Tennessee all time starting 5

#52
#52
BruinVol said:
Correct

He does more than anyone else that wins games


Scoring
Passing
Defense
Blocks
Assist
Rebounds
Leadership

He simply makes everyone around him much better than they really are

Combine all those things and it equals more wins than anyone else
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Check this out and let us know what you think.
 
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#53
#53
#54
#54
if we talking traditional lineups, I think Richardson or Watson is your PG. I’d go with Richardson for his versatility. Bone probably is the guy after his 4 years conclude.

Many college teams including us don’t play a center always and use two Power Fowards a lot. So I think as long as there is no interior defense or rebounding issues, you can chart two power fowards in a lineup.
 
#55
#55
BruinVol said:
Looking back at those stats from the 70s it appears to me that basketball in that era was probably more fun to watch when it comes to freedom of movement and defensive style.

Perhaps more of an NBA type game flow without the 3 pt line.

JMO from looking at the stats
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Fundamentals were much more important. Free throw shooting was critical. Outside shooting rarely carried a team. It did get skewed too far to having a freakish center. Alcindor, Walton, Bowie, Sampson, Ewing (80s). Now it's far too rewarding to be able to knock down 3s. The 3-point line in both the NCAA and the NBA needs to be pushed back. Basketball is turning into games of H-O-R-S-E.

By the way, how many here used to alternate games of H-O-R-S-E with games of Poison? And if you were in a hurry, P-I-G?
 
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#56
#56
BruinVol said:
The greatest player to ever wear orange isn't on there and that's a travesty


Grant williams does more for his team to win than any other player on that list.
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Well, like Tobias Harris, he hasn't gotten in a full 4 years yet. So, he still has time to add to his legacy. I think King did way more, because he could score and rebound at a very high level. If Grunfeld had a 3 point line, who knows how many points he could have had. I don't know how you argue against guys who averaged in the mid-twenties in scoring.

I'm not saying Williams absolutely shouldn't be in the top 5 though. However, who do you take off? Lofton or Ellis?
 
#57
#57
Don’t know how you’d push the NBA back anymore. It almost already touches the side lines. And honestly, I don’t want to go back to who ever has the tallest man wins. Today’s game is more exciting. But basketball fundamentals have been diminished.
 
#58
#58
Dr H Lecter said:
Don’t know how you’d push the NBA back anymore. It almost already touches the side lines. And honestly, I don’t want to go back to who ever has the tallest man wins. Today’s game is more exciting. But basketball fundamentals have been diminished.
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I'd almost like to see it go away. But then you're right, it reverts to pounding the ball into the paint. Maybe the 3s on the sides could be taken away. No more corner 3s in the NBA.
 
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#59
#59
Bernard King, Allan Houston and arguably Dale Ellis are hands down no brainers their Full careers outshine anything anyone else has done. The problem another poster (ksgovols) pointed out. We have a glut of great players from the 2-4 but none at 1 and 5 that would deserve a spot over the many wings we have had. We have always been a wing heavy team.and I cant remember us ever having a true center of note. UT is Tweener U for basketball. We have some guys in the NBA now that might take some spots in a few years but Allan Houston and King are legends. Houston even had a rule named after him.
 
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#60
#60
Grant has to be on the list. People have a tendency to underplay players in the present for some reason. In 20 years Grant will be looked back and easily be top 5. Maybe top 3.
 
#61
#61
Thunder Good-Oil said:
There's a huge difference between an all time starting 5 and the greatest 5 to have ever played. CJ Watson, Rodney Woods and Jordan Bone, maybe even Danny Shultz, are the best PGs, but Allan Houston, Lofton, Jimmy England, Mike Edwards, Mike Jackson, JuJuan Smith, and Tony White are arguably better guards. However, Bone still has a year and a half left. He could leave campus as the greatest PG to have ever put on a TN uniform.

Same deal at the 5. Boerwinkle is most likely the best true center... maybe Kosmalski the 2nd. But there are power forwards that were better. Reggie Johnson first comes to mind. Tobias, King, Ellis, Tyler Smith, and maybe even Widby would take that spot if putting the 5 best talents on the floor.

TN's greatest players have been forwards with a couple of shooting guards added to the list.
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That's a lot of Tennessee greats that you have mentioned. I forgot about Edwards. I don't think I ever got to see him play, but on the radio, it sounded like he was bombing them from half court. He would have really flourished with a 3 point line. Also, I don't think many have mentioned Reggie Johnson. He would be one of the top centers we have had.

Mike Jackson was very good, but I guess he was overshadowed by Ernie/Bernie, or maybe that's why he scored so much, because he was not the focus of the other team.

We are certainly going to have to give this current team some credit before it's all over though. Williams and Schofield and Bone, and perhaps Bowden may change some thinking in the next couple of years.
 
#62
#62
Alan Houston Shooting Guard 2x all star. 12 years in NBA currently Nicks assistant GM
Dale Ellis Shooting Guard/small forward 1x all star 17 years in NBA
Bernard King Small Forward (playground king) 4x all star 14 years in NBA
Ernie Grunfeld Small Forward/PowerForward 0x all star 9 years in NBA currently wizard president of basketball operations

All first round picks

no other UT players have a resume like this
 
#63
#63
Another variation would be to base it only on their UT career. Tobias is off the table as a one-and-done.

Houston had a great individual career, but on bad teams.

Ellis took his game to another level in the NBA. Grunfeld wasn't nearly as successful in the NBA.
 
#64
#64
Thunder Good-Oil said:
There's a huge difference between an all time starting 5 and the greatest 5 to have ever played. CJ Watson, Rodney Woods and Jordan Bone, maybe even Danny Shultz, are the best PGs, but Allan Houston, Lofton, Jimmy England, Mike Edwards, Mike Jackson, JuJuan Smith, and Tony White are arguably better guards. However, Bone still has a year and a half left. He could leave campus as the greatest PG to have ever put on a TN uniform.

Same deal at the 5. Boerwinkle is most likely the best true center... maybe Kosmalski the 2nd. But there are power forwards that were better. Reggie Johnson first comes to mind. Tobias, King, Ellis, Tyler Smith, and maybe even Widby would take that spot if putting the 5 best talents on the floor.

TN's greatest players have been forwards with a couple of shooting guards added to the list.
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Agree totally it seems like all our greatest players have been wings. almost all fall in that 6'5" to 6'6' range around 200 lbs one big reason a lot never translated to the NBA because they were tweeners that didnt translate well. But we have guys bucking the trend. Tobias Harris and Josh Richardson especially.
 
#65
#65
i2amavol said:
That's a lot of Tennessee greats that you have mentioned. I forgot about Edwards. I don't think I ever got to see him play, but on the radio, it sounded like he was bombing them from half court. He would have really flourished with a 3 point line. Also, I don't think many have mentioned Reggie Johnson. He would be one of the top centers we have had.

Mike Jackson was very good, but I guess he was overshadowed by Ernie/Bernie, or maybe that's why he scored so much, because he was not the focus of the other team.

We are certainly going to have to give this current team some credit before it's all over though. Williams and Schofield and Bone, and perhaps Bowden may change some thinking in the next couple of years.
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I accidentally omitted Bill Justus. It'd be quite the debate to rank Justus, England, and Edwards. All 3 would have been legends in the 3-point line era. Houston's offense would clearly far exceed all of them. I think that England shut down Pistol Pete on at least one occasion with his defense.

They were all outstanding free throw shooters as well. The bonus rule was different with Justus and England, possibly Edwards. Used to be when a player was fouled they got just one free throw. Then on the 7th team foul a "bonus" free throw was given if the shooter made the one free throw. Yet another rule change that makes Pistol Pete's scoring even more amazing (along with no 3PL, no shot clock, and freshmen not eligible).
 
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#66
#66
omghulkhands said:
if we talking traditional lineups, I think Richardson or Watson is your PG. I’d go with Richardson for his versatility. Bone probably is the guy after his 4 years conclude.

Many college teams including us don’t play a center always and use two Power Fowards a lot. So I think as long as there is no interior defense or rebounding issues, you can chart two power fowards in a lineup.
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problem with the list in article is there isn't really a real powerforward there.. Grunfeld was 6.6" 210 in fact thats pretty much the height and weight of everyone on the list lol
 
#67
#67
Thunder Good-Oil said:
Another variation would be to base it only on their UT career. Tobias is off the table as a one-and-done.

Houston had a great individual career, but on bad teams.

Ellis took his game to another level in the NBA. Grunfeld wasn't nearly as successful in the NBA.
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King's NBA career was greatly altered by a major knee injury. He came back afterward, and still did pretty good, but he was averaging 32.9 points per game when he had the injury.
 
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#68
#68
therealitytheory said:
I disagree with the coach, although I loved Ray Mears. CRM didn't have a shot clock so his guys routinely played 38-40 minutes. His best teams featured King, Grunfeld, and Jackson who provided 80% of the offense. Lack of balanced scoring was a key reason Mear's teams got bounced out early in the postseason. A short bench with only a handful of key contributors wouldn't fly today. A chasing 1-3-1 zone with a 30 sec shot clock would require depth..and more depth.

I'd definitely go with the guy we've got now. Pearl second, Mears third.
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Mears never played bench players, starters played the whole game unless in foul trouble are hurt, I think his teams would have done better with subbing some Jim
England needs be mentioned as all time great shooting guard. GO VOLS...……...
 
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#69
#69
lynnh said:
Mears never played bench players, starters played the whole game unless in foul trouble are hurt, I think his teams would have done better with subbing some go Vols...…..
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Wouldn’t let but one shoot either.lol, almost
 
#71
#71
LittleCat said:
Rondo is such a wack pick. A 3rd string UK all-time team could probably whoop most schools. Rondo wouldn't even be in my top 20 guards though.
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I’m with you on Rondo. I’m for sure not a Cat fan, but he’s not in the best of the best conversation.
 
#74
#74
The same people who think GW is the best ever for UT are the same ones who think Lebron is the best ever.

Victims of recency bias.
 
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