Interesting article on Tyndall's Play Style

http://chrisdortch.info/advanced-statistics-provide-preview-of-new-tennessee-coach-donnie-tyndalls-system/

Probably the best article I've read on Tyndall, worth the read. Also, there's this:

 

I liked that

 

Wait, you can hire assistants to bring expertise to your program? Are we sure that isn't an NCAA violation?

 

I'm sick of people nationally acting like Martin was winning championships here. I'd love to see this dude come in and make noise right away.

 

Agreed. But he's starting out a bit behind the eight-ball. Will be interesting to see if he can salvage anything from this class.

 

So anyone heard if it's true or not that we won't be going after Jalen Steele just because him and Kermit are butt buddies? I can kind of understand that.. But at the same time it's a Knoxville kid and maybe would love to play here (but then again may be not).

Read that we were back in the mix with Rhett.

 

I think at the very most it'd take three years, maybe even two given how mediocre the SEC has been lately. I've heard NBA scouts complain that the SEC coaches are so bad they can't even really evaluate if a player is just being underdeveloped because of the coach or just isn't good.

I know I'm being overly optimistic at two years, but we play in a horrible conference and given the Missouri hire I can't really tell you who has a better coach besides Donovan, Cal, Anderson, and maybe Andy Kennedy or possibly Auburn.

 

Tyndall supposed to be visiting Cofer tomorrow.

Purdue transfer Ronnie Johnson is supposedly down to us and Xavier and is visiting this week.

Tyndall said we could land up to three graduating senior transfers. I guess Rhett is still a possibility. I've seen Ian Chiles mentioned.

Jabari McGhee is a prep school guy that is visiting as well. A few low SEC offers.

 

Rhett is not a possibility. Signed with Ole Miss. Even if he gets out of his LOI, he can't go to another SEC school.

 

I'd like to hope we can be good in three years. Being good in two years will require the guys already on campus to be really good, because reinforcements aren't here quite yet.

 

He didn't sign an LOI. Signed scholarship papers like the early enrollees for football do.

 

It's not overly optimistic. The sec sucks outside of uk and uf. If Tyndall is worth a damn, year two Tennessee should be the 3rd best team in the east easily.

 

I agree. And Tennessee has been about the third best team in the SEC for all of Martin's tenure.

 

If they aren't tougher than Martin's teams, they'll be playing badminton.

 

Not overly optimistic. It doesn't take that long to turn around a basketball program. It isn't like football where you need to have a few solid recruiting classes in place. In basketball, you just need a difference-maker or two.

 

Solid.

 

First line made me happy. Last line "they never beat anybody in recruiting" made me cringe.

 

Yes but being good is such a relative term in the SEC and I think having a good coach can make that big of a difference. Also note the types of players Tyndall had previously been working with and winning with. Its not like the SEC is some giant step above C-USA at least from the standpoint that he'll be facing better coaches; he won't.
He played Michael White and split cumulatively; he swept Floyd; and lost to Pastner (who is an awful coach granted) solely because they were that much more talented than Southern.

I think we have reason to be optimistic. AND its not because I think Tyndall was the right choice, he wasn't. Its because moving from C-USA to the SEC really isn't that big of a step and I think he'll be able to do something year two because:
A. He's better than anyone else coach outside of the three or four I've named and
B. He's worked with less talent and done more before against teams with coaches probably more competent than the majority of the SEC coaches and
C.His play style emphasizes effort and hustle and that's the only way were going to win for the next two years so it fits well.

White would have been a more promising hire, but in no way is this a worse situation than with Cuonzo aside from a talent standpoint.
The recruiting is a bit concerning, but I'm hoping he'll be able to adjust given the amount of ample resources UT has to assist in that area.

 

I agree, I think we'll be back to Cuonzo level ball or better of ball in year two independent of the initial amount of talent he brings. I really do.

But referring to the post above, I think White is going to do fantastic somewhere else/we could have had a home run and that will always hurt.
BUT given how mediocre the SEC is it wouldn't shock me if he did okay even year one, but more likely year two.

 

Hubbs may be a difference maker. He wasn't healthy last season. If he lives up to his billing, there's one right there.

I don't know the chances of him being that good.