The Official #16 Tennessee vs. #4 Kentucky Game Thread, 9:00 PM ET, ESPN

[dono]

The minutes of offense stagnation was noticeably reduced. The guys figured out how to play in the paint.

 

[Sea Ray]

BHH just looks uncomfortable, timid, and out of place at all times. I think the level of play has him a bit shell shocked. We've seen Barnes work some miracles, hopefully he has another up his sleeve. The guy has all the size and supposedly the athleticism.

He's a 5* guy. Aren't they supposed to contribute something as a freshman?

 

[JohnWardForever]

You think you’re happy?

View attachment 434386

This happened after a MAJOR Handicapper Called Tennessee his "ONE BIG PLAY" .

 

[Sea Ray]

Tennessee had a better offensive game vs Ky in Lexington but the defense wasnt there. Last night the defense really was on, thus the win.

I've rarely seen a defense that creates turnovers like this one. They are skilled at knocking the ball loose. I didn't even see this in the Grant Williams/Admiral days

 

[VolGee4]

He's a 5* guy. Aren't they supposed to contribute something as a freshman?

He's still young though. Turned 18 right before school started. In comparison, Ziegler turned 19 four days before BHH turned 18. Chandler turned 19 a month after BHH turned 18. They also play at positions where it is easier to adjust.

Memphis has two young guys, too. Bates has not adjusted. Duren is 2 months younger than BHH and is playing well. But he is also not playing an SEC schedule and struggled early in the year against P5 competition.

 

[dobre_shunka]

Whether or not Barnes is earning his salary can be debated but I love comments like this from him regarding the scrum at the UK bench.

"They called a technical foul on Zakai but he got into it with the trainer who I think said something there," Tennessee coach Rick Barnes said after the game. "I actually said to the ref, 'That is not a good rule. Our player gets a technical foul and what do you do to the trainer?' He said, ‘well nothing’. That is something the rules committee needs to talk about, they really do. I told him if that’s how it is going to be I am going to get my trainer involved in every game. You try and get technical fouls on the other team but I cannot. But they went and looked at it and did what they had to do. It happens, but that was the explanation."

 

[MoCo_Vol]

Tennessee had a better offensive game vs Ky in Lexington but the defense wasnt there. Last night the defense really was on, thus the win.

Scored 79 in Rupp, 53.4% FG, 47.8% 3PT, 54.5% FT
Scored 76 in TBA, 44.4% FG, 47.1% 3PT, 87.0% FT

Offensively we played great in both games, shot better from the free throw line (20-23) and that was a swing of 14 points from our FT shooting in Rupp (6-11). But yeah the game really just came down to us playing better defense than we did in Rupp.

 

[MoCo_Vol]

He's a 5* guy. Aren't they supposed to contribute something as a freshman?

So...this is where the "Per 40" stats are useful.

BHH: 10.7 mpg, 3.3 ppg, 2.4 rbpg 0.3 apg, 0.4 spg, 0.3 bpg

Per 40
12.4 ppg, 9.0 rbpg, 1.0 apg, 1.5 spg, 1.2 bpg

So he is contributing something, but you're expecting a lot more out of him than just contributions. With Fulky, Olivier, and Uros getting as much time as they were and also the emergence of small ball with JJJ at the 4 I just don't think BHH has adjusted to having to play harder in shorter minutes. So his production numbers aren't looking as hot when he's only getting 4-8 minutes a game.

 

[Sea Ray]

Whether or not Barnes is earning his salary can be debated but I love comments like this from him regarding the scrum at the UK bench.

"They called a technical foul on Zakai but he got into it with the trainer who I think said something there," Tennessee coach Rick Barnes said after the game. "I actually said to the ref, 'That is not a good rule. Our player gets a technical foul and what do you do to the trainer?' He said, ‘well nothing’. That is something the rules committee needs to talk about, they really do. I told him if that’s how it is going to be I am going to get my trainer involved in every game. You try and get technical fouls on the other team but I cannot. But they went and looked at it and did what they had to do. It happens, but that was the explanation."

I thought a technical could be called "on the bench". Is that not the case? If that trainer berated a ref, couldn't that cost his team a technical?

 

[dobre_shunka]

I thought a technical could be called "on the bench". Is that not the case? If that trainer berated a ref, couldn't that cost his team a technical?

I think Barnes' point about the rule was by calling it on the bench, no one is directly accountable. If a player gets two technicals, he's tossed from the game. If the "bench" gets two, nothing happens to anyone on the bench.

 

[walkenvol]

I think Barnes' point about the rule was by calling it on the bench, no one is directly accountable. If a player gets two technicals, he's tossed from the game. If the "bench" gets two, nothing happens to anyone on the bench.

Am I dreaming up a rule that after 2 or 3 technicals on the bench the head coach is ejected?

 

[VolGee4]

I think Barnes' point about the rule was by calling it on the bench, no one is directly accountable. If a player gets two technicals, he's tossed from the game. If the "bench" gets two, nothing happens to anyone on the bench.

The double technicals is always a cop-out, too. It is so common in the NBA and now college to do it. The trainer instigated that scuffle. Of course, a player is going to protect his teammate. Should be one technical for causing it, and we get FT's.

 

[VolGee4]

Am I dreaming up a rule that after 2 or 3 technicals on the bench the head coach is ejected?

I was listening on radio coming home, and I wondered if that could have been called a second technical on Calipari.

 

[wmcovol]

I thought a technical could be called "on the bench". Is that not the case? If that trainer berated a ref, couldn't that cost his team a technical?

The old rule was any T on the bench would apply to the HC. Since Cal already had 1 (a complete ******** play by him), he'd been gone......

 

[hUTch2002]

I wasn't too far off my prediction.

Lol. 7-8 is pretty far from 10 in basketball. By your thinking you’d never be too far off. If he played 9 I’d agree with you. Barnes pretty much never plays 9, certainly not this year.

 

[walkenvol]

Lol. 7-8 is pretty far from 10 in basketball. By your thinking you’d never be too far off. If he played 9 I’d agree with you. Barnes pretty much never plays 9, certainly not this year.

Dude - Barnes had played 10+ Guys most games this season

 

[Volfansince1980]

I don’t take losing at Rupp seriously considering we always played our worst in that arena.

Even during the Pearl years, we got absolutely owned.

Don't know what you are talking about. But Keon and Springer went off in Rupp last year. And Fulky had the game of his life in Rupp the year before that. Before this year's beatdown, Barnes had won 3 out of the last 4 in Rupp arena. Maybe previous coaches struggled there, but Barnes has had quite a bit of success at Rupp.

 

[SlyStone]

Whether or not Barnes is earning his salary can be debated but I love comments like this from him regarding the scrum at the UK bench.

"They called a technical foul on Zakai but he got into it with the trainer who I think said something there," Tennessee coach Rick Barnes said after the game. "I actually said to the ref, 'That is not a good rule. Our player gets a technical foul and what do you do to the trainer?' He said, ‘well nothing’. That is something the rules committee needs to talk about, they really do. I told him if that’s how it is going to be I am going to get my trainer involved in every game. You try and get technical fouls on the other team but I cannot. But they went and looked at it and did what they had to do. It happens, but that was the explanation."

From what I saw that Trainer stood in the way of the Vols getting over to help Fulk who had felled down. The UK trainer deserved to be pushed out of the way. He should have been ejected from the game.

 

[hUTch2002]

Dude - Barnes had played 10+ Guys most games this season

Oh I know. The guy I was responding to said he wanted us to play 7-8. I said there’s 0% chance of that. He said he was close and I said no you weren’t because 7-8 is not close to 10 in basketball world. You need to chat with him, not me.

 

[hUTch2002]

BHH just looks uncomfortable, timid, and out of place at all times. I think the level of play has him a bit shell shocked. We've seen Barnes work some miracles, hopefully he has another up his sleeve. The guy has all the size and supposedly the athleticism.

There’s no supposedly to it. You can see it in the way he moves. He has a very rare combination of size, speed, and athleticism. If he gets the mental part and the effort part down he will an absolute beast.

 

[cardvolfan]

I was listening on radio coming home, and I wondered if that could have been called a second technical on Calipari.

I don’t think so. Definitely caused by the bench…aka, the strength and conditioning coach.

 

[SGMVols]

From what I saw that Trainer stood in the way of the Vols getting over to help Fulk who had felled down. The UK trainer deserved to be pushed out of the way. He should have been ejected from the game.

And this wasn’t the first time that guy has started crap with opposing players. He was tossed from a game in 2017.

 

[Ttucke11]

There’s no supposedly to it. You can see it in the way he moves. He has a very rare combination of size, speed, and athleticism. If he gets the mental part and the effort part down he will an absolute beast.

I haven't seen a full court burst, smooth move in the post, or elevation for a rebound or put back yet.

 

[hUTch2002]

I haven't seen a full court burst, smooth move in the post, or elevation for a rebound or put back yet.

He’s getting better but it’s baby steps right now. If he does stick around another year or two he will be a great player for us, something like a 16/7 guy. That’s my take anyway.

 

[Ttucke11]

He’s getting better but it’s baby steps right now. If he does stick around another year or two he will be a great player for us, something like a 16/7 guy. That’s my take anyway.

I hope you're right man! I hope he pulls it together. It seems to be mental right now.