Barton to UT.

Barton to graduate August 11th and then report to UT.

 

reports are he is fitting this team like a glove and the players are feeding off of his intensity and hard work on both ends of the floor in practice. Maymon even mentioning how aggressive he is on both ends and his coach saying he makes no excuses.

 

Some have said he is in better shape than before his injury, conditioning and form-wise. But you know, could be hype. Hope is true.


This team broke my heart last year, here's hoping Martin capitalizes this time around.

 

Are you talking about Maymon? He may be in good cardio shape but his legs and basketball shape have a ways to go. And I still stick by what I have said about our two pg's and if offered Barton and Thompson as a trade for Trae, with this particular team, I'm making the trade every time. I think you'll enjoy watching more than you have, assuming, as you said, that Martin learns from mistakes and wins a couple of games with good coaching.

 

No, I was talking about Barton. He was injured during last season at Memphis.

 

Ah. I didn't know. Personally, I'll be more excited to watch this team this year than since the run to St Louis. Still concerned that we don't have enough shooters. I'm glad Hall is gone and like the pg trade. That's a lot of laziness out the door.

 

Difference between UT and Memphis according to Barton?

"UT actually lifts weights."

Well that's interesting.

 

Doesn't surprise me. Some programs really believe in the weight room, some don't.

 

My completely uneducated opinion can see where weights are useful yet could also possibly be overdone with basketball

 

I do remember Durant not being able to do one rep on the bench press. Didn't seem to hurt him too much.

 

A lot of it is style of play. It wouldn't make sense for Memphis to condition the same way Memphis State does.

 

*Tennessee to condition the same way Memphis State does, I take it.

 

Actually it was supposed to be "Michigan State" and I zoned out.

 

Got it.

 

Doesn't the Masked Man work with Memphis? Everyone seems to think highly of his workout abilities. I'm not sure if he's good or not, since he doesn't believe in doing anything in the public eye.

 

For those not aware of what Memphis has been doing since Pastner took over...it may help understand Barton's comments....

When Calipari left, he took his CSCS (Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist) Mike Malone with him to Kentucky. Malone was a traditional weight room guy. At Memphis he had a nice area in the Finch Center (basketball practice area) that was adjacent to the court and had every piece of equipment that you will see in a Division 1 weight room.

Pastner took over and hired a guy named Frank Mastriciano (Google his name and find several articles) who is the famed "masked trainer" who is often referred to as Hell's Trainer. He has been credited with transformations with palyers like Blake Griffin and Zach Randolph. Mastriciano does not believe in traditional weight training per say. Actually, I am not 100% that he actually holds any substantial credentials that others within the S&C field on the collegiate or professional level have. He does believe in something called Chameleon Training which will include things like running steep hills or in sand with weighted vests and other crazy stuff like that.

Anyway, this guys walks in day one and orders that all the weight machines be removed from the facility. He then has a structure called the Chameleon constructed. It is something that is apparently kept pretty secretive much like the man himself (even his bio has a pic with his face blacked out). From my understanding, it is some crazy type of apparatus that looks like it came out of the American Gladiators set. He also wanted a sand pit constructed, but I believe that got shot down...although I think they have done sand training elsewhere. Long story short, a few Memphis Grizz and other NBA guys train with him as well. I have heard that he also will train certain local celebs/big wigs.

 

He's either completely insane, or one bad mofo. Either way, it's hard to tell, unless you know a person who is connected with him. His life is more secretive than government information.

 

If you google his name, you can actually find a pic the commercial appeal has of him greeting zach randolph. The dude chills in the stands at games instead of sitting on the bench...guess a reporter actually got one of him minus the mask for once.

 

i figured that's who you meant

 

http://nooga.com/163317/martin-new-vol-point-guard-barton-a-tougher-breed/


like my dumbass previously stated, losing Trae and picking up Barton was a great trade for us and the team will play better with him leading them.