You can believe the hype. This Tennessee men’s basketball team, with the highest preseason ranking in program history, is worthy of the press.
Vol fans have learned to keep their metaphorical cups on at the sight of any positive publicity. Football has consistently been a let down. The administration has spent the better part of the last decade in the Costanza Zone, where they would have been better off going against their own gut feelings. Even the Lady Vols, long the one constant in Tennessee athletics, have let fans down over the last few years. The last decade has been the dark ages for athletics at UT.
It’s easy to understand why Tennessee fans would walk on eggshells when they see such lofty praise for their men’s basketball team. It’s like not talking to a pitcher in the middle of a no-hitter. Tennessee fans have seen this movie before. They know the ending if they allow themselves to get their hopes up.
Rick Barnes has created at Tennessee exactly the type of team that wins titles in this era. This team is experienced. It shares the ball. It can play inside-out. It prides itself on defense and rebounding. It can run the floor or grind out a half-court slugfest. There are very few questions about this team and that might lead to the one big question we have about Tennessee basketball this year. How far can this team go in the NCAA Tournament?
Grant Williams, the returning SEC Player of the Year, is a throwback. He looks and plays more like a 90’s Big East power forward than he does the underweight, lanky big men AAU programs churn out every year. Williams has a legitimate back to the basket skillset, a lost art in the open floor era of freedom of movement. Don’t take that to mean Williams’ game is antiquated. On the contrary, today’s bigs struggle to deal with the combination of Williams’ strength and skill. When is the last time a 6’9” forward that likes to run the break actually had to deny position on an entry pass? Grant gives Tennessee an immediate mismatch. He’s like a defensive end that changes the opposition’s entire blocking scheme. Even when Williams doesn’t put up a double double he’s affected the game simply by being on the floor.
Admiral Schofield was probably Tennessee’s best player down the stretch last year. There may not have been a player in college basketball that took bigger strides last season than Schofield. Admiral can run the break, stretch the floor with his outside shot and spell Grant on the block when Williams needs a breather. Schofield doubled his stats in most categories year-over-year in 2017-2018. After turning down draft overtures last year Admiral returns to Rocky Top looking to build on his improvement from last year.
Barnes needs support players to step up this season. Guards Jordan Bone and Jordan Bowden combined for just 16 points and 5.5 assists per game last year. Both showed promise at times for Tennessee, but disappeared for stretches in big spots for the Vols one season ago. Bowden had the hot hand early for Tennessee but couldn’t space the floor with his outside shot in SEC play like he did early in the season. Bone has as quick a first step as anyone who has ever played at TBA but needs to finish at the rim and improve his outside shot so he can burn defenders who play off of him on the perimeter. Both have looked improved and aggressive in the preseason.
Yves Pons is a monster athlete. Rumor has it Pons can jump flat-footed and touch the back of the backboard. Whether that’s real or the stuff of legend, it won’t matter if Pons can jump into the 300 level if he isn’t able to stay out of foul trouble. In the preseason, Pons has played under control. The sky is the limit for him if he can continue to add to his game. Kyle Alexander is very nice weakside post addition to Williams on the block. Alexander can protect the rim and clean the glass on the defensive side. John Fulkerson brings instant energy off the bench on the defensive side. Fulkerson may have lost some explosiveness to injury two years ago but he still adds quality minutes in the rotation.
Where the Vols need to step up is on the perimeter. Fans leave their seats when Tennessee is on the break but the Vols biggest strength is that they can win the type of half-court game most teams are uncomfortable playing. The obvious game plan against Tennessee will be to sag into the paint and force Tennessee’s guards to hit open looks from beyond the arc. If the Vols can knock down those jumpers, teams will have to play Williams and Schofield straight up. That’s not a winning proposition for most teams.
The schedule is almost perfect for Tennessee this year. The Vols will be tested early by trips to the Preseason NIT and Jerry Colangelo Classic where they will face Louisville and Gonzaga with a possible matchup with 2nd ranked Kansas looming in Brooklyn. The SEC slate is manageable until the end of the year. The Vols close with the three best teams in the conference, getting two of those games at home before closing the year at Bruce Pearl’s Auburn Tigers. Tennessee will be battle tested entering tournament play.
Basketball, however, is a tournament sport. This Vols team could win 30 games, lose in the second round and be perceived as underachievers. The NCAA Tournament is a crapshoot. Some part of a team’s success is based on tournament draw. Some part of it, as Virginia found out last year, can come down to make or miss. The Cavaliers were a tournament favorite before shooting 4 of 22 from 3-point range, becoming the first 1-seed to ever lose to a 16-seed in NCAA Tournament history.
These Vols, however, are built for the tournament. They can beat you multiple ways. They don’t live and die by the outside shot, their post game or by getting out on the break. They can do it all and that’s why the college basketball world will keep an eye on Knoxville all season long.
