FREE THOUGHT FRIDAY
RICK RATINGS: Earlier this week we looked at the midterm evaluation for the 2015-16 Basketball Vols. Now let's take a look at one blogger's early read on the man running the show; Rick Barnes
LIKES:
STYLE OF PLAY: It's a personal preference only but I like the up-and-down game that Barnes has employed. I realize with a roster full of 2s and 3s he has little choice but to turn every game into a “beat em back” attack. This may change as the size of the roster increases but I will enjoy the up-tempo approach as long as it lasts.
SOLID STRATEGIST: For a guy that has been a head coach for longer than many of his followers have been alive Barnes doesn't appear to be stubbornly insistent on one method of play. As mentioned above he is running a track team this season when in past years he has force fed the post. He also has switched defenses as the situation dictated this season which many of his peers view as heresy. I also like the fact that the Vols have been competitive on several occasions this season against opponents who are clearly more talented with more established/balanced rosters. That doesn't happen without solid guidance from the bench.
GUARD DEVELOPMENT: Detrick Mostella has made a quantum leap and Shembari Phillips is showing signs of contributing much more than I thought was possible in his freshman season. Kevin Punter however is Barnes' honor student with not only a change of position but a complete remake of his shot that has him playing like a 1st team All-SEC candidate.
CANDOR: Barnes' press conferences are as refreshing as anything else in his short tenure. He isn't a Snake Oil Salesman charmer like Bruce Pearl he's just a down-home, tell the truth type guy that I personally love. He doesn't tickle my ears but he doesn't insult my intelligence either.
GOOD MAN: Rick Barnes is a good solid man in a profession that could use a lot more like him.
CONCERNS
POST DEVELOPMENT: I understand that like offensive linemen, post players sometimes need at least a year to mature enough physically to compete at the D-1 level. I am however somewhat disappointed by the lack of progression of both Kyle Alexander and Ray Kasongo. I may also be unfairly influenced by his recent scoring drought and injury but it seems to me that Armani Moore -who though undersized carries many of the Vols post game duties- was a slightly better player under Donnie Tyndall.
ENERGY LEVEL: As a fan who prefers coaches climbing rather than descending the ladder Barnes' energy level is a natural -though maybe not legitimate- concern. There are a number of coaches with more years -and stops- on their resumes such as Lon Kruger, Larry Brown and Kelvin Sampson who are flourishing. This season's recruiting class often cited as evidence of Barnes lack of motivation is becoming more highly-regarded as the season progresses and hopefully will prove to be the foundation of his tenure. The bottom line is his age, late tenure at Texas and number of stops is the only thing suggesting he can't rebuild here but it will take time to determine how valid this concern is. I'm not sure I'm astute enough to determine either way prior to the 2017-18 season when three of his recruiting classes are on the floor.
FAN INTERACTION: Though it's not essential to win games I prefer a coach who engages the fan base and makes them rightfully feel the level of ownership in the program they deserve. Much like common courtesy it's not that hard to do. While both Don DeVoe and Jerry Green won at a high level without being fan-friendly they also found little empathy for their cause when things got dicey from an employment standpoint. It's a pet-peeve at best since I have already stated above that Barnes character and decency are unquestioned. I just wish he would be a little more engaging.
VANDY VITRIOL: The only way I can describe to you how much I hate Vandy's Basketball Program is to say it exceeds my disdain for Kentucky Basketball and Alabama Football...by a lot. I hate their ratty gym, it's raised floor, end line benches and the free throw line paint worn out by the Commodores trampling the area shooting 100 every home game. I hated Roy Skinner and I hate Skinhead Stallings. I hated the F-Troop which I remember consisting of Ford, Feher, Fosnes Fart and Fornicate. Didn't like Barry whether it was Goheen or Booker and despised Charles Davis as if he was Charles Manson. I'm unrepentant. I hate this year's version like all that came before them.
One thing I begrudgingly don't hate about Commodore hoops? The way they play the game. Although I prefer up and down basketball, when it's run right the motion offense is good viewing. Vandy not only plays precision basketball they ALWAYS have several guys that can shoot the damn ball. Hell, we haven't had
several guys that can shoot the basketball in the totality of the last quarter century.
Wednesday in TBA Vandy quickly made a mockery of the proceedings by draining ten three-pointers in the first half alone while we for some reason decided it was a good night to play five games of one-on-one. The Commodores threw more passes in their first five possessions than the Vols accumulated all night. A late lack of interest by the Dores and a way-too-late burst of energy by the otherwise disinterested Vols made the scoreboard slightly less repulsive than the game actually was. As Brian Hartman remembers and derisively mimics today Buzz Peterson once uttered after a similar uninspired effort versus Vandy “ah shoot it's just one game”. Well to Vols fans it's much more than that and if Rick Barnes learns nothing more about Vol history he better know the fallacy of that type approach. I guess I'm not sure who should be more embarrassed; Barnes for having his team get blown away at home by a hated rival or Stallings for already losing seven games with the best material in this league.
NFL PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS: I was once again 2-2 last weekend missing badly on Kansas City and slightly on Green Bay while correctly picking Carolina and Denver. Maybe my 2-0 last Sunday will roll over to the Conference Finals:
Carolina over Arizona: This should be a terrific game but Carolina's defense gets the nod and Cam Newton is a superstar at the position that you need one playing to win in the NFL.
Denver over New England: This is a total heart pick with the exception of the Broncos superior defense. That is if they play at their regular season level and don't have their typical postseason lapse that has reared it's ugly head at some point the last several seasons.
PAISAN WOULD BE PROUD: The Paisan would be very moved by the outpouring of love and support he has received from both Tony's and
The Drive's audiences. On behalf of Don, his family Fab-5 Freddy and myself please know that we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Please keep praying and I guarantee The Paison will continue to fight.
