University of Tennessee Athletics
Vol Hoops Report: Oct. 12
October 12, 2016 | Men's Basketball
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- With only 30 days until regular-season action tips off for the Tennessee basketball team, head coach Rick Barnes was asked Wednesday which players had separated themselves as potential starters after two weeks of preseason practice.
COUNTDOWN TO TIPOFF
The Timeline
- October 19:
SEC Men's Basketball Media Day
Nashville, Tenn. | Bridgestone Arena - October 26:
Tennessee Basketball Media Day
On-Campus | Pratt Pavilion - November 3:
Vols vs. Slippery Rock (Exhibition)
7 p.m. ET | Thompson-Boling Arena - November 11:
Vols vs. Chattanooga
7 p.m. ET | Thompson-Boling Arena
"At some point they all have,” Barnes said. “That’s the problem we’ve had—and it’s a good problem because I do think we’re going to have a chance to develop a really nice bench. I’ve never been that big on who starts. But I’d like to see more separation in terms of consistency.
"That’s been the biggest thing, seeing who can put together back-to-back (good) days and separate themselves. Every guy has had some good days at some point. What we’re looking for is who is going to separate themselves and become starters."
While the potential starting combinations are still a work in progress, developing a deep and reliable bench will be a key sign of progress for a program that was forced to play tentative out of necessity at times a season ago.
"A year ago, the last thing I told (now-departed seniors) Armani Moore and Kevin Punter when we broke the huddle to jump the ball up was, ‘You can’t foul.’” Barnes said. “They knew they had to be conservative. What I hope we can do (this year) get is more intensity from the get-go."
Barnes on Wednesday also discussed progress in the post.
"We’re getting better (in the post). As you know, last year we really didn’t have a threat where we could (reliably) throw it in there. We’ve talked a lot more about wanting to get the ball inside. We think we’ve got some guys now who can give us some baskets. Our inside guys have proven, to this point, that they can get fouled and make free throws. Last year, we didn’t even talk about it. This year, we’ve talked about that a lot.”
Tennessee’s frontcourt—specifically the point guard position—was also a topic of discussion Wednesday. Last season, which marked Barnes’ debut campaign with the Vols, the lack of a “true” point guard led to Punter, a career shooting guard, logging the lion’s share of minutes at the point.
Entering this season, the Vols boast multiple young players who possess many of the instincts inherent to the point guard position.
"(Jordan Bone and Lamonte Turner) are guys who we know are capable of doing what we want to do there,” Barnes said. "Kwe Parker has, in his own way, shown us more than we probably thought. He listens. He knows how we want it done, and he’s getting better there. But again, it’s a consistency factor there. And Shembari Phillips has played there.
"It’s about understanding the court and where we need the ball and how we need to get the ball there. The flow. There’s a lot on our point guards. There’s no doubt about it. We think we’ve got guys who are more than capable there. That’s a position that we’re really demanding of. They need to understand exactly what (we’re teaching every day). What are we trying to accomplish? How are we getting into it, and how can you think this game? They understand attacking different spots on the floor that we want to attack. But again, it goes back to consistency."
VOLS ARE YOUNG
The 2016-17 Vols are a little on the young side. One passing glance at the Tennessee roster reveals as much: on a ticket featuring 16 players, only three will hold a class distinction older than sophomore when the season tips off in November. With youth comes inexperience, something Admiral Schofield addressed on Wednesday before practice.
"We're young and we understand that we're young. We've just got to replace (what we lack in) experience with hard work."
Seven true freshmen and eight total newcomers are getting their first taste of a Rick Barnes-run preseason camp at present -- an experience that can be taxing both physically and mentally as the young guys adapt not only to the pace and physicality of basketball in the SEC, but also to the rigorous standards put in place by Barnes and his staff. Still, the sophomore Schofield -- not too far removed from his own freshman paces -- and others among the team's elder statesmen have come away impressed with how Tennessee's new faces have embraced the task.
"I think the biggest thing is that they came in with an attitude of humility and just learning," Schofield said. "They've really taken on the challenge of just playing their role and doing their job and just listening and comprehending everything that we've given them. They've gone out there and proven that they deserve to be playing."
Senior Robert Hubbs III echoed those sentiments, saying "As soon as they got on campus this summer we basically told them, straight up, what we need each one of them to do to be successful. They've stepped up. We say it all the time that we've never seen a class like this pick things up so well. They're doing it every single day."
The fact remains that Tennessee's on-court success may be directly tied to the ability of the youngest Vols to translate development into contribution. To hear Schofield tell it, that transition might not be too far off.
"I do think they're ready. I do think that when they get out there and they get their feet wet a little bit that they'll be ready to go right off the bat."
HUBBS' ESTABLISHING LEADERSHIP
The program's lone four-year senior, Robert Hubbs III is concerning himself with more than just increasing his production on the floor this season. He's also focused on filling the team's leadership roles left vacant by the graduation of Armani Moore and Kevin Punter Jr.
"One guy that always stands out to me is Armani," Hubbs said on Wednesday when asked about what type of leadership he aims to emulate. "When I first came in, even though he was just a sophomore, he still spoke his mind and that's something I still think about all the time. It doesn't matter how old you are, if you're a leader, you're a leader. That's what I'm trying to be right now."
Hubbs had his most efficient season on the offensive end last year, shooting a career best 45.2 percent from the field while also averaging double digits for the first time in the orange and white. And while the Newbern, Tennessee, native would be the first to admit that he spent a good portion of last season struggling to adapt to Coach Barnes' rigid philosophy and lofty expectations, Hubbs now hopes that his increased production can serve as an example of perseverance and trust in the system being put in place.
"The coaches are always talking to me to keep on influencing the young guys, to keep on talking to them because they're going to listen to me. They know I've been through a lot. I'm just working on it every day, trying to be the best leader I can."
SINGLE-GAME TICKETS ON SALE; NEW VOL PASS PACKAGE OFFERED
In addition to season-tickets, single-game tickets for Tennessee home games are now available for purchase. Fan interested in purchasing tickets are encouraged to visit AllVols.com or call the UT Ticket Office at 1-800-332-8657.
New this season is the "Vol Pass" ticket package, which enables fans to select the best available seat prior to each game.
At $99, the Vol Pass provides a low-cost alternative to season tickets and allows fans to experience Tennessee basketball from different seats each game, based on availability.
