Thank God for Basketball

#9
#9
Illinoisvolfan2 said:
Who thinks the b-ball team will be very good considering the talent that was lost? I know there’s a couple of very good freshmen but still........
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30 plus years of WINNING thinks it. This is the kind of season where Barnes has always surprised.
 
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#11
#11
Illinoisvolfan2 said:
Who thinks the b-ball team will be very good considering the talent that was lost? I know there’s a couple of very good freshmen but still........
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Barnes has said it himself. This is a re-tooling year NOT a rebuilding year. The amount of negativity surrounding the upcoming basketball season amazes me. It's like Vol fans are so battered that they cannot possibly be excited about anything. Yes, we lost quite a bit of talent, but this is not a depleted roster. Turner & Bowden will have to step up big time this year, but there is little reason to believe they won't. Bowden has a huge opportunity to make some noise now that he is the dog & pony show so to speak. It's his team. And we did just bring in a 5-Star stud.

Will we be as deep as last year's team? No. Will we be the #1 team in the country for five straight weeks? No. But this team is a tournament team. And I think many will be surprised with how we finish. I'm not predicting an SEC Title, but there will be some big wins this year and I think this is a 3-seed/4-seed caliber roster IF they play to their potential.
 
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#12
#12
The SEC is going to be better this year than last year top to bottom imo. Kentucky, LSU, and Florida are all going to be good, and all 3 will be national title contenders. Georgia, Alabama, and possibly Missouri should/will be improved. Mississippi and Auburn should still be up there. Arkansas probably is middle of the road. I do think south Carolina, A&M, Mississippi State, and Vanderbilt will be kind of t0he bottom tier. I think we can finish anywhere from 3rd to 7th. Should still be a tournament team though. I don't think we'll have anyone as bad as Georgia and Vanderbilt were last year.
 
#14
#14
jeff1vol said:
Ill bet a paycheck the bball team ***** the bed bigtime this year. Why?

We are...
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Should be able to find someone to bet you a few hundred bucks...
TheMookieMonster said:
Barnes has said it himself. This is a re-tooling year NOT a rebuilding year. The amount of negativity surrounding the upcoming basketball season amazes me. It's like Vol fans are so battered that they cannot possibly be excited about anything. Yes, we lost quite a bit of talent, but this is not a depleted roster. Turner & Bowden will have to step up big time this year, but there is little reason to believe they won't. Bowden has a huge opportunity to make some noise now that he is the dog & pony show so to speak. It's his team. And we did just bring in a 5-Star stud.

Will we be as deep as last year's team? No. Will we be the #1 team in the country for five straight weeks? No. But this team is a tournament team. And I think many will be surprised with how we finish. I'm not predicting an SEC Title, but there will be some big wins this year and I think this is a 3-seed/4-seed caliber roster IF they play to their potential.
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I think this is Turner's team imo. He's the biggest alpha on this team and probably the best defensive player and our most clutch shooter. If the game is on the line his hands are the one that I want the ball to be in.
 
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#15
#15
Stoked said:
Should be able to find someone to bet you a few hundred bucks...

I think this is Turner's team imo. He's the biggest alpha on this team and probably the best defensive player and our most clutch shooter. If the game is on the line his hands are the one that I want the ball to be in.
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He might be the "clutch" shooter, but he is not the best shooter. Turner has too much of a tendency to go long multi-game streaks of being ice-cold from beyond the arc. Turner also has some of the more "infamous" shots in recent Tennessee history, but Bowden has long been a much more consistent shooter. Turner hit the game-winning shot against UK in the SEC tourney last year, but did you also know that he was, I believe, 1/9 from beyond the arc that game?

I still have a lot of confidence in Turner to have a great season. I'm stoked for this year. But he has dealt with injuries most of his career as well. If he wants this to be his team, he has to be more consistent and also mentally stronger. Remember the start of last season when Turner barely played following his surgery the year prior? Barnes all but said Turner was physically good to go and that it was "up to him" when he wanted to play. I love Turner. But this is Bowden's team.
 
#16
#16
TheMookieMonster said:
He might be the "clutch" shooter, but he is not the best shooter. Turner has too much of a tendency to go long multi-game streaks of being ice-cold from beyond the arc. Turner also has some of the more "infamous" shots in recent Tennessee history, but Bowden has long been a much more consistent shooter. Turner hit the game-winning shot against UK in the SEC tourney last year, but did you also know that he was, I believe, 1/9 from beyond the arc that game?

I still have a lot of confidence in Turner to have a great season. I'm stoked for this year. But he has dealt with injuries most of his career as well. If he wants this to be his team, he has to be more consistent and also mentally stronger. Remember the start of last season when Turner barely played following his surgery the year prior? Barnes all but said Turner was physically good to go and that it was "up to him" when he wanted to play. I love Turner. But this is Bowden's team.
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He was 1-4 from 3 that game and hit the shot when we needed it the most, just like he did against Purdue a few years ago and against UK at Rupp two seasons ago. Shooters go into slumps all the time, he was dreadful towards the end of SEC play, but shot really well in the SECT and NCAAT. He shot 13-31 (42%).
 
#17
#17
I expect Barnes to field a competitive SEC team and make the NCAA tournament. He has proven experience in meeting all the goals of the basketball program. Wish the football program could say the same.
 
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#18
#18
jeff1vol said:
Ill bet a paycheck the bball team ***** the bed bigtime this year. Why?

We are...
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I don't think so. We have a coach who is capable of modifying his system to suit his players. This is an important skill. You combine that with his ability to make each player better and you have a winning system. Compare that with the last 2 football coaches/last women's basketball coach who have a system and try to mold the players into that system, rather than mold the system to the players. 1 trick ponies.
 
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#19
#19
We're actually on a lower level than KY at this point. They at least can field a competitive football team. Very thankful for basketball right now and positive things ahead.
 
#20
#20
This season can go either way. Good or bad. I'm not crazy about our roster especially if the transfers are ineligible but something can be said for good coaches and good programs. They tend to find a way.
 
#21
#21
Im glad to see Im not the only one who thinks we'll struggle this year.

It dont mean Im not a fan or Im a negavol but that roster dont look great unless some people step up tremendously.

Am I talking about winning 10 games type of struggling?

No but I could easily see us missing the NCAAT.

Now if Josiah James is a real 5 star and ORN is SEC all freshman level and Plavsic is eligible and can give about the same as Alexander did then we might be talking about a top 25 team.
 
#22
#22
SweetDaddy said:
Im glad to see Im not the only one who thinks we'll struggle this year.

It dont mean Im not a fan or Im a negavol but that roster dont look great unless some people step up tremendously.

Am I talking about winning 10 games type of struggling?

No but I could easily see us missing the NCAAT.

Now if Josiah James is a real 5 star and ORN is SEC all freshman level and Plavsic is eligible and can give about the same as Alexander did then we might be talking about a top 25 team.
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There’s a massive middle ground between NIT team and Top 25 team(which is essentially a 5 seed of better), and that’s where we fall imo. Somewhere around 19-20 wins and that 8/9 seed range.
 
#23
#23
SweetDaddy said:
Im glad to see Im not the only one who thinks we'll struggle this year.

It dont mean Im not a fan or Im a negavol but that roster dont look great unless some people step up tremendously.

Am I talking about winning 10 games type of struggling?

No but I could easily see us missing the NCAAT.

Now if Josiah James is a real 5 star and ORN is SEC all freshman level and Plavsic is eligible and can give about the same as Alexander did then we might be talking about a top 25 team.
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This roster is leagues above where we were at the first few years under Barnes. I'm usually one of the more pessimistic TN fans, so it's weird to me being one of the few optimistic about this season. I just don't see the roster being that bad. The great thing about basketball is only 5 players can be on the court at once. And Turner, Bowden, and James are an elite Triple Threat that many teams across the country would be lucky to have. We had nothing like them throughout Barnes first couple years when we were a borderline NIT team. Maybe I just have more faith in Rick (who is a notoriously fantastic regular season coach), but I still think this team will surprise a lot of people.
 
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#25
#25
Do you guys think Turner or Bowden have a shot in the NBA?

I personally believe they do. Bowden reminds me of Iman Shumpert a lot, and Turner reminds me of Tyus Jones, but with a better shot. Neither are going to be first rounders by any stretch, but maybe late second rounders.
 
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