A year ago, few viewed the Tennessee men’s basketball team as a threat to win the national championship.
Picked to finish 13th in the SEC, the Vols thoroughly surpassed those expectations, notching 26 total victories and earning a share of the regular season conference title.
Heading into this season, the aura surrounding this team could not be more different.
Bolstered by the return of All-SEC wing Admiral Schofield and the continuing development of SEC Player of the Year Grant Williams, the Vols continue to fluctuate between third and fifth in many national preseason polls.
The Vols have noticed.
“It’s a totally different landscape we’re going to be exploring now,” associate head coach Rob Lanier said. “Expectations are in place and for us to become the program we want to be, we have to navigate through this minefield.”
While Tennessee is coming off its most successful regular season since 2010, the accomplishments of last year are mere memories as opening night quickly approaches.
The players have continued to embrace this approach as practice is now in full swing.
“Now everyone else knows what we can do,” forward Kyle Alexander said. “That’s been the only difference, everyone knows what we’re capable of.”
Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes is no outsider to lofty expectations, however.
Having coached for 32 seasons, Barnes has tallied 661 Division 1 wins, good for 27th all-time among NCAA coaches, and just four shy of surpassing John Wooden’s total of 664.
“When you have that number in front of your name (ranking), I don’t care whether it’s a 25 or a one, it’s a big game,” Barnes said. “Our guys know that it’s really hard to win in this league.”
With a majority of the players having spent multiple seasons under Barnes’s tutelage, the Vols will be looking to take another step forward this season, as they hope to redeem themselves from last year’s loss to Loyola-Chicago in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
While the Vols had the luxury of creeping up on the national radar last year, that won’t be the case for Tennessee come October 31.
The Vols could possibly earn their highest-ever preseason AP Poll ranking, and the coaching staff is not shying away from it.
“I think it’s good when people know you’re good, because that means you have to be able to play every night,” Barnes said, “And if you’re not, you’re going to get beat.”
Tennessee will also be looking to repeat as SEC regular season champions; a feat that would be a first for both Barnes and the program.
Returning 90 percent of their total scoring output from last season, the Vols boast one of the most experienced rosters in college basketball.
For the players and coaches, continuity has helped established a deep-rooted appreciation that continues to show, both on and off the court. Whether it be interacting through social media, or participating in post-practice dunk contests, the Vols’ chemistry continues to be a strength.
“We’ve all been together now for two to three years,” guard Jordan Bowden said. “We all know what we can do and we buy into one another. It’s like a family.”
As the buzz around the Vols continues to grow, Barnes remains focused on the task at hand: getting better each day.
“It’s going to continue to take hard work,” Barnes said. “It’s going to take commitment. It’s going to take focus.”
