Tennessee Basketball: Five Bold Predictions About the Vols on the Season

Feb 11, 2014; Knoxville, TN, USA; Florida Gators guard Kasey Hill (0) shoots the ball against the Tennessee Volunteers during the second half at Thompson-Boling Arena. The Gators won 67-58. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

Men’s Tennessee Basketball tips off Friday night against the UNC Asheville Bulldogs. Here are five bold predictions about the Volunteers’ upcoming season.

Next: Rick Barnes's First Vols Team to Look Like Bruce Pearl's First in 05-06

We are finally into the heart of college athletics this month, and that especially rings true for the Tennessee Vols.

With the football team hoping to continue a strong finish en route to its best season since 2007, a new era in basketball is set to start this year.

Obviously, a new era starting in Tennessee basketball is nothing new, given that it seems to happen once every four years or less. Bruce Pearl has been the biggest model of consistency for the Vols Men’s Basketball program over the last 20 years just to make it to six years.

But with the hope that Rick Barnes’s new era will bring some stability, he at least does not have an empty cupboard to work with. The new head coach has a history of adapting to personnel, and he already has done that this year with his athletic players.

With no true point guard and not much of an inside presence, tempo is going to be the name of the game for the Vols this year.

Replacing star player Josh Richardson is going to be extremely difficult, but while he was indeed the best player last year, the good news is that almost everybody is back.

More from Vols Basketball

• Tennessee Volunteers News: Midweek Recap, Food City Center, Students Back & More
• Tennessee Basketball: Which teams have the Volunteers never beaten?
• Former Tennessee Vols’ Star Grant Williams Dominated Game 4 of ECF
• 10 best Tennessee basketball NBA careers ever
• Tennessee Basketball: Phillips in Transfer Portal, New Transfers Join Vols

In fact, for Barnes, what happened last year is no excuse not to have a good season this year, and he is setting the bar high. Despite the Vols expected to finish No. 12 in the SEC, Barnes has already sold NCAA Tournament expectations on the fan base.

He was brazen enough to say that he has taken teams with less talent to the tournament before, and Barnes has clearly shown that he is willing to maximize what his players can do.

So with the confidence that this can get turned around quickly, here are five bold predictions about Rick Barnes’s first men’s Tennessee basketball team.

Next: #5: Tennessee Will Win at Least 20 Games