Will say my piece and be done with it for the rest of the season. CRB and staff have done extremely well with what they have to work with this season. All of this is about the leadership and performance of the upper classmen on the roster. You can practice until you bleed out your eyes, it will not help if the leaders do not do what they need to do to run the team and perform well on the court. The only real coaching issue I see as an issue is substitution combos/patterns. Bama knew the only offense last night had to come from Punter with the way the rest of them were clanking it in the first half. So they focused on him and got the job done while our D quit. CRB needed to find and even develop the second and third options better in that game.
It is really obvious that the team actually plays better offensively when Armani is not on the court, or in a much reduced role down low. He tries to do too much. Admiral making the two 3's should have been the last two times he attempted those in that game. It wasn't. Unfortunately, Hubbs is just a very mediocre player and hindrance on D. He chooses to be that way. Stella is rarely in long enough to develop a rhythm. He better hit early and not mess up on D or he will be out quickly. They can scheme the D to assist his weakness and did for him and others with the zone. Didn't matter, he still sat on a very offensively challenged night to say the least. When that happens it is usually because of a lack of focus and using poor form - bobbin' and weavin'. I like fast paced, transition based offenses. But that was bizarre at times. Over passing and a helter skelter mess. There had to be other options for offense for them to win the game. Unfortunately, the subbing decisions killed that IMO.
This team was never going anywhere unless the players decided they were going to give 40 minutes to D and play within the system every single game. That is a personal choice by each player. As a result I would prefer CRB use the rest of the season for development like Butch did with the football team his first couple of seasons. Buy in or go away. CRB will probably defer to the seniors - hope he doesn't. Punter is the only one that deserves that honor IMO. I admire Armani's effort and toughness, however, he is basically incompetent with the ball in his hands running the offense and makes some of the dumbest decisions with that much experience. Yes, he is limited in his abilities. All the more reason to play within them. I would like to see Alexander, Schofield, and Phillips playing 25+ minutes a game along with Stella. Play through "the wall" so it will benefit the team next season and beyond. If Hubbs wants to play a part for next season he will figure it out and give the effort on both ends, which he is not doing now and really never has. They have zero to lose and everything to gain by going youth movement. An NIT appearance may get them one or two more games at the most.
Carry on. Go Vols.