Recruiting Forum Football Talk VI

[Volsdeep4]

My dad's. TWRA still hasn't sent their scorer because my dad refuses to send a picture to verify the size lol. My uncle scored 189, the taxidermist 182. Couple of points right on the verge of an inch.

It's a true, free range, middle TN giant. View attachment 535363

That’s freaking wicked man. Yeah scoring on nons are hard. How old was the deer and have you been seeing him or just show up?

 

[Jackcrevol]

I think the team is talented but some fans talk like there are three NBA lottery picks on this team and a Final Four is all but guaranteed if Barnes could just coach better. I’m not sure that’s remotely the case. I’m actually not sure who on this team is an NBA talent. But it’s a high quality, experienced college team that should be more consistent, that much is true.

I think talent is an issue. Recruiting has dropped off markedly.

 

[Jackcrevol]

That’s freaking wicked man. Yeah scoring on nons are hard. How old was the deer and have you been seeing him or just show up?

Soil had seen him by the feeder for years.

 

[BigOrangeTrain]

Early in the season we were putting on clinics in passing; moving without the ball; tough, smart, and physical play by Uros in the paint and on the boards; and drawing fouls.

Now we make poor passes, we don't move as much off ball and our guards are getting stiffled, Uros can't look at an opponent without getting a foul, and we're the ones getting drawn for fouls.

The team had a lot of confidence at the beginning of the season. They're definitely in a funk. It's a bad stretch to be in this funk. Mizzou is going to be a pivotal game, Bama will be even more important. Now is a good time to right the ship to resecure a top 2 seed. Otherwise, we need to get back in the groove by the SEC tournament and into March and just play for a run. Those are two positive scenarios. The negative scenario is we crumble and flunk out.

Bad coaching

 

[BigOrangeTrain]

I think talent is an issue. Recruiting has dropped off markedly.

2020- 5th ranked class
2021- 5th ranked class
2022- 9th ranked class
2023- 15th ranked class

That’s an average of a top 10 class every year. So Barnes is getting the players.

 

[delfonic]

If you come to this thread looking for ANY recruiting news you are wasting your time. It has turned into a lot of useless bantering about unrelated subjects. Sorry guys but that's the truth.

“It has turned into…”. Yeah… like a decade ago.

 

[MoCo_Vol]

2020- 5th ranked class
2021- 5th ranked class
2022- 9th ranked class
2023- 15th ranked class

That’s an average of a top 10 class every year. So Barnes is getting the players.

Not to mention next year's roster could end up with as many as 7 RSCI top 100 players on it (the most Barnes will ever have gotten while here). And the 2023 class was a top 10 class before Freddie reclassified to 2022.

If anything, projection wise next year's team should be better. If you return all the top 100 guys currently on the team that aren't graduating. (Aidoo, Phillips, Mashack, BJ Edwards) then you'll be adding Freddie, JP Estrella, and Carr as well.

 

[MoCo_Vol]

Pretty good news, considering Jerome Carvin has the potential to also get drafted and he's not even one of the 7 to get a combine invite.

Early Draft Picks: Hyatt & Wright (really will be shocked if either makes it out of the first 2 rounds)

Potential to impress at Combine: Young, Tillman, Banks (all 3 have plenty of good tape and all 3 could really help themselves with good performances at the combine)

Likely drafted, but where depends on how other teams draft their position groups: Hooker & Carvin (these two could be the best value picks of the draft honestly, I think talent wise they both should be taken in the first 3 rounds but they both are underrated for different reasons)

Pretty rare a punter gets drafted...but obviously if Brooks looks to be the best available someone may snag him in the 7th

 

[Ulysees E. McGill]

Losing to Vanderbilt when they’re absolutely terrible is so awful. No reason for it. Just terrible.

They are overall awful..but they did NOT shoot like an awful team last night + they got a ton of help from the refs + a couple of bonehead plays at the end + a not good shooting night = 1 pt upset

You guys do not understand basketball.

 

[Jackcrevol]

2020- 5th ranked class
2021- 5th ranked class
2022- 9th ranked class
2023- 15th ranked class

That’s an average of a top 10 class every year. So Barnes is getting the players.

15th class, in this league is average.

 

[MoCo_Vol]

7 games left for the basketVOLs

Missouri
Alabama
at Kentucky
at Texas A&M
South Carolina
Arkansas
at Auburn

With how the team has played down to opponents in SEC play none of those are givens. Gotta win Saturday and then prepare for an absolutely exhausting 3 game stretch. Where you could easily go 0-3. At this point based on how we've looked since Texas I'd be happy to finish 4-3...

 

[MoCo_Vol]

15th class, in this league is average.

This isn't football. We're 2nd in league with that 15th ranked class and all 4 of those recent classes were top 3/4 in the league. Only Kentucky (obviously) has consistently out recruited us.

 

[Jackcrevol]

This isn't football. We're 2nd in league with that 15th ranked class and all 4 of those recent classes were top 3/4 in the league. Only Kentucky (obviously) has consistently out recruited us.

What about the Cousin lovers?

I dont see this as an overly talented team. So, I'm sticking to my guns here. They may be big and long, but they are stiff. Say what you will about Fulky but he had some bend.

Speed never had a bad day. Look at that shot last night, was created by driving the lane to kickout for a three.

 

[therickbol]

I think the team is talented but some fans talk like there are three NBA lottery picks on this team and a Final Four is all but guaranteed if Barnes could just coach better. I’m not sure that’s remotely the case. I’m actually not sure who on this team is an NBA talent. But it’s a high quality, experienced college team that should be more consistent, that much is true.

This is accurate. Look at the teams record and results and they are OUTPERFORMING their talent. But fans want something to cry about and/or do not know anything about basketball so they complain. Vanderbilt is not very good. UT should beat them. But this is basketball not football. Their is much more parity and bad losses happen all the time. UT is in a slump offensively. If they make shots at the rate they proved they could earlier in the season then UT will be really tough to beat in the tournament. If they continue to struggle to make open shots then it will be a struggle.

 

[Ulysees E. McGill]

You're going to use two games to argue your point and not the entire season where, as I said, we are second in the country for margin of victory at 17pts lol?

Doesn't fit the Fahr Bahrnes bitchfest narrative...so..

 

[Vols4us]

Awaka needs to teach Nkamhoua what a half hook in the lane is since nobody on the staff has apparently taught him. Make some of those instead of missing his awful fall away J's in the lane and our guys win a couple more games.

Phillips has regressed. Officials are allowing obvious grabs coming out of cuts off screens, which is our game - hard cuts off screens. Adapt or potentially take an L. But the general issue is the over focus on D.

The same thing happened to some of Pat's teams. She worked them to death on D until they forgot how to score the ball and their O suffered. If there was no superstar on the team like a Parker to pull them over the line they lost just like our guys did against UF and Candy. Pat's teams made up for the lack of O by being excellent on the boards, which our guys are not. That cannot happen anyway when Barnes insists on playing small ball, which is so odd with two 7 footers and two 6'8" bulls to use in combos. Both games he played half the game small ball despite having the opponent's 7' center dominating. Even if you have to play that way you have to mix it up with zone and press the entire court. They don't.

He is what he is. He's been great for building the program. At his age I don't see him changing any stripes as a game day coach. Hope he does, but doubt it.

Fire away, IDC.

 

[Jackcrevol]

Awaka needs to teach Nkamhoua what a half hook in the lane is since nobody on the staff has apparently taught him. Make some of those instead of missing his awful fall away J's in the lane and our guys win a couple more games.

Phillips has regressed. Officials are allowing obvious grabs coming out of cuts off screens, which is our game - hard cuts off screens. Adapt or potentially take an L. But the general issue is the over focus on D.

The same thing happened to some of Pat's teams. She worked them to death on D until they forgot how to score the ball and their O suffered. If there was no superstar on the team like a Parker to pull them over the line they lost just like our guys did against UF and Candy. Pat's teams made up for the lack of O by being excellent on the boards, which our guys are not. That cannot happen anyway when Barnes insists on playing small ball, which is so odd with two 7 footers and two 6'8" bulls to use in combos. Both games he played half the game small ball despite having the opponent's 7' center dominating. Even if you have to play that way you have to mix it up with zone and press the entire court. They don't.

He is what he is. He's been great for building the program. At his age I don't see him changing any stripes as a game day coach. Hope he does, but doubt it.

Fire away, IDC.

How about just take an open layup, and lets work backward toward the three.

 

[Smyrna ATL Vol]

The way Barnes coaches our players seems to make them tight…. Reminds me of Phil against Florida back in the day.

Exactly. His teams always seem to regress as the season goes on because he coaches so hard and makes players almost timid. Also, he goes into too much of a rotation to me. He’s not changing which is why I think fans do not expect big things. We will always be good, but I don’t see us ever making it far in March.

 

[Jackcrevol]

Doesn't fit the Fahr Bahrnes bitchfest narrative...so..

Who's saying Fahr Barnes. I just dont see a lot of talent on the court. We lost two really solid players to the draft. We look Frozen out there at times.

 

[Leeleesteeth]

Skipped a couple of dozen pages. Still wasn't enough. Baseball in a little over a week and Spring Football right around the corner. Think I'll take a nap til then. Go Vols.

 

[luthervol]

Tennessee was a preseason number 11. We have been exceeding expectations. 80% of NCAA champions over the last 50 years had 4 or more losses. Let's just hope for a good 6 game run to end the season. (Only 1 team will have that)

 

[MoCo_Vol]

What about the Cousin lovers?

I dont see this as an overly talented team. So, I'm sticking to my guns here. They may be big and long, but they are stiff. Say what you will about Fulky but he had some bend.

Speed never had a bad day. Look at that shot last night, was created by driving the lane to kickout for a three.

There's a difference between a subjective opinion like "this team doesn't seem talented" and making a claim that is just outright wrong such as "recruiting has fell off"
Alabama had a great 2022 class and that's part of why they are looking so great.

But our problem has been this...

2020 class: 0 players still with team (Keon & Springer both went to NBA, Walker & EJ hit the portal after one season)
2021 class: 3 players of the 8 are still with the team, ZZ, Mashack, & Aidoo (KC went to the NBA, BHH, Diboundje, Tamba, and Powell all portaled after one season)

2022/2023 is obviously TBD. But right now there are only 3 players in the 2022 class of 6 that are playing, Julian Phillips, Tobe Awaka, Tyreke Key and the last two are both lower rated 3 stars.


Arkansas brought in 5 transfers in their 2022 class and 6 freshmen, so their class was also high rated. But they don't do that every year.

 

[SoilVol]

That’s freaking wicked man. Yeah scoring on nons are hard. How old was the deer and have you been seeing him or just show up?

Getting his teeth aged. We think 5 or 6. We have 3 consecutive years of sheds, him on camera or seen since he was a 2yr old. My dad has missed him during archery season 3 times in the previous 2 years. We had trespassers and poachers trying to get him who were too dumb to realize he was bedded on THEIR property. It's a really cool story. Everyone in the family had at least 1 emcounter with him and we've all pitched in for the taxidermy bill.

 

[mr.checkerboards]

Exactly. His teams always seem to regress as the season goes on because he coaches so hard and makes players almost timid. Also, he goes into too much of a rotation to me. He’s not changing which is why I think fans do not expect big things. We will always be good, but I don’t see us ever making it far in March.

Way too much of a rotation 8 is the max most teams have at this point. It's hard for guys to get in a rhythm when rotating 10 or 11

 

[Adam Sandler]

7 games left for the basketVOLs

Missouri W
Alabama L
at Kentucky W
at Texas A&M W
South Carolina W
Arkansas TOSSUP
at Auburn L

With how the team has played down to opponents in SEC play none of those are givens. Gotta win Saturday and then prepare for an absolutely exhausting 3 game stretch. Where you could easily go 0-3. At this point based on how we've looked since Texas I'd be happy to finish 4-3...

23-8/24-7, Semifinals or Finals loss in SEC tourney, 4-5 seed in ncaa Tourney, out in round of 32. That’s how I see it. Same old same old.

It’s weird to have talent and be well coached and more than once or twice have games where we either don’t show up at all or can’t seem to take over the game against far inferior teams. I’m baffled as to how to fix that. Seems like a halftime or in game attitude adjustment is needed and not being attained. Motivation issues? Need to spend more time in the gym simply shooting? We got some leaders on this team that have not been performing as such when needed. I think multiple heart to heart conversations with those guys are in order (JJJ, Vescovi, Uros, Nkamhoua, Ziegler).