Team News (current roster)

#1,676
#1,676
bleedingTNorange said:
Do you still feel the same after yesterday game?
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zjcvols said:
Let me see what happens after the tourney this week
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So I believe that BHH has more potential for sure than ORN but however, right now at this very moment (from small sample size) starting ORN is the best way for us to win games and he is the better player at this moment. Just my opinion for now. Like you said though I want to see more this weekend.
 
#1,679
#1,679
zjcvols said:
It is funny you wanted to gloat about ON two games in when you did the same thing with Bailey playing more than Springer and Johnson last year and ended up being wrong.
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Might have to refresh my memory, I stayed Bailey would play more minutes all year long than both those guys? All 3 essentially played 25mpg lol, if you need to nitpick over 30 seconds of playing time that shows the fragility of your take.
 
#1,680
#1,680
bleedingTNorange said:
Sure, but I was asking as of today?
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I still think BHH is the better player. However if ON’s outside shooting is real then I’d be fine with him starting going forward.

Will you at least agree with me that BHH should get all Uros minutes though when we play real teams.
 
#1,681
#1,681
bleedingTNorange said:
Might have to refresh my memory, I stayed Bailey would play more minutes all year long than both those guys? All 3 essentially played 25mpg lol, if you need to nitpick over 30 seconds of playing time that shows the fragility of your take.
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And Bailey’s numbers went down in conference play while the freshman’s went up.
 
#1,682
#1,682
zjcvols said:
I still think BHH is the better player. However if ON’s outside shooting is real then I’d be fine with him starting going forward.

Will you at least agree with me that BHH should get all Uros minutes though when we play real teams.
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Fulky/ON/BHH should be getting all the post minutes, I said as much previously…I’m only playing Uros against a team like Purdue who’s trotting out some big posts who are as heavy footed as he is.
 
#1,684
#1,684
As for the current team, they’re getting their first real test of the season against No. 5 Villanova on Saturday in the first round of the Basketball Hall of Fame Tip Off Tournament at the Mohegan Sun in Connecticut. They will then face either No. 6 Purdue or No. 18 North Carolina on Sunday.

Tennessee is going to find out a lot about itself this weekend. If the Vols are shooting it well from deep I like their chances in any of the potential match-ups they may face.

The most interesting thing for me right now is trying to decipher what the rotation is going to look like and how minutes are going to be distributed.

Rick Barnes said this week that his rotation was still a work in progress. The two biggest questions for me personally are what is Uros Plavsic’s role, does he get regular minutes. And are Justin Powell’s minutes going to grow.
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-VQ
 
#1,686
#1,686
Volfanatic_20 said:
-VQ
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If Plavsic is playing any sort of meaningful minutes this weekend, we have no shot. No offense to Plav, he is one hell of a human being, but he doesn't need to see the court except for if things are extremely one-sided in either direction.

I would like to see us play more small ball against Nova tomorrow and really make them run. I think the best line-up for tomorrow (not starters, just best lineup) will be:

Chandler
Vescovi
Powell
JJJ
Fulky
 
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#1,687
#1,687
TheMookieMonster said:
If Plavsic is playing any sort of meaningful minutes this weekend, we have no shot. No offense to Plav, he is one hell of a human being, but he doesn't need to see the court except for if things are extremely one-sided in either direction.

I would like to see us play more small ball against Nova tomorrow and really make them run. I think the best line-up for tomorrow (not starters, just best lineup) will be:

Chandler
Vescovi
Powell
JJJ
Fulky
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Agree on lineup for tomorrow, but if we were to play Purdue I think Plavsic absolutely should and would see the court.
 
#1,692
#1,692
The biggest concern for Tennessee right now is when Josiah-Jordan James can get back on the court. Rick Barnes indicated on Tuesday night that surgery wasn’t on the table to correct the torn ligament on the middle finger of his left hand.

However, on Thursday Barnes said he still wasn’t sure when James would be able to return to the court.

Tennessee needs James back to be at their best, but Barnes is clearly not going to push things and really at this point in the season there’s no reason to.

The Vols showed against North Carolina last week that they have enough depth in the backcourt to make do without him, but he brings a lot to the table—especially defensively and on the glass—that the Vols will need in SEC play.

I think one thing we can definitely take out of what we’ve seen in November is that Tennessee has plenty of backcourt depth. The only problem there is finding minutes for everyone. (More for Justin Powell please).

The situation is more muddled in the front court. I’m surprised that Uros Plavsic is playing so many minutes right now, that Brandon Huntley-Hatfield is playing not as many as I would give him and that Jonas Aidoo isn’t getting much of a chance.

Barnes hasn’t put Aidoo in moth balls like many thought he would when he missed so much time in the preseason, but he’s not giving him much of a chance to develop. For instance he didn’t enter Tuesday’s blowout against Presbyterian until there were under three minutes left in the game. That’s one where you could throw him out there early in the second half and give him a chance to figure some things out.

Aidoo isn’t ready to be a big piece of the puzzle offensively yet, but he could be a difference maker as the best rim protector this team has.

Recruiting wise there’s just not a lot to talk about right now. Tennessee is scouring the unsigned guys in the 2022 class right now to see if there’s a fit out there that would make sense. Also, as we’ve said in the past, definitely don’t rule out an international prospect (or two) popping up on the radar as someone this staff will pursue. And without question the Vols will be looking hard in the transfer market when the spring comes around.
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-VQ
 
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#1,694
#1,694
Barnes just rewarding Uros for his effort in practice/as a teammate/etc while forcing BHH and Aidoo to "earn" their minutes. Won't be surprised if by middle of SEC play Uros isn't playing at all.
 
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#1,695
#1,695
We will see this weekend how Vols play without JJJ. I keep hearing how we have to have him, he’s a glue guy, but honestly…I’m not sure. He offers versatility, but isn’t a threat, doesn’t push pace, and is okay on D
 
#1,696
#1,696
UneducatedGuess said:
We will see this weekend how Vols play without JJJ. I keep hearing how we have to have him, he’s a glue guy, but honestly…I’m not sure. He offers versatility, but isn’t a threat, doesn’t push pace, and is okay on D
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He's better than "okay" on D. He's also our best rebounding guard/wing. Given that we are 225th nationally in defensive rebounding, and 96th in total rebounding, that seems like an important distinction.

Yeah, he continues to struggle to score at the rim, and his shot hasn't been falling, but he provides the aforementioned things along with veteran leadership.
 
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#1,697
#1,697
cncchris33 said:
He's better than "okay" on D. He's also our best rebounding guard/wing. Given that we are 225th nationally in defensive rebounding, and 96th in total rebounding, that seems like an important distinction.

Yeah, he continues to struggle to score at the rim, and his shot hasn't been falling, but he provides the aforementioned things along with veteran leadership.
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I respect your opinion and insight.

If we are 225th in the nation against the quality of opponents we’ve played, one player isn’t the savior.

His scoring, to me, is like Baileys. A bonus if you have it but not to be relied on.

I think his leadership is his greatest value along with his ability on D to guard multiple positions and defending against switches.
 
#1,698
#1,698
Have to agree that James is better than “okay” on D. He’s probably the best overall defender on the team. I think Aidoo, and Mashack may have a little more potential as defenders, but right now they are freshman and still figuring where to be, and when.

Nevertheless, James is still a big piece missing. We may not have felt it as much against Presbyterian, but eventually we would. Hope he makes it back soon.
 
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#1,699
#1,699
UneducatedGuess said:
I respect your opinion and insight.

If we are 225th in the nation against the quality of opponents we’ve played, one player isn’t the savior.

His scoring, to me, is like Baileys. A bonus if you have it but not to be relied on.

I think his leadership is his greatest value along with his ability on D to guard multiple positions and defending against switches.
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No, he certainly isn't the savior (didn't intend to insinuate that), but missing one of your best rebounders for a team that struggles to rebound the basketball is significantly noteworthy. He isn't singlehandedly going to make Tennessee a top-50 rebounding team, no, but he can certainly make an impact in that area of concern.

I don't disagree with your take on his offense, but I think you're underselling his defense.
 
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#1,700
#1,700
Ttucke11 said:
Barnes just rewarding Uros for his effort in practice/as a teammate/etc while forcing BHH and Aidoo to "earn" their minutes. Won't be surprised if by middle of SEC play Uros isn't playing at all.
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This is what I think it happening as well.
 
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