Barnes runs things at a quick tempo and before 20 minutes have gone by guys are already having to push themselves.
There’s a ton of teaching going on and it’s extremely clear Barnes sets a standard he wants to see in terms of effort and attention to detail. When that standard isn’t met, guys are called out. Frequently. One new wrinkle is that Barnes is using a wireless headset connected to the speakers in Pratt Pavilion so he’s impossible to ignore.
Much of every drill they do, even in skill work, is designed with an eye towards conditioning. As we’ve noted before, every coach we’ve covered going back to Buzz made a big deal out of conditioning, but Barnes is a freak about it.
Player wise, just some random, knee-jerk observations.
We’ll start with the young guys. Ray Kasongo is a physical presence in the post. He’s got a long way to go skill wise, but he’s going to be ready to bang from day one. He can also really run the floor and has some very nice lift for a guy his size.
Kyle Alexander has got a ton of work to do on the fundamentals but he’s already come a long way from when we first saw him in the summer. His added some weight and looks like he’s shooting a little better and generally just looks more confident and fluid on the floor. He’s going to be challenged this year in terms of strength but there’s legitimate reason to be excited about his future. He’s got a lot of physical skill for a guy his size.
I’ve said all along that I thought Shembari Phillips was a solid pick up and haven’t seen anything to change my mind. Don’t expect him to set the world on fire as a freshman but he’s going to play and be a contributor. He’s got great size for a guard and is shooting the ball well from the perimeter.
Admiral Schofield continues to drop weight, 30+ pounds since he arrived at 253 this summer, and it’s making a difference in his game. He’s working with the posts now and is an interesting looking prospect. He’s capable of knocking down shots, can put it on the floor a little bit and is really strong.
It’s a shame that Lamonte Turner isn’t going to be eligible this season because clearly he could help this team in the backcourt. I don’t know that he would start, but he would definitely provide some depth at point guard and he’s easily got one of the most reliable strokes on the team. Shoots it better and with more consistency than I would have expected.
Robert Hubbs looks like he’s working at a different level. Pushing himself more in drills and just doesn’t look as laid back as he has in the past. I’m not suggesting at all that Hubbs has been lazy--that’s not the case--but he seems more self-driven now than in the past. He’s easily one of the best athletes on the team.
Armani Moore is taking on a different role, he’ll have to be more of a playmaker this year. I wouldn’t look for him to bringing the ball up against pressure, but once they get in the halfcourt, a great deal of the offense is going to go through him. Moore is undoubtedly the leader of this team--along with Kevin Punter--and isn’t remotely shy about getting on his teammates when its needed. Barnes is pushing Moore to be more of a scorer and I’d look for him to try and move his game out on the floor some this year. He’s being encouraged to step out beyond the three point line and knocked down several today while we were in the gym.
Devon Baulkman is one of the staff’s favorites, really pushes himself and is making shots. He’s certainly in the mix to start, probably him or Mostella opposite Hubbs on one wing right now I would guess. Baulkman probably gets the nod now because of how he approaches things on the defensive end and the way he’ll go down inside and mix it up for rebounds. Team rebounding is going to be a huge for this team and the guards will have to be a part of that.
Kevin Punter has been talked about a ton, any time Barnes has given an interview basically. The most obvious difference with Punter is his shot, reports of how much he’s changed it have not been overblown. The release and form is totally different. The jury is still out on how he’ll respond to handling point guard responsibilities but he’s certainly embraced the move and admits that he’s approaching things differently and thinking about the game in a different way. Certainly Barnes is holding him accountable and isn’t cutting him any breaks just because he’s in an unfamiliar role. To say he’s getting ‘coached hard’ would be an understatement.
Detrick Mostella is also a guy that’s gotten consistent high praise from the new staff. Physically he still looks like he could stand to get stronger and and he seemed to get less productive as practice wore on, which isn’t uncommon, but lends some credence to Barnes’ observing that many of his guys have to learn how to push through fatigue. He’s working hard though and didn’t seem to show some of the same questionable body language he sometimes displayed last season when things got tough.
Derek Reese is going to have a chance for a big role on this team. He’s working primarily as a four and will have to e a factor on the glass for this team to exceed expectations. Reese definitely looks stronger and at least for now seems invested in banging in the paint and doing some dirty work. It’s certainly been communicated to him that the path to him getting minutes lies in his ability to defend and rebound, and for now he looks like he’s taking that to heart.
Jabari McGhee has certainly gotten stronger, which he needed to, but he could still probably stand to add some weight. He’s a grinder and someone the staff loves for his willingness to do the dirty work in the paint. He’s added some skill but he’s back-to-the-basket game is still a work in progress. In fact, much like last year it doesn’t seem like the Vols are going to have the option to just dump it inside and feel good about getting a bucket or a trip to the foul line. McGhee is one reason to think that they’ll at least be more adept at matching-up with SEC teams in the paint on the defensive end.
There’s a ton of teaching going on and it’s extremely clear Barnes sets a standard he wants to see in terms of effort and attention to detail. When that standard isn’t met, guys are called out. Frequently. One new wrinkle is that Barnes is using a wireless headset connected to the speakers in Pratt Pavilion so he’s impossible to ignore.
Much of every drill they do, even in skill work, is designed with an eye towards conditioning. As we’ve noted before, every coach we’ve covered going back to Buzz made a big deal out of conditioning, but Barnes is a freak about it.
Player wise, just some random, knee-jerk observations.
We’ll start with the young guys. Ray Kasongo is a physical presence in the post. He’s got a long way to go skill wise, but he’s going to be ready to bang from day one. He can also really run the floor and has some very nice lift for a guy his size.
Kyle Alexander has got a ton of work to do on the fundamentals but he’s already come a long way from when we first saw him in the summer. His added some weight and looks like he’s shooting a little better and generally just looks more confident and fluid on the floor. He’s going to be challenged this year in terms of strength but there’s legitimate reason to be excited about his future. He’s got a lot of physical skill for a guy his size.
I’ve said all along that I thought Shembari Phillips was a solid pick up and haven’t seen anything to change my mind. Don’t expect him to set the world on fire as a freshman but he’s going to play and be a contributor. He’s got great size for a guard and is shooting the ball well from the perimeter.
Admiral Schofield continues to drop weight, 30+ pounds since he arrived at 253 this summer, and it’s making a difference in his game. He’s working with the posts now and is an interesting looking prospect. He’s capable of knocking down shots, can put it on the floor a little bit and is really strong.
It’s a shame that Lamonte Turner isn’t going to be eligible this season because clearly he could help this team in the backcourt. I don’t know that he would start, but he would definitely provide some depth at point guard and he’s easily got one of the most reliable strokes on the team. Shoots it better and with more consistency than I would have expected.
Robert Hubbs looks like he’s working at a different level. Pushing himself more in drills and just doesn’t look as laid back as he has in the past. I’m not suggesting at all that Hubbs has been lazy--that’s not the case--but he seems more self-driven now than in the past. He’s easily one of the best athletes on the team.
Armani Moore is taking on a different role, he’ll have to be more of a playmaker this year. I wouldn’t look for him to bringing the ball up against pressure, but once they get in the halfcourt, a great deal of the offense is going to go through him. Moore is undoubtedly the leader of this team--along with Kevin Punter--and isn’t remotely shy about getting on his teammates when its needed. Barnes is pushing Moore to be more of a scorer and I’d look for him to try and move his game out on the floor some this year. He’s being encouraged to step out beyond the three point line and knocked down several today while we were in the gym.
Devon Baulkman is one of the staff’s favorites, really pushes himself and is making shots. He’s certainly in the mix to start, probably him or Mostella opposite Hubbs on one wing right now I would guess. Baulkman probably gets the nod now because of how he approaches things on the defensive end and the way he’ll go down inside and mix it up for rebounds. Team rebounding is going to be a huge for this team and the guards will have to be a part of that.
Kevin Punter has been talked about a ton, any time Barnes has given an interview basically. The most obvious difference with Punter is his shot, reports of how much he’s changed it have not been overblown. The release and form is totally different. The jury is still out on how he’ll respond to handling point guard responsibilities but he’s certainly embraced the move and admits that he’s approaching things differently and thinking about the game in a different way. Certainly Barnes is holding him accountable and isn’t cutting him any breaks just because he’s in an unfamiliar role. To say he’s getting ‘coached hard’ would be an understatement.
Detrick Mostella is also a guy that’s gotten consistent high praise from the new staff. Physically he still looks like he could stand to get stronger and and he seemed to get less productive as practice wore on, which isn’t uncommon, but lends some credence to Barnes’ observing that many of his guys have to learn how to push through fatigue. He’s working hard though and didn’t seem to show some of the same questionable body language he sometimes displayed last season when things got tough.
Derek Reese is going to have a chance for a big role on this team. He’s working primarily as a four and will have to e a factor on the glass for this team to exceed expectations. Reese definitely looks stronger and at least for now seems invested in banging in the paint and doing some dirty work. It’s certainly been communicated to him that the path to him getting minutes lies in his ability to defend and rebound, and for now he looks like he’s taking that to heart.
Jabari McGhee has certainly gotten stronger, which he needed to, but he could still probably stand to add some weight. He’s a grinder and someone the staff loves for his willingness to do the dirty work in the paint. He’s added some skill but he’s back-to-the-basket game is still a work in progress. In fact, much like last year it doesn’t seem like the Vols are going to have the option to just dump it inside and feel good about getting a bucket or a trip to the foul line. McGhee is one reason to think that they’ll at least be more adept at matching-up with SEC teams in the paint on the defensive end.
