Is Rick Barnes Committed to Tennessee?

Not the first time this year.

 

Committed to losing

 

UGA is probably the 4th or 5th best team in the league. They majorly underachieved and had multiple tough breaks to end up as the 8th seed.

 

Did Hubbs voluntarily sit out the last 5 minutes? If so, sad. Him or Bone should've been shooting that shot at the end not Schofield.

 

Tbh Schofield has shot it as well as anybody we've got. I have little problem with that.

 

They aren't awful.

 

New university motto?

 

Talking about UGA.

 

Breaking news. The SEC is total garbage and GA does suck ass.

 

RPI is 53. Yes the SEC sucks but it feels weird to say "we lost to x awful team" when that team is better than you, no?

 

Haven't been on a message board in a long time... just read this thread so figured I'd offer some thoughts...

I can't speak to what Barnes does or doesn't do in terms of recruiting compared to his time in Texas. I do know several members of the staff, I'm not close personal friends but if I text them they usually get back with me.

I think this staff does a really good job coaching, I think they are very good men who rep the university in a way that makes you proud as a UT fan and/or alumni. They're very well respected among high school coaches and their peers; I've never heard a negative word about any of them in the coaching community.

If you watch a UT practice, there is no way you can say Barnes is semi-retired. He coaches harder than just about anyone I've ever seen and stays after with the guys etc. He doesn't curse at the guys and all of that but he doesn't miss anything or let anything go.

The assistants Lanier and Oliver do have really good recruiting ties and I can't answer why they haven't closed on some bigger names but I know they thought Yurtseven was committed to them so who knows what exactly happen. I've never been told this by anyone but reading between lines I think they've been recruiting with one hand tied behind their backs, you can take that however you want.

I think in the coming years you'll see UT get some guys who play for Bobby Maze AAU team; he's got some great players in his program.

I don't think Barnes is doing the heavy lifting in recruiting but I really don't think he has to with Lanier and Oliver on staff; I have a feeling in the next few classes you'll start to see higher profile recruits.

 

Is Barnes or his staff fully committed to UT? I don't know that they have some deep burning passion for UT but these guys have been in the business for decades and at multiple schools of course.

I'm sure they like UT but I can guarantee they're committed to their players and doing the best possible job they can because they're professionals and their jobs depend on them doing a good job.

 

Great stuff. Appreciate you sharing.

 

You've summed my thoughts exactly. Dude can coach, there's no question. I had definitely wondered about recruiting but hopefully a big year this year will help with that as well.

 

Recruiting with a hand tied behind their back? I don't follow.

 

Somebody isn't allowing them to work the margins

 

Academics

 

Does UT still have a more stringent requirement to get in than the SEC standards?

 

as far as student body acceptance, it appears yes. I don't know how that relates to football player requirements, but know several friends with children that graduated locally from some good highschools and didn't get accepted to UT, but did to several other SEC schools. Seems like that would also be a way for schools to make more $ by charging such high out of state tuition and not accepting the in state kids but that's another topic.

 

Meh, whatever, Barnes would just rather eat at Pete's and be semi retired. That's an easier talking point, people in the know be damned.