Tennessee is here to stay

#1
Freak

Freak

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#1
Interesting comments from Corey Evans of Rivals.


1. TENNESSEE IS HERE TO STAY
I attended the Tennessee-Florida game last weekend and it was a great opportunity to not just take in a high-level SEC basketball match-up, but also a chance to get an up-close look at a Vol group that has the potential to win it all this season.

Tennessee pulled things out in the end thanks to being one of the few teams in the country that play a complete 40 minutes. Give Rick Barnes credit, as what he has done in Knoxville is among one of the best coaching jobs of the last decade.

While there was talk about Villanova winning the national title three years ago with potentially zero first-round NBA Draft picks, it might be even more impressive that UT achieving such high-level without a single Rivals150 prospect on its roster.

Grant Williams was a second-fiddle to Harry Giles on his travel team; Admiral Schofield was just the same for a non-sponsored team alongside Purdue forward Evan Boudreaux; it took Jordan Bone to the end of his senior season for high-majors to become involved, and many didn’t see it with Kyle Alexander thanks to his newness to the sport.

Schofield could evolve into the next PJ Tucker as scouts are enamored with his physicality. Williams has the chance to etch his name alongside Peyton Manning as an all-time great at the school if he so chooses to return for his senior year.

The rock-solid culture created at Rocky Top is a testament to the the tremendous evaluation and coaching job that Barnes and his staff have done. The Volunteers are legitimate national title contenders. Even if they come up short this year, the Vols are here to stay thanks to the incoming enrollment of five-star Josiah James, to go along with a budding group of returnees featuring Bowden, Lamonte Turner, Jordan Bone and Yves Pons.
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#6
#6
If the Vols play to their potential they’ll be a tough out in March. It’ll take someone best game and then some.

Stay focused Vols.
 
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#8
#8
We gotta find a way to get Barnes to stick around for a decade. I think he'll do it. He seems to be having fun. He's not in the recruiting rat race as much as other coaches are and will basically be a legend on campus after this season. Fulmer will give him the longest leash of anyone in D1 basketball, and he'll deserve it. Just let the man work.
 
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#9
#9
Aesius said:
We gotta find a way to get Barnes to stick around for a decade. I think he'll do it. He seems to be having fun. He's not in the recruiting rat race as much as other coaches are and will basically be a legend on campus after this season. Fulmer will give him the longest leash of anyone in D1 basketball, and he'll deserve it. Just let the man work.
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Please give us a decade, Coach. He's a gym rat, teacher, psychologist and master technician, who honestly loves his players(see TJ Ford graduation video)
 
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#10
#10
Barnes could be here another 20 years and not come close to having a team with this chemistry. Grant is up there with Dobbs off the court. Very bright kids. Schofield too, a military kid who is a man and wants to lead. Their work ethic makes them the epitome of team with all necessary components from leaders to role players, to scorers to competitors. Barnes is developing the heck out of these boys but I think even he would say it’s a “special group”.
 
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#11
#11
Aesius said:
We gotta find a way to get Barnes to stick around for a decade. I think he'll do it. He seems to be having fun. He's not in the recruiting rat race as much as other coaches are and will basically be a legend on campus after this season. Fulmer will give him the longest leash of anyone in D1 basketball, and he'll deserve it. Just let the man work.
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Think maybe Texas has some regret?
 
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#12
#12
Even had he stayed at Texas, he would not have had this type of team. I believe with the leadership of Admiral and Grant, this team is unique. Barnes is an excellent coach, but the likes of these 2 players, IMO, make this a team with chemistry that could not be matched but once or twice in a coaching career.
 
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#17
#17
Tenacguy50 said:
I've watched or listened to Vols BB since I was 10 years old. I'm now 69. IMO this is the best TN BB team of my lifetime...including the Ernie & Bernie show.
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That's hard to agree with, I was in Knoxville from 1975-1980 but I think you are correct....I hope this team finishes better that the Ernie and Bernie teams did in the NCAA.
Was it Furman that beat them???? can't remember
 
#18
#18
Otis07 said:
That's hard to agree with, I was in Knoxville from 1975-1980 but I think you are correct....I hope this team finishes better that the Ernie and Bernie teams did in the NCAA.
Was it Furman that beat them???? can't remember
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Syracuse as well.
 
#19
#19
orangemadam said:
Even had he stayed at Texas, he would not have had this type of team. I believe with the leadership of Admiral and Grant, this team is unique. Barnes is an excellent coach, but the likes of these 2 players, IMO, make this a team with chemistry that could not be matched but once or twice in a coaching career.
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I think leaving Texas gave him a chance to hit the reset button. He was recruiting a lot of one-and-dones out there, not really developing teams. So they'd get bounced out of the tournament early. When he came to Tennessee, he knew he had some time to build so he could build things the way he wanted.
 
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