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Once again, the Tennessee Volunteers are headed into a basketball season with a new head basketball coach. However, this time the Vols get a Final Four caliber coach in former Texas Longhorns‘ head coach Rick Barnes.
With the arrival of Barnes in Knoxville, several high quality recruits bolted for the exit, and Tennessee lost star senior Josh Richardson, who was selected No. 40 overall in the 2015 NBA Draft by the Miami Heat. The Vols do not look like a team with any chance of heading to the 2016 NCAA Tournament, despite Barnes’ late efforts to sway a few highly rated recruits.
However, this team will be significantly better than they look on paper. Armani Moore is one of the hardest working players in college basketball, Robert Hubbs III has underperformed, Kevin Punter has shown flashes of being an elite scorer, Detrick Mostella has shown flashes of being an explosive point guard and Derek Reese and Devon Baulkman are more than capable of surprising off the bench.
Add these players to the incoming freshmen that Barnes already has recruited, and the Volunteers are just one top notch center from a potential bubble finish. This team may not be the Tennessee seen under Bruce Pearl or Cuonzo Martin, but they are still a dangerous, talented squad who can pull off some upsets.
Unfortunately, I do not believe that this will be a good season for the Vols under Barnes. Several SEC teams take a significant step forward, while the Volunteers take a step backwards. Tennessee made the right hire and is headed in the right direction, but a bottom half of the SEC finish should be expected in the 2015-16 season.
Taylor Sturm is a Featured Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @TSturmRS, like him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
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