Rick Barnes: Year One

[StarRaider]

That may be Stanley Asumnu you're thinking of. Melvin Goins gave it a go, too, I believe. I don't remember Armani kicking around the idea.

thanks, I think that is correct.

 

[05_never_again]

Tony Basilio propagated that quite a bit if I remember correctly. He may not have been the only media member pushing the “Barnes is here to collect a retirement check” agenda, but I distinctly remember him pushing it in his blog numerous times. Or it may have been one of his contributors. Either way, I remember seeing that belief pushed in his blog more than once.

To TB's credit, he's admitted a bunch over the years that he was wrong about that. He also attacked his recruiting a lot early on.

 

[05_never_again]

I can’t imagine anyone not being happy with the program right now. The March is still frustrating but the SEC tournament win bought me some goodwill and getting another SEC regular season title would be awesome.

It’s like having a perfect meal but the chair you sat in was uncomfortable all night. You’re like “I can’t figured out why the chair is uncomfortable and it’s annoying as hell but holy that shrimp scampi was to die for.”

This is probably I am a much more rational and logical Tennessee basketball fan than Tennessee football fan, but I've 100% come around to the notion that any coach who consistently gets you into NCAATs, particularly at good seeds, is a great coach. The tournament itself is a crapshoot and pure entertainment product, not a mechanism for determining the best team.

I do think that Rick has some coaching quirks that might not lend themselves to success in a single-elimination tournament. However a big component of a tournament run is luck, and I think he gets unlucky. At Tennessee, he has been ousted by Loyola-Chicago (Final Four), Oregon St (Elite Eight), and FAU (Final Four). That Purdue team he lost to in the Sweet Sixteen was red hot as well and already had upset a good Villanova team. The loss to Michigan in 2022 was the most painful one, and that game wasn't lost because of coaching decisions. I also don't think he gets enough credit for that upset of Duke last year; it flies in the face of the narrative that he isn't a good NCAAT coach, so his detractors ignore it.

 

[butchna]

I forgot this dude, wasn't he the Tyndall dude's alt?

Or somebody who was his bone marrow match. Keep awaiting that “resounding legal victory” that was going to force us to fire Barnes and reinstate Donnie with lost interest from salary.

 

[Pennheel]

This is probably I am a much more rational and logical Tennessee basketball fan than Tennessee football fan, but I've 100% come around to the notion that any coach who consistently gets you into NCAATs, particularly at good seeds, is a great coach. The tournament itself is a crapshoot and pure entertainment product, not a mechanism for determining the best team.

I do think that Rick has some coaching quirks that might not lend themselves to success in a single-elimination tournament. However a big component of a tournament run is luck, and I think he gets unlucky. At Tennessee, he has been ousted by Loyola-Chicago (Final Four), Oregon St (Elite Eight), and FAU (Final Four). That Purdue team he lost to in the Sweet Sixteen was red hot as well and already had upset a good Villanova team. The loss to Michigan in 2022 was the most painful one, and that game wasn't lost because of coaching decisions. I also don't think he gets enough credit for that upset of Duke last year; it flies in the face of the narrative that he isn't a good NCAAT coach, so his detractors ignore it.

That's one of the best posts I've seen in regards to Rick Barnes on here and echoes my sentiments for the most part. Outside of the losses to Oregon St. and Michigan, most of the teams that beat them at Tennessee have made deep runs in the tourney. Beating Duke last year was a huge feather in his cap.

I think its a bit of luck,momentum,style of play and endurance that help teams in the tourney. I won't deny coaching due to who gets to the Final Four more frequently. However,I'd take a coach like Barnes everyday and twice on Sunday to give me that first Final Four trip than many coaches out there.

 

[05_never_again]

That's one of the best posts I've seen in regards to Rick Barnes on here and echoes my sentiments for the most part. Outside of the losses to Oregon St. and Michigan, most of the teams that beat them at Tennessee have made deep runs in the tourney. Beating Duke last year was a huge feather in his cap.

I think its a bit of luck,momentum,style of play and endurance that help teams in the tourney. I won't deny coaching due to who gets to the Final Four more frequently. However,I'd take a coach like Barnes everyday and twice on Sunday to give me that first Final Four trip than many coaches out there.

Oregon St did make a run, kind of out of nowhere. They beat us, then won 2 more games before getting bounced in the Elite Eight.

The one obvious thing that Barnes's Tennessee teams have lacked (until this year) is an offensive alpha who can take over games when necessary. He had KD at Texas though, and the year he was there did not result in a deep tournament run either (Round of 32).