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Rick Barnes thread


Goo Punch

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1 hour ago, Braff Zacklin said:

Rick was at Clemson for four years. Took them to the NIT the first year, and then to three consecutive NCAAs for the first time in school history, including the Sweet 16 his third year. Little better than "slightly above" average ...

T.J. left after his sophomore season in 2003 (Barnes practically shoved him out the door ... for altruistic reasons). Texas went to the Elite Eight twice after that (2006 and 2008), plus a Sweet 16 in 2004, so you might wanna work on that memory.

Ok, Cool.  I was going from memory and didn't look it up.  After doing so I learned that Rick jumped out to 16-1 and a #2 ranking in his third year at Clemson and finished 23-10.  Entered the tourney as a 4 seed and made the SS.  So that is very good and great at Clemson.  It also highlights the fact that Ricks teams have a habit of crashing late in the season and performing to seed in the tournament.

Downhill was the wrong word, but his highest achievement in the tourney was with TJ and a supporting group that wasn't as talented as later rosters.  He never recreated the same chemistry that team had in my opinion.  

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16 minutes ago, jinx said:

Ok, Cool.  I was going from memory and didn't look it up.  After doing so I learned that Rick jumped out to 16-1 and a #2 ranking in his third year at Clemson and finished 23-10.  Entered the tourney as a 4 seed and made the SS.  So that is very good and great at Clemson.  It also highlights the fact that Ricks teams have a habit of crashing late in the season and performing to seed in the tournament.

Downhill was the wrong word, but his highest achievement in the tourney was with TJ and a supporting group that wasn't as talented as later rosters.  He never recreated the same chemistry that team had in my opinion.  

I think it's more that Rick has a habit of coaching his teams up to a level that's not sustainable, as well as the fact that by the end of the season every team he's going to play has caught up to what it is they're doing, and likely has already played them once before. He gets teams that have no business being anywhere near the top 10 all the way up even higher than that, but then once conference play rolls around, injuries happen, the competition gets tougher, every road game is a toss up, teams have more film on you and have seen you in person, etc, and it's always looked at like "this was the #5 team in the country, they were 14-2, now they're 24-7, what a letdown", when we forget that they weren't even ranked in the preseason and were picked to finish 6th in the league or something. It's a unique trait of his, one that works against him in the end.

Edited by Goo Punch
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That 2006 game against LSU hurts.  We were way better than them.  Aldridge was asleep and got abused by Tyrus Thomas somehow.  I still have nightmares about PJ missing the front end late in regulation.

In 2008, Memphis was the better team, so no problem there, but 2006 was tough.

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That 2006 game against LSU hurts.  We were way better than them.  Aldridge was asleep and got abused by Tyrus Thomas somehow.  I still have nightmares about PJ missing the front end late in regulation. In 2008, Memphis was the better team, so no problem there, but 2006 was tough.  

 

 

Just look at this box score:  

 

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Tucker, Aldridge, Paulino, Abrams, and Buckman combine to shoot 13/55. Aldridge went 2/14, continuing to settle for his normally reliable mid range fade aways despite its ineffectiveness. We shot 30% as a team. We beat that LSU team 9/10 times. This game is up there with TTU 08 and Bama 2010 in football as the biggest gut punches in my life following Texas. 

 

 

 

Edited by Goo Punch
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I think most of his Clemson teams were average or slightly above.  His early 2000 teams were great, with the TJ Ford led group being the most fun team to watch for me, but the talent level peaked afterward.  I think if TJ wouldn't have had issues with the spinal stenosis, he would have come back for his junior year and Barnes might have won a tournament.  TJ was Rick's VY, he made him take a step back and trust his players and loosen up a bit. 

It seemed to go downhill after that, and the J'Covan / Jordan Hamilton team was filled with guys that could play fantastic basketball but didn't want to play the disciplined style that Barnes demanded.  It was like Barnes wanted a team full of golden retrievers to play like dobermans.  Those guys wanted to run and score, and he demanded defense.  It was an awful ending, and one that most Horn fans were glad to see end.

I have no ill will toward Rick, and wish him the best at Tennessee.  I have strong doubts that this team finishes at the top, and will actually be surprised if they are higher than a 4 seed in the tournament.  But who knows.

Also, fuck Carmelo Anthony.

Are you kidding? They'll definitely be higher than a 4 seed barring injury. I'd honestly be surprised if they fell outside a 3 seed and mostly likely they're a 1 or 2. This team actually reminds me of Barnes 2011 Texas team, but with the temperament of the 2003 team. They play really well together without having any super elite TJ Ford type guard leading the way. Admiral Schofield is the closest thing to a star on that team, but since he's not really a guard it'll be difficult for him to consistently dominate games like TJ.

 

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Ok, Cool.  I was going from memory and didn't look it up.  After doing so I learned that Rick jumped out to 16-1 and a #2 ranking in his third year at Clemson and finished 23-10.  Entered the tourney as a 4 seed and made the SS.  So that is very good and great at Clemson.  It also highlights the fact that Ricks teams have a habit of crashing late in the season and performing to seed in the tournament.
Downhill was the wrong word, but his highest achievement in the tourney was with TJ and a supporting group that wasn't as talented as later rosters.  He never recreated the same chemistry that team had in my opinion.  
The 2008 Texas team had the same type of chemistry they were just flawed with a tiny backcourt that eventually bowed out to an extremely athletic backcourt who overpowered them physically.
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That Aldridge/Tucker team was the best team he had here.  People have fonder memories of the TJ team because it went to the Final Four, had the hometown euphoric crowd for the wins in the regional in San Antonio, and it was our first elite basketball team in forever.  Meanwhile, the two most memorable games of the Aldridge/Tucker team were the horrifying Duke black uniform game debacle and then losing in the Elite Eight in an upset.  
But that Aldridge/Tucker team - and then somewhat oddly the Tristan Thompson team but only for like the middle 1/3 of that season - were the two teams Barnes had that could beat major conference opponents by double digits consistently and legitimately look like they might be the best team in the country at times.  In hindsight, we probably had the second best roster that year after Florida with Noah, Brewer and Horford, and we should have made the title game.
It was for more than a 3rd of the season, but I agree with you. Those 2 teams were his best teams with the 2010-2011 being his best coaching job relative to expectations coming into the season. I mention it every chance I get. That 2010-2011 team started the conference season 11-0 with 10 double digit victories including a 30 point drubbing of either A&M or Tech at their place. We also beat Kansas by double digits at their place that year.
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The talk for Grant Williams to be considered for NPOY needs to start heating up. 43 points, 8 rebounds, 4 blocks, 10-15 from the field, 23-23 from the FT line in an OT win. One of his blocks saved the game at the end of the 2H, and another clinched it at the end of OT. Unreal performance tonight.  

Edited by Goo Punch
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also i predicted this game would be this way, so much so that i told a friend to bet on Vandy. Newly crowned no.1 on the road, in conference, in a place that's been known as a hostile environment. this had "last possession" written all over it. the fact that Tennessee won is all that matters. 

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3 hours ago, Goo Punch said:

also i predicted this game would be this way, so much so that i told a friend to bet on Vandy. Newly crowned no.1 on the road, in conference, in a place that's been known as a hostile environment. this had "last possession" written all over it. the fact that Tennessee won is all that matters. 

That is true but damn the defense has sucked ass for 3 games and we have 1 person sometimes under the basket when we are shooting 3’s. 

This was a good test and reminder to them that they will get everyone’s best the rest of the year. I predict they lose 3 more games. 

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LMAO @ 23 FTs...  for a single player.  Most teams don’t shoot that many in a game, especially in MG. 

 

Yeah, Conference games are hard, but good win for the Vols.  They don’t seem to get fazed and just motor through for the win. 

 

The SEC is theirs to lose. 

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59 minutes ago, Underdog said:

LMAO @ 23 FTs...  for a single player.  Most teams don’t shoot that many in a game, especially in MG. 

 

Yeah, Conference games are hard, but good win for the Vols.  They don’t seem to get fazed and just motor through for the win. 

 

The SEC is theirs to lose. 

It was an amazing story. I think some of the problem is they expect to win so don’t get worked up. Our last 7 SEC games will be tough and I can see us losing 4 of 7 and also losing to WVU coming up. Kentucky game will be good as always. 

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If any player in college is gonna get 23 FTA it's Williams, particularly in a high scoring OT game like this. You can go to him every single play and he's going to go hard to the rim so often that he's going to get fouled. He's taking 8.3 FTA per game as it is, so he spends a lot of time at the line.

Think about this- he's the reigning SEC POY, he's the odds in favorite to win it again, and he possibly could return next year. Theo my two 3-time SEC POY- Bernard King and Pistol Pete.

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I don't know Goo.  I'm about 90% ready to cede that you were right about this guy; however, the last couple of games seem like warning signs.  I can almost hear the, "And the number one seed goes down" in my head.

Regardless, all my friends back in Knoxville (and my wife) are sky high.  Can't believe TN is a basketball school right now.

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20 minutes ago, Knoxtnhorn said:

I don't know Goo.  I'm about 90% ready to cede that you were right about this guy; however, the last couple of games seem like warning signs.  I can almost hear the, "And the number one seed goes down" in my head.

Regardless, all my friends back in Knoxville (and my wife) are sky high.  Can't believe TN is a basketball school right now.

Yeah, like Bilas said, I think all of those teams (save maybe Gonzaga) have losses ahead. I will say though that if Turner and Bone can turn their shooting around (which seems really likely considering how poorly they've done so far) then that will mitigate some of the defensive troubles, and only enhance an offense that's 2nd nationally in AdjO.

Edited by Goo Punch
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I'm thinking of a weird conversation I had with the parents of my 12 year-old's best friend in Knoxville a few years ago.  Dad is a VCU grad; mom is actually a UTTexas grad.  He swore up and down Shaka would never go to Texas.  She took my side with the "We're Texas" meme.  All three of us kind of chuckled that TN got Barnes.  Weird.

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1 hour ago, Knoxtnhorn said:

I don't know Goo.  I'm about 90% ready to cede that you were right about this guy; however, the last couple of games seem like warning signs.  I can almost hear the, "And the number one seed goes down" in my head.

I mean, January Rick is good Rick.

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Just now, Goo Punch said:

We have reason to believe that this Tennessee team is more akin to Rick's earlier teams than his later ones. 

Would love to see Tennessee in the final four.

Anything that's not Kentucky, Duke, Kansas is pretty good with me.

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Tennessee gets down 12 early. Barnes calls TO.

"We've scored five points in 12 minutes! five points in 12 minutes! How does that happen?! We're not playing team ball! Everyone's out here shooting jump shots. Play. Team. Ball!" then they show him pulling one guy aside: "How you gonna come out of a timeout shooting a jumper? We're playing team ball." and that kid is immediately benched.

Tennessee promptly goes on a 17-0 run and holds WVU without a FG for 10 minutes. That huddle was 10x more constructive than every Shaka huddle that ESPN has sown us. I miss having actual coaching going on during games. 

Edited by Goo Punch
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3 minutes ago, Knoxtnhorn said:

Rub it in.

Lol damn. If it makes you feel better I thought Smart was a homerun hire and I wasn’t crazy about Rick coming to Tennessee so I guess I don’t know a fucking thing about basketball. With regards to your earlier thread about basketball at Tennessee right now we are all thrilled but very aware of his perception in March and are cautiously optimistic. I hope the theory about him being re energized is correct. 

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2 hours ago, Clintonaldo said:

Lol damn. If it makes you feel better I thought Smart was a homerun hire and I wasn’t crazy about Rick coming to Tennessee so I guess I don’t know a fucking thing about basketball. With regards to your earlier thread about basketball at Tennessee right now we are all thrilled but very aware of his perception in March and are cautiously optimistic. I hope the theory about him being re energized is correct. 

I think you will be ok but of course you never know in a single game elimination tourney.  I actually think Barnes has improved as a coach since his time at Texas.  

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For Tennessee fans who are still nervous, i'll point out to you that a big hurdle has already been cleared- bearing Vandy. The last time Tennessee was no.1 and the last time Barnes was no.1 they both immediately dueced the futon; not this time around. so even y'all lose a road conference game tonight (i don't think you will, but these things happen), i wouldn't go into panic mode just yet. y'all have a great team and need to enjoy the ride. 

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4 hours ago, SwanderedTalent said:

just wait til Mack Brown takes North Carolina to the playoff

That's the kind of bullshit that worries me. He himself isn't good enough of a coach to pull that off, but he'll recruit kids and hire assistants good enough to make it happen. And he *does* learn from his past mistakes, such as... the mistakes he made his last few years here.

Motherfucker.

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I haven't read the article yet, only watched the video,  it man- this video exemplifies what I love about Barnes/cant stand about Shaka- how straightforward and honest and blunt he is, for better or worse. When Rick speaks he tells it like it, and that gives his fans a look inside his program that we simply do not get with Shaka. Tennessee fans can stay abreast of the inner working schedule of the squad because Barnes isn't afraid to tell the public what he tells his team/what happens within his team. He expects his guys to be able to handle it.

Contrast that with Shaka who blathers on about "trusting our process", "treating the game good", "how the basketball god will treat you" and other trite, meaningless, coschspeak BS. Whether he thinks he's protecting his team or he's just that inept, it's so irritating and exasperating to have a coach who just spews bullshit from his mouth every time he talks. Anyway, here's the article and video that I mentioned. 

https://amp.knoxnews.com/amp/2688462002

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