The Official #6 Tennessee @ Texas A&M Game Thread, 8:00 PM ET, ESPN

[Voltopia]

After 40 years of coaching and getting the same results, you’d think he’d try something different.

I mean, he wins a lot of games with his style, so. I can't say whether or not it'd be better for him to change. I only know that the stories have been consistent across the years (I lived in Austin during his time there, and heard year after year about running out of gas in March - though if you think about it, most teams run out of gas in March, so who knows).

At his age, I don't think he's much interested in changing. So. That's just how it's going to be.

 

[D3Athlete]

We decided to go more Gainey and JJJ

Gainey was gonna get minutes because Santi didn’t really have it and well Dillione and Carr not ready for that game. Jjj part yeah. Awaka should been in. Didn’t help Knecht had 4 fouls. Made it more difficult

 

[VolGee4]

Make what up? Barnes’ former players and beat writers and others for Texas said he ground down the players. I didn’t just make that up. Barnes will never change.

Relying on beat writers for Texas? Would love to see it.

But the facts don’t support the opinion. You start by saying it tonight on February 10 when he’s taken UT to 3 SECT title games where they had to play 3 games in a row. That criticism is so tiresome. These are high level athletes, and DK and JJJ have been seen practicing late recently on their own. Barnes isn’t forcing them to to do anything difficult. We have a coach whose team has been in the top 25 for 50 straight weeks yet somehow he’s too tough in his team. lol.

 

[D3Athlete]

Counzo fooled a lot of people including me in the beginning. He quickly showed his true colors. Those were some drinking days.

I wasn’t old enough to drink then. Not wrong, first year. We all were drinking that kool aid. Then nothing changed year 2 and year 3. Team had so much talent got in has an 11 seed….

 

[Namorto1]

A&M being white hot from 3 made it difficult, especially when A&M is a driving team. Just opened everything up and couldn’t afford to help the on ball defender because of the shooting

That was true in 1st half but they cooled off quite a bit in 2nd half from 3. Shot 25% from 3 pt FG in 2nd half which trended more towards their norm, as for the year they aren't that good of a perimeter team. They shot 75% from 2 pt range in 2nd half and most of that was right at the rim. I would have taken my chances with them missing perimeter shots vs them abusing us on dribble drives the entire game. Probably wouldn't have mattered in the final result of the game, but I think we could have made it closer and created some stress on them in the last 8 minutes of the game. When something's not working defensively, why continue to do it?

 

[VolTull]

Sure wish Tennessee had a home court advantage like Texas A&M. Looking forward to when they come to Knoxville in two weeks and it sounds like a library.

Amazing, isn't it. Neyland can be the same.

 

[SGMVols]

After 40 years of coaching and getting the same results, you’d think he’d try something different.

Yeah, we should totally practice with LESS intensity after a performance like that.

 

[Caz]

Why not get JP in the game and give him a shot? We got killed on the boards and I do think he works hard and has a huge upside.

 

[Hoggervol]

Did you watch the last eleven seconds? Calling the timeout when RB did when the game was long over with just to talk to Pat near mid court where everyone could see was as close to public humiliation as it gets in that business.

Adams probably didn't know he was getting humiliated. He probably thought Barnes called a time out to tell him what a great game he had called.

 

[CAVPUT]

Got no issues with Garcia. He’s only 6-7 and leads the league in rebounding. It’s called hustle and I wish our big men had his desire to hit the boards.

You hit on a key....desire. That dude battles and it's not a random thing as his numbers indicate. He's got grit and that's something not every player has. And you can tell which players have that drive and which ones are the beta types. Kudos to him. Maybe Awaka can become that type of player for us at some point.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

Yes Buzz should've gotten a tech but who really cares. They should've granted him the timeout sooner which is on the refs. And it had no impact on the game. It's just annoying.

It’s annoying AF. Especially since it was Pat Adams a couple of weeks after his stunt during the USCjr game.

While I’m at it - I’m over Kesling getting just as excited when opponents make good plays as when TN does. It’s entertainment, not unbiased reporting. Being a homer is allowed and kind of expected. It’s time, Bob. 25 years was plenty.

 

[Switch 625]

Relying on beat writers for Texas? Would love to see it.

But the facts don’t support the opinion. You start by saying it tonight on February 10 when he’s taken UT to 3 SECT title games where they had to play 3 games in a row. That criticism is so tiring. These are high level athletes, and DK and JJJ have been seen practicing late recently on their own. Barnes isn’t forcing them to to do anything difficult. We have a coach whose team has been in the top 25 for 50 straight weeks yet somehow he’s too tough in his team. lol.

Barnes has had only 1 FF and that was because he had a generational talent in Durant. Many people have said for a very long time the he grinds his team down. They fired him at Texas for his lack of performance in the NCAA tournament.

 

[Namorto1]

Don’t think Zone would have helped considering A&M was hot from 3 the entire night.

They shot 25% from 3 pt in 2nd half.

 

[D3Athlete]

Barnes has had only 1 FF and that was because he had a generational talent in Durant. Many people have said for a very long time the he grinds his team down. They fired him at Texas for his lack of performance in the NCAA tournament.

He didn’t make the final 4 with Durant…. Team got beat in the second round and it wasn’t that good of a team. Year after they made elite 8

 

[SGMVols]

He runs them hard, and if they don't do well enough, he runs them harder. Team can keep up with it early in the year, but the bill comes due. A lot of his former players have talked about how intense his practices and his coaching is. That podcast interview with Grant Williams where he talked about the brutal practices comes to mind.

You can’t prepare to run a marathon by just watching YouTube videos of people running marathons. You have to get out there and run.

 

[SGMVols]

Wonder why CRB didnt at least try some zone

Nobody plays zone anymore. It’s outdated in this era of everybody shooting threes

 

[Switch 625]

Yeah, we should totally practice with LESS intensity after a performance like that.

Maybe work on FTs and rebounding instead of running them. You need fresh legs late in the season.

 

[Switch 625]

He didn’t make the final 4 with Durant…. Team got beat in the second round and it wasn’t that good of a team. Year after they made elite 8

My bad. It’s late. Thanks

 

[VolGee4]

Barnes has had only 1 FF and that was because he had a generational talent in Durant. Many people have said for a very long time the he grinds his team down. They fired him at Texas for his lack of performance in the NCAA tournament.

Wrong. Barnes didn’t go to the FF with Durant. He went several years before Durant with TJ Ford. He had a great 3/4 year run in the FF and EE.

Oh yea, before you talk about the Durant team, do the research. He had a Calipari squad before Calipari did it. Then, they won 30 games and went to the EE the next year without Durant.

I’m glad many people “say it.” Yet the facts don’t support it. Just cherry picking. I guess he ran them down too much when we won 3 straight games in the SECT and won our first title since 1979.

 

[VolsSportsFan]

Barnes has had only 1 FF and that was because he had a generational talent in Durant. Many people have said for a very long time the he grinds his team down. They fired him at Texas for his lack of performance in the NCAA tournament.

Tell me you don't know what you're talking about without telling me you don't know what you're talking about.

 

[VolsAgainstTheWorld15]

Adams probably didn't know he was getting humiliated. He probably thought Barnes called a time out to tell him what a great game he had called.

Sadly, this is probably true. If Pat has half the ego I think he has, he probably can’t entertain the thought that he’s anything less than very good at his job.

 

[SGMVols]

Maybe work on FTs and rebounding instead of running them. You need fresh legs late in the season.

They’re not tired. They just had a bad night. It’s basketball. It happens

 

[SGMVols]

Barnes has had only 1 FF and that was because he had a generational talent in Durant. Many people have said for a very long time the he grinds his team down. They fired him at Texas for his lack of performance in the NCAA tournament.

His Final Four wasn’t the Durant team. And look at how much better Texas basketball got after firing him. Oh wait.

 

[D3Athlete]

That was true in 1st half but they cooled off quite a bit in 2nd half from 3. Shot 25% from 3 pt FG in 2nd half which trended more towards their norm, as for the year they aren't that good of a perimeter team. They shot 75% from 2 pt range in 2nd half and most of that was right at the rim. I would have taken my chances with them missing perimeter shots vs them abusing us on dribble drives the entire game. Probably wouldn't have mattered in the final result of the game, but I think we could have made it closer and created some stress on them in the last 8 minutes of the game. When something's not working defensively, why continue to do it?

A&M would have just drove the ball and kicked to open a man if Tennessee had help. Got them beat in the first half and then made the change in second half and still didn’t go good. Is what it is tonight. A&M had an anomaly shooting night and Tennessee offense just was off tonight and rebounding again was an issue. Tennessee limiting second half chances was most important and didn’t do it.

 

[Switch 625]

Tell me you don't know what you're talking about without telling me you don't know what you're talking about.

Another poster already pointed that out. It’s late and I botched the details. But the point is that Barnes has only made one derp run in the NCAA. One. In about 40 years.