Did the Texas trip change Barnes?

#1
wmcovol

wmcovol

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#1
Earlier in the season, even into SEC play, it was the old Barnes on the players. We all saw JJJ step between RB & KC a couple times during the early season.

Something changed about RB mid season. He now seems like he’s been enjoying being at Tennessee. Maybe the trip to Texas closed the emotion for him there. Whatever it was, it’s been good. RB is even leading cheers now. Team seems to play looser and more fluid.
 
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#2
#2
wmcovol said:
Earlier in the season, even into SEC play, it was the old Barnes on the players. We all saw JJJ step between RB & KC a couple times during the early season.

Something changed about RB mid season. He now seems like he’s been enjoying being at Tennessee. Maybe the trip to Texas closed the emotion for him there. Whatever it was, it’s been good. RB is even leading cheers now. Team seems to play looser and more fluid.
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I was in Austin, and they held a nice ceremony for him pre-game. Crowd was very supportive, and the many Vol fans there made it known we love him as well.
 
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#4
#4
Those are definitely two major flashpoints in this season's turnaround, but the biggest was after both of those games when we lost Olivier Nkamhoua for the season on Feb. 5 at South Carolina. Our bigs rose to the occasion and this team probably ended up being better for it, looking at how we finished the regular season/SEC Tourney. Sports is funny that way.
 
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#6
#6
I think that RB arranging for KC to meet and talk with TJ is the thing that smoothed out any issues with RB and KC.

TJ said something to the effect that He told KC how he needed to interpret the things that RB said.

The KC poster said it clearly ... Issues are not a problem any longer.
 
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#8
#8
SN-A-C Orange said:
I think that RB arranging for KC to meet and talk with TJ is the thing that smoothed out any issues with RB and KC.

TJ said something to the effect that He told KC how he needed to interpret the things that RB said.

The KC poster said it clearly ... Issues are not a problem any longer.
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That’s a myth. There was never any issues with RB and KC. The announcers during the first game this season commented that KC had told them that he came to Tennessee because he wanted to be coached hard and he knew Barnes would.
 
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#9
#9
MadisonvilleVol said:
That’s a myth. There was never any issues with RB and KC. The announcers during the first game this season commented that KC had told them that he came to Tennessee because he wanted to be coached hard and he knew Barnes would.
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I know that to be the case ... I am not disputing that in any sense ... but over the season ...

Just look at the tape ... of Barnes and Chandler with JJJ getting Barnes to move away from Chandler - look at the expression on Chandler's face. This is on Jan 5th (First link below.)

Now, on to TJ Ford's comments (which is a little over 2 weeks later - Jan 22nd) ... which clearly indicate that ... Barnes can get under your skin.

“After that game (Texas game) I learned a lot, honestly,” Chandler said on Monday. “I just talked to Coach Barnes and let him know that game was a learning lesson for me. I learned a lot from that game, sitting and watching the last four minutes of that game....”
Chandler got back on the floor after the game, this time with Ford, inside an empty Erwin Center. ...
“(He - Ford) took me onto the court,” Chandler added, “told me a few things. Just about the game and what Coach Barnes expects, what he learned from him as a player. Ever since that game, my mindset has changed.” (emphasis, mine.)
...
“Rick Barnes, he’s a tough coach, right?” Ford said. “He has a way of doing things and seeing the game. And trying to express those things, that’s not easy for players. (emphasis, mine and in the context he is talking about players and applying it to KC.) That’s not easy as a whole. (emphasis, mine) I think when you look at it from that standpoint, I’m trying to help him (KC) understand how to communicate with Coach Barnes, how to communicate with his team and do all those different things. (By implication, according to me, TJ is specifically indicating that the communication between KC and Barnes and KC and the Team was not in a good place.)

I love my wife (30+ years), but we have issues from time to time. To think that a coach and players ... do not have issues ... over the course of a season is ... short sighted, imho.
Rick Barnes is a good man ... but he is a task master of a basketball coach. He is demanding. Some players cannot handle that ... and they transfer to other schools.

Thick skinned people can brush off the loud vocalizations of their coach. My observation is that players have to 'learn' how to manage the communication they receive from Coach Barnes.
Tennessee basketball: Watch Josiah-Jordan James get Rick Barnes to back off Kennedy Chandler
T.J. Ford helping Kennedy Chandler see the game through the eyes of Rick Barnes
 
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#11
#11
bleedingTNorange said:
And yet Chandler continually mentions how he chose Tennessee because he wants to be coached hard and knew he would be and how he himself has told Barnes not to ever back off or let up. Again, Chandler changed post Texas, not Barnes.
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Where it the + for the like button so I can give you 100 more. :^)
 
#12
#12
bleedingTNorange said:
Lmao, it’s funny how winning changes fan perspective…Barnes isn’t changing his ways after 40 years, he’s the same coach. Chandler isn’t screwing up like he still was then, the more accurate question would be did the Texas trip change Chandler?
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It did. That and hooking up with TJ Ford, and getting his head in the right place.

Edit: Late to the party, but still the truth.
 
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#13
#13
It's called being a good coach. The beginning of the season (and the lead up to it) is the time for tough coaching and setting expectations. Once "the way you play" has been established, you can loosen up slightly as long as effort level doesn't slip.

Another reason good coaches do this is that the first half of the season can have a low pressure feel to it, so you have to manufacture pressure on your team so they are ready for the real pressure games in Feb and March. When the time comes, they are ready and you shouldn't add additional pressure.
 
#14
#14
bleedingTNorange said:
Lmao, it’s funny how winning changes fan perspective…Barnes isn’t changing his ways after 40 years, he’s the same coach. Chandler isn’t screwing up like he still was then, the more accurate question would be did the Texas trip change Chandler?
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Thinking back to that game...Vols made a hectic comeback and JJJ was hitting shots. Yea, he missed the game winner but he has continued to be a very key part of the Vols team. Sure KC is playing well, but they are playing team ball. If they keep that thru this Tourney the sky is the limit.
 
#15
#15
wmcovol said:
Earlier in the season, even into SEC play, it was the old Barnes on the players. We all saw JJJ step between RB & KC a couple times during the early season.

Something changed about RB mid season. He now seems like he’s been enjoying being at Tennessee. Maybe the trip to Texas closed the emotion for him there. Whatever it was, it’s been good. RB is even leading cheers now. Team seems to play looser and more fluid.
Click to expand...

Tomorrow is set up to be a Rick Barnes Special at tournament time, but I do agree with you that something has changed in the way he manages this team. Earlier in the year it looked like they weren’t enjoying playing the game, but now it’s totally different.
 
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#16
#16
This will be a very athletic contest tomorrow and Tennessee has the chance to not only vanquish Michigan but show that they are as tough physically as any Big Ten team.
 
#17
#17
wmcovol said:
Earlier in the season, even into SEC play, it was the old Barnes on the players. We all saw JJJ step between RB & KC a couple times during the early season.

Something changed about RB mid season. He now seems like he’s been enjoying being at Tennessee. Maybe the trip to Texas closed the emotion for him there. Whatever it was, it’s been good. RB is even leading cheers now. Team seems to play looser and more fluid.
Click to expand...

I think the team he sees now is the one he has wanted for the whole year. We have depth that will get tested and luckily we have been thru some battles already.
 
#18
#18
I kinda agree with the OP. That Texas trip brought closure to Barnes on a painful end to a large part of his life. It may not be the only reason he's changed but it had to be a huge moment. Kinda like seeing your ex that you thought you'd spend the rest of your life with after you both moved on. You realize a break was best for both parties.
 
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