Tennessee basketball: Rick Barnes speaks as Vols begin preseason

The 2019-2020 men’s Tennessee basketball preseason begins with practice today. Here is a look at the Volunteers and what Rick Barnes said.

Well, Tennessee football may be a disaster, but while they are on a bye week, Tennessee basketball is ready to get things started for the 2019-2020 season. After a Sweet Sixteen run in 2018-2019 that included four weeks at No. 1, the Vols take the court to begin practice with a brand new look.

This includes the loss of four starters in Grant Williams, Jordan Bone, Admiral Schofield and Kyle Alexander, and the addition of four freshman, including five-star Josiah-Jordan James and three three-stars in Olivier Robinson-Nkamhoua, Davonte Gaines and Drew Pember. Transfer Uros Plavsic is another newcomer.

Returning talent includes major contributors Lamonte Turner and Jordan Bowden. Then Tennessee basketball has role players looking to take a step forward in Yves Pons, Zach Kent, John Fulkerson, and Jalen Johnson.

Simply put, there are lots of new questions about this team coming off its second 30-plus win season in school history. Rick Barnes spoke with the media ahead of the first practice, which you can fully read the transcript of here on GoVols247.

With so much talent gone, there is a question as to how good the Vols will be. Turner, a combo guard, and Bowden, a two-guard, both averaged double-figures last year. The addition of a five-star combo guard in James allows for a solid back court.

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However, the loss of Williams, Schofield and Alexander means they have a ton of replacing to do in the front-court. And it’s debatable if they’ll have enough for that this year. The addition of Plavsic is a plus, but he is a transfer who has not yet been granted an eligibility waiver by the NCAA. His seven-foot frame would help a lot if he got it, though.

Otherwise, Barnes will have to relay on Kent and Fulkerson while hoping one of the freshmen, Pember or Nkamhoua, step up. That’s a lot to ask for after having such talent in the front-court last year between Williams, the team’s best player, Schofield, the team’s rebounder, and Alexander, a true scrapper underneath the basket.

The offseason transfers of D.J. Burns and Derrick Walker only make it more difficult, as both guys could have provided depth in the front-court. Simply put, there is a wide range of possibilities for Tennessee basketball heading into the year. We don’t know how things will end up. But the young talent is exciting for Vol Nation to watch.

This team will need answers soon, though, with an exhibition against Eastern New Mexico just barely over a month away, set for Oct. 30, the season-opener against UNC Asheville set for Tuesday, Nov. 5, the James Naismith Classic against the Washington Huskies in Canada set for Saturday, Nov. 16, and the Emerald Coast Classic set for Friday and Saturday, Nov. 29-30.