Tennessee basketball’s five biggest preseason storylines for 2021-2022

1. How will Rick Barnes rotate the three and the four?

This has changed on a yearly basis. Rick Barnes often has a stretch-four guy who could play either the three or the four, and how he used that player depended on his personnel. Barnes prefers an inside-out game with tempo, though, so if he can put that player at the three, he’ll do it.

For instance, when Tennessee basketball had Grant Williams and Kyle Alexander, Barnes was able to put Admiral Schofield at the three. However, over the last two years, with John Fulkerson as the only proven post player, Barnes had to put Yves Pons at the four.

This year, there’s a lot more proven talent in the backcourt once again, but there’s also a lot of potential in the frontcourt. Did Olivier Nkamhoua develop enough? Is Brandon Huntley-Hatfield as good as his five-star rating suggests? If so, Barnes could run Nkamhoua at the three, Huntley-Hatfield at the four and Fulkerson at the five.

On the other hand, it’s possible neither is ready, and while Kennedy Chandler runs the point with Victor Bailey Jr. at the two, Barnes could run Josiah-Jordan James at the three and Justin Powell at the four. He could go uniquely small or uniquely big.

The state of Tennessee basketball’s talent will be based in how Barnes rotates these guys. Given experience and potential, his most ideal situation is James at the three and Huntley-Hatfield at the four. What he does with those two spots will be very telling, though.