3/3/2020 sealed it

[cncchris33]

I disagree Springer has A+ quickness, if you watch him against the top high school PG’s he has struggled to get by them some...next year he will be facing those guys every single night, and most will have experience under their belt and a strength program as well...so I don’t see him being better at getting by guys next year than he is this year. His biggest asset is his strength, I do worry a little as to how that translates against 20-23 year old men and not 16-17 year old kids, I hope I’m dead wrong I just don’t see him being an elite level PG next season.

You misread my statement. I didn’t say Springer has A+ quickness. I said Springer already a plus (+) in both categories (quickness and athleticism) when compared to Vescovi. I wasn’t assigning a grade to him. Just saying he is already a significantly better athlete and significantly quicker.

 

[bleedingTNorange]

You misread my statement. I didn’t say Springer has A+ quickness. I said Springer already a plus (+) in both categories (quickness and athleticism) when compared to Vescovi. I wasn’t assigning a grade to him. Just saying he is already a significantly better athlete and significantly quicker.

Ahh gotcha, yes I would agree

 

[cncchris33]

I disagree Springer has A+ quickness, if you watch him against the top high school PG’s he has struggled to get by them some...next year he will be facing those guys every single night, and most will have experience under their belt and a strength program as well...so I don’t see him being better at getting by guys next year than he is this year. His biggest asset is his strength, I do worry a little as to how that translates against 20-23 year old men and not 16-17 year old kids, I hope I’m dead wrong I just don’t see him being an elite level PG next season.

And for what it is worth, I haven’t claimed that he will be an elite level PG next year, either, but since we don’t have anyone that I would project to be an elite level PG next year, that is perfectly fine. I think we have four options at PG, next year, and that’s a great problem to have.

 

[Roustabout]

Tonight made it clear what The plan should be for 2020/2021 at the PG position.

James and Springer are clearly the future of the PG imo.

SV is a tough hard nosed winning player and I am damn glad he’s on our team but it’s painfully obvious he doesn’t have the skill
Set(at PG) for us to be an elite team. He will be a very very good SG for us next year.

James has gotten a lot of criticism and some of it has been fair but him running the point for us tonight was key. We don’t win that game without James running the show down the stretch.

James looked a lot more comfortable brining the ball up court. The reality is we’ll have several players who can handle the ball and run the offense. Vescovi, once in the s&c and more time to learn the system will be just fine.

 

[Delmar]

But but but, we don't have a true point guard and should have given Ques Glover a scholarship. Barnes flirted with UCLA. He makes $5mm. He doesn't call time outs. He plays his starters too much.

Yep. As I said last week, 700 wins is all I need to know about Barnes and his ability to coach. As far as JJJ goes at point, granted he was good last night, but I’d like to see him do it over a span of games. Not going to say he’s Magic Johnson after one good outing. But he and Vescovi are freshmen and are learning on the fly. If they BOTH can develop consistency, I like the idea of them being interchangeable at the guard spots next year. That could be problematic for the opposition for sure.

 

[Vols All Day]

You do realize Vescovi was in the game too but they tried to give him some relief with the ball in his hand? Even when Bone was in the game there were times someone had to ball for rest.

I didn't see it before but these posts from the same 5 or 6 folks remind me of "Barnes can't recruit", "he just came here to retire", "he is robbing us", etc. It's become so laughable that I can't take these as to grind posts seriously.

Right now Vescovi isn't to effective at the point because everyone knows his right hand is his weakness. Also, teams game plan to force him to dribble into the paint and have someone help because SV will attempt that jump turnover.

 

[UTK]

You do realize Vescovi was in the game too but they tried to give him some relief with the ball in his hand? Even when Bone was in the game there were times someone had to ball for rest.

I didn't see it before but these posts from the same 5 or 6 folks remind me of "Barnes can't recruit", "he just came here to retire", "he is robbing us", etc. It's become so laughable that I can't take these as to grind posts seriously.

You can't seriously blame anyone for thinking that about Barnes at the beginning though, it definitely looked to be the case lol. I think everyone was glad to be wrong though.

 

[Delmar]

I wouldn’t be so quick to write off Vescovi either. We’ve seen Barnes’ developmental skills with Williams, Schofield, Bone and others. Give him time with Vescovi and James and I believe both will be significantly more consistent and capable.

 

[BruinVol]

I wouldn’t be so quick to write off Vescovi either. We’ve seen Barnes’ developmental skills with Williams, Schofield, Bone and others. Give him time with Vescovi and James and I believe both will be significantly more consistent and capable.

A lot of you guys are missing the point.
Speed and quickness skills are very much guarded by God given boundaries.
They can’t be improved nearly as much as other skills like shooting and ball handling

 

[BruinVol]

@bleedingTNorange brought up the competition level SV played before getting here and that tells me his ceiling for growth is actually less than someone that comes into the SEC playing less competition. Meaning they are more prepared to play now because they have been seasoned so speak but have less room for growth

 

[cncchris33]

You can't seriously blame anyone for thinking that about Barnes at the beginning though, it definitely looked to be the case lol. I think everyone was glad to be wrong though.

I think it’s fair to blame people for thinking that since he was adamant that he knew he had to change the way he recruited. I wouldn’t blame people for being skeptical of that approach, but to immediately call him and his staff a failure because we weren’t dragging in the Kevin Durant’s, Tristan Thompson’s and DJ Augustine’s of the world, was foolish. And there were many who expected that kind of talent from Day 1.

Barnes took a job at a place that had a perceived toxic environment around not only the basketball team, but the athletic department, in general, and changed his recruiting philosophy. Immediate returns were never on the table. He was building a program, not a team. And he built it the right way to sustain long-term success, not a flash in the pan.

 

[cncchris33]

@bleedingTNorange brought up the competition level SV played before getting here and that tells me his ceiling for growth is actually less than someone that comes into the SEC playing less competition. Meaning they are more prepared to play now because they have been seasoned so speak but have less room for growth

I question that competition a bit. As I understand it, the Global Academy is focused more around practice, teaching, and learning basketball than playing tons of actual games. He played in one 5-6 game tournament against some former NBAers like Greg Oden, and that was really the extent of that competition against NBA guys. Unless someone else has a different understanding, but that is what I read.

 

[VOLED]

Once Vescovi concentrates on his right hand this summer he will be fine (it doesn't take long for an athlete to bring the other hand up to speed, especially for dribbling). At that point he will be much tougher to guard and will instantly look quicker to most people. On ball defense is mostly trying to take away what the other wants to do. Right now Vescovi wants to go left and the entire world knows it. Once the D doesn't know which way he is going watch what happens.

 

[BruinVol]

Once Vescovi concentrates on his right hand this summer he will be fine (it doesn't take long for an athlete to bring the other hand up to speed, especially for dribbling). At that point he will be much tougher to guard and will instantly look quicker to most people. On ball defense is mostly trying to take away what the other wants to do. Right now Vescovi wants to go left and the entire world knows it. Once the D doesn't know which way he is going watch what happens.

Not only does SV want to go left we want him to go left because of Fulky and Pons being a lefty

 

[therickbol]

This is VN. Outrageous claims for message board street cred...normally bruinvol has great takes buy here must agree to disagree...as long as SV gain confidence in his right hand. He will be the primary ball handler

hahahahahahahaha....Bruin has great takes, now that made me laugh out loud

 

[FlyFishnVol]

If Vescovi improves off hand dribbling, gets quicker/stronger and stops leaving his feet he can be an all-SEC PG.

I have faith he can do it. He is already the best passer on the team and has a nice shot. Also not bad at probing and penetrating.

That's what she said

 

[Lefteye]

Pons was present as well.

Indeed. Every time I'd get frustrated with him for a silly TO he'd hit a big time bucket. And he's like an sniper looking for weak shots around the basket, on d. Big time presence in the paint for a not so big Big.

 

[wmcovol]

Vescovi has been the focus defensively of every team the Vols play. As play by Bowden & JJJ improve, that may change some which will take some pressure off him. That’s a pretty big challenge for an 18 yr old

 

[Delmar]

A lot of you guys are missing the point.
Speed and quickness skills are very much guarded by God given boundaries.
They can’t be improved nearly as much as other skills like shooting and ball handling

Very true. But I am also very hesitant to anoint somebody who hasn’t played a minute of major college basketball. For every so called hot shot that was supposed to tear it up, there’s 10 that didn’t live up to the hype. I’ll reserve judgement till I see him go against the big boys.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

A lot of you guys are missing the point.
Speed and quickness skills are very much guarded by God given boundaries.
They can’t be improved nearly as much as other skills like shooting and ball handling

I think that Vescovi has quickness, but not blazing speed like Bone. But even the speediest guys can't run faster than passes. I'll take quickness over speed. But there won't be as many easy baskets by beating defenses in full court opportunities. He'll just have to feed Fulkerson instead.

I wonder how speedy Bailey, Springer, and KJ will be in the SEC?

 

[PulaskiVolFan]

Makes no sense to write off Vescovi. In fact it’s nuts IMO

I don't think anyone is writing him off. Both Keon and Springer are considered better prospects than Vescovi coming out of HS and if you look at our roster it makes sense that they will both play a bunch. Keon will take the majority of Bowden's minutes so I think that leaves Springer and Vescovi battling for the remaining guard minutes. I believe Springer will win out simply because he is much better defensively and a terrific all around offensive player. I think Barnes will bring Vescovi off the bench for offensive spark as a 6th man. JJJ will lead the team in minutes played next season if he stays healthy, that leaves Keon, Springer, Vescovi, Gaines, Bailey and J. Johnson battling for playing time at the other 2 backcourt spots.

 

[PulaskiVolFan]

We run a three Guard system losing only Bowden with Bailey sitting out and two AA high-school kids coming in. I am curious to see the development of Vescovi and James and I believe they our point Guards by trade with combo skills and both will get better at understanding the game and can become a little more explosive by off season training but will never be truly elite athletically that is a gift you our born with. The post really is about all our guards then because we do not have that true elite savvy point with great athletic ability to make a run at a final four. Well we want have that player but i love all our options and Depth and we will make a serious run next year to be SEC Champs as well possible Final Four. Lets not forget Ticket as well as he will be maybe our best defender on perimeter. So again love the options it is an incredible Menu. Enjoy Tn basketball now and future.

Keon Johnson may be our best perimeter player defensively next year, it's his best attribute coming in I feel. Springer is good defensively as well, those 2 and JJJ should be terrific defensively next season. Gaines has really come on playing defense and I think he'll be a valuable bench player next year.

 

[PulaskiVolFan]

I don’t think it’s that simple...for starters you’ve yet to see Springer or Bailey, so that means you are solely assuming James gets 30+ minutes at PG next year...that’s a big assumption.

I don't think it's that big of an assumption. If he stays healthy JJJ will likely lead the Vols in minutes played next year I feel and most of it will be at the PG position.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

I think that we'll have a lot of players getting 20-25 minutes and fewer going 37-40 minutes per game. Walker is the unknown. Olivier also, will he take strides in the off season?

 

[golfballs]

I don't think anyone is writing him off. Both Keon and Springer are considered better prospects than Vescovi coming out of HS and if you look at our roster it makes sense that they will both play a bunch. Keon will take the majority of Bowden's minutes so I think that leaves Springer and Vescovi battling for the remaining guard minutes. I believe Springer will win out simply because he is much better defensively and a terrific all around offensive player. I think Barnes will bring Vescovi off the bench for offensive spark as a 6th man. JJJ will lead the team in minutes played next season if he stays healthy, that leaves Keon, Springer, Vescovi, Gaines, Bailey and J. Johnson battling for playing time at the other 2 backcourt spots.

I think we need to pump the brakes on the expectation of these freshmen. I’d say its generally too high. Also, no telling how much Vescovi will build off of this season with a full offseason under his belt.