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Tennessee basketball: Ranking Vols finish to every season in 2010s decade

By Caleb Calhoun

PHOENIX, ARIZONA - DECEMBER 09: Jordan Bowden #23 of the Tennessee Volunteers celebrates after defeating the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the game at Talking Stick Resort Arena on December 9, 2018 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Volunteers defeated the Bulldogs 76-73. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - DECEMBER 09: Jordan Bowden #23 of the Tennessee Volunteers celebrates after defeating the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the game at Talking Stick Resort Arena on December 9, 2018 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Volunteers defeated the Bulldogs 76-73. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
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Photo by Tommy Gilligan/Getty Images
Photo by Tommy Gilligan/Getty Images /

9. 2014-2015

16-16 (7-11)

*No postseason

The fire of their second head coach this decade due to NCAA infractions that eventually led to Tennessee basketball hiring Rick Barnes came after this season. It was the one Donnie Tyndall year, and it’s probably the most forgettable season of the decade for Rocky Top. Nothing special happened at all for it, and that was a predictable outcome from the start.

Despite all of Tyndall’s issues, he walked into a rough situation. Cuonzo Martin bolted the Vols for the Cal Golden Bears the year before after taking UT to the Sweet Sixteen. Doing that with the backdrop of the petition fans signed to have him fired made Rocky Top a toxic place, and three of UT’s key starters left after that year.

Meanwhile, Tyndall couldn’t get any recruits for that season. Then, as the season began, the investigation into Tyndall’s actions with the Southern Miss Golden Eagles hit the news, creating more distractions. so it was a disaster from the start. However, with the leadership of Josh Richardson, they still fought hard in every game. The players deserved credit for what they did.

Included in that fight were upset wins over the Butler Bulldogs when they were ranked No. 15 in the nation and the Arkansas Razorbacks when they were ranked No. 19. And they won the first game of the SEC Tournament over the Vanderbilt Commodores.

However, they still only finished 16-16, and immediately after the season ended, Tyndall was fired. So that made this the second worst year on Rocky Top during the 2010s decade and set them back three years.

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