A better team next year?

#1
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MikeHamiltonFan

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#1
How many scholarships do we have for the 2011 class?
Hubert did not have one, but I believe we are losing 5 scholarship players:
24 Josh Bone G 6-3 197 Sr. 1L Nashville, Tenn. (Southern Illinois)

25 John Fields F 6-9 222 Sr. Tr. Fayetteville, N.C. (UNC Wilmington)

2 Melvin Goins G 5-11 180 Sr. 1L San Diego, Calif. (Mt. San Jacinto College)

22 Steven Pearl F 6-5 235 Sr. 2L Knoxville, Tenn. (West HS)

33 Brian Williams C 6-10 272 Sr. 3L Bronx, N.Y. (Harmony Community Prep)

Best case scenario, Tobias and Scotty both return, both gone after a huge season next year, which will give us (with Tobias leaving still early) plenty of scholarships for the 2012 class. Tobias said he is back if he is not projected as a lottery pick (and his dad is an NBA agent who has the connections to know). Scotty is projected in the 2nd round or undrafted here: 2011 NBA Draft Early Entrants | NBADraft.net

We could have a good/great class including:

Our PG for the future
Chris Jones
Chris Jones - Yahoo! Sports

A solid post presence in:
Otto Porter
Otto Porter - Yahoo! Sports

If we miss on Porter we bring in:
Lekan Ajayi
Lekan Ajayi - Yahoo! Sports

and we retain our SG in:
Kevin Ware
Kevin Ware - Yahoo! Sports

or if we miss on him we get:
Josh Richardson
Josh Richardson - Yahoo! Sports

Some speculate that Coach Martin wants Richardson regardless of what happens with Ware.

It looks like we have room to bring in 4 guys, and a class of Jones, Porter, Richardson and Ware is unlikely but would be enough to take us in that 8-9 range class wise over Ohio State and right around Arizona and Texas.

Losing both of our centers, and a senior point guard (who is tough enough to play football for us in the fall) could this team actually be better? Martin wants to play 6-7 guys for significant minutes.

PG Chris Jones > than Melvin Goins (and yes I think he will play over Trae Golden)
SG McRae over Ware or Richardson
SG Hopson back I hope and pray so I do not have to watch Tatum suck
F Tobias a a sophomore > than Tobias freshman who is hurt some of the time
C Kenny Hall...Not as good in all likelihood as Brian Williams

So we could be better at 4 of the 5 positions on the floor.

That is a pretty rosy picture, but it is not counting on Swiper to average 18 and 10 or something crazy like that. Poor Maymon left Buzz Williams because he hated Marquette using him as a center. It seems very possible he will be our backup center even though he should get to play at forward when Harris leaves.
 
#2
#2
If all your assumptions come true then yes, we'll be better.

However, I rate the odds of all those things happening at about .5%
 
#7
#7
Domestic Silence said:
That's surprising. I would have just paid his tuition and used the scholly for someone else. Knowing the 'AA though, it would somehow be illegal.
Click to expand...

He only used a scholly his senior year. We had an extra one available and gave it to him because it saved bruce about 3k and didn't harm the team at all.
Posted via VolNation Mobile
 
#9
#9
My predictions are that Hopson and Ware leave, but Harris thinks it over and stays. Most likely Richardson will come and replace Ware. Martin also has a pick of either Ajayi or Porter. I think Ajayi really wants to come, but Martin may be leaning slightly towards Porter. Tennessee may end up getting both.
 
#11
#11
If Cameron Tatum is relied upon heavily next year, it will be a painful season to watch unless he becomes a new player under Coach Martin.

If we can get Otto, I do not see how there is any way we do not take him with gratitude.
 
#12
#12
TennesseeFan07 said:
My predictions are that Hopson and Ware leave, but Harris thinks it over and stays. Most likely Richardson will come and replace Ware. Martin also has a pick of either Ajayi or Porter. I think Ajayi really wants to come, but Martin may be leaning slightly towards Porter. Tennessee may end up getting both.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't mind getting both...
 
#13
#13
TennesseeFan07 said:
My predictions are that Hopson and Ware leave, but Harris thinks it over and stays. Most likely Richardson will come and replace Ware. Martin also has a pick of either Ajayi or Porter. I think Ajayi really wants to come, but Martin may be leaning slightly towards Porter. Tennessee may end up getting both.
Click to expand...

I would take that, and believe that would be great. I don't know how realistic that is.
 
#14
#14
To be on topic, I don't see why this team can't be better than last years team.. Given the right circumstances.
 
#15
#15
Domestic Silence said:
That's surprising. I would have just paid his tuition and used the scholly for someone else. Knowing the 'AA though, it would somehow be illegal.
Click to expand...

No, it's perfectly legal to save a scholarship and pay your kid's way to school if he or she is playing for you.

Most coaches handle it that way, so they can add another player on scholarship. If Bruce Pearl had ever given his son a scholarship at the expense of signing a recruit, he should have been shot. It just so happened we had one left over last year, so he got it.
 
#16
#16
With flameouts and freak accidents like Negedu, we had plenty of extra scholarships the last few years.

We should now have two solid classes of 4 players.

3 this year would indicate that Coach Martin feels like we can have a stellar 2012 class.


12. Jarnell Stokes
Memphis Central (Memphis, TN) PF, C 6-7/250
Bruising big man earned Class AAA All-State honors as a sophomore after averaging over 14 points and 12 rebounds per game for a Warrior team that handed nationally-ranked Melrose a loss.

26. Alex Poythress
Northeast (Clarksville, TN) SF, PF 6-7/205
Helped Northeast go 29-3 and reach Tennessee's Class AAA semifinals as a sophomore.

27. Twymond Howard
Pearl (MS) SF 6-6/200
Also a standout on the football field, Howard’s basketball talents appear to be taking over after posting 18.6 points and 9.2 rebounds per game during sophomore campaign.

33. Jordan Price
Southwest DeKalb (Decatur, GA) SG, SF 6-5/200
Tennessee's Division II-AA Mr. Basketball award winner last season at Chattanooga McCallie, starting new at Southwest DeKalb this fall.

To pull in players like this, Harris needs to come back and tear up the league, on his way to the NBA. Credit Martin with improving him in major ways.

We could have a class potentially in Martin's first full recruiting year that has more talent than any that Bruce Pearl brought during his entire tenure.
 
#17
#17
I hope more than anything this team will show a little heart and desire when they play next year instead of getting beat by florida 3x kentucky 2x and blown out by 30 in the first round.
 
#19
#19
Several of the 2012 guys on this list who Rivals says have interest in TN are going to go to the hometown school like Hunter Perea did with Indiana. Starkville, Lexington, Little Rock? Tennessee does not have an awesome shot with those guys. Yet there is some serious GA talent on the list, and Pastner is losing some of the faithful with the failings of his stars and their inability to get to the NBA right off like they did under Calipari.

2012 we should be able to get in at least 2 or 3 very high quality bigs and we will not have to worry about Martin turning us into a guard only school that doesn't have a tall frontcourt.


G Archie Goodwin Little Rock, Arkansas
Sylvan Hills
6'4" 181 N/A
5 stars
N/A 3
list
F Jarnell Stokes Memphis, Tennessee
Central
6'7" 230 N/A
5 stars
N/A 3
list

F Twymond Howard Pearl, Mississippi
Pearl
6'5" 200 N/A
4 stars
N/A 6
list
G Nino Jackson Ardmore, Oklahoma
Ardmore
6'2" 175 N/A
4 stars
N/A 6
list
C Shaquille Cleare Houston, Texas
The Village School
6'9" 285 N/A
4 stars
N/A 7
list
F Robert Carter Thomasville, Georgia
Thomasville
6'8" 245 N/A
4 stars
N/A 9
list
G Jordan Adams Mouth of Wilson, Virginia
Oak Hill Academy
6'5" 215 N/A
4 stars
N/A 10
list

G Jaylen Beckham Lexington, Kentucky
Bryan Station
6'0" 150 N/A
4 stars
N/A 11
list
F Alex Poythress Clarksville, Tennessee
Northeast
6'7" 205 N/A
4 stars
N/A 11
list
C Gavin Ware Starkville, Mississippi
Starkville
6'8" 247 N/A
4 stars
N/A 11
list
F Damien Wilson Mouth of Wilson, Virginia
Oak Hill Academy
6'6" 198 N/A
4 stars
N/A 12
list
C Tony Parker Lithonia, Georgia
Miller Grove
6'9" 250 N/A
4 stars
N/A 12
list

C Phillip Nolan Milwauke, WI, New Jersey
St. Benedict's HS
6'10" 200 N/A
4 stars
N/A 16
list

F T.J. Warren Raleigh, North Carolina
Word Of God Christian Academy
6'7" 200 N/A
4 stars
N/A 17
list
G D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera Indianapolis, Indiana
North Central
6'3" 210 N/A
4 stars
N/A 3
list
 
#22
#22
MikeHamiltonFan said:
How many scholarships do we have for the 2011 class?
Hubert did not have one, but I believe we are losing 5 scholarship players:
24 Josh Bone G 6-3 197 Sr. 1L Nashville, Tenn. (Southern Illinois)

25 John Fields F 6-9 222 Sr. Tr. Fayetteville, N.C. (UNC Wilmington)

2 Melvin Goins G 5-11 180 Sr. 1L San Diego, Calif. (Mt. San Jacinto College)

22 Steven Pearl F 6-5 235 Sr. 2L Knoxville, Tenn. (West HS)

33 Brian Williams C 6-10 272 Sr. 3L Bronx, N.Y. (Harmony Community Prep)

Best case scenario, Tobias and Scotty both return, both gone after a huge season next year, which will give us (with Tobias leaving still early) plenty of scholarships for the 2012 class. Tobias said he is back if he is not projected as a lottery pick (and his dad is an NBA agent who has the connections to know). Scotty is projected in the 2nd round or undrafted here: 2011 NBA Draft Early Entrants | NBADraft.net

We could have a good/great class including:

Our PG for the future
Chris Jones
Chris Jones - Yahoo! Sports

A solid post presence in:
Otto Porter
Otto Porter - Yahoo! Sports

If we miss on Porter we bring in:
Lekan Ajayi
Lekan Ajayi - Yahoo! Sports

and we retain our SG in:
Kevin Ware
Kevin Ware - Yahoo! Sports

or if we miss on him we get:
Josh Richardson
Josh Richardson - Yahoo! Sports

Some speculate that Coach Martin wants Richardson regardless of what happens with Ware.

It looks like we have room to bring in 4 guys, and a class of Jones, Porter, Richardson and Ware is unlikely but would be enough to take us in that 8-9 range class wise over Ohio State and right around Arizona and Texas.

Losing both of our centers, and a senior point guard (who is tough enough to play football for us in the fall) could this team actually be better? Martin wants to play 6-7 guys for significant minutes.

PG Chris Jones > than Melvin Goins (and yes I think he will play over Trae Golden)
SG McRae over Ware or Richardson
SG Hopson back I hope and pray so I do not have to watch Tatum suck
F Tobias a a sophomore > than Tobias freshman who is hurt some of the time
C Kenny Hall...Not as good in all likelihood as Brian Williams

So we could be better at 4 of the 5 positions on the floor.

That is a pretty rosy picture, but it is not counting on Swiper to average 18 and 10 or something crazy like that. Poor Maymon left Buzz Williams because he hated Marquette using him as a center. It seems very possible he will be our backup center even though he should get to play at forward when Harris leaves.
Click to expand...

If Hall can stay out of foul trouble, he will be better than Williams. He runs the floor better, can at least dunk the ball, and will be better on the defensive end. He shoots foul shots as poorly as Williams, but does have somewhat of a shot from 6-8 feet out. I don't think he is as lazy as Williams was.
 
#23
#23
There was more to the McBee/Bone scholarship story than included here. Skylar came to the stage to thank Troy Willis, and said that "Troy didn't treat me like a walk on, he treated me like everyone else". After that Skylar went to sit down and Bruce came on stage and said "did he say walk on?" , then he motioned for Josh Bone and Steven Pearl to come on stage. He then introduced them as the 3 newest scholarship players for the Vols (Of course, Steven attends for free). I was really surprised about Bone as there was little talk in the media about him receiving the last scholarship.If you were there it was a pretty touching moment if you are a fan of the team.
 
#24
#24
jsc1973 said:
No, it's perfectly legal to save a scholarship and pay your kid's way to school if he or she is playing for you.

Most coaches handle it that way, so they can add another player on scholarship. If Bruce Pearl had ever given his son a scholarship at the expense of signing a recruit, he should have been shot. It just so happened we had one left over last year, so he got it.
Click to expand...

If my memory serves me right, Wade Houston actually paid Allen's tuition his senior year to save the scholarship. That would make the school's all time leading scorer not on scholarship his senior year.
 
#25
#25
Is anything about my math wrong?

1. 11 Trae Golden G 6-1 207 Fr. HS Powder Springs, Ga. (McEachern HS)
2. 20 Kenny Hall F 6-8 215 So. 1L Stone Mountain Ga. (Redan HS)
3. 12 Tobias Harris F 6-8 226 Fr. HS Dix Hills, N.Y. (Half Hollow Hills West HS)
4. 32 Scotty Hopson G 6-7 200 Jr. 2L Hopkinsville, Ky. (University Heights HS)
5. 34 Jeronne Maymon F 6-7 258 So. Tr. Madison, Wisc. (Marquette University)
6. 13 Skylar McBee G 6-3 184 So. 1L Rutledge, Tenn. (Grainger HS)
7. 1 Jordan McRae G 6-6 173 Fr. HS Midway, Ga. (Liberty County HS)
8. 23 Cameron Tatum G 6-6 192 Jr 2L Lithonia, Ga. (The Patterson School)
9. 0 Renaldo Woolridge F 6-9 212 Jr. 2L Sherman Oaks, Calif. (Harvard-Westlake HS)

You have 13 basketball scholarships available. At this point, there are 4 scholarships available unless Hopson and Harris leave, and then you would have 6 available.
Tatum, Woolridge, Hopson and Harris are all gone after this next year so you can still bring in 4 in 2012. You also if you needed to grab a 5th stud recruit can tell Skylar (who in a 7 man rotation is unlikely to remain a fan favorite) that he is going to have to pay for school his senior year.

I do not anticipate the program getting hammered with Kiffin and Pearl gone. I think that numbers will not be a problem that Coach Martin faces.
 
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