Team News (current roster)

#1,076
#1,076
TheMookieMonster said:


Feels like Barnes is hinting at Corey Walker, right? Because from what I've seen this year in their limited minutes Gaines & Pember don't strike me as guys who can "help" the offense. If it is Walker, I guess that speaks to why a healthy Top 75 recruit is riding the bench this season.
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After watching the first 30 minutes of this game, I’m thinking this was directed primarily at ON.
 
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#1,077
#1,077
It wasn’t exactly an awe inspiring win for the Vols in Nashville on Wednesday against a Vanderbilt team that was extremely short handed and without two of the top five scorers in the SEC. The Vols did get a win though, which is the most important thing. Now we’ll all stand back and see if they can build on that win when they travel to Auburn on Saturday. It’s not been their strong suit. They’ve followed up their last two wins with losses the next time out. Auburn could be vulnerable this week though if Sharife Cooper remains out with injury as seems likely.
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The issues for this team haven’t changed since the start of SEC play. Post production has gone downhill steadily and continued on Wednesday night when John Fulkerson took two shots and scored four points. He was limited by foul trouble but didn’t attempt a field goal in the second half. Everyone around the program is perplexed by the senior’s struggles but no one has an answer. It’s hard to see Tennessee making much noise in the postseason if he doesn’t give them more than the four points he’s gone for in each of the last two games.
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Tennessee’s collection of guards are explosive enough to carry them on some nights but they’re not making a deep run without some help inside. Josiah-Jordan James returned from his wrist injury in Nashville but he kind of gutted it out as some around the program have indicated he still wasn’t at 100% with his left wrist, which he originally injured all the way back against Kansas and is fighting through.
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-VQ
 
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#1,078
#1,078
As Tennessee prepares to take on Oregon State today in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament the million dollar question on the minds of Vol fans is whether or not John Fulkerson will be on the floor. As of late Thursday night the answer to that question remains unknown. In talking to people around the program the Vols are not counting on having Fulkerson available, however, they also haven’t ruled him out. The issue isn’t the facial surgery that Fulkerson had on Sunday. That was the same surgery that Yves Pons had last season and then played one day later wearing a protective mask.
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The issue for Fulkerson is all about clearing concussion protocol. Test on Thursday showed that he was getting closer and there’s a chance that he could wake up Friday morning and get cleared, but there is no guarantee. At the very least that would leave open the possibility of him playing on Sunday if he is out on Friday. If Fulkerson is out look for Rick Barnes to give everyone on the bench a shot and hope that he finds something that clicks. We were told on Thursday that it wouldn’t even be a surprise to see Drew Pember get some playing time.
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Uros Plavsic gave Tennessee 17 solid minutes against Alabama. He may have a chance to play that many again, Oregon State has a plodding 7-footer of their own in Roman Silva (7-foot-1, 265 pounds) that would be a good match-up for the Vols’ big man. It’s a profitable weekend for Rick Barnes. By getting the Vols into the NCAA Tournament, Barnes will put 200k in his pocket. If the Vols win today, it becomes 400k. If they advance to the Sweet Sixteen then the bonus becomes 600k.
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-VQ
 
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#1,082
#1,082
Rick Barnes started taking some steps towards filling the vacancy left by Kim English’s departure this week, meeting with a pair of candidates. We said last week that this hire would most likely be a young coach, Barnes having liked the dynamic that an assistant English’s age brought to the program and that it would be a hire made with recruiting in mind. Based on the two candidates who interviewed this week that is certainly the case. Both are young and both have strong and recent experience in big time grass roots programs.
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Rod Clark, currently at Austin Peay, interviewed on Friday. Clark is originally from Kansas City. He got started on the path to college coaching with the powerhouse MOKAN Elite NIKE travel team, consistently one of the top travel programs in the country. Clark also coached at Sunrise Christian Academy, annually one of the most loaded prep school programs in the nation and where Kennedy Chandler moved to for his senior year.
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The second candidate to be seen this week is Amorrow Morgan who is currently at South Alabama where he has the title of associate head coach. He played collegiately at Idaho State but he’s originally from Memphis, so it’s not hard to see why that would be attractive to Tennessee. There’s a chance that Barnes may have two vacancies to fill. We’ve previously mentioned that Des Oliver is very much in play at Winthrop and that remains the case. There’s another potential landing spot for Oliver after the upheaval in Johnson City this week. Officials have already reached out to Oliver and based on what we’re hearing he’s a serious candidate for the opening.
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-VQ
 
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#1,083
#1,083
As for the current team guys returned from a brief break and were back in the gym this week. We were told that Tuesday’s workout was the best one of the summer, particularly in terms of younger guys bringing the kind of energy and effort that the staff is looking for.

Brandon Huntley-Hatfield is someone who has started to generate a little bit more buzz for his play on both ends of the floor.

The staff was in the gym together last week and assistant Rod Clark was scrolling through twitter. He’s the one who first learned of Kennedy Chandler’s hard crash to the floor during the 19u World Championships in Latvia. It was a heart stopping moment and the staff immediately called Chandler’s father who calmed everyone down with the news that his son was ok.
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-VQ
 
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#1,090
#1,090
Some roster updates from Basilio's blog (take with a grain of salt)...
The Tony Basilio Show

On Fulk:
He's expected to be out for another 2-3 weeks. The belief inside is that Fulkie will be good to go by the time school begins. He's healing nicely and should be able to resume all basketball activities conservatively by September.
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On JJJ:
Josiah-Jordan James has a wrist injury that is worse than Fulkerson's. He underwent surgery back in May. Some reading this might remember seeing him in a cast at the Tennessee Baseball playoff games plus in the move in videos with Kennedy Chandler.
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On Chandler:
Rick Barnes absolutely adores him. He had a mack showing last weekend in the Under 19 World Cup. His team consisted of half rising sophomores and half top high school kids and Chandler played well playing half the minutes. The rub is that everybody on the team played split minutes. In the Gold Medal Game he was on the floor at the end. That's significant. Barnes is comparing him behind the scenes to TJ Ford and DJ Augustine. Both of those point guards were Cousy Award winners as sophomores. Both of those guys stayed two years which some think could be possible with the diminutive Chandler. As a freshman Augustine played 35 minutes per game while Ford played 32 so it would be an educated take to think that Chandler would log 32-35 minutes per game for the upcoming season.
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On Diboundje:
Early returns are that Frenchie (his nickname) is going to play right away. Barnes loves him and UT is finding that this quality shooter (he's shot well in drills) is much more athletic than they thought. Frenchie is a nice surprise.
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On BHH:
His physical skills are jumping off the page already. I was told that he plays at times like he has guard aspirations. BHH is already showing some attitude and the knock on him is that he's going to need to mature. He's not in the best condition yet but will be according to sources that should know. EXTREMELY Talented.
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On Aidoo:
Has a long way to go for playing time this season. I hear he's behind Olivier and Uros as you read this. Tennessee is hoping to toughen him up in the coming months.
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On Mashack:
He just got here ... Isn't there yet skills wise ... He needs refinement. They absolutely LOVE his work ethic and attitude. He's going to play minutes ... The question is how many? Think of a lot more talented version of Davonte Gaines for the role he could fill on this team. Tennessee thinks he's going to be great in the future. They absolutely love his upside but he has a ways to go. The Gaines comparison is drawn because he could be used as an energy guy when the team needs a jolt. I'm by no means comparing his skills to Gaines. Mashack is a MUCH BETTER player potentially. I hear this guy could be a real star here before it's over.
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On Powell:
Auburn Transfer ... Arrived in early May along with Huntley-Hatfield ... Not hearing much about him but he is making a lot of shots according to some people. He tracks to get significant minutes depending on what happens with Vesco and Bailey. I think Tennessee would like to play Bailey more than these two but will the lights come on for Bailey on defense? Big question ... Powell figures to get some minutes at back up point guard.
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#1,094
#1,094
Volfanatic_20 said:
The BHH note is completely opposite of the War Room note from Friday. Not sure what to believe.
Not really. It notes his skill and ability, but notes his need to mature. Per your update from the War Room, it noted he was beginning to play well on both ends. Basilio's update doesn't really contradict that, but adds that his conditioning is not up to par, though I think Barnes is extremely demanding in that area, so that isn't a huge surprise.

Also worth noting is that VQ has always been a mouthpiece for the university and also is overly optimistic in preseason reporting. If you remember, Derrick Walker was the second coming of Derrick Coleman according to their reports before his FR year.

Has JJJ been healthy at all in his short time here?
No, perpetually banged up. Trending toward a Robert Hubbs career arc.
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#1,095
#1,095
I hope the JJJ injury news is overstated. I would hate to see him battling the injury bug for yet another season. If he could just stay healthy, I’m really high on what he could bring to the team this year. I guess that’s all just a big wait and see moment at this time. Hope he heals nicely.
 
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#1,099
#1,099
johnfnkelly said:
Really think Diboundje is going to be a special player. Has the tools to play at the next level.
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I want to say the same, but Devonta Gaines fooled me, as well. Now, Diboundje doesn't have the physical limitations that Gaines did, and seems much further advanced in his skills. I'm cautiously optimistic
 
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#1,100
#1,100
cncchris33 said:
Some roster updates from Basilio's blog (take with a grain of salt)...
The Tony Basilio Show

On Fulk:

On JJJ:

On Chandler:

On Diboundje:

On BHH:

On Aidoo:

On Mashack:

On Powell:
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Not a surprise at all about Aidoo. I know a lot of people on here have been very high on him, but I felt like he needed some refinement. Think he'll be really good with time, but he needs some training first (as do most freshmen).

Love what I'm hearing about BHH and QD. If QD can actually come in and contribute immediately, that would be awesome.

Not sure if Chandler would actually stay two years, but could you imagine if he did? Assuming that wouldn't mess things up with BJ Edwards coming in, that would give Edwards a year to learn and come off the bench and not HAVE to be the main ball handler as a true freshman, too.

JJJ, it is what it is. He's been hurt pretty much since he's been at UT. IF he could ever stay healthy, he'd be great. But even banged up, he's a solid contributor.
 
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