Tennessee Basketball: A team to remember
The Tennessee Basketball Volunteers had their season end Sunday afternoon as they suffered a double-digit loss to Houston in the Elite 8. It was a brutal way to end the season, but when we look back at this team years from now, I think Big Orange Country will remember a gritty team that exceeded expectations and overcame their fair share of obstacles.
Tennessee was put in a tough spot before conference play started with the season-ending injury to J.P. Estrella and Cam Carr’s puzzling departure. This left Tennessee with 9 scholarship players to navigate what was the best conference in all of College Basketball. The Vols went 14-7 in the conference with a record of 3-3 versus the 3 teams that finished ahead of them. After last year’s run to the Elite 8, I don’t know how many fans thought Rick Barnes could get Tennessee back there without Dalton Knecht. However, Tennessee got back there again without a 1st round pick. I know everyone wanted a Final 4 and that losing the way they did to Houston was frustrating and demoralizing, but for the 2nd straight year, this team played to their seed line. Which is something that many Tennessee teams in the past could not say. Rick Barnes has earned the right to coach at Tennessee as long as he wants, and with a pretty empty roster going into next year there’s no one I’d want leading Tennessee through a transitional type year more than Rick Barnes.
Rick Barnes and his staff will have to fill out 6 scholarship spots through the portal, and with the recent success this staff has had in that area, I think they will have another roster worthy of competing in the SEC. Tennessee has 3 players coming in from the high school ranks and 4 players returning, assuming no one decides to enter the transfer portal. The biggest concern going into next year for me is with the departure of Zeigler and Mashack, who will be the leaders on next year’s team? Will Felix, J.P., or Cade step up, or will one of the transfers be the primary leader? Or will Rick Barnes have to be more expressive next year at 71 years old? It will be interesting to follow for sure, but as long as Rick Barnes is on the sidelines for the Vols I know Tennessee will be a program worthy of respect.