Tennessee basketball: Vols 6-1 start among most impressive in nation

After beating the VCU Rams, Tennessee basketball is 6-1. That start is incredibly impressive given what the Volunteers have overcome.

When you talk about great coaching jobs by Rick Barnes, the start of the 2019-2020 season for Tennessee basketball has to be up there. Given everything the Vols have dealt with, it’s actually one of the most impressive stories in the nation.

Here is a team that lost its top four contributors last year. Then it lost out on an eligibility waiver for its 7’0″ transfer while another 6’11” player on the roster left the program. That left them with nobody taller than 6’9″ and only one player over 6’6″ with any experience.

On top of that, one of their only two returning rotational players from last year, Lamonte Turner, had to make the transition to point guard, and he’s playing the early part of the season with a shoulder injury, which has limited his ability to stretch the floor with his shot. Finally, Josiah-Jordan James, the Vols one elite recruit, has been unable to get into a rhythm.

When you take all of this into account, Tennessee basketball should not be 6-1. They have played two top 25 teams and three top 25 caliber teams, all away from home, en route to a top 25 ranked strength of schedule. And their only loss is a three-point loss to the Florida State Seminoles.

All of these things working against them showed in the Emerald Coast Classic. But Turner, the guy battling the injury who was then knocked out of the first game twice, managed to hit the buzzer beater to beat the VCU Rams.

As a result, despite their loss, the No. 17 ranked Vols will likely remain in the top 25. And they have earned it. The question, though, is how are they managing to look this good while struggling in so many areas?

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It all comes back to Barnes’s coaching. He stresses defense and attacking the paint. If the shot is not falling, and if the other team is hitting, those two things can help. UT may not have anybody over 6’9″, but they continue to out-rebound opponents. They rarely miss free throws, going 15-of-16 against VCU, and they deny the ball inside.

All of these things were on display in that win over the Rams. It’s why they withstood VCU hitting seven of 16 attempts from three. This is also why they weren’t phased when the Rams erased the Vols’ lead in the second half. Barnes has them mentally tough and able to handle all the bad breaks that work against them.

Jordan Bowden being efficient, Yves Pons developing an outside shot and John Fulkerson playing big are all helping that. Despite his injuries, Turner finding a way to get to the free throw line and being incredibly unselfish are all part of this as well. But those things are all a testament to Barnes’s ability to get the best out of his players, even when they are struggling.

If they can be 6-1 with all of these issues now, just imagine how great this team can be down the stretch of the season. Turner getting healthy, James finally finding his rhythm, and the outside shots for everybody beginning to fall could make this team dangerous. Tennessee basketball is already ahead of schedule with this start.

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