The Official “Regular Posters of the Basketball Forum” Thread

[tnjedvol]

Pitino was in town today watching practice

 

[Vol49er]

Jeremy Banks apologizes after video shows him cursing at police during arrest in September
God, the football program is embarrassing in so many ways. It’s really sad to see and again, makes me grateful to have a real class act for a head coach in basketball and some really great guys as players

 

[cwbytruckers]

Jeremy Banks apologizes after video shows him cursing at police during arrest in September
God, the football program is embarrassing in so many ways. It’s really sad to see and again, makes me grateful to have a real class act for a head coach in basketball and some really great guys as players

Cue the timely basketball player mistake.

 

[cobbwebb0710]

not Sure how new this is, just saw and grabbed at the grocery store

Did you pick one up for the rest of us?
Ruude.
GBO!!

 

[cobbwebb0710]

Has anyone visited the recruiting forum lately? I’m scared to death to go over there and just can’t bring myself to click on it.
GBO!!

 

[cncchris33]

Has anyone visited the recruiting forum lately? I’m scared to death to go over there and just can’t bring myself to click on it.
GBO!!

Same here. It’s like being in college and scared to check your bank account balance for fear of what you’ll find (or not find). Ignorance is bliss, sometimes.

 

[Vol49er]

Has anyone visited the recruiting forum lately? I’m scared to death to go over there and just can’t bring myself to click on it.
GBO!!

I haven’t but I read a bit about recruiting on Gameday on Rocky Top. They say there’s still a chance for a solid class but we’re probably not pulling any elite 5 star talent in 2020 at this point, which you probably assumed

 

[Dallasbowlin]

Women’s ball, but FYI, I’m the founding Member of the Lou brown fan club

 

[BruinVol]

I’m going to bury this hot take post here but I do believe it.


I won’t be upset if we miss on Springer. I think what has made Tenn basketball what it is under Barnes is recruiting guys that don’t have aspirations of staying in school only 1-2 years. I think the recipe for success isn’t by filling up with 5 stars. I think Barnes coaching style isn’t suited to coach guys for only 1-2 years.

JMO

 

[VolGee4]

I’m going to bury this hot take post here but I do believe it.


I won’t be upset if we miss on Springer. I think what has made Tenn basketball what it is under Barnes is recruiting guys that don’t have aspirations of staying in school only 1-2 years. I think the recipe for success isn’t by filling up with 5 stars. I think Barnes coaching style isn’t suited to coach guys for only 1-2 years.

JMO

No. Give me 2 year players who are 5 star talents.

 

[BruinVol]

No. Give me 2 year players who are 5 star talents.

If we knew without a shadow of a doubt it was going to be two years I could perhaps be persuaded.


Would you bet solid money that James, Keon and Springer all will be back for their second years?

Not sure I would bet that

 

[RyanWalkerPGH]

There's been speculation that Josiah James plans to stay at least 2 years regardless, correct? I feel like I definitely recall that being talked about somewhere.

 

[cncchris33]

I’m going to bury this hot take post here but I do believe it.


I won’t be upset if we miss on Springer. I think what has made Tenn basketball what it is under Barnes is recruiting guys that don’t have aspirations of staying in school only 1-2 years. I think the recipe for success isn’t by filling up with 5 stars. I think Barnes coaching style isn’t suited to coach guys for only 1-2 years.

JMO

I kind of agree with you, but at the same time I think one year of Kerry Blackshear would have made a world of difference for this year’s outlook. So, I think it depends on the kid, his “selfless vs selfish” attitude with regards to looking towards his professional career, and then specific team need. Just like I was willing to allow Barnes to fail with his 4-year player method, I’m willing to allow him to fail with a 1-2 and done method before deciding for myself whether it works, or not. Clearly he’s earned our trust with regards to roster construction.

 

[cncchris33]

There's been speculation that Josiah James plans to stay at least 2 years regardless, correct? I feel like I definitely recall that being talked about somewhere.

I don’t know that he has said that publicly, but I don’t feel like he is going into this season with the idea that he knows for certain he’ll be hearing his name called on draft night 2020 like a James Wiseman or Zion Williamson.

 

[BruinVol]

I kind of agree with you, but at the same time I think one year of Kerry Blackshear would have made a world of difference for this year’s outlook. So, I think it depends on the kid, his “selfless vs selfish” attitude with regards to looking towards his professional career, and then specific team need. Just like I was willing to allow Barnes to fail with his 4-year player method, I’m willing to allow him to fail with a 1-2 and done method before deciding for myself whether it works, or not. Clearly he’s earned our trust with regards to roster construction.

I think a grad transfer is different mainly because of maturity level and you know without a shadow of a doubt you can fill that spot in recruiting

 

[bleedingTNorange]

I’m going to bury this hot take post here but I do believe it.


I won’t be upset if we miss on Springer. I think what has made Tenn basketball what it is under Barnes is recruiting guys that don’t have aspirations of staying in school only 1-2 years. I think the recipe for success isn’t by filling up with 5 stars. I think Barnes coaching style isn’t suited to coach guys for only 1-2 years.

JMO

I agree to an extent and have had similar thoughts...obviously you don’t want to turn those kids away, 12 months ago I highly doubt anyone thought we were landing all 3. Cardwell or Hall are 4 year guys, and I think if we add someone in the spring it’s likely a 4 year type guy, so that will help...also this past class included Pember, Gaines and ORN all guys expected to stay their entire eligibility, plus added transfers Bailey and Plavsic.

Recruiting solely high end guys is what got Barnes into some trouble at Texas, it led to attrition and unexpected early departures for the NBA, so I agree I don’t want him to go that route. I like the philosophy of taking guys like Pember/ORN and mixing in higher ranked guys around them.

 

[TheMookieMonster]

Coaching kids for an entire 4 years is preferable to 1 year obviously, but at the end of the day give me the 5-Star talent over the 3-Star diamond in the rough who will take at least 1-2 years of seasoning before he is productive. Grant Williams was that diamond in the rough and he left early for the NBA as well. If you're recruiting classes full of 5-Star players every year, you have a great chance of one of those classes meshing well together and doing something special, instead of waiting till year 3 or 4 of a class full of 3-Stars, coaching them up, and hoping their one year of elite play is good enough to win you anything.

 

[bleedingTNorange]

Coaching kids for an entire 4 years is preferable to 1 year obviously, but at the end of the day give me the 5-Star talent over the 3-Star diamond in the rough who will take at least 1-2 years of seasoning before he is productive. Grant Williams was that diamond in the rough and he left early for the NBA as well. If you're recruiting classes full of 5-Star players every year, you have a great chance of one of those classes meshing well together and doing something special, instead of waiting till year 3 or 4 of a class full of 3-Stars, coaching them up, and hoping their one year of elite play is good enough to win you anything.

We didn’t have to wait 3 years though with those guys, it was Year 2 when we really took that next step...and then continued it into Year 3. You’re referring to starting over every 4 years with a whole roster, if you bring in 3-4 guys every year and groom them so that 3-4 guys leave, and 3-4 sophomores now step up as juniors that creates that consistency to where you don’t only have a good season 1/4 years.

 

[TheMookieMonster]

We didn’t have to wait 3 years though with those guys, it was Year 2 when we really took that next step...and then continued it into Year 3. You’re referring to starting over every 4 years with a whole roster, if you bring in 3-4 guys every year and groom them so that 3-4 guys leave, and 3-4 sophomores now step up as juniors that creates that consistency to where you don’t only have a good season 1/4 years.

I understand that, but it's still asking a lot of a coaching staff to turn 3-Star prospects consistently into Grant Williams, Admiral Schofield, and Jordan Bone. Like, it would be really difficult to expect that, especially considering if you just look at some of the prospects on this very team, like Jalen Johnson or Yves Pons, neither of them have truly made that next leap yet. IMO, I would prefer that 5-Star model, and get some surefire talent in here consistently.

 

[cncchris33]

I think a grad transfer is different mainly because of maturity level and you know without a shadow of a doubt you can fill that spot in recruiting

I thought you might say that, but your post didn’t differentiate between freshman, transfer, or graduate when you said, ”I think Barnes coaching style isn’t suited to coach guys for only 1-2 years.”

 

[BruinVol]

I thought you might say that, but your post didn’t differentiate between freshman, transfer, or graduate when you said, ”I think Barnes coaching style isn’t suited to coach guys for only 1-2 years.”

I know we are seeing a more aggressive style of recruiting when it come to open spots now but the big difference is the grad transfer leaves no doubt how to approach that spot.

But yea I think an 18 year old 5 star has a longer adjustable time when it comes to how Barnes coaches them than a 22 year old grad transfer as well .

 

[bleedingTNorange]

I understand that, but it's still asking a lot of a coaching staff to turn 3-Star prospects consistently into Grant Williams, Admiral Schofield, and Jordan Bone. Like, it would be really difficult to expect that, especially considering if you just look at some of the prospects on this very team, like Jalen Johnson or Yves Pons, neither of them have truly made that next leap yet. IMO, I would prefer that 5-Star model, and get some surefire talent in here consistently.

Yet with 1 five star we are all expecting a Top 25 team...sounds to me like the majority of this team is that same model.

 

[tmack50]

I understand that, but it's still asking a lot of a coaching staff to turn 3-Star prospects consistently into Grant Williams, Admiral Schofield, and Jordan Bone. Like, it would be really difficult to expect that, especially considering if you just look at some of the prospects on this very team, like Jalen Johnson or Yves Pons, neither of them have truly made that next leap yet. IMO, I would prefer that 5-Star model, and get some surefire talent in here consistently.

I think you also have to factor in playing time for those 3-star type players. All of those guys had to play even if they weren't ready. I think that Jalen and Yves would be further along confidence and skill-wise if they were thrown in the fire and given major minutes as freshman.

 

[TheMookieMonster]

Yet with 1 five star we are all expecting a Top 25 team...sounds to me like the majority of this team is that same model.

We'll just agree to disagree. All I'm saying is the likelihood of success, IMO, is probably much higher with a cycle of 5-Stars coming in year-in, year-out, over the "coach em' up" model. Even with all of the "coach em' up" Barnes & Co. have been doing the past few years successfully, it still hasn't translated to any championships. I think i'll take my chances with the blue chips.

I will say I never thought TN basketball would get to the point where fans began questioning whether we were recruiting too many 5-Star studs and if we should be recruiting a lower caliber of player lol. It's just mind-boggling.

 

[VolGee4]

Coaching kids for an entire 4 years is preferable to 1 year obviously, but at the end of the day give me the 5-Star talent over the 3-Star diamond in the rough who will take at least 1-2 years of seasoning before he is productive. Grant Williams was that diamond in the rough and he left early for the NBA as well. If you're recruiting classes full of 5-Star players every year, you have a great chance of one of those classes meshing well together and doing something special, instead of waiting till year 3 or 4 of a class full of 3-Stars, coaching them up, and hoping their one year of elite play is good enough to win you anything.

This, for the most part. I didn't say I wanted a roster full of 5 stars who might jump after a year. History has shown that a mix is important.

But, Grant Williams and Jordan Bone were 3 stars that left after 3 years. Give me the 5 stars that leave after 1-2 years. They basically come in like Grant was as a sophomore. If you have a few of those on the roster with other experienced players, then it becomes a good team, and you don't have to "rebuild" every few years. Adding James this year gives us a better chance at making the NCAAT. Without James, we might be an NIT team.

I don't know if James, Johnson, Walker, or Springer all stay 2 years, but I would bet that at least 2 do.