University of Tennessee Athletics
Barnes' Up-Tempo Style Suits Vols
October 12, 2015 | Men's Basketball
Oct. 12, 2015
By Brian Rice
UTSports.com
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Rick Barnes wants to run at Tennessee.
MORE MEDIA DAY
Media day began with head coach Rick Barnes' press conference, covering philosophy and personnel schemes. ...Read more
Admiral Schofield
(On Ray Kasongo's athleticism)
"Ray can make teams want to put more pressure on the paint because if we keep going inside and going inside to Ray he's going to make them want to tighten in the paint. That opens up shooters like me and Kevin and Devon Baulkman to be able to shoot the three. That's one of the things we want to do this year so Ray can really help us out as far as drawing the defense in closer to get us open shots on the perimeter."
(On how walk-on Lucas Campbell benefits the team)
"He's very athletic, he's very athletic. I think that he is the type of guy that is down to earth and he knows how to jell with guys. First day when Brad Woodson first got here, Brad was the same way as him. They just automatically fit in as far as personality wise. They weren't shy, they were just laughing and joking with us and it's great to know that they can come right in and contribute during practice and go hard and give us a good look for the offensive and defensive team."
Shembari Phillips
(On his relationship with Lamonte Turner)
"Lamonte is a great teammate, great roommate and all of that all of the above. He definitely looks out for us and stuff like that he's just a brother away from home."
(On the impact of Kevin Punter's leadership)
"KP is definitely a leader on the team and if you had to ask me who the captain would be of course KP would be in there and he leads by example so that's one thing I really respect about him."
Kyle Alexander
(On fellow Canadian Ray increasing his energy on the court)
"Having another Canadian with me, someone who understands what it's like to come from a different place and someone who's in the same position as I am, I think that does help. With us being the same position I think we help each other out. We go at each other every day, get each other better. He's really he's a lot stronger than I am so he's teaching me how to be more physical in the post and use my quickness to counteract peoples strengths since I'm not as strong as everyone else is."
For those that watched his teams at Texas play, that should come as no surprise. At Tennessee, he wants the movement and tempo to be closely focused on transition points in a move to build on what his players do best.
"I've learned too, through the years, that you cannot ask players to do things that they're not capable of doing," Barnes said. "Players need to understand that there's a role that they have to play. Roles can change throughout the year, throughout their careers, but as a team, everybody's got a role to play."
The strengths that Barnes saw in the roster he inherited at Tennessee played right into the desire to play a fast-paced game. Barnes wants that offense to run through senior Armani Moore, a fact that should come as no surprise considering he is the Vols' leading returning scorer and rebounder.
"We are going to use him everywhere," Barnes said of Moore. "He came as a point guard. He does see the floor and pass the ball well. We are going to put him in positions where we will expect him to create for us often, as much as we would ask of a point guard."
But Barnes needs Moore to do more than just be a scorer, he wants the offense to start with the player that led the Volunteers in rebounding on 20 occasions in 2014-15. Getting a defensive rebound is the best way to get the offense going, and it leaves an efficient trailer with a solid outside shot to follow the fast break.
"I'm honored to be looked at as a guy for the offense to run through," Moore said. "It's definitely been a humbling experience for me."
Moore is also witnessing the payoff of four years of training that have prepared him for the new up-tempo style that Barnes has installed.
"There was a purpose for all the things I've been doing since my freshman year, from coming in at 6:00 a.m. to work by myself until now, everything counts," Moore said. "I think that's what a lot of athletes fail to realize, we complain because it's hard, but in the end it all pays off. I really like getting to see what it's like going through a hard time and being rewarded in the end."
After Moore pulls down the rebound to start the break, he'll look to get it quickly to point guard Kevin Punter, who Barnes said was the first player on the roster to buy-in, 100 percent, to the new Tennessee system.
"I can tell you this. Everywhere I've ever gone, whether it was going to my first head coach job at George Mason, or Providence, Clemson, Texas, and now Tennessee, I can name one player at each place that would be the first one that bought in. Kevin Punter was the first guy that truly bought in from the time that we got here."
Directing a fast-paced offense is something that Punter sees as playing to his strengths.
"It's a quick offense," Punter said. "Coach wants us to rebound the ball and push it. For me to see the flow and hit teammates on the run, constant running up and down the floor, that's good for the team."
Seeing an offense that easily complimented what he does best made buying into the system easy for Punter. So did seeing a coach with the passion of Barnes.
"It's definitely a change, but I'm used to change," Punter said. "When a coach wants to win, he raises the bar so high, I'm always with that and want to buy in to where he wants the team to get to."
Punter is ready to run, saying he never gets tired on the court. Moore had similar thoughts, that the conditioning of the Vols under Barnes and strength and conditioning coach Garrett Medenwald would prove to be an advantage for Tennessee.
"For us to run the system, we have to be in really good shape," Moore said. "It will keep the defense on its heels and they can never relax. If we can take good shots and hit good shots, then the defense will have to compete with us, rather than us having to compete with them."
