Just a ittle something to check out thought it was pretty good. It asked specific coaches about the surprised of their respective teams. Auburn, Ohio At. and the Vols were just a few of the team's, so here you go!!
Tennessee
RECORD: 18-6 | Projected seed: 4 | RPI: 13 | KenPom: 12
I asked every coach what they knew in the preseason that the media and computers didn't. Volunteers coach Rick Barnes was more blunt in his answer than any other.
"It's not that sophisticated," he said. "I don't think you or anyones else knows our personnel. I don't watch enough basketball to be really good at doing the same with other teams. No one really knows. People do the easy thing and go traditional. Coaches are just as guilty. Your job [of predicting conference standings] is almost impossible."
Tennessee is not a traditional pick for SEC champion, yet here are the Volunteers with a 4 seed and a likely future in the NCAA Tournament. It would be the best seed for the Vols since 2007-08, when they were a No. 2. Barnes has a pair of hosses in Grant Williams (15.9 ppg, 6.0 rpg) and Admiral Schofield (12.3 ppg, 6.3 rpg). Tennessee ranks top-five in defensive efficiency and has the depth to grind out every minute of a 40-minute game.
Barnes is also tougher than he looks. He holds his players accountable for how they pride themselves on defense.
"If they don't play defense the way we know they're capable of playing defense, they won't play," Barnes said.
Things have clicked in year three all around. And Barnes said there is no room for surprise here. This team is as good as he was hoping for.
"Coming into the season we felt like we had the depth, and we took a trip this summer that showed us that," he said. "Derrick Walker and Chris Darrington played well [on the overseas trip to Europe]. Every guy we've played significant minutes this season had their moments on that trip."
The Volunteers' seed continues to be helped by that neutral-court win over Purdue at the Battle 4 Atlantis in November. It's also beaten a bubble team in NC State and, for the first time since 1999, owns a season sweep over Kentucky. Barnes has been to the NCAA Tournament 22 times. There is a solid case in his favor that he's more underrated, truly, than any active coach with at least a decade's worth of head coaching experience. But in those 22 trips, he's made the Final Four once (2003). Unfair as it may be, he might need one more national semifinal appearance to get his due. If it's to happen, the 63-year-old might not get a better shot the rest of his career than with this team.
Tennessee
RECORD: 18-6 | Projected seed: 4 | RPI: 13 | KenPom: 12
I asked every coach what they knew in the preseason that the media and computers didn't. Volunteers coach Rick Barnes was more blunt in his answer than any other.
"It's not that sophisticated," he said. "I don't think you or anyones else knows our personnel. I don't watch enough basketball to be really good at doing the same with other teams. No one really knows. People do the easy thing and go traditional. Coaches are just as guilty. Your job [of predicting conference standings] is almost impossible."
Tennessee is not a traditional pick for SEC champion, yet here are the Volunteers with a 4 seed and a likely future in the NCAA Tournament. It would be the best seed for the Vols since 2007-08, when they were a No. 2. Barnes has a pair of hosses in Grant Williams (15.9 ppg, 6.0 rpg) and Admiral Schofield (12.3 ppg, 6.3 rpg). Tennessee ranks top-five in defensive efficiency and has the depth to grind out every minute of a 40-minute game.
Barnes is also tougher than he looks. He holds his players accountable for how they pride themselves on defense.
"If they don't play defense the way we know they're capable of playing defense, they won't play," Barnes said.
Things have clicked in year three all around. And Barnes said there is no room for surprise here. This team is as good as he was hoping for.
"Coming into the season we felt like we had the depth, and we took a trip this summer that showed us that," he said. "Derrick Walker and Chris Darrington played well [on the overseas trip to Europe]. Every guy we've played significant minutes this season had their moments on that trip."
The Volunteers' seed continues to be helped by that neutral-court win over Purdue at the Battle 4 Atlantis in November. It's also beaten a bubble team in NC State and, for the first time since 1999, owns a season sweep over Kentucky. Barnes has been to the NCAA Tournament 22 times. There is a solid case in his favor that he's more underrated, truly, than any active coach with at least a decade's worth of head coaching experience. But in those 22 trips, he's made the Final Four once (2003). Unfair as it may be, he might need one more national semifinal appearance to get his due. If it's to happen, the 63-year-old might not get a better shot the rest of his career than with this team.
