Tennessee at ETSU. What Say You Rick Barnes?
Lady Vols softball makes the trip to Johnson City today to play ETSU. Why won’t the men’s basketball team?
The national media’s comment that Tennessee basketball was flat against Kentucky because they hadn’t been challenged in almost two months wasn’t wrong, but it also probably isn’t the Vols fault.
How much blame can Tennessee take that their conference schedule would have them play the weak teams first and the stronger teams second? Is it their fault Georgia, Texas A & M, and Vanderbilt all stink?
We can discuss the Commodores taking Tennessee to overtime in Nashville before being saved by Grant Williams from the free throw line, but ultimately it was a team in a classic trap situation having their star put them on his back and win.
Frankly the Vols can’t be blamed for the struggles of Wake Forest, Georgia Tech, or West Virginia. Looked like challenging games when they were scheduled.
But there is one criticism one can make of Rick Barnes’ scheduling.
They won’t come back to Johnson City.
Today the ETSU softball team will certainly draw its biggest crowd of the season, despite less-than-idea weather conditions, when they host the Lady Vols at 6 p.m.
Same for the ETSU baseball team on March 19 when they host the Vols. Nothing surprising about it.
But while Tennessee baseball coach Tony Vitello and softball coaches Ralph and Karen Weekly both feel it is important for branding and tradition to play in the Tri-Cities and the Lady Vols basketball team will visit ETSU next season, Vols men’s basketball coach Rick Barnes has said he will not play the Bucs in Johnson City again.
Heck, even the football team is willing to play in the Tri-Cities!
Barnes is willing to play Memphis on the road, as he did this year in a memorable bad-blood game, but not ETSU.
Frankly, that’s a sign of disrespect to the fans and graduates of this area if not one of Barnes’ own players. Doesn’t Kingsport’s John Fulkerson merit the chance to play in the Tri-Cities once in his college career?
Bruce Pearl scheduled games at Middle Tennessee State and Chattanooga that helped Tennessee’s branding.
Yes, perhaps ETSU in Johnson City would be a challenge for the Vols. So was playing in the NIT season tip off and the Jerry Colangelo Classic.
Frankly Tennessee saw the shortcomings of playing a weak schedule leading up to the Kentucky game.
Wouldn’t a two-for-one, which ETSU would readily agree to, against the Buccaneers for the next three seasons be more beneficial for the Vols’ SEC challenges ahead than hosting the likes of Samford and Tennessee Tech?
Of course, ETSU isn’t exactly blameless in this situation. Until a new arena can be built, why not punch out a couple of holes for doorways on the side of the Minidome so potentially 14,000 fans could see an ETSU-Tennessee basketball game and make scheduling a game here that much more attractive?
And Bucs head coach Steve Forbes has said he doesn’t want to play Division II powerhouse Lincoln Memorial and risk a loss.
But wouldn’t the attention be good for both programs? And let’s say a LMU upset of ETSU was their springboard to join the Atlantic Sun, as long rumored. Wouldn’t it be beneficial to the region to have the interest another Division I athletics program would provide?
Just like the interest Tennessee and ETSU would provide.
So yes, ETSU should play LMU before they play the likes of Division II Hiwassee and Reinhardt.
Just like Tennessee men’s basketball should not be the only program in Knoxville unwilling to come to the Tri-Cities every now and then.
Marky Billson hosts a sports talk show in the Tri-Cities, TN area weekdays 12–2 p.m. ET. Watch him live or archived here.
