Tennessee basketball 2021-2022 preview: Frontcourt

Biggest questions

1. Is Branden Huntley-Hatfield able to step in as a starter?

As we mentioned on the previous slide, Brandon Huntley-Hatfield was a five-star across the board when he committed. It’s pretty obvious that Kennedy Chandler will immediately step in at point guard as a true freshman. Can Huntley-Hatfield follow suit?

Honestly, Huntley-Hatfield and John Fulkerson could alternate between the four and the five. The positions would be interchangeable and give Rick Barnes a lot of flexibility. If he’s able to do that, Tennessee basketball will immediately have depth in the post. This is the main story on here.

2. Who will take over at backup center?

Beyond Huntley-Hatfield and Fulkerson, the Vols need other players who can provide depth in the post. Uros Plavsic has been in the program for two years now, and Jonas Aidoo comes in with a good bit of hype.

Can one of them work their way into the rotation this year? The Vols need that to make sure they have the right amount of length. Of course, Huntley-Hatfield and Fulkerson could occupy the two center spots, but it’s better for everybody if one of them takes the four and Aidoo or Plavsic steps up at the five.

3. Can Olivier Nkamhoua play the stretch four?

A big factor as to how Barnes runs his rotation in general will be how well Olivier Nkamhoa developed. With Yves Pons gone, Rick Barnes needs a true stretch four. He would like to enjoy the length advantage with Huntley-Hatfield and Fulkerson at 6’10” and 6’9″ respectively.

That leaves Nkamhoua, who is 6’8″, athletic and has some finesse. If he can play the stretch four, then Barnes has options and flexibility, particularly at the three. It’ll immediately allow for the depth needed in the post as well, so this is a big deal.