UT men’s basketball

#76
#76
VolsSportsFan said:
Lol....some of this fanbase must still have issues with their high school girlfriends the way they keep obsessing with Pearl.

Yes it would be nice to win H2H against Auburn, and the last 3 games have been bad. We didn't show up for the SECTC in 2019 nor the last game last season, and we choked away the game at Auburn last year, and I was heavily critical of Barnes for the game at Auburn last year especially. But if we end up making a Final Four it won't matter. Pearl got owned by UK when he was here but it didn't ultimately matter because we made an Elite Eight finally. Hardly anyone remembers that aspect when they stroll down memory lane with Pearl; in fact most have Mandela Effect thinking Pearl "owned" Cal (he didn't).

Now Barnes can't beat Auburn but he consistently beats UK. Sometimes you can't have everything you want. I know as a long time UT fan, I would take beating UK over Auburn every time. The only "rivalry" in basketball with Auburn is because Pearl is coach, that's it. Otherwise there is no rivalry and whenever Pearl finally leaves it will go back to being a game largely ignored. This isn't football where 1 single regular season game really means that much.
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That fact that Barnes has beaten Cal at least once every year at UT is unbelievable, especially considering those first two teams.
 
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#77
#77
cncchris33 said:
👆This is really all that needs to be said.

If we were struggling to beat Kermit Davis at Ole Miss or Frank Martin at USCe, the majority of our fan base doesn’t bat an eyelash because they point out how successful we have been vs UK and Florida. It is the simple fact of who coaches on the plains that makes it a talking point for some people because they either privately or publicly still long for Bruce to be coaching here.
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I'll also contend that the truth is the game means a heck of a lot more to Pearl than Barnes. To Pearl it's a special game and he's like a guy bringing the new gf around his ex. To Barnes....it's probably about as meaningful as Miss St. The coach at UT quickly learns that UK, Vandy, Florida, and Memphis are the teams you want to beat every year, with maybe Alabama added in a bit. After that, you merely win enough to make the NCAAT and if you win the SEC, even better.
 
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#79
#79
Case in point about the Mandela Effect with Pearl, his Elite Eight team lost to UK in the SECT Semi-Finals 74-45. I imagine the diehards on this board are probably the only ones that remember that and even we didn't end up caring, because we came within a few points of the Final Four.
 
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#80
#80
VolsSportsFan said:
Case in point about the Mandela Effect with Pearl, his Elite Eight team lost to UK in the SECT Semi-Finals 74-45. I imagine the diehards on this board are probably the only ones that remember that and even we didn't end up caring, because we came within a few points of the Final Four.
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Not saying this simply to bash on Pearl, but my biggest grievance with him outside of sending UT bball to the crapper is the Louisville beat down with arguably the best team in UT history. It was embarrassing.
 
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#81
#81
Chris4Vols22 said:
Not saying this simply to bash on Pearl, but my biggest grievance with him outside of sending UT bball to the crapper is the Louisville beat down with arguably the best team in UT history. It was embarrassing.
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Yep. That's another thing I chuckle at, Barnes gets crapped on for the 2019 team not getting past the S16 and Pearl did about the same thing in 2008 with on paper the best Tennessee team ever. Which was the same year as the #1 vs. #2 Memphis showdown. People remember the Memphis W but not the more important S16 Louisville beatdown. And it was a beatdown, UT was never in that game.

I don't mean to rehash things for the millionth time nor do I really mean to bash Pearl, but it's just the orange colored nostalgia glasses people put on when think of the Pearl years. The fact is there were a lot of people grumbling that Pearl was never going to get us past the S16 after the 2008 team flamed out quickly. That was a big time buzzkill. It's mostly funny to me because a lot of the criticisms about Barnes were also said about Pearl up until the Elite Eight.
 
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#82
#82
VolsSportsFan said:
Yep. That's another thing I chuckle at, Barnes gets crapped on for the 2019 team not getting past the S16 and Pearl did about the same thing in 2008 with on paper the best Tennessee team ever. Which was the same year as the #1 vs. #2 Memphis showdown. People remember the Memphis W but not the more important S16 Louisville beatdown. And it was a beatdown, UT was never in that game.

I don't mean to rehash things for the millionth time nor do I really mean to bash Pearl, but it's just the orange colored nostalgia glasses people put on when think of the Pearl years. The fact is there were a lot of people grumbling that Pearl was never going to get us past the S16 after the 2008 team flamed out quickly. That was a big time buzzkill. It's mostly funny to me because a lot of the criticisms about Barnes were also said about Pearl up until the Elite Eight.
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There are lots of examples of this dumb thinking, not just UT coaches. People were convinced Tony Bennett was a terrible postseason coach, then Virginia won the national championship
 
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#85
#85
VOLINVONORE said:
I don’t know when Rupp Arena was built, but I think coach Ray Mears beat Kentucky 4 times in Lexington; 1963, 1967, 1976, & 1977.
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Mears beat KY in Rupp on 1/12/1977. He beat them in Memorial in 1976. Ernie and Bernie beat them 5 straight times after a KY fan flipped a lit cigarette into Bernard’s Afro after KY won in 1975. Bernard said he’d never lose to KY again. He was correct.

The win at Rupp in 1977 was their first loss there to an SEC team and their 2nd versus anybody (Utah).
 
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#86
#86
VOLINVONORE said:
I don’t know when Rupp Arena was built, but I think coach Ray Mears beat Kentucky 4 times in Lexington; 1963, 1967, 1976, & 1977.
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Technically I think CRM only one one game at rupp.

Rupp Arena is the home court of the Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team since beginning play there on November 27, 1976. Their last loss was on March 3, 2020 to rival Tennessee.
Rupp Arena - Wikipedia
 
#87
#87
VOLINVONORE said:
I don’t know when Rupp Arena was built, but I think coach Ray Mears beat Kentucky 4 times in Lexington; 1963, 1967, 1976, & 1977.
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Rupp opened in 1976-77. So, Mears beat them once in Rupp (1977). The others were at Memorial Coliseum.
 
#89
#89
Easy to remember the highs of the Pearl era while forgetting the lows. It's human nature. It's why "the good old days" are always in the past. We block out the negatives.

The Louisville debacle and losing to Miss st in the SEC championship game easily stand out to me.
 
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#90
#90
bleedingTNorange said:
Going was a JUCO, as was Pops Ndiaye.

Bobby Maze, Melvin Goins, Dwight Miller, D’montre Edwards, Pops Ndiaye, Detrick Mostella, Kevin Punter, Devon Baulkman, Ray Kasongo, Chris Darrington.


I would say there’s probably 1 guy out of that group that would be impactful now at Tennessee, Kevin Punter.
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Almost forgot most of these. Like Detrick Mostella or Chris Darrington. Mostella was one of the most naturally talented players we’ve had in a long time IMO.
 
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#91
#91
iKrager said:
Almost forgot most of these. Like Detrick Mostella or Chris Darrington. Mostella was one of the most naturally talented players we’ve had in a long time IMO.
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Played AAU ball with Detrick for one year in HS. That guy was the most talented player on the court against every team we played. If he had his head screwed on straight, he was an everyday NBA talent.
 
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#92
#92
PandamoniumReigns said:
Easy to remember the highs of the Pearl era while forgetting the lows. It's human nature. It's why "the good old days" are always in the past. We block out the negatives.

The Louisville debacle and losing to Miss st in the SEC championship game easily stand out to me.
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Yep, just like the Fulmer years. I know for a fact some of the ones saying firing Fulmer was a mistake were some of the most vocal about him needing to go in the mid 2000s.

Ugh even I had forgotten about the Miss St. SECTCG.
 
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#93
#93
VQ mentioned that they’ve been using Pons at the 5 some in practice, Barnes feels there isn’t many post guys in the SEC with great back to the basket footwork that will expose him, and this keeps his shot blocking ability in the paint. Not that you’ll see it a lot, but small ball lineups with him or Fulk at the 5 is something we will likely see.
 
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#94
#94
bleedingTNorange said:
So your answer is to take a flyer on a JUCO and tie up a scholarship for 2 years? How many JUCO’s has Coach K taken?

Why don’t we wait and see before trying to make definitive statements about this class, if they land a transfer in the spring, or grad transfer, or Fulk and/or Anosike return and then they land a couple posts in the 2022 class what’s the issue?
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I love how you try to put words in people’s mouths. How many years did that Delaware kid tie up a scholly? ANY recruit ties up a scholly.

My answer, which I made VERY clear is to keep ALL recruiting avenues open. It’s pretty simple and that’s not a controversial or contentious statement. Especially if you have missed on several of your top targets.
 
#95
#95
Roustabout said:
I love how you try to put words in people’s mouths. How many years did that Delaware kid tie up a scholly? ANY recruit ties up a scholly.

My answer, which I made VERY clear is to keep ALL recruiting avenues open. It’s pretty simple and that’s not a controversial or contentious statement. Especially if you have missed on several of your top targets.
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JUCO will be a last resort, and likely one that Barnes won’t even explore.
 
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#97
#97
VolsSportsFan said:
Yep, just like the Fulmer years. I know for a fact some of the ones saying firing Fulmer was a mistake were some of the most vocal about him needing to go in the mid 2000s.

Ugh even I had forgotten about the Miss St. SECTCG.
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That was one of the most gut wrenching losses I watched. Thought the Drought would finally end....but it did not.
 
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