Tennessee basketball: Watch Admiral Schofield’s standing ovation as Vols host Vanderbilt

As Tennessee basketball hosted the Vanderbilt Commodores, Volunteers fans gave former Vol Admiral Schofield a standing ovation in his return.

One of the greatest development stories in Tennessee basketball history, former Vols forward Admiral Schofield was back in town Tuesday night. He took advantage of the All-Star break and returned to Thompson-Boling Arena.

The Washington Wizards rookie was in attendance as the Vols hosted the Vanderbilt Commodores. Schofield’s last game with UT was when they were eliminated in the Sweet 16 of the 2019 NCAA Tournament by the Purdue Boilermakers.

Beyond that, Schofield’s last game in Thompson-Boling Arena was a 71-54 win over the Mississippi State Bulldogs in early March of last year. In this return, he received a standing ovation from the crowd during a TV timeout.

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Schofield later did an interview in the second half with the SEC Network and talked about UT and his experience playing in the pros. With the Wizards so far, he has played 26 games and is averaging over three points and one rebound.

When he was in Knoxville, Schofield played like a power forward with his 6’5″ 241-pound frame. However, he also was a deadly three-point shooter, particularly his senior year when he shot nearly 42 percent from the outside and averaged 16.5 points.

However, what really stood out to Tennessee basketball fans was the way Schofield developed over four years. He was a three-star who committed to Donnie Tyndall, but he stayed around when Rick Barnes took over. Barnes was the one who got him into shape and developed him into the college star he became.

Every year, Schofield’s averages went up, and he was as much a key to the Vols’ No. 1 ranking in 2019 as Grant Williams was. Things like that are why he is always welcome back in Knoxville, especially with Barnes as head coach.

If Schofield’s development in the pros in any way resembles what he did in college with Tennessee basketball, his averages will significantly increase over time. Everybody in Vol Nation knows that’s possible. He eventually should be able to do it at the next level.