This is Rick barnes best coaching job

[Tennessee Vols Fan!!!!]

He has done a tremendous job here at Tennessee, and in January, things looked like it was spiraling out of control. No one and I mean no one could have imagined the total 180 this team has made, especially with Oliver Nkahmoua going down

My hat goes off to the coach of the year, Rick Barnes.

Let's win a damn championship tomorrow and see how deep this team is capable of going next week!

 

[cncchris33]

He has done a tremendous job here at Tennessee, and in January, things looked like it was spiraling out of control. No one and I mean no one could have imagined the total 360 this team has made, especially with Oliver Nkahmoua going down

My hat goes off to the coach of the year, Rick Barnes.

Let's win a damn championship tomorrow and see how deep this team is capable of going next week!

Not sure I'd say "spiraling out of control". That seems a little dramatic given who our losses came against. But I agree that this is his best coaching job.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

He has done a tremendous job here at Tennessee, and in January, things looked like it was spiraling out of control. No one and I mean no one could have imagined the total 360 this team has made, especially with Oliver Nkahmoua going down

My hat goes off to the coach of the year, Rick Barnes.

Let's win a damn championship tomorrow and see how deep this team is capable of going next week!

A 360 is the same direction.

 

[Tennessee Vols Fan!!!!]

A 360 is the same direction.

Forgive me, just came back from work

 

[Tennessee Vols Fan!!!!]

Not sure I'd say "spiraling out of control". That seems a little dramatic given who our losses came against. But I agree that this is his best coaching job.

It got pretty ugly in January.

The offense was not clicking at all!

 

[DC_Vol]

He has done a tremendous job here at Tennessee, and in January, things looked like it was spiraling out of control. No one and I mean no one could have imagined the total 360 this team has made, especially with Oliver Nkahmoua going down

My hat goes off to the coach of the year, Rick Barnes.

Let's win a damn championship tomorrow and see how deep this team is capable of going next week!

Not at all a knock on Olivier, but it seems to me like we actually improved once he was no longer available. Could be a net gain from smaller rotation or just timing of team development. But things seemed to work smoother once he was injured. Again, not in any way a slight to OK…just an observation.

 

[Tennessee Vols Fan!!!!]

Not at all a knock on Olivier, but it seems to me like we actually improved once he was no longer available. Could be a net gain from smaller rotation or just timing of team development. But things seemed to work smoother once he was injured. Again, not in any way a slight to OK…just an observation.

Interested observation.

His injury did open the door for guys like Aidoo abd BHH to get involved and we certainly are enjoying what we are getting out of those young guys.

 

[cncchris33]

It got pretty ugly in January.

The offense was not clicking at all!

Yeah, we made some changes and got things headed in the right direction. Memphis is a team I'd categorize as spiraling out of control. We were merely struggling on offense while still playing elite defense. But I digress, let's go win a .

 

[Tennessee Vols Fan!!!!]

Yeah, we made some changes and got things headed in the right direction. Memphis is a team I'd categorize as spiraling out of control. We were merely struggling on offense while still playing elite defense. But I digress, let's go win a .

I hear ya!

 

[VOLtaism]

After eagerly awaiting his arrival, Plavsic was a huge disappointment. Frankly, I never thought he would see the court in an SEC game. Barnes has figured out how to best get contributions from him and he is contributing in a huge way. Barnes has every player doing what they do best, highlighting each ones particular skillset. This group is playing the best team basketball as of the Barnes teams.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

Not at all a knock on Olivier, but it seems to me like we actually improved once he was no longer available. Could be a net gain from smaller rotation or just timing of team development. But things seemed to work smoother once he was injured. Again, not in any way a slight to OK…just an observation.

Some teams would have shut it down. This group sucked it up. Remember the team doing the locker room Zoom call to Olivier immediately after winning at MSU? A moment for the year’s highlight reel.

 

[Volfan1000]

He has done a tremendous job here at Tennessee, and in January, things looked like it was spiraling out of control. No one and I mean no one could have imagined the total 180 this team has made, especially with Oliver Nkahmoua going down

My hat goes off to the coach of the year, Rick Barnes.

Let's win a damn championship tomorrow and see how deep this team is capable of going next week!

Facts 1,000 percent.

 

[Big Orange#1]

We instantly improved when ON went out for the year.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

We instantly improved when ON went out for the year.

No. Some players that were loafing got their asses in gear.

 

[walkenvol]

We instantly improved when ON went out for the year.

Not picking on you, but this is such a bad take

 

[TrippieRedd]

ON getting hurt helped Aidoo grow up quick. It will pay off next year when everyone is back.

Let's whoop some ass tomorrow.

 

[Big Orange#1]

No. Some players that were loafing got their asses in gear.

So we still improved right? Not saying ON is trash or anything, somehow it seemed to act as a spark

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

So we still improved right? Not saying ON is trash or anything, somehow it seemed to act as a spark

I’d put it more with the beat down at KY 6 games before ORN’s injury. 14-2 since that debacle.

 

[JoAllan]

Lots of contributing factors. Freshman learning, growing and developing.

I also think Tennessee started leaning even more on what they were better at……D and guards.

Who really knows but I “think” Barnes wanted Tennessee to be much better in the post; however that’s simply not what this team is. The post contributes, sometimes their solid……but this is a guard dominate team. With Olivier going down I feel the team just finally ran with what they are……..and it works.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

There were a lot of changes during the season, not simply Olivier getting a season ending injury. Fulkerson started coming off of the bench instead of starting and embraced the role. JJJ started the year with an injured shooting hand. Uros wasn’t starting. The post rotation became two sets of a veteran and freshman playing together. ZZ was expected to contribute 5 minutes per game only giving KC a couple of minutes of rest. Instead he’s playing 20 or 25 minutes and is being put on the court WITH Kennedy much of the time. The defense NEVER slacked off and kept working more cohesively. Freshmen learned how important it is to work on their’s to earn minutes. Kennedy’s offense was struggling after opposing coaches started getting scouting reports on how to defend him. He figured out how to overcome that setback. Bailey learned how to contribute while not being a high volume shooter. BHH decided to play inside instead of on the perimeter.

There is an indirect connection back to ORN’s season ending injury. Aidoo was looking to be a likely redshirt and instead became serious competition for BHH’s minutes. I think that BHH appreciated his opportunity more when he was looking at losing it.

 

[orangemadam]

This is also the best roster Barnes has ever had, top to bottom.

Side note - LMAO when Dane Bradshaw mentioned that "Plav leads the nation in missed two handed lay-ups"

 

[Zues1]

After eagerly awaiting his arrival, Plavsic was a huge disappointment. Frankly, I never thought he would see the court in an SEC game. Barnes has figured out how to best get contributions from him and he is contributing in a huge way. Barnes has every player doing what they do best, highlighting each ones particular skillset. This group is playing the best team basketball as of the Barnes teams.

Uros was just to damn nice of a guy early on. Go back and watch some of the games.
I'm not sure what finally clicked, maybe coach feed him some gun powder but he's a different dude now.
He's nasty, yep that gets him in trouble some but I'll take his mean side to mister nice guy in any game.

 

[JCP201]

I watched him turn Grant and Admiral into Peanut Butter and Jelly, and that was great. The change in Chandler from when he started to now is amazing, plus Vescovi and ZZ-- the big freshmen are getting better and better. I don't know if this is his best coaching job, but it's a fine one, plus this is a really good man. Anyone who watched yesterday and heard the caring way he was with Dickie V, then saw the machine that team is? I don't know why you wouldn't want your boy to go to Tennessee. (Plus we have a good NIL program)

 

[WhatInVolnation]

There were a lot of changes during the season, not simply Olivier getting a season ending injury. Fulkerson started coming off of the bench instead of starting and embraced the role. JJJ started the year with an injured shooting hand. Uros wasn’t starting. The post rotation became two sets of a veteran and freshman playing together. ZZ was expected to contribute 5 minutes per game only giving KC a couple of minutes of rest. Instead he’s playing 20 or 25 minutes and is being put on the court WITH Kennedy much of the time. The defense NEVER slacked off and kept working more cohesively. Freshmen learned how important it is to work on their’s to earn minutes. Kennedy’s offense was struggling after opposing coaches started getting scouting reports on how to defend him. He figured out how to overcome that setback. Bailey learned how to contribute while not being a high volume shooter. BHH decided to play inside instead of on the perimeter.

There is an indirect connection back to ORN’s season ending injury. Aidoo was looking to be a likely redshirt and instead became serious competition for BHH’s minutes. I think that BHH appreciated his opportunity more when he was looking at losing it.

I think this is a great take. In reality, ON brought things to the table no current post brings. He’s athletic - he’s probably the most athletic post - and can switch on the perimeter - no other post does this well - and he is a rim protector - and Aidoo is the only other post that really brings this to the table. He can shoot from the perimeter - BHH alone can do this to an extent and certainly not at the clip of ON - and stretch the defense. He was the best post passer and does more things well too, and I think he was on the verge of putting it all together as he has improved dramatically each year. Certainly, UT has gotten better as the year progressed, but the turning point for the season was getting walloped in Lexington and we had ON for another five games after that first UK game as we lost him in the fifth game in Columbia, SC. I think UT would be better right now with him, but I do think the increased roles for BHH and Aidoo have been good for this year and the future and I think this team is playing its best right now.

 

[Namorto1]

Barnes deserves credit. Our half court offense was brutal to watch against Texas Tech and Texas and for our first 8 SEC games (except against Kentucky who blew us away). Since that Texas A&M game we started to find our game and only have had one stinker on the road against Arkansas. Zeigler was catalyst in my opinion followed by JJJ willingness to show a midrange game.

Thing is, I still think we can play better and improve offensively. BHH is showing signs and improving, if Fulkerson was more consistent, make the bunnies, make our FTs and tell KC to continue to take to the rim when we stagger (much like he did yesterday), we could peak at the right time.