The Official Rick Barnes discussion thread

[hUTch2002]

They were playing a team that scored FIFTEEN points in the first half! Let's see happens when they meet a team that can score from anywhere and they have to keep up. If they beat Duke and score under 70 doing it... I'll concede.

It was right at it. 69 would’ve won too.

 

[NighthawkVol]

Houston was easily the most beatable team of the four 1 seeds and it's not even close, even more beatable that Auburn. and UT beat Auburn and Florida this year.

Nope.

 

[VolsSportsFan]

It was right at it. 69 would’ve won too.

69 always wins.

 

[jeff1vol]

It was right at it. 69 would’ve won too.

Ok. I'll concede. offense doesnt matter in basketball. Houston proved it. Helluva game.

 

[hUTch2002]

Ok. I'll concede. offense doesnt matter in basketball. Houston proved it. Helluva game.

Ha! I do think you’re right that offensive minded teams generally do better than defensive minded teams but you can’t be really bad at either to win it all. Duke should’ve won that game. They looked better almost the entire way.

 

[YankeeVol]

 

[MoCo_Vol]

Saw this on FB...thought it would be appropriate.

All Rick Barnes team (2015-16 to Present)

PG: ZZ
KC, Bone, even Turner could all be here...but ZZ for a 4 year career was consistent and did things no one has ever done even in the SEC

SG: Santiago Vescovi
this was actually the hardest choice...lots of 1 year options, Punter, Springer, Keon, or Chaz...but for me a 5 year guy with durability and hustle like Santi would be hard not to pick

SF: Admiral Schofield
was tough not to have JJJ or DK but 132 games and a career 12 & 5 guy that shot over 38% from deep...stud

PF: Grant Williams
The easiest pick of the entire bunch.

C: Kyle Alexander
Love Fulky and if we got 2019-20 Fulky then he'd be the pick, but he was here 6 years and 5 of those he played at least 25 games and we only got that 1 season where he was at that level. Thought about Aidoo, but same problem just 1 good season. Kyle wasn't a score first C and that wasn't his role...what we did get was 4 years and he played at least 32 games in all of them. He got better every year at rebounding and scoring and he had 30 blocks in every season he played, his last 2 he went for 55+ each year.


I don't know if the above roster would be the best "we're winning it all" but I think the above would rack up the most wins in a 3-4 year period which was what I kind of based it on.

My "win or bust" starting 5 for 1 year

PG: KC
SG: DK
SF: Admiral
PF: Grant
C: Felix

 

[walkenvol]

Saw this on FB...thought it would be appropriate.

All Rick Barnes team (2015-16 to Present)

PG: ZZ
KC, Bone, even Turner could all be here...but ZZ for a 4 year career was consistent and did things no one has ever done even in the SEC

SG: Santiago Vescovi
this was actually the hardest choice...lots of 1 year options, Punter, Springer, Keon, or Chaz...but for me a 5 year guy with durability and hustle like Santi would be hard not to pick

SF: Admiral Schofield
was tough not to have JJJ or DK but 132 games and a career 12 & 5 guy that shot over 38% from deep...stud

PF: Grant Williams
The easiest pick of the entire bunch.

C: Kyle Alexander
Love Fulky and if we got 2019-20 Fulky then he'd be the pick, but he was here 6 years and 5 of those he played at least 25 games and we only got that 1 season where he was at that level. Thought about Aidoo, but same problem just 1 good season. Kyle wasn't a score first C and that wasn't his role...what we did get was 4 years and he played at least 32 games in all of them. He got better every year at rebounding and scoring and he had 30 blocks in every season he played, his last 2 he went for 55+ each year.


I don't know if the above roster would be the best "we're winning it all" but I think the above would rack up the most wins in a 3-4 year period which was what I kind of based it on.

My "win or bust" starting 5 for 1 year

PG: KC
SG: DK
SF: Admiral
PF: Grant
C: Felix

For 1 year, DK has to be there before Admiral. I’d also take Alexander over Felix and it would be hard to take KC over ZZ. JMO, TIFWIW

 

[omghulkhands]

Saw this on FB...thought it would be appropriate.

All Rick Barnes team (2015-16 to Present)

PG: ZZ
KC, Bone, even Turner could all be here...but ZZ for a 4 year career was consistent and did things no one has ever done even in the SEC

SG: Santiago Vescovi
this was actually the hardest choice...lots of 1 year options, Punter, Springer, Keon, or Chaz...but for me a 5 year guy with durability and hustle like Santi would be hard not to pick

SF: Admiral Schofield
was tough not to have JJJ or DK but 132 games and a career 12 & 5 guy that shot over 38% from deep...stud

PF: Grant Williams
The easiest pick of the entire bunch.

C: Kyle Alexander
Love Fulky and if we got 2019-20 Fulky then he'd be the pick, but he was here 6 years and 5 of those he played at least 25 games and we only got that 1 season where he was at that level. Thought about Aidoo, but same problem just 1 good season. Kyle wasn't a score first C and that wasn't his role...what we did get was 4 years and he played at least 32 games in all of them. He got better every year at rebounding and scoring and he had 30 blocks in every season he played, his last 2 he went for 55+ each year.


I don't know if the above roster would be the best "we're winning it all" but I think the above would rack up the most wins in a 3-4 year period which was what I kind of based it on.

My "win or bust" starting 5 for 1 year

PG: KC
SG: DK
SF: Admiral
PF: Grant
C: Felix

For me if I gotta pick 5 guys to win one game it’s

Senior ZZ
Senior Chaz
Senior Knecht
Junior Williams
Senior Alexander

 

[walkenvol]

For me if I gotta pick 5 guys to win one game it’s

Senior ZZ
Senior Chaz
Senior Knecht
Junior Williams
Senior Alexander

Interesting you’d take a senior Chaz over a junior Lofton?

 

[BernardKingGOAT]

For me if I gotta pick 5 guys to win one game it’s

Senior ZZ
Senior Chaz
Senior Knecht
Junior Williams
Senior Alexander

That lineup would have won 6 straight to claim a NC

 

[omghulkhands]

Interesting you’d take a senior Chaz over a junior Lofton?

The hypothetical posted was a Barnes only team

 

[walkenvol]

The hypothetical posted was a Barnes only team

True - my bad

 

[Nico ee-ah-MAH-LAY-ah-va]

I mean this in the kindest way: DVH is the Rick Barnes of college baseball. Great coach, players love him, but when you get to the post season you are almost assured his team will collapse.

 

[THEONLYTENISEE]

I mean this in the kindest way: DVH is the Rick Barnes of college baseball. Great coach, players love him, but when you get to the post season you are almost assured his team will collapse.

Barnes may not win a Natty but the program will be in better shape than the way he found it.

 

[Vawlz]

I mean this in the kindest way: DVH is the Rick Barnes of college baseball. Great coach, players love him, but when you get to the post season you are almost assured his team will collapse.

Two straight Elite Eights is a “collapse”?

I know we have some ridiculous fans, but this takes the cake.

 

[VolFan_stuck_in_the_901]

Two straight Elite Eights is a “collapse”?

I know we have some ridiculous fans, but this takes the cake.

100%.... before Rick Barnes got here we'd been to just one Elite Eight in our entire history! And now we've been to two in a row and our fanbase is ungrateful

 

[Zues1]

Two straight Elite Eights is a “collapse”?

I know we have some ridiculous fans, but this takes the cake.

A final four would be nice

 

[Nico ee-ah-MAH-LAY-ah-va]

Two straight Elite Eights is a “collapse”?

I know we have some ridiculous fans, but this takes the cake.

Barnes is one of the oldest tenured coaches without a national championship win. He has only been to the final four once. Love the guy and happy to have him as our coach, but come March you know the collapse is coming. Criticism is valid even if you like him.

Do you think the hogs love DVH? Sure. Do you think they would love any coach who actually got them a ring more? Absolutely.

 

[Vawlz]

Barnes is one of the oldest tenured coaches without a national championship win. He has only been to the final four once. Love the guy and happy to have him as our coach, but come March you know the collapse is coming. Criticism is valid even if you like him.

Do you think the hogs love DVH? Sure. Do you think they would love any coach who actually got them a ring more? Absolutely.

Doubling down on your unreasonable expectations? I expect nothing less from VN.

 

[NighthawkVol]

Barnes is one of the oldest tenured coaches without a national championship win. He has only been to the final four once. Love the guy and happy to have him as our coach, but come March you know the collapse is coming. Criticism is valid even if you like him.

Do you think the hogs love DVH? Sure. Do you think they would love any coach who actually got them a ring more? Absolutely.

I know nuance is hard, but there is a chasm of space between “not making a Final 4” and “a postseason collapse.”

Making the Elite 8 is not a collapse. Not even close. It’s an accomplishment. Especially when the losses in each of those last 2 Elite 8s were to the national runner up.

Too many of our fans, including you, apparently, equate “not going as far as I hoped the team would go” with “collapse.”

Tennessee was a 2 seed who lost to a 1 seed the last 2 years. That’s not remotely close to a collapse. It’s you being disappointed. They’re not the same thing.

 

[chuckiepoo]

I know nuance is hard, but there is a chasm of space between “not making a Final 4” and “a postseason collapse.”

Making the Elite 8 is not a collapse. Not even close. It’s an accomplishment. Especially when the losses in each of those last 2 Elite 8s was to the national runner up.

Too many of our fans, including you, apparently, equate “not going as far as I want the team to go” with “collapse.”

Tennessee was a 2 seed who lost to a 1 seed the last 2 years. That’s not remotely close to a collapse. It’s you being disappointed. They’re not the same thing.

Commmendable but:

 

[EZE]

Barnes is one of the oldest tenured coaches without a national championship win. He has only been to the final four once. Love the guy and happy to have him as our coach, but come March you know the collapse is coming. Criticism is valid even if you like him.

Do you think the hogs love DVH? Sure. Do you think they would love any coach who actually got them a ring more? Absolutely.

This is such a misguided take. Every team except one has the same “collapse” in the NCAAT. Many great coaches have won zero, and many more have won “only” one…Self, Cal just name a few.

Hell, Duke didn’t even make it to the Final with a 28-million dollar player this past season.

 

[Nico ee-ah-MAH-LAY-ah-va]

NVM

 

[Nico ee-ah-MAH-LAY-ah-va]

I know nuance is hard, but there is a chasm of space between “not making a Final 4” and “a postseason collapse.”

Making the Elite 8 is not a collapse. Not even close. It’s an accomplishment. Especially when the losses in each of those last 2 Elite 8s were to the national runner up.

Too many of our fans, including you, apparently, equate “not going as far as I hoped the team would go” with “collapse.”

Tennessee was a 2 seed who lost to a 1 seed the last 2 years. That’s not remotely close to a collapse. It’s you being disappointed. They’re not the same thing.

The last thing I will say is this: I would consider losing to Houston by almost 20 to be a collapse, regardless of their seed number. I would also consider the number of times Barnes has lost to a lower seed to be collapses.

Until Barnes gets to the Final Four or, it will always be the narrative that he can't get it done in March when it matters most. I have a mountain of evidence to prove that; you have back to back elite 8s on your side, along with the one time he made the FF at Texas; I have 34 other seasons to pick from. There is no nuance in this argument. You win, or you lose. "Oh, Barnes elevated the program!" Maybe he raised the floor, but hasn't raised the ceiling so he doesn't get any credit for that. Don't beat your chest over a guy who has a whopping 1 additional NCAA tournament appearance compared to DeVoe or Pearl (7 to 6 each).

Back to DVH: its the same thing. Arkansas fans say they love him, but if he retires tomorrow and his replacement wins a Natty, who are they going to like more? The answer is obvious. Raising the ceiling greatly outweighs raising the floor. DVH is the same as Barnes: good coach, raised the floor, but has not raised the ceiling. His teams collapse.

Also, before you you group me into the negavols: I like Barnes. I am happy he is our coach. I can still have valid criticism of his post season performance but still enjoy the teams the brings to the court.