Recruiting Football Talk VII

[jakez4ut]

The fall off by Aidoo in march is so odd

Part of it had to do with the last two matchups. With how Creighton plays a lot of drop defense, it was going to leave those 12-15' jumpers, and aidoo had been relatively consistent with those, so I'd imagine it was our plan to take em. Not many fell.

Against Purdue, well... Otherwise he was pretty good. He's never been dominant.

 

[RudyVol]

Part of it had to do with the last two matchups. With how Creighton plays a lot of drop defense, it was going to leave those 12-15' jumpers, and aidoo had been relatively consistent with those, so I'd imagine it was our plan to take em. Not many fell.

Against Purdue, well... Otherwise he was pretty good. He's never been dominant.

I could excuse being just okay or even not great. He went from 1st Team all SEC to sitting behind a freshman who got 0 minutes most games this year.

 

[knoxvol52]

Part of it had to do with the last two matchups. With how Creighton plays a lot of drop defense, it was going to leave those 12-15' jumpers, and aidoo had been relatively consistent with those, so I'd imagine it was our plan to take em. Not many fell.

Against Purdue, well... Otherwise he was pretty good. He's never been dominant.

I've stated many times Aidoo is more of a forward not a power center.
Uros couldn't hit the Ocean most of time shooting the ball but he was that physical center that would get nasty.

 

[MoCo_Vol]

I know you follow basketball pretty closely.
What's the consensus on Freddie? Is he staying or going?

I honestly don't know...had he not gotten hurt I'd be a lot more concerned that this year and his lack of minutes would lead to him leaving. But I think being given the opportunity to fully get healthy at his own pace is something he and his family appreciates. As a program we don't chase NIL players, so the guys that are here were already aware of how things work. Still you never know.

DJ would be the guy I'd say is most likely gone. Will be entering year 3 and he's clocked 3 minutes in 1 game thus far. He saw Carr, Cade, JP, & Freddie all come in after him and get more minutes.

I'm also worried about Mashack and Aidoo... Mashack because he's entering his final season and he's a west coast kid, might simply want to play close to home so more of his family can attend games. Aidoo was pursued by big hitters in his home state with NIL this past off-season and he just had an even better year, he also could have a legit shot at the NBA and I expect he'll go through the process, Barnes usually encourages his juniors to do it.

 

[volinexile17]

I don't mind posters pointing out the things the team did poorly that could have changed the outcome.

ZZ shooting 25% FG and 12.5% from 3 while taking the 2nd most shots at 12 is going to hurt you
Aidoo going 0-4 and only grabbing 2 rebounds is going to hurt you, he's the 3rd leading scorer on the team and lead the team in rebounding...losing that production is big
Mashack and Gainey both playing 20 minutes and combining for just 6 points on 5 shots is rough to overcome
JP and Awaka played as well as you can expect given the matchup.
Santi gutted it out so he could finish his career playing, wish he had gotten to end his time as a Vol 100% healthy and playing full speed.
JJJ was money these last two games, he really should have been taking more shots.

The team and coaches aren't hung up on officiating because they know they can't control it.

This season Purdue took 912 FTAs, that's 2nd in the country. Last season Purdue took 720 FTAs, that's 41st in the country. In one season they gained almost 200 attempts, that's just insane...almost nothing else changed between those two seasons except Edey has taken 4.4 more FTAs this year. His FGAs, his minutes played, are all nearly identical.

I don't think WE specifically got screwed, but everyone that looks at numbers would agree Purdue gets the best whistle in all of college basketball. They take 24.7 FTAs a game (9th in the country) but their opponents only take 14.0 FTAs a game (13th lowest).
Their Free Throw Rate (% of FTs taken per FG attempts) is 42.2% that's 8th best in the country and their opponents have a 22.5% FTR which is the 9th lowest in the country. They are the ONLY team in the top 10 in both categories.

It’s tough when Edey stands in the paint and doesn’t get called for fouls. But, we didn’t help ourselves by attacking the basket. I only remember once where we ran a little screen action that pulled Edey up, knecht went to the rim, and it ended in an alley oop to Estrella. Otherwise Knecht settled for midrange misses. No one else drove the ball. You’re not getting fouls that way.

 

[UTSuave’]

@knoxvol52 @volbeast33

 

[mr.checkerboards]

I honestly don't know...had he not gotten hurt I'd be a lot more concerned that this year and his lack of minutes would lead to him leaving. But I think being given the opportunity to fully get healthy at his own pace is something he and his family appreciates. As a program we don't chase NIL players, so the guys that are here were already aware of how things work. Still you never know.

DJ would be the guy I'd say is most likely gone. Will be entering year 3 and he's clocked 3 minutes in 1 game thus far. He saw Carr, Cade, JP, & Freddie all come in after him and get more minutes.

I'm also worried about Mashack and Aidoo... Mashack because he's entering his final season and he's a west coast kid, might simply want to play close to home so more of his family can attend games. Aidoo was pursued by big hitters in his home state with NIL this past off-season and he just had an even better year, he also could have a legit shot at the NBA and I expect he'll go through the process, Barnes usually encourages his juniors to do it.

Shak is an intresting thought. From how his mom acts on Twitter they love it here, but I get the family thing.
With Aidoo if he moves on I think itnwould be a mutual decision between he and the coaches.
Jefferson I kinda assumed was gone. The fact that he didn't get minutes in early season blowouts is telling imo.
I just don't know what to think about Freddie, but the fact that he came in 6 months before his class and is still struggling is a bad sign.

 

[MemphisVol3]

I've stated many times Aidoo is more of a forward not a power center.
Uros couldn't hit the Ocean most of time shooting the ball but he was that physical center that would get nasty.

Yep Uros is the one guy we used to have that you could just say “your job today is Edey” period.

The physicality of Bane with the mental games of Joker.

 

[Enki_Amenra]

Unlike yetis that eat zero ticks, pests, or rodents and often leave litter like cheeseburger wrappers and fast food drink cups strewn in strangers backyards.

Yetis...nature's anti-opossum.

 

[barrylee]

This place can be so frustrating. The exact same 3 or 4 posters who troll during football season show up after a tough loss in bball.

Don’t understand what enjoyment one can get from trolling..

 

[Jackcrevol]

Unlike yetis that eat zero ticks, pests, or rodents and often leave litter like cheeseburger wrappers and fast food drink cups strewn in strangers backyards.

Yetis...nature's anti-opossum.

If they could drive themselves, there would undoubtedly be a junk yard nearby.

 

[Jackcrevol]

This place can be so frustrating. The exact same 3 or 4 posters who troll during football season show up after a tough loss in bball.

Don’t understand what enjoyment one can get from trolling..

Dont tell me how to melt down!

 

[Brillovol]

I’m gonna mourn the Basketball season a few more days, then it’s on to BaseVol season, then football. We have future pros, generational talents, and championship aspirations in both sports, so enjoy it, folks.

 

[OrangenSC]

Win or lose tomorrow let's celebrate these guys and not go into a dark place. They are facing an immovable force that the NCAA is protecting. I fully believe we can and should win, but I have seen this place eat their own when we get negative. I would hate to see that on Easter when we are in the elite 8.

Great season. I appreciate what JJJ and Santi have done here during their careers and am proud of them for it. (ZZ too, but his career isn't for yet.)

The entire team fought hard and never quit. Great group of guys and fun ro watch.

 

[MoCo_Vol]

I’ve thought a lot about this. In my time as a fan (early memories starting in mid-80’s), here’s my top 5:

1. Allan Houston
2. Dalton Knect
3. Chris Lofton
4. Grant Williams
5. Ron Slay

If Knect was here multiple years, he would take #1. If I coulda seen the likes of Ernie & Bernie, etc., this list would be more complete.

Great list, I basically started in the Jerry Green era so my top 5 is different and I'll break it down a bit by coaches

Green: Vincent Yarbrough edging out Ron Slay, either could be on the list I picked Yarbrough because of his durability played in 127 games and started 127 (Slay played in 109 and only started 48, but was hurt as a Junior)
Buzz: Chris Lofton, no contest here even though he ONLY played the one year for Buzz he recruited him. CJ Watson a distant 2nd choice
Pearl: Wayne Chism his numbers aren't as impressive as Tyler Smith, but he also didn't get into any off the court troubles he played basically every game he could 142 and 119 starts and for his career was a 24 MPG guy. Great rebounder and a legit 3PT shooter as a big also his 22 & 11 against Ohio State got us our first Elite Eight (Tyler Smith wasn't even on the team)
Cunozo: Pretty difficult pick here... Jarnell Stokes, Josh Richardson or Jordan McRae (who was a Pearl recruit, but didn't play much for him so I'm giving Martin McRae) I think I'm going J-Rich mainly because of his run in March during the Sweet 16 (19.3 ppg). McRae had a good run too, but 6 of 11 from FT & 0 of 5 from deep cost us against Michigan
Donnie: (1 year so obviously skipped)
Barnes: VERY tough one...Admiral Schofield, Grant Williams, Fulky, Santiago Vescovi, JJJ, KC, ZZ, DK... he's brought in some easy to love players... but from a performance, energy, and longevity standpoint I'm going to go with Admiral


Vincent Yarbrough
Chris Lofton
Wayne Chism
Josh Richardson
Admiral Schofield

My top 5 favorites.

 

[Enki_Amenra]

Parlays in college sports are ruining the sport.

Heard a conversation on T.V. sports talk show and people are worried more now about whether player x is getting those 5 assist instead of caring about teams accomplishments.

Well. . . those are prop bets and you can't do them on college sports in Tennessee. Mine were all ML, punch me in the mouth reeaalll hard type o'losses, .

 

[Jackcrevol]

Parlays in college sports are ruining the sport.

Heard a conversation on T.V. sports talk show and people are worried more now about whether player x is getting those 5 assist instead of caring about teams accomplishments.

sounds like a blast.

 

[Enki_Amenra]

sounds like a blast.

TWSS

 

[MoCo_Vol]

Shak is an intresting thought. From how his mom acts on Twitter they love it here, but I get the family thing.
With Aidoo if he moves on I think itnwould be a mutual decision between he and the coaches.
Jefferson I kinda assumed was gone. The fact that he didn't get minutes in early season blowouts is telling imo.
I just don't know what to think about Freddie, but the fact that he came in 6 months before his class and is still struggling is a bad sign.

The thing is I'm not sure if he's struggling or not... we've not really seen him get minutes to find it. He did appear in 18 games and played 93 minutes. 52.2% FG on 23 shots, 62.5% on 2PTs, and 28.6% from deep on 7 shots he also hit 80% from the line. He will have a lot more minutes if he comes back, but his 14 turnovers is what kept him from getting more opportunities this season. I think a full healthy off-season will yield big results.

With DK, Santi, ZZ, and JJJ on the court so much I just don't think there were a ton of minutes for the younger guys like Carr and Freddie. Especially when you had more experienced guys on the bench in Gainey and Mashack that could play multiple positions. The question is will they give Freddie the freedom DK had on the court, cause if they leave him out there to be an offense first wing and just accept that he's not an elite defender like ZZ, Santi, Mashack or even JJJ then he could have a great 2nd year here. Ultimate it just comes down to does he want to work and earn it or not. Cause he will have numerous teams that can give him 30 mpg just for showing up.

 

[screenthis]

Thoroughly enjoyed watching these guys play for UT over the years. Going forward, I'd like to see a few more 'tough players' like ZZ that have that 'dog' in them. Perhaps, we can get past long spans where the offense just disappears.

Despite that, what a great run and proud of all the seniors that came back for this.

 

[mr.checkerboards]

The thing is I'm not sure if he's struggling or not... we've not really seen him get minutes to find it. He did appear in 18 games and played 93 minutes. 52.2% FG on 23 shots, 62.5% on 2PTs, and 28.6% from deep on 7 shots he also hit 80% from the line. He will have a lot more minutes if he comes back, but his 14 turnovers is what kept him from getting more opportunities this season. I think a full healthy off-season will yield big results.

With DK, Santi, ZZ, and JJJ on the court so much I just don't think there were a ton of minutes for the younger guys like Carr and Freddie. Especially when you had more experienced guys on the bench in Gainey and Mashack that could play multiple positions. The question is will they give Freddie the freedom DK had on the court, cause if they leave him out there to be an offense first wing and just accept that he's not an elite defender like ZZ, Santi, Mashack or even JJJ then he could have a great 2nd year here. Ultimate it just comes down to does he want to work and earn it or not. Cause he will have numerous teams that can give him 30 mpg just for showing up.

Hmmmmm..... playing him out on the wing is intresting, I hadn't thought of that. I kinda felt like we were trying to get him developed as ZZ's heir.

 

[LA Vol]

Hate the season ended this way, especially for this trio of fifth-year seniors. Different draw, different outcome. Thanks to MBB for a special season... and on to getting both teams back to the College World Series.

 

[UTSuave’]

I don't mind posters pointing out the things the team did poorly that could have changed the outcome.

ZZ shooting 25% FG and 12.5% from 3 while taking the 2nd most shots at 12 is going to hurt you
Aidoo going 0-4 and only grabbing 2 rebounds is going to hurt you, he's the 3rd leading scorer on the team and lead the team in rebounding...losing that production is big
Mashack and Gainey both playing 20 minutes and combining for just 6 points on 5 shots is rough to overcome
JP and Awaka played as well as you can expect given the matchup.
Santi gutted it out so he could finish his career playing, wish he had gotten to end his time as a Vol 100% healthy and playing full speed.
JJJ was money these last two games, he really should have been taking more shots.

The team and coaches aren't hung up on officiating because they know they can't control it.

This season Purdue took 912 FTAs, that's 2nd in the country. Last season Purdue took 720 FTAs, that's 41st in the country. In one season they gained almost 200 attempts, that's just insane...almost nothing else changed between those two seasons except Edey has taken 4.4 more FTAs this year. His FGAs, his minutes played, are all nearly identical.

I don't think WE specifically got screwed, but everyone that looks at numbers would agree Purdue gets the best whistle in all of college basketball. They take 24.7 FTAs a game (9th in the country) but their opponents only take 14.0 FTAs a game (13th lowest).
Their Free Throw Rate (% of FTs taken per FG attempts) is 42.2% that's 8th best in the country and their opponents have a 22.5% FTR which is the 9th lowest in the country. They are the ONLY team in the top 10 in both categories.

All of this was spot on!…appreciate this post a lot!…the whole tournament I was questioning why ZZ was taking so many shots.Given his position he should have known to help in other ways as a point guard.PG’s aren’t supposed to be leading scores..I think Barnes has given him too much of a greenlight

 

[VolsDoc81TX]

I’ve had to sit and watch South Carolina, Auburn, and Alabama all get a Final Four before Tennessee. Sigh.

That bothers me not at all.

What bothers me is that this game was controlled by the referees. It was not controlled by the best team.
That’s what frustrates me.

This is now three times the referrees have won games for Purdue over Tennessee.

 

[VolGee4]

taking our foot off the gas right at the end of the season and missing out on that 1-seed really hurt

I can't say that we took our foot off the gas against UK. They have lottery picks who shot 50% from 3. I am convinced that the MSU loss didn't matter, if you go by what the committee has done recently.

We went 3-1 in the last 4 in the regular season, and everyone would have taken that before the games were played.