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Tennessee Basketball: Five Things the Vols Need to Address this Offseason

By Caleb Calhoun

Mar 11, 2016; Nashville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Rick Barnes talks with his players in a huddle in the second half against the LSU Tigers during the SEC tournament at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 11, 2016; Nashville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Rick Barnes talks with his players in a huddle in the second half against the LSU Tigers during the SEC tournament at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mar 9, 2016; Nashville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers celebrate after a play during game one of the SEC Tournament against Auburn Tigers at Bridgestone Arena. Tennessee won 97-59. Mandatory Credit: Joshua Lindsey-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 9, 2016; Nashville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers celebrate after a play during game one of the SEC Tournament against Auburn Tigers at Bridgestone Arena. Tennessee won 97-59. Mandatory Credit: Joshua Lindsey-USA TODAY Sports /

Tennessee basketball finished its first season under Rick Barnes with a 15-19 record. Here are five things the Volunteers need to address this offseason.

Going into the season, it was clear Rick Barnes had inherited a tough situation his first year as head coach for the Tennessee Vols men’s basketball program.

After all, Cuonzo Martin had not recruited well his last year in Knoxville thanks to all the chatter, and Donnie Tyndall’s class fell apart once the scandals surrounding him took center stage.

This left Barnes with a collection of talented players but a thin roster and hardly any size. The result was a 15-19 record in which the Vols fought to remain in every game but simply did not have the horses or the depth to win many of them without a huge stroke of good fortune.

Add in the injury to senior guard Kevin Punter Jr., the heart, soul, and best player on this team all year, and they never really had a chance. An over-achieving run in the conference tournament was a nice way to end the season.

But it was clear from the start that the Vols would not be able to do much this year as they were destined to rebuild. However, now Barnes’s first year is in the books. As he continues to get his guys to run his up-tempo offense, the expectations will begin to rise.

There are a few things he and the Tennessee basketball program have to address this offseason. Here is a look at the five biggest needs.

Next: #5: Find an Inside Game

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