Barton to UT.

Leadership from the point is obviously essential. The winningest Tennessee team of all time is proof positive. Ramar Smith's leadership was essential to their success.

 

Lots of people keep commenting about how Barton is the perfect fit to get Tennessee over the top. I don't get it. He's serviceable, but probably the least talented of the starting unit. I don't think he's bad, but there's a reason why he couldn't beat out players for time at Memphis. I will say that it was an important pickup due to the lack of depth and experience that Tennessee has at the guard position.

 

The stunning thing is that people keep passing him off as a point guard. He's just not. He'll be a decent defender and compete. That'll help, but people expecting him to him to be a real lead guard are going to be sorely disappointed. Nobody seemed to notice that Maryland and A&M both had guys who would have played ahead of him at the point. The only places he was going to have a legit chance of starting at were UT and K State, since each of them lost their point guard to dismissal or transfer.

 

Could you quote where I said I was worried about future success? If not, go **** yourself with a boat anchor.

 

He can dribble with his left hand. That's where floor generals excel. Glad we traded Trae for an ambidextrous Memphian.

 

Floor Generals throw chairs. They don't dribble.

 

True. But, we never got to use the left side of the floor with Trae, apparently, so Barton will exploit that erstwhile weakness, and free the other 4 guys up to work the right side, and being that they are all right handed, their ability to dodge chairs on the right side will isolate Barton for spot up jumpers from the left wing. It's all physics and philosophy. I can't believe you understand.

 

He pulled the trigger on so many shots for that team, it's no wonder his legacy is the ammunition he provided Tyler to become such a close up sharpshooter. Arming that team that had so many weapons with bullet passes, like laser guided projectiles, really makes him stand out as our best floor general.

 

Barton will be 2nd team all-SEC.

 

Then we have the best record in the SEC and finally win the SEC Tourney. There are 5 other players on our team in front of him on the 1 st and 2nd teams. Jordy, Maymon, Stokes, Hubbs and Rich. You don't really believe this, do you? I'm the eternal optimist, but your statement has no basis in reality.

 

Give us a projected season long stat line to support this assertion. 10 ppg, 5 assists, 1.5 tos, __ rebounds? Steals?

 

"What is irritating at that any success to be had next year will be attributed to him, rather than the rest of the team".

That's your whiny ass comment. Irritated that hypothetically, Barton may get props over the team if we win. Like it ****ing matters.

 

Highly unlikely.

 

Irritation is not synonymous with worry. Even more damning, being irritated with mouth-breathers interpreting events through their feces-smeared prism of idiocy really has nothing to do with the team itself at all.

 

Barton should be good enough that Cuonzo and this team have no excuses for failing to have a good year.

 

I'm sticking to the hatvol rule of thumb that by year 3, excuses are irrelevant (short of probation years or the like).

 

I can get onboard with this rule.

btw, I like to think that when people say Barton is the piece that puts us over the top, they mean that Barton is the piece that allows us to not play Brandon Lopez at the point. Honestly, I'm fine with a defensive upgrade, an outside shooter, and a ball-handling by committee approach as long as we practice the hell out of getting it up the court against a press (and succeed in learning how to do it)

 

Kemba Walker certainly did just that pretty recently.

 

I don't understand why breaking the press is so damned hard. We teach this to my 5th grade girls team. Everyone on the floor has to be aware that a press is on, know where they're supposed to be and the ball handler has to get their damned head up and look for the correct pass and his teammates need to get themselves open to receive it. You break the press with passes not dribbling/fumbling through it. Slow white Boston Celtics used to kill teams with two-three quick passes down the court with the last pass a simple catch and lay up.

 

Replacing Tyler Mcthreefor20 should be enough to get this team in the tournament.