'Bachilio World:

Random musings as we look to a very important last football recruiting weekend and hope our basketball team doesn't plunge into the abyss at Ft. Worth tomorrow:

WEEKEND WARRIOR? With apparently only three schollies left to grant, Butch Jones is hosting a star-studded group of uncommitted and committed prospects this weekend. Legacy S Nigel Warrior remains a must-have as I agree with Tony that the thought of him playing for Alabama is unthinkable, so let's not indulge that thought. Warrior will be in this weekend and he is sure to get all the love Knoxville can muster. As the son of former Vol great Dale Carter and the fact he plays an immediate need position, this would be a mega huge get for the Vols.


DEFENSIVE LINEMEN RULE: One of the best DTs in the nation is coming to town, 6-4, 320-pound Derrick Brown from the Atlanta suburb of Sugar Hill, GA. Brown has been the subject of an epic recruiting battle which seems to have boiled down to Georgia, Auburn and Tennessee. Jones and his staff have done an outstanding job recruiting Brown, and while there are whispers that Auburn may be up to their usual tricks with Rodney Garner leading the Tigers' recruitment of Brown, UT has at least a puncher's chance with having Brown on campus this weekend. This would be a monumental pickup for new DC Bob Shoop and would give the Vols a look very close to what you see from Alabama year in and year out in defensive interior line depth.


DOES SCOTT PICK RICHT'S POCKET ON BYRD: Another big target visiting is DB Tyler Byrd from Naples, FL. New TE coach Larry Scott, who served as Miami's interim HC after Al Golden was axed the question, has done a splendid job on this talented corner and Byrd is visiting with roommate Carlin Fils-Aime, already a Vol commit. There's a strong sense inside the UT program that if Byrd gets on the plane and lands in Knoxville, he will be a Vol.


IS THERE ROOM FOR DICKERSON IF HE WANTS TO COME? Highly-regarded OL Landon Dickerson, from Rick Barnes' hometown of Hickory, NC, has long been a target of Jones and his program. The 6-5, 297-pounder, who is supposed to visit this weekend, was a strong lean to the Vols several months ago, then cooled and now Florida State is thought to be the leader, although having him on campus this weekend has to be viewed as positive for the Vols. Most think he will be an OG in college, but a very good one. Will be interesting to see if there is room for him if he wants to play closer to home in Knoxville.


KING KONGBO: Juco DE Jonathan Kongbo, who committed to UT earlier only to de-commit, has been the subject of a protracted battle between Tennessee, Alabama, Florida State, Oregon, and others trying to get involved. Butch Jones took new DC Bob Shoop, RB coach Robert Gillespie and DL coach Steve Stripling with him to visit Kongbo yesterday. It is thought he will be at Florida State this weekend, although Ole Miss is rumored to be getting involved and that means $$$.


BASKETBALL VOLS AT A CROSSROADS: There was a gas leak at the Basilio house a few weeks ago and Tony B, under the influence, predicated the possibility of a 12-6 SEC mark for Rick Barnes' team. Sadly, the road loss at Alabama dropped UT to 3-5 in the league. Those working with a normal amount of oxygen always knew this team would be lucky to get a NIT bid and that makes tomorrow's game at TCU very, very important. The Horned Frogs are probably the worst team in the strong Big 12 so the Vols can win and run their overall record to 11-10 and keep the hope alive. A rapidly improving Kentucky team comes calling to TBA on Tuesday night.

RIP Piassan.



Orange Throat'

'Last official visit weekend of the 2016 cycle. In fact, the visit weekend has already started for a couple of kids who arrived Thursday evening . Since Monday, Tennessee has pared the recruiting board from a dozen targets to seven legitimate targets. I still list three additional kids on the board though each is at best a long shot.


Tennessee decided not to visit defensive back Coney Durr or wide receiver Ahmmon Richards. On Monday both were scheduled to visit. If you read between the lines, this can only be interpreted as good news for Tennessee.


Tennessee fans should feel cautiously optimistic. Personally, I have felt for a few weeks Tennessee would close strong and there is no reason for me to change my opinion.


Reset of the board is below. First, a few observations.



IF by chance any of these recruiting analysts, “insiders”, etc tell you Tennessee only has this number or that number of spots remaining, with all due respect, that information is not credible. I steadfastly believe no hard number of spots exists and a top prospect at a position of need will not be turned away.


The last few weeks of this recruiting cycle VOL fans may be witnessing a changing of the guard. As far back as I remember (and I have followed recruiting for many years) Tennessee used the last official visit weekend for a few committed prospects and a handful prospects that were best characterized as back up plans. The ability to have arguably four of your top targets on campus for their official visits the last weekend of a recruiting cycle is unheard of at Tennessee. None of us know how Tennessee closes out this recruiting cycle. Based on his track record, you have to like Butch Jones and his staff given this setup.



By now, all of you know the remaining targets. Let’s take a brief look at where things stand with each and maybe an opinion or two from me based upon things I have heard.


NOW THE BOARD:


Nigel Warrior, safety. VOL legacy. Top 100 prospect. Top kid on the board. Early impact player. Over the last week, those close to the Alabama program have redirected their efforts toward other safety prospects believing time spent recruiting Warrior is not worthwhile. Tennessee comes into this weekend in a good spot with Warrior though Auburn seems to keep hanging around here.


Tyler Byrd, cornerback. Top 100 prospect. Capable of contributing as a receiver or cornerback immediately. Miami is Byrd's leader because he is technically still committed to the Hurricanes. Many people feel (as do I) all the momentum appears to be trending toward Tennessee.


Landon Dickerson, offensive lineman. Top 100 prospect. A really odd recruitment is coming to an end. Two or three times during Dickerson’s recruitment I expected him to commit to Tennessee. Also, two or three times during his recruitment I expected him to commit to Florida State. Three things tend to make me feel like this one trends toward Tennessee. First, distance from home. He comes from a tight knit family and I believe distance will be one of the deciding factors. Second, academics. Dickerson plans to major in engineering and I expect Tennessee’s Engineering Program will be on full display this weekend. Third, understanding Florida State is Tennessee's stiffest competition presumably for Dickerson, Florida State has 5 offensive lineman committed . Chances are they don't take another one which favors Tennessee.


On the other hand, the offensive line is one position group where Tennessee has solid depth. Taking an interior offensive lineman in the 2016 is a luxury not a necessity. Geez, though I don't see how you can pass if a top 100 offensive lineman wants to jump on board.



As odd as this recruitment has been, I would not be surprised if Dickerson picks Tennessee, Florida State, or surprises everyone and picks Alabama.


Derrick Brown, defensive tackle, 5 star prospect. Top 100 prospect. This was a 4 team race for months that has been reduced to 2 - Tennessee or Auburn. I could name a number of reasons why Brown will pick Tennessee over Auburn. Arguably, the programs are headed in different directions. Tennessee is projected to compete for SEC East and SEC Championships, while Auburn’s Head Coach and coaching staff maybe coaching their last season on the Plains in 2016. Tennessee’s defense is coordinated by one of the top coordinators in college football. Auburn’s defense is coordinated by a coach who gave up 70 points to West Virginia a couple of jobs ago and seems to wear out his welcome most every place he has been. With Brown, the decision may come down to whether the kid has an easier time telling the Auburn or Tennessee staff no. Brown is on campus this weekend. Honestly, Tennessee does seem to have some momentum with Brown headed into the weekend.


Jonathan Kongbo. Strong side defensive end. Shows you how things change. The race for Kongbo was a two team race a week ago and now it has morphed into a 4 team race. Thought this was a Tennessee versus Florida State battle. Now, as Signing Day approaches, he may not visit Florida State. Rather, he may take an unofficial visit to Ole Miss or to Southern California. Tennessee was in to visit him yesterday, and I'm sure they tried to sell him on coming to Tennessee this weekend. Seems unlikely to me. Kongbo is your ultimate high risk-high reward prospect. Kongbo is uber athletic and has the potential to be a difference maker. On the other hand, there are these persistent whispers that academics are an issue, and I can’t get the fact that Tennessee's last major recruiting battle for a JUCO kid was Dontavious Blair and that was a colossal failure. Jonathan Kongbo falls in love every place he visits. You have to think the school the kid visits last prevails. Pay attention to where he literally and figuratively lands this weekend. Tennessee now is banking that its longtime relationship with Kongbo and his family wins out at the end.


I could see Tennessee closing with any 1, 2 or 3 of the above prospects. That would be a great finish. 4 of the 5 would be ridiculous.... Possible, though not probable.


If things go south and there are spots available, Tennessee has options:


Latrell Williams. Slot receiver/athlete, Lake City, FL. Latrell Williams is the prototypical slot receiver that is frankly a perfect fit for Tennessee’s offense. Do not be turned off by Williams’ 2 star ranking. He was not rated because he did not participate in many skills camps, was known to have academic issues, and was a relative unknown except to those that recruited the Lake City area. Williams cleaned up his academics, and Coach Larry Scott kept an eye on him. Williams has been committed to Miami, but took an official visit last weekend to Tennessee. He has frankly gone silent since his Tennessee visit. This is probably more wishful thinking than reasonable or logical thought, but I have this hunch one way or another Latrell Williams ends up signing with Tennessee. He may have a 2 star ranking but you walk away from his tape thinking he has 4 star athleticism.



Zac Moss running back/slot receiver Hallandale Beach, FL. Moss is already on campus for his official visit. Moss is a UTAH commitment. He is under the radar of most major programs, but is a really good prospect. Go watch his film. His running style is a very nice match for the type of offense Tennessee runs. As I mentioned earlier this week, there is a reason Tennessee is visiting a running back/receiver type this late in the cycle. The question is does a scenario present itself where Tennessee has room in the class for Moss.


JaQuain Bailey. Defensive end. Jacksonville. In a regular recruiting cycle where Tennessee wasn’t in a numbers crunch, Bailey would already be a part of this class. Bailey is a pass rush type of defense end. Bailey can still end up part of the class, though Tennessee would likely need to miss on both Derrick Brown and Jonathan Kongbo. Bailey is likely a redshirt year away from contributing. Brown and Kongbo are projected to contribute next season and thus higher on the board.


Tyler Clark/Chris Daniels. Looking for a signing day surprise? Follow me here. Both Clark and Daniels are defensive tackles. Clark has been committed to Georgia since May. Daniels is expected to sign with Texas. Both prospects hosted Tennessee’s staff this week for in-home visits. Clark has taken two official visits: one to Georgia and one to Tennessee. He has continually accepted calls and visits from the Tennessee staff. Georgia's staff is a little worried here, especially if Tennessee loses Brown to Auburn. There is a pathway where Clark could end up at Tennessee, but right now not sure I see it happening.


Daniels visited Tennessee last weekend. I don’t think Tennessee wasted its resources making a trip to Texas unless there is a legitimate interest by both sides.


Longshot for either one ? YES.

Possible surprise…. Of course.

I consider Tyler Clark, Chris Daniels and JaQuain Bailey all long shots to be a part of the class. There are pathways where Williams or Moss could end up being VOLS.


Random Thoughts That May Amuse Only Me


Think back 30 days ago. Would any of you have taken the bet thatTennessee would host four Top 100 official visitors the final recruiting weekend of January? Too, would you have taken the bet that Tennessee had solidly placed itself in the top two for each of these top 100 prospects?


Thirty days ago this recruiting class was taking on water. My hope was for a signing class that would not see Tennessee lose ground to other SEC heavyweights. I rationalized the class supplemented by the return of Cam Sutton, Alvin Kamara, and Jaylen Reeves-Maybin would be better than its ranking because of the returnees.


Now, depending on how Tennessee closes, Wednesday evening, the argument could be made at certain positions on both sides of the ball that Tennessee has as much talent as any school in the SEC.


Check back Mon for weekend updates.


News breaks out, I'll break in.

Also, follow me on Twitter.

RIP Piassan

'X'

College basketball gets top billing for a weekend. The schedule has enough good games to allow hoops to properly fill that role.

1. Tennessee plays a winnable road game in Fort Worth. We'll see if the Vols can take advantage of an opportunity similar to the one they kicked away at Alabama earlier this week.

2. West Virginia and Florida face off in a matchup of two teams that want to play at a frantic pace. It'll be interested to see how engaged the Mountaineers are in a nonconference game at a time they are tied for the Big 12 lead.

3. Vanderbilt's NCAA Tournament resume would get a huge boost from a win at Texas. The Commodores have to get something worthwhile on their dossier away from Memorial Gym.

4. Oklahoma and LSU meet in what promises to be a wildly entertaining game. Buddy Hield and Ben Simmons alone are worth investing two hours or so in front of the television.

5. Iowa State travels to College Station to play an old Big 12 foe. Texas A& M will be looking to rebound from a controversial loss at Arkansas in this matchup of teams with Final Four aspirations.

5. Kentucky and Kansas meet at Phog Allen in a battle of iconic programs still searching for this season's identity. The Jayhawks really need to defend their home floor to avoid a further crisis of confident.

7. Travis Ford and Bruce Pearl is the coaching matchup on The Plains. I wish there was a way both teams could lose.

8. The under the radar game of the weekend is Stephen F. Austin at Texas A&M - Corpus Christi. The winner gets the inside track to the number one seed in the Southland Conference tournament.

9. Wichita State faces their final real test of the Valley regular season at Evansville on Sunday. The Aces could begin to make a case for an at large bid with a win.

Keith

'As someone who has supported Tennessee Basketball teams and coaches from the early 1970's, I have consistently been genuinely excited about every coach. From the beloved Ray Mears, the boring Don DeVoe, the bored Wade Houston, the boorish Kevin O'Neill, the bland Jerry Green, the bittersweet Bruce Pearl, and all the others, I would find myself excited about every season. From Mears to Martin (and even to Tyndall to a degree), I would find some ray of hope each year, but not this year. I have not felt one reason for excitement about Coach Barnes.

I have tried to analyze why I feel this way and perhaps you can help me gain a new sense of optimism about the basketball program. But this is what I see:

1. It feels like Coach Barnes is winding things down, headed to retirement. There is little energy; no recruiting of top twenty talent; no engaging the fan base. It seems like he is going through the motions, like some P. E. teacher being forced to coach some high school team because he used to play the sport.

2. Maybe I finally got burned out by the revolving door of coaches. Martin didn't want to be here. Tyndall shouldn't have been here (if properly vetted). Barnes? Who knows? Three coaches in 3 years might be the breaking point.

3. Barnes is doing what he can with a depleted roster and he did have little time to correct what he inherited, but he did nothing to help matters with his recruits and it doesn't look much better for next year. Surely he could have found a fifth year Senior to help in the post or the point. You just can't expect to win many games with this roster, even though Barnes still claims this isn't a rebuilding year. If we aren't rebuilding, what are we doing? Is this going to be the new normal?

4. Coach Bruce Pearl spoiled us. We finally became relevant in the basketball world after all these years. And now - like so many years in the post-Fulmer football era- we have fallen off the national scene. We have the most loyal fan base and the best facilities a recruit would ever want, but when have we last been in contention for a top recruit? The national highlight shows never feature the Vols, unless it is a story about our opponent beating us or we upsetting them. Look at our arena. It is lifeless and mostly empty on most nights. Apathy has finally hit and I don't see a coach who feels any different from his fan base.

I hope I am wrong about how I feel. I want this basketball program to rise again. I just don't see it happening any time soon.

East Tennessee Joe'

'Tony,

Yesterday the Tennessee Comptroller's report on college readiness was released and shows that approximately," 28% of UT freshmen did not meet the criteria set by campuses for college readiness in math, reading and/or writing in 2014." So what is that buffoon Roger Kane more worried about? Well, it's not students’ readiness for college, but what the women's athletic teams in the future will be called, Vols or Lady Vols. We are already suffering nationwide ridicule from the fallout of the hazing incident here in Ooltewah so now we have this?

I find it rather ironic that Republicans like Kane criticize Bernie Sanders for his socialist political and economic policies of "share the wealth," but yet they are so interested in Women’s athletics under Title IX which is the best example ever of taking money from the producers (men’s basketball and football) and giving it to the parasites (every women’s team except for basketball). And to be fair every non-revenue men’s teams too. Women athletes complaining about what they are called is like people on food stamps complaining about the food they get.

The UTAD spent approximately $45 million on non revenue teams last year. In my opinion the money would be better spent providing 1,800 full scholarships(at $25,000 per person) to highly qualified in-state students. We should be concerned with graduating more female scientists, engineers, doctors and CEOs than Javelin throwers and rowers.

Doug in Chatty'