Mostella dismissed

I'm not trying to be an ass but something's wrong when they need to stabilize their football and basketball programs every 3 years.

 

No argument here. Dave Hart sabotaged the basketball program hiring a known cheater and having to fire him a year later. The irritating part was not hiring Ben Howland because of his NCAA troubles and then turn around and hire a guy like Tyndall

 

There's not an ounce of exaggeration in my post, whatsoever.

During a recent interview on local sports radio, one of his assistants point-blank said that Barnes doesn't go on the road recruiting, and that he has "earned that right".

Perhaps you're ignorant of the inherent need for Barnes' to go on the road recruiting, or stupidly believe that Barnes has in fact earned that right, even despite the fact that much better and infinitely more accomplished coaches (such as Self, Williams, Calipari, etc.) each understand the importance of recruiting and excel at it - particularly and including the need to go on the road.

If you don't see where his refusal to travel to recruit is problematic to his successfully leading Tennessee basketball, or isn't a damning indictment of the current state of our AD, then I don't know what else to say. But I don't give a shit how great he coaches, how much or who he knows, because everything necessarily requires both the Jimmys and Joes.

 

Correct, Ben Howland should have been the easy hire. Would have been a home run hire who was practically begging for a damn interview.
Barnes is the 3rd highest paid coach in the league. Alabama is currently ranked #5 in 2017 recruiting. Avery Johnson is earning his money. Barnes is nothing more than a glorified high school coach who steals 2.3 million/yr. He is a good teacher and an okay in game coach. Get off your ass and go get some impact type players.

 

Only at this university. Your damn assistant coach has to cover the head coach's lazy non recruiting ass in an interview. You really can not make this shit up.

 

The freshmen class has good players but it does lack true instant impact guys. There are no Wayne Chism type players being recruited but they should develop into a nice group when they're junior and seniors. Barnes is trying to replicate the Wisconsin and VIrginia method. Not sure that's going to work out considering his Texas teams were underachievers later in his tenure. You mention Avery Johnson but his teams have been subpar too. His top recruit next year will likely leave after 1 year which is a big gripe Barnes has with recruiting those guys. Considering where the program was when he was hired, there are a lot worse people that could be running it. When he's done coaching the job will be a lot more attractive and hopefully they'll have a strong AD in place

 

Clearly, he feels entitled to do whatever he does or does not want, because he thinks that we're lucky to have him, at all. And if our leadership allows it, who's to blame him?

It really wouldn't surprise me in the least if he made the "no-travel" an unwritten requirement of accepting the gig, and that Hart agreed to it, to be honest.

 

All fair.

We just need a coach who both recruits and coaches well to be successful, particularly in this soft-assed conference.

 

I tend to agree that Barnes is taking a build for 4 years and not 1 year approach. Will it work? No idea.

Losing Fulkerson and mostella was huge for this team. Two of their top 6 players.

If at the end of 17-18 this team isn't a tournament team I'll call for his head, but until then I'm taking a wait and see approach.

 

NCAAT next year? Haha.

 

A healthy Fulkerson is one of the best rebounders in the country and gives the Vols size in the post, but they will need more. The guards will need to take a step forward and become more consistent. It's not unreasonable to expect them to be fighting for one of the last spots. This team is only losing Hubbs who is the biggest basketball bust since I've been following the program.

 

Losing Hubbs and Mostella. If this team has a guy who you go to when you need a basket, it's probably Hubbs? While that says a lot in itself, it definitely isn't anyone else on the roster, and I don't see that changing in a year.

Fulkerson has only played double digit minutes 6 times. Expectations are going to be off the charts for him whenever he returns. Hopefully he can meet them, but I would expect some inconsistency next season.

I'm thinking we end up 12-19 or 13-18 this year. That's a pretty big swing when we aren't really adding any difference makers in "recruiting".