Tennessee basketball: Ranking Vols by importance in NCAA Tournament

Tier 1: Go-to playmakers

3. Admiral Schofield

One of the marks of Tennessee basketball the last two seasons is whether or not Admiral Schofield is hitting from the outside. If he is, the Vols don’t have to do anything. They will win almost every time.

The four-year veteran has one more chance at the NCAA Tournament and is the most versatile player on the team. Schofield will find a way to be effective. Either he’ll hit his outside shots, help play big inside or defend. So he’s a tier one player. However, he’s No. 3 on this list because it’s not crucial that the ball be in his hands every possession.

2. Jordan Bone

Jordan Bone, unlike Admiral Schofield, needs to have the ball every possession when he’s on the court. The one true point guard on the team, Bone provides so much value and may be the Vols’ best NBA prospect. He joins Schofield as another guy who is a testament to Barnes’s amazing developing skills.

Bone is the key distributor, but he’s also in the trio with Lamonte Turner and Jordan Bowden. If neither is hitting, Bone can always fill that void to be the guard who is red-hot from the outside. Doing that allows this team to still win, and that’s a big deal.

1. Grant Williams

As good as Admiral Schofield is and as crucial as Jordan Bone is, nobody on the Vols can do what Grant Williams can do. Every other player who has a skill is joined by at least one other teammate with that skill, even if it’s to a lesser degree. Williams is the only true go-to post-up player on the team, and he should be getting the ball every possession. There’s a reason he’s SEC Player of the Year.

If Tennessee basketball is able to play inside-out with Williams, they can win any game. They need to go out of their way to make sure Williams gets the ball as much as possible, and Williams needs to demand that he get it to take over games. That’s how the Vols will win in the NCAA Tournament. Everything should go through Williams.