Football season is winding down, but Tennessee basketball has only just begun.
Volunteer fans, and students in particular, are excited to see where their team will take them. With several returning starters, the Vols just might have what it takes to keep young fans coming back for more.
Last week, head coach Cuonzo Martin invited students to support the team during practice on Thursday. Of the attendees, Zach Pudelek, an accounting senior, said that he’s excited to see the team progress from last year, specifically in the SEC.
“I’m excited about any SEC game,” Pudelek said. “It’s gonna be interesting to see how good Kentucky is this year without having any returning starters, so I think we have a good chance against them, even though they’re supposed to be pretty good. I think we have a good chance of winning the SEC, to be honest. We have a lot of returning starters.”
David Maye, an undecided freshman, said he’s hoping basketball will help alleviate some of the disappointment from the Vols’ current football record. He was happy to see the basketball team working on technique.
“I’m glad to see they’re doing a lot of defensive drills,” Maye said. “I think we have a lot of offensive talent, but where we’re gonna win games is if we step up on defense. We’ve been kinda weak there the last couple years.”
The drills seem to be paying off with the team’s early exhibition win and a win in the season opener on Friday. Pudelek and Maye agreed that Martin’s coaching style seems to have had a positive effect on the team.
“I’ve liked everything I’ve heard about him,” Maye said. “Everything I’ve read and what he says as well. I like his attitude. I think he’s done a good job with what he had to work with last year.”
Pudelek said Martin’s quiet personality was a big change from previous head coach Bruce Pearl, but agreed that Martin’s persona might be the determining factor in the team’s success. He said he was more concerned about Martin’s character than his experience on the court.
“That’s not what makes you a good coach,” Pudelek said. “What makes you a good coach, we’re about to find out.”
Maye said he’s excited to watch sophomore forward Jarnell Stokes as he develops on the court. While Maye said he found senior guard Skylar McBee entertaining on the floor, Stokes peaked his interest.
“I’m excited to watch Jarnell Stokes, especially since he was one of our best players last year and he’s so young,” Maye said. “I think he has a lot of potential.”
Other than a few tweaks here and there (Pudelek wasn’t excited about the men’s “power T” warmups and Maye thought McBee’s choice of facial hair was a little on the creepy side), Pudelek and Maye were positive overall about the team’s upcoming season. Being able to be a part of the team’s practice and seeing a little more inside the team’s routine is something both fans were excited to see repeated.
“I wish they’d do it more,” Maye said. “It’d be fun to come to practices more often.”
