The Official Tennessee @ #13 Auburn Game Thread, 12:00 PM ET, CBS

[VolArmy74]

I go to almost every game. There have been thousands of empties in every game this year besides Kentucky and Memphis.

We have a top 5 sized arena. We still have more fans at games than almost every other program in the country. And you'd know that we have a great fanbase if you go to games. For the on court product we get in return most years we have probably got the best fanbase in the nation.

 

[tnvols72]

not sure how to take that. Either way , I dont buy it lol

 

[ejvols4]

Final fours mean nothing if you don’t win them. Jacksonville state and Penn and WesternKentucky have final four appearances. So what? Tennessee is 2nd to UK in all time b-ball tradition (argument can be made 3rd bc of Arkansas)

"Final Fours mean nothing if you don't win them..."

Yeah sure OK man! How is it meaningless to hope the program accomplishes something it never has before?

 

[VolBalls33]

Kellie likes men.

Are you seriously suggesting ON would have been a better option than Fulky? ON brings nothing. Filly’s mistakes are from them force feeding him the ball because nobody else will create a shot

UT played 17 minutes with Fulkerson. I was just suggesting put him in for 3 to 5 min calm Fulkerson down and let him get refocused and see what happens.

 

[tnvols72]

Just telling you what this board has said. I think Gaines is going to be solid, but others want him gone.

I liked Gaines early in the year and I think he is going to be a solid player and if he can give 6-10 points next year then that will be a plus. He will be a good player and get his fouls under control.

 

[BigOrangeAl 1979]

I’ve said it all season that Phil should’ve let Barnes go to UCLA we need a younger coach with more energy like Pearl again to motivate this team. Man do I miss Bruce

 

[BigOrangeMojo]

This is Barnes roster though, he recruited these players and they are not that good or they are not being coached. Either way this is his team and they look like garbage.

This was always going to be a bit of a rebuilding year but given our facilities and a 5th year head coach, we shouldnt have similar talent than middle of the pack AAC teams...

 

[tnvols72]

Just telling you what this board has said. I think Gaines is going to be solid, but others want him gone.

I can think of several that needs to be gone but he sure isnt one.

 

[SGMVols]

Which one?

The bEsT fAnS iN aMeRiCa one.

 

[tnvols72]

This was always going to be a bit of a rebuilding year but given our facilities and a 5th year head coach, we shouldnt have similar talent than middle of the pack AAC teams...

I was glad when Tn got Barnes but I found it disturbing when he took the recruiting year off and we ended up with this. Barnes did not do himself any favors this year.

 

[SGMVols]

I’ve said it all season that Phil should’ve let Barnes go to UCLA we need a younger coach with more energy like Pearl again to motivate this team. Man do I miss Bruce

Pearl is only 5 years younger than Barnes. Wade Houston was pretty young when we hired him.

 

[golfballs]

Not about executing out of timeout. About getting one of your best players back on the floor. Smh

 

[VolGee4]

Nah, man.

South Carolina and Auburn have it no better with local recruiting, have worse facilities, finnicky fan bases and even less historical success than Tennessee. Yet even they've been to Final Four's and won SEC Tournament's.

Oh, because one FF matters. And you are going to hang your hat on one coach whose had a show cause and had an assistant indicted in federal court. That’s nonsense. Also, Auburn is an hour from Atlanta suburbs.

USC’s history is not good and went on a lucky run. I believe they were a 7 seed, not a top 4 seed. The top two scorers on their FF team were from South Carolina, and Thornwell averaged over 20. They are also closer to Charlotte.

You can simply ignore the facts, but geography has a lot to do with it.

 

[SGMVols]

I was glad when Tn got Barnes but I found it disturbing when he took the recruiting year off and we ended up with this. Barnes did not do himself any favors this year.

My God, you people actually do believe Barnes just sat on his ass at Pete’s for 2 years. Tony Basilio is the worst thing to ever happen to UT. I wish he’d take his decrepit ass back to Philadelphia.

 

[BigOrangeAl 1979]

Pearl is only 5 years younger than Barnes. Wade Houston was pretty young when we hired him.

Really didn’t know that I thought Barnes was at least 10 years older than Bruce

 

[VolGee4]

There are 5 teams or so that are a blue blood but programs outside those 5 win and win big at times. There's no reason we shouldn't be able to have a Syracuse level program. It's in a modestly sized area hundreds of miles from a massive city area and stays buried in snow from November to April. Memphis is worse than us in every metric and have only reached the final four during major cheating scandals even with the talent in their city. My issue is that people act like we shouldn't even consider wanting to get to a final four.

We should want to get to a FF, but there are barriers to why it’s tough. One is talent, and another is bad hires in the last 24 years. The one we did make a good hire absolutely screwed himself and the school.

People act like it should be automatic for us to win every year, and that just isn’t the case.

 

[VolGee4]

Really didn’t know that I thought Barnes was at least 10 years older than Bruce

Bruce coached for quite a few years at Southern Indiana and then got 3 years off after UT. Lol.

 

[golfballs]

We have enough issues to deal with in what now are all basically must win games from here on out. Add overcoming a deflating and epic collapse to that.

 

[BowlBrother85]

I’ve said it all season that Phil should’ve let Barnes go to UCLA we need a younger coach with more energy like Pearl again to motivate this team. Man do I miss Bruce

Your posts are extremely reactionary. Assuming that Isaac Okoro does opt for the NBA draft after the season (and he is projected to be a lottery pick), it is very unlikely that Auburn will be in the NCAA Tournament in 2021. They lose everyone else in their rotation, and they only replace it with a 6'0" ft point guard (albeit a really good one) in Sharife Cooper. They will experience a rebuild even worse than what we are going through this season. Most programs do have seasons like this... even a blue blood like North Carolina. The fact is, Pearl recruited Corey Walker, Keon Johnson and Jaden Springer very hard... and he went 0-3 against Barnes. If you are capable of being patient, this program will be just fine.

 

[RAVOL]

there is no proof at all that he is capable of winning any game for Tn , now or in the future

he still has 3 years to learn and get better. There our physical gifts there he will realize the fruits of his hard work one day. you believe because of his rating in high school he should be automatic with his game. Player of the year in the SEC will be the big at KY. I am sure fans like you were saying he was a bust and has know future because he to was a 5 star top 15 player. Now after 3 years of hardwork Richards will be drafted in top 15.

 

[VolGee4]

Now devil's advocate could ask why we barely recruited Memphis at the end of the Pastner era and during the entire Tubby Smith era....

I thought we could make inroads too, but it’s tough. There were a couple of years in there that the talent was down. Barnes tried to get Tyler Harris and then Memphis hired Penny.

 

[IPleadInsanity]

This is Barnes roster though, he recruited these players and they are not that good or they are not being coached. Either way this is his team and they look like garbage.

He took a rag tag bunch of misfits and competed on the road with one of the top teams in the SEC, is another way to look at it.

 

[VolGee4]

Memphis made final fours because they cheated both times to get there. That’s why they were stripped from them. Tennessee isn’t a blue blood basketball school (neither is memphis) but we both are top 30-35 alltime programs in the sport and Tennessee has a top 5 fanbase and facilities

Memphis made a title game in 1972 with local talent. Didn’t involve cheating. They have always had access to talent. Using that as a comparison to UT is not a good one.

 

[SGMVols]

Your posts are extremely reactionary. Assuming that Isaac Okoro does opt for the NBA draft after the season (and he is projected to be a lottery pick), it is very unlikely that Auburn will be in the NCAA Tournament in 2021. They lose everyone else in their rotation, and they only replace it with a 6'0" ft point guard (albeit a really good one) in Sharife Cooper. They will experience a rebuild even worse than what we are going through this season. Most programs do have seasons like this... even a blue blood like North Carolina. The fact is, Pearl recruited Corey Walker, Keon Johnson and Jaden Springer very hard... and he went 0-3 against Barnes. If you are capable of being patient, this program will be just fine.

Asking patience is a futile effort in the instant gratification, what have you done for me lately era. This fanbase is the result of the first participation trophy generations. They want results without the process.

 

[Mikevol1964]

Our basketball program has never been to a final 4. Football school

Agree. But the BBall program isn’t pathetic