know for certain that Santi, JJJ, ON, and Uros are leaving and not using their COVID year? I know that has been the talk, but I haven't seen anything official. And I'm not sure anyone knows what Julian Phillips is doing yet, either.

I think JJJ is the only one that may come back. The other three are European league players. I'm not sure Vescovi is more than a bench minutes guy in the NBA.

 

[VolNRaleighNC]

UT bball image is already really good (thanks to Barnes), except to some UT bball fans apparently

Look Barnes isn’t going anywhere anytime soon unless he decides to leave us for greener pastures. Barnes is what he is. Like I said yesterday, he’s a Mark Richt of the hardwood. Good coach. Great man of faith. He’s elevated UT MBB to a certain point but he won’t ever get you to competing for the pinnacle (a NC). He most likely won’t ever make a Final Four. Most would probably take that and call it a day. Some want the program to have NC aspirations. I’m not gonna fault anyone for laying down the hopes of a decent season to aim for the top, unless it’s done unethically (hello Nate Oates).

 

[Tennessee Golfer]

I haven’t actually seen the post calling for him to be fired.

Specifically Twitter.

 

[Tennessee Golfer]

15-2 run.

UCLA was up 13 and gave up a 20-4 run or something crazy too. It happens. It’s basketball. You think they are ready to fire Cronin?

 

[MoCo_Vol]

I think JJJ is the only one that may come back. The other three are European league players. I'm not sure Vescovi is more than a bench minutes guy in the NBA.

Santi could return too, his lady is here and he might be working to gain citizenship to stay in the US. But if his plan is to play professionally I also don't know if he'll ever get a great shot in the NBA. Might be able to play in the G-League for a few years though. Really comes down to if he wants to remain in the US or not.

 

[#JuanVol]

I think JJJ is the only one that may come back. The other three are European league players. I'm not sure Vescovi is more than a bench minutes guy in the NBA.

Teams figured out vescovi. They kept pressure on him and he couldn’t drive or even get his shot off at times. I think he can make money over seas but the might be it.

 

[volbeast33]

UCLA was up 13 and gave up a 20-4 run or something crazy too. It happens. It’s basketball. You think they are ready to fire Cronin?

Didn’t he make a final four a couple of seasons back?

 

[LA Vol]

I think JJJ is the only one that may come back. The other three are European league players. I'm not sure Vescovi is more than a bench minutes guy in the NBA.

The grind, injuries and outside noise have taken a toll on JJJ. A fresh start can do a world of good.

 

[VolGee4]

Sitting coaches can be hired away. If you think they can’t then you are wrong. It depends a lot on how much the AD wants to put into it. May just showed a coaching job that Barnes has been unable to pull off at TN. And there are many coaches out there who are better than Barnes.

Name them. Tell me who UNC, Duke, Villanova, LSU, UF, Louisville, Arizona, Syracuse, Kansas State, Iowa State, Oklahoma, Maryland, Missouri have all hired recently. These are blue bloods or at least solid programs.

The only schools that have hired sitting P5 coaches recently are Texas (because Beard was an alum); Marquette (because Smart needed out); Indiana (hired a former alum who had never coached college); Xavier (because Miller was fired at Arizona); Georgetown (because Ed Cooley is getting $6 million and he's made one SS in 12 years); Texas A&M (because Buzz Williams wanted to go home to Texas)

I laugh at the mentions of throwing money at Jay Wright or someone similar to him because I saw those comments on boards 20 years ago when we hired Buzz Peterson. Sure, there are great coaches out there, but you will have to find them as an assistant or at the G5 level.

 

[Jimmy Football]

Didn’t he make a final four a couple of seasons back?

Yes. I remember Cincy fans cheering when UCLA hired him away.

Whoops.

 

[VolGee4]

Nope. Did you read what I said? Lol!

I compared South Carolina football to our basketball team. SCjr almost hired Kirby before UGA sacked up. Do you not think if Kirby went to SC that they wouldn’t have a title right now even though their history is crap?

History is history. We can easily win a championship in basketball with the right hire. We have everything needed to win. Putting a limit on our program is quite frankly for losers and making excuses. We should have easily made the elite 8. We won’t get an easier path again.

Kirby would not have a title right now if he had gone to USC. He isn't a good enough coach and would certainly not get the same players.