Recruiting Forum Football Talk VI

[MoCo_Vol]

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.

Completely fair take, I also think Barnes' staff isn't as good as it was in previous years. He's lost 3 guys to head coaching gigs and that sort of staff attrition has had an impact, these younger guys seem to recruit very well though (Clark & Gainey) but neither seem to be helping on the offensive side of things.

 

[Nash_Vol97]

Sources: Kevin Durant traded to Phoenix Suns in blockbuster move (yahoo.com)

Russell Westbrook to Jazz, D'Angelo Russell to Lakers in reported 3-team trade (yahoo.com)

NBA trade deadline is seeing some big names on the move.

That suns team is stacked now. The western conference is no joke.

 

[SoilVol]

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...

Positive: Vols are good at home. 11-1 on the season. Only 4-3 on the road. And 4-1 on neutral courts. Mizzou is also good at home (14-2) but bad on the road at a measely 2-4. Fans need to show up and give this team a boost on Saturday. They need it and they need the fans.

Bama is undefeated at home and 7-1 on the road. If we are going to beat Bama, we are going to do it at home in front of a sellout crowd and give them the Texas butt whoopin.

Then you go to Lexington. Gonna be tough, but Kentucky is still faltering and they've lost 3 home games. We also haven't been swept by UK in several, several years. I'd take the earlier loss for this win.

Don't want to look ahead too much, but these three games are the real litmus test right now.

 

[MoCo_Vol]

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).

Honestly hard to project March without knowing seeding or bracket. I think sometimes Barnes overcoaches during timeouts. At the end there you draw up a play specifically to get Phillips going to the basket. In the timeout before that I think the staff has to be very short and very concise in what they say.

"here's the play, if you get a free run score the basket." Then just call another timeout OR Vandy likely uses one after the made basket and -then- you can setup or coach how you want to defend the next possession.

I hate it for Julian because if Santi makes his first FT it would be considered a smart play to burn more clock, but that's not what happened. Still you go up by 4 and Vandy will be in the same boat on our next possession even if they hit a 3 (having to foul immediately to get to the bonus).


Grant and Admiral were exception players, we don't currently have anyone that's at either of their levels as a player. And as much as I love Santi and ZZ they are still both limited guards that were 3 stars for a reason. Santi has worked his ass off to be a solid all-around player, still hasn't developed an ability to drive to the rim and score. Still hasn't developed an ability to create his own shots either.

Motion offense is great if you pass at a high level and have an interior scoring threat with a high IQ (like Grant) but the SEC teams grab and hold EVERY SINGLE POSSESSION and if the officials don't call it then we're just lost without having a good 1 on 1 driver or interior scoring threat.

 

[Jackcrevol]

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 portaled 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.

agreed.

While I dont ever want to be Kentucky. Certainly dont want to rest in our Laurels, we need hardier speed. This plug square peg into round hole isnt getting us to next level.

And I think Barnes is the guy to do that.

 

[VolNash17]

Arky will be very dangerous when Nick smith gets back. VERY talented team. Musselman has done a very good job there recruiting and in game coaching

 

[Nuctech777]

15th class, in this league is average.

That is the 2023 class and those kids affect next years results so…………..not sure how that fits your argument for this year.

 

[Ulysees E. McGill]

Nah, our offense was fine before the refs started allowing the othe team to hold, grab, push and be handsy with our guards. They allow two levels of physical play on the court. If you watch the game and watch our guys run and break to get open, it's like running through a gauntlet. Fouls that were called earlier in the year, are not being called now.

I think this will, or rather could be good for us in the long run. It will force our guys to adapt to this garbage now...when losing games don't really matter very much..instead of in the postseason.

If...big IF...these guys can learn how to overcome this strategy now...then it could very well bear very good fruit later.

If not...then oh well..it's just another very good team with big flaws like every other really good team in CBB is this year....and we have just as much chance of getting hot at the right time as any of those teams.

 

[MoCo_Vol]

Arky will be very dangerous when Nick smith gets back. VERY talented team. Musselman has done a very good job there recruiting and in game coaching

Yep, hoping the 5-0 run in SEC play is a bit of fool's gold though and they aren't as good as they think. They beat A&M and won at Kentucky though so and we'll of course get their best shot (as we do every team)

What worries me the most about Arkansas is they are a very big team. Council is 6'6", Black is 6'7", Smith is 6'5" the only player they have that isn't 6'5" or taller is Davis and he's still 6'3"....so length and size on the perimeter and they have 4 different bigs they can plug in.

Wish we had gotten them earlier in the schedule when they weren't playing well together and still banged up.

 

[Ulysees E. McGill]

What changed from earlier? Did our offense suddenly disappear? It all changed when we played KY and they allowed KY to be physical and refused to call the fouls. They've let other teams get away with it since. I challenge you to watch it again and don't watch the ball. Watch the other guards. Watch what they let the other team get away with.

People are too dense to see it...give it up.

 

[Ulysees E. McGill]

Check that foul count.

That takes too much effort

 

[Ulysees E. McGill]

Don't get it twisted

The real loss was Josiah Jordan James going down

That might doom us

Huge loss

 

[mr.checkerboards]

Honestly hard to project March without knowing seeding or bracket. I think sometimes Barnes overcoaches during timeouts. At the end there you draw up a play specifically to get Phillips going to the basket. In the timeout before that I think the staff has to be very short and very concise in what they say.

"here's the play, if you get a free run score the basket." Then just call another timeout OR Vandy likely uses one after the made basket and -then- you can setup or coach how you want to defend the next position.

I hate it for Julian because if Santi makes his first FT it would be considered a smart play to burn more clock, but that's not what happened. Still you go up by 4 and Vandy will be in the same boat on our next possession even if they hit a 3 (having to foul immediately to get to the bonus).


Grant and Admiral were exception players, we don't currently have anyone that's at either of their levels as a player. And as much as I love Santi and ZZ they are still both limited guards that were 3 stars for a reason. Santi has worked his ass off to be a solid all-around player, still hasn't developed an ability to drive to the rim and score. Still hasn't developed an ability to create his own shots either.

Motion offense is great if you pass at a high level and have an interior scoring threat with a high IQ (like Grant) but the SEC teams grab and hold EVERY SINGLE POSSESSION and if the officials don't call it then we're just lost without having a good 1 on 1 driver or interior scoring threat.

I don't know that the plays was specifically for Phillips, I think he just got open. That was right after Barnes called the TO, we ran the same stretch B2B. Phillips cut, then Santiago, then ZZ. Phillips beat his man the second time.

 

[BigSteve09]

I am dying

 

[Ulysees E. McGill]

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.

Why are you arguing with stupidity?

 

[bignewt]

That takes too much effort

Have you tin foil hats considered the fact that we dont get fouls is because the team is reluctant to drive to the basket and is timid on the offensive glass? If you aren't getting fouls, its not always on the refs. You gotta adapt.

 

[Volsdeep4]

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.

When you get results let us know. I’m always interested in the deer that come out in surrounding counties. So you’re neighbors were the trespassers haha caught on trail cam

 

[hotcypress]

Another day, another post by McGill blaming everything on the giant conspiracy by all referees to diminish TN...

 

[Volsdeep4]

Soil had seen him by the feeder for years.

Those are for the cows

 

[MoCo_Vol]

Have you tin foil hats considered the fact that we dont get fouls is because the team is reluctant to drive to the basket and is timid on the offensive glass? If you aren't getting fouls, its not always on the refs. You gotta adapt.

Yep, Grant and Admiral went hard at the rim and they got fouls. Fulky too when he was aggressive would get calls.

 

[LA Vol]

In BB, we have two coaches who're locked in to what they do and are change-resistant. Great when it works; challenging when it doesn't. Staff changes haven't really helped either team. We've lost some quality coaches on the men's side. KJH upgraded assistants a few years ago to improve recruiting, but that hasn't had shorter-term results. Both coaches are who they are. Their teams are inconsistent and offensively challenged.

We have the opposite in baseball and softball-- two coaches who've shown the ability to adapt, either proactively or out of necessity. Then we have Heupel, who continues to perfect and grow his system and is having great success doing it. It's an intriguing time in UT sports and will be interesting to see how DW approaches new hires when he has to make them.

 

[AllVol11717]

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

Excited to have a good number of guys at the combine again. I imagine we’ll be seeing our WRs out there pretty consistently from here on out. Would love to see Milton run the 40 there next year just to see what he can really do at a full sprint lol.

I do wish Carvin would’ve gotten an invite. IMO he has the most to prove. Still think he gets drafted late solely on the versatility to play both guard and center decently.

 

[MoCo_Vol]

What's crazy is if Barnes hits with an elite PG prospect that can get to the rim and get his own shot then his teams are like well oiled machines.

Hopefully Carr or Freddie ends up being an elite PG here.

 

[volinbama256]

Have you tin foil hats considered the fact that we dont get fouls is because the team is reluctant to drive to the basket and is timid on the offensive glass? If you aren't getting fouls, its not always on the refs. You gotta adapt.

That's been a clear difference in our team and others... we WON'T drive to the basket, which plays into our timid, fragile mindset that Barnes can't coach the team out of... we don't have aggressive players who "WANT IT" and will drive to draw a foul... we are fine to just play shoot around the perimeter...

If our shots don't fall early from outside, we're cooked... this team does not have a Williams or Admiral who can push us out of a funk and cold shooting spell...

Really no excuse at this point. We either come in hot and continue with confidence throughout the game, or we come in tight, timid, and when things go sideways, we fold and cannot mentally fight out of it. Weak. sorry, but no one can argue it at this point.

 

[volinbama256]

What's crazy is if Barnes hits with an elite PG prospect that can get to the rim and get his own shot then his teams are like well oiled machines.

Hopefully Carr or Freddie ends up being an elite PG here.

Does Jordan McRae have any eligibility left? That is the type of player we are missing... We had that guy driving to the basket with his dog mentality, we'd probably only have 2 L's right now...