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Tennessee basketball all-century team: Vols roster with players since 2000

By Billy Williford

ATLANTA, GA - MARCH 14: Jordan McRae #52 of the Tennessee Volunteers dunks against the South Carolina Gamecocks against during the quarterfinals of the SEC Men's Basketball Tournament at Georgia Dome on March 14, 2014 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - MARCH 14: Jordan McRae #52 of the Tennessee Volunteers dunks against the South Carolina Gamecocks against during the quarterfinals of the SEC Men's Basketball Tournament at Georgia Dome on March 14, 2014 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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INDIANAPOLIS, IN – MARCH 28: Jarnell Stokes #5 of the Tennessee Volunteers drives to the basket against Jon Horford #15 of the Michigan Wolverines during the regional semifinal of the 2014 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 28, 2014, in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

There’s no question that Tennessee basketball often gets overlooked. Overall, in most of the South, college football ranks second. Okay, who am I kidding? It is first in most people’s minds.

Some fans are unique and put Tennessee basketball over every sport. On Rocky Top, that most certainly is not the case in Knoxville. The Tennessee football program is dear to a lot of people’s hearts.

However, the basketball program has an excellent argument for being the most successful out of the two during this century. The program has seen deep runs in the tournament and even a number one seed in the nation ranking.

True story, my buddy and I went to the SEC Basketball Tournament a couple of years ago and had the opportunity to meet some Kentucky fans – I could go the rest of my life without hearing a grown man say, “C-A-T-S, CATS, CATS, CATS.”

They mentioned, they saved all their money and sometimes went days without eating just to watch “The Big Blue” (another phrase I could care less about hearing again) play basketball.

What I have learned and what is so fascinating about fandom is most fans would do most anything to watch their teams play. I can 100% guarantee there are Vol fans that would do the same for football.

What Vol fans often forget is Tennessee basketball has been a saving grace recently. Since 2000, the basketball program has had 13 winning seasons, eight 20-win seasons, and ten NCAA Tournament appearances including five trips to the sweet sixteen and one to the elite eight. Comparatively, the football Vols have had seven losing seasons in which six of those were seven or more losses.

So for fun, I started thinking about my favorite Vols from the past 18 years. Writing that felt too easy, of course, Ron Slay, Chris Lofton, Dane Bradshaw, and Wayne Chism all made the list. Those players would have made all Tennessee fan’s list.

I wanted this to be different, I have played basketball all my life, and I’m not saying I understand the game on the level coaches do, but I would like to think I grasp what a team needs and how it should look.

So, I get to handpick a Tennessee All-Star team. This is not the top 13 players since 2000. It is a team comprised of players I believe were players that made an impact on their teams and would be an excellent fit for this one.

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