re: Truly miraculous what Bruce Pearl has done

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You have got to be wondering if Tennessee (even as good as they've been) has to be wondering "What If" when it comes to Pearl.

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For a while but not lately. I think Pearl is a better coach now than he was then. The show cause gave him time to study and evolve. I don’t know that Pearl would have held onto the job for nearly 20 years (starting with his hiring in 2005) to get to a final four.

Pearl was a more exciting coach just personality wise but as far as just what they did at Tennessee, Barnes has done far more. Pearl inherited a stacked roster from a terrible coach while Barnes inherited a program reeling from the Pearl scandal, Donnie Tyndall scandal and Couonzo Martin’s semi cleanup job.

Barnes did better in the season and in the tourney. Pearl did better (and worse in recruiting). At the moment I don’t see a ton of difference between them beyond recruiting which I think Pearl does a better job at.