Tennessee basketball has only played four games this season, but its shooting percentages from across the court have been off the chart.
The Vols are 4-0 to start the year and have averaged 88 points per game through the first two weeks of the season. Tennessee has been efficient so far this season, too, shooting 54.4% from the field to start the season and being red-hot in every offensive shooting zone.
It’s only through 4 games but Tennessee’s shot chart is scorching hot. Vols currently have the #1 FG% in the country. pic.twitter.com/k4XclmqC4X
— Jordan Moore (@jordanmoore_21) November 18, 2024
It's hard to fathom that a Rick Barnes-coached team is that good offensively. Barnes brings primarily a defensive mindset to the table, but the transfer portal has allowed him to recruit efficient shooters to complement his defense.
That process worked perfectly with Dalton Knecht, and Barnes' newcomers Chaz Lanier and Igor Milicic, whom Tennessee recruited out of the transfer portal during the spring recruiting cycle, look to be off to a hot start.
Cade Phillips leads the team with a 72% shooting percentage, followed by Felix Okpara with a 62.5% shooting percentage. Chaz Lanier leads the team, shooting 50% from three-point range, followed by Zakai Zeigler, who shoots 47%, and Jordan Gainey, who shoots 36%.
If the Vols can reduce their turnovers, they might be one of the best teams in the country, which could be a great sign of things to come later next spring when the Big Dance comes around.
Tennessee heads to the Bahamas for its next two games. The Vols will play Virginia on Thursday and either Baylor or St. Johns on Friday in the Continental Tire Baha Mar Championship.