The Official Rick Barnes discussion thread

#151
#151
Chris4Vols22 said:
So how realisticly close are we to Barnes actually retiring? I know the word is that he only wants to coach if his teams can legitimately compete, but I'm just having a hard time imagining him retiring after this season, regardless of what happens. Let's say hypothetically in a worst case scenario that we wind up finishing in the middle 3rd of the SEC and don't make it out of the NCAA opening weekend - what do we think Barnes will do in that case? Imho, something like that would have to happen for Barnes to seriously consider it. Would a big transfer or surprise commit possibly change things? Of course, I may be way off base here.
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I personally think this will be his last season regardless of how it ends. However, I don’t foresee him announcing his retirement directly after the season ends. I think he takes his time to mull things over and ultimately decides over the summer that he’s done.
 
#152
#152
Many of our “fans” really suck. UT is in a very rare position to make a Final Four or better and some can only complain about the coach that has taken UT to places it’s never been before. Including just the second Elite 8 EVER. The first SECT championship since 1979. 3x SECT finals after having only been there one other time since 1979. An outright SEC regular season championship.
 
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#153
#153
Thunder Good-Oil said:
Many of our “fans” really suck. UT is in a very rare position to make a Final Four or better and some can only complain about the coach that has taken UT to places it’s never been before. Including just the second Elite 8 EVER. The first SECT championship since 1979. 3x SECT finals after having only been there one other time since 1979. An outright SEC regular season championship.
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I think some fans are pretty wild sure but on a whole a lot of reasonable people on the board have legitimate concerns. Barnes has given vols the most consistent winning of any coach and brought a great culture that makes their team and players easy to like.

He's also now had essentially a decade of consistently bad offenses except one Grant/admiral year and Knecht last year. Sure if the bracket falls just right they can make a final 4 run but there's a reason that generally teams that make final fours and win championships have top 20 offense and defense. This team has a clear flaw that if it doesn't change likely will result in getting bounced when they have another poor offensive night.
 
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#154
#154
VolsAgainstTheWorld15 said:
I personally think this will be his last season regardless of how it ends. However, I don’t foresee him announcing his retirement directly after the season ends. I think he takes his time to mull things over and ultimately decides over the summer that he’s done.
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Too late in the year with players and coaches, next year maybe announced as his last season. They will try to bring on a potential replacement?
 
#155
#155
BigOrangeTrain said:
Totally disagree about Barnes being a great recruiter. I think he is a great coach and an average recruiter. I love Barnes. But it’s becoming apparent that his offensive style is not gonna get it done. That’s not a knock on him. It’s just a Father Time thing.
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I think he gets exactly the players he wants and fits his system and culture. I don't think he really places that high a priority on shooting and offense when he evals a kid. There have been times where a kid with offensive skills simply doesn't embrace defense or simply isn't the fit Barnes and co thought they'd be and they end up leaving the program. We've all seen it. Guys like ZZ, JJJ, and Mashack are his kind of players. Knecht was a unicorn. Folks knew what we were getting with Barnes. Can't say his defensive philosophy is wrong or doesn't work. It wins, but it's not flashy and will usually stub its toe in the tournament. Still a lot better than some of our previous coaches/teams.
 
#158
#158
Chaz-Vol said:
I think some fans are pretty wild sure but on a whole a lot of reasonable people on the board have legitimate concerns. Barnes has given vols the most consistent winning of any coach and brought a great culture that makes their team and players easy to like.

He's also now had essentially a decade of consistently bad offenses except one Grant/admiral year and Knecht last year. Sure if the bracket falls just right they can make a final 4 run but there's a reason that generally teams that make final fours and win championships have top 20 offense and defense. This team has a clear flaw that if it doesn't change likely will result in getting bounced when they have another poor offensive night.
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Since 2002, 30 of the 88 teams who have made the Final Four had an offensive efficiency above 20. That’s better than one in three. We’re fine.
 
#160
#160
Except for the COVID disruption resetting the progression of elevating the program, Barnes has won at least as many games every two years than in the previous ones.

31 (2015-17)
42 (2016-18)
57 (2017-19)
COVID (2019-20)
35 (2019-21)
45 (2020-22)
52 (2021-23)
52 (2022-24)
47 and counting (2023-25)

He’s only in his 10th season at UT. These drive-by clowns are acting like he’s been here for 20 or 30 years running a stagnant program.
 
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#161
#161
I'd like the Barnes bashers to consider this: you know there are people on other message boards who are like, man, I wish our team had an identity, like Rick Barnes at Tennessee, everything's built on tough physical defense, he has them in the hunt every single year, wouldn't be nice if our school/our coach had that kind of consistency, etc. grass is always greener.
 
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#171
#171
The difference in the game was that Barnes was relentlessly getting on the refs because they let Vandy build their 17 point lead taking advantage of illegal screens. He had a loooong talk with one of them before heading to the locker room at halftime. It worked. The refs wouldn’t let Vandy keep on getting to the rim after picking off sticky defenders with their moving screens. Barnes gets a Bruin today.
 
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#172
#172
Thunder Good-Oil said:
The difference in the game was that Barnes was relentlessly getting on the refs because they let Vandy build their 17 point lead taking advantage of illegal screens. He had a loooong talk with one of them before heading to the locker room at halftime. It worked. The refs wouldn’t let Vandy keep on getting to the rim after picking off sticky defenders with their moving screens. Barnes gets a Bruin today.
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This was a big factor @ Vandy...I was about to throw something at my TV. Still, we should have won despite the refs but it was infuriating.

Edit: And, the sad part is, the refs still didn't call all the illegal screens in 2H. There was one early where Carey literally leaned WAY OVER over to get down on ZZ's level to knock him off his path as he rounded the screen...still don't know how the refs missed that one.
 
#173
#173
MinisterofDef#92 said:
This was a big factor @ Vandy...I was about to throw something at my TV. Still, we should have won despite the refs but it was infuriating.

Edit: And, the sad part is, the refs still didn't call all the illegal screens in 2H. There was one early where Carey literally leaned WAY OVER over to get down on ZZ's level to knock him off his path as he rounded the screen...still don't know how the refs missed that one.
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The lean tgat really set me off was late when TN was called for fouling on a three point shot attempt. At least they missed the 1st of 3 FTs. It was the Scottie Pippen, Jr move. Throwing yourself into a defender that isn’t touching you and get foul shots out of it. It really cheapens the game. But it’s Vandy. They have no shame or class. #22 couldn’t stop posing after every made basket.
 
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#174
#174
MinisterofDef#92 said:
This was a big factor @ Vandy...I was about to throw something at my TV. Still, we should have won despite the refs but it was infuriating.

Edit: And, the sad part is, the refs still didn't call all the illegal screens in 2H. There was one early where Carey literally leaned WAY OVER over to get down on ZZ's level to knock him off his path as he rounded the screen...still don't know how the refs missed that one.
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22 really got my attention for his illegal screening in the first have. When watching games at home I use the dvr a lot to review play during commercials. 22 set illegal screens every time I reviewed play in the second half. Some were boarder line and could have been called either way, but at least half of the time his screens were egregiously illegal yet they still only called him twice IIRC.

Credit to 22 for reading the officiating and playing it to his advantage, but the officials need to do better which everyone already knows.
 
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#175
#175
Anti-shunshinepumper said:
If you're scared to give us an idea of how long a new coach has to do better than Barnes, just say you're scared
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I'm not scared of anything you or any of your pumping buddies, 2 of which I see at the time of this response, want to believe or say I am scared to do. One does not get scared about something he has no plans to do. You just come up with stuff that makes no sense, now with repeats.

Just like the fact that I have made no ultimatum, I am not scared to give you a time limit on how long a coach has to get better than rb because I was not thinking of giving one. It never came to my mind. The fact that you seem to think you have some right to get one from me won't work. However, I would be glad to let you try to make me give you one. Bring your little pumpers.

You guys get mad at whoever is not as happy as you think they should be about some of this year's performances claiming it is hate for our coach.

Some don't like him and want him gone. Those who do are being dumb.

Those who have seen that we have what it takes to be good and make a run would be happy to see that happen this year and so, we need to get ready for the tourney which is getting near, but we just aren't good enough for the pumpers.

In the present reality just as before, you are still loving the coach because he is the best we will ever get according to you. You saw what bkgoat wrote and your responses throughout this thread and others show that you think we can't get better. He's not the only one that thinks it will never be as good when coach leaves. Our coach will be missed no doubt, but there is no need for the fear of bad teams forever. In fact, it would seem that a good coach might just want such a job. I still would like our coach for a few more years myself.

Truly, he can certainly win it all and we can still get a great coach or 6 over the longer term after he retires. I can see that he might retire if he wins it all and that is fine, but whether he does or not this year, I would much like to have him back because (again) I think he has the ability to coach a team to achampionship. If uconn can get good and win it all over the last 25 years, there is no reason UT cannot do the same. We can do it with our present coaches and team this year and then when he decides to reture, we can do again.

So knowing that you will continue your pumping, you have fun in your circle with your little buddies.
 
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