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Tennessee basketball: Vols top 10 greatest players in the 2010s decade

By Caleb Calhoun

KNOXVILLE, TN - DECEMBER 29: Grant Williams #2 of the Tennessee Volunteers and Admiral Schofield #5 of the Tennessee Volunteers celebrate on the bench during the second half of the game between the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles and the Tennessee Volunteers at Thompson-Boling Arena on December 29, 2018 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Tennessee won 96-53. (Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - DECEMBER 29: Grant Williams #2 of the Tennessee Volunteers and Admiral Schofield #5 of the Tennessee Volunteers celebrate on the bench during the second half of the game between the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles and the Tennessee Volunteers at Thompson-Boling Arena on December 29, 2018 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Tennessee won 96-53. (Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images) /
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Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images
Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images /

Scouting Report. 2011-2014. Jarnell Stokes. Pick Analysis. Forward. 3. player. 534

Despite everything that happened during the Cuonzo Martin era, there were some really talented guys who helped Tennessee basketball have a very good run down the stretch of their 2014 season with him. None of those players were more noteworthy than Jarnell Stokes, who was simply dominant inside and an early superstar for the Vols this decade.

A five-star recruit out of Memphis, Stokes committed to Rocky Top midway through the 2011-2012 season, and as an early enrollee, he was able to play immediately. In that time, Stokes helped turn around a Vols team still adjusting to Martin’s style, and they ended up finishing second in the SEC and just missing out on the NCAA Tournament.

The next year, Jerronne Maymon, who does deserve a mention on this list, went down with a season-ending injury, putting too much on Stokes to be effective. But he finally showed his skills during the 2013-2014 set with Maymon back and Jordan McRae and Josh Richardson able to stretch the floor. Even a season-ending injury to Robert Hubbs III didn’t stop him.

That year, Stokes averaged over 15 points points and 10.6 rebounds a game. He finished his two and a half years on Rocky Top with 1,129 career points and 836 career rebounds. As a 6’8″ 260-pound two-time All-SEC player who was ridiculously athletic, Stokes used his width and power to dominate people inside. That was key to UT making the Sweet Sixteen in 2014.

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