University of Tennessee Athletics
Vol Hoops Report: Sept 30
September 30, 2016 | Men's Basketball
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Friday marked the official start of preseason practice for the 2016-17 Tennessee basketball team. Entering his second year at the Big Orange helm, head coach Rick Barnes put the Volunteers through a lengthy, high-energy and fast-paced workout at Pratt Pavilion.
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With the season quickly approaching, Tennessee Athletics invites fans to "Meet Your Seats" at Thompson-Boling Arena from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 4....Read more
Rob Lanier
(On the point guard position)
"There's definitely a difference from last year. We went from a situation where we asked (departed senior) Kevin Punter basically to play a position that was foreign to him--and he did it admirably--to a situation this year where we've got two guys who play the position by trade and another who is a good combo-guard type who has some point guard skills. So we basically have three people who play the position, where last year we were asking one person to do it almost out-of-character.
"When you have (more natural options) at the point-guard position, other guys can play to their natural strengths. It kind of trickes down to the rest of the team when you have someone who is natural at the position. I would say the most natural point guard we have is Jordan Bone. Jordan does play the game with a pass-first mentality. He's the kind of player who, as he grows and develops, he'll be that guy that other guys really enjoy playing with because they know he's going to get them the ball. He's got the speed, athleticism and instincts that translate to the SEC level. So it's just a matter of experience for him, and just adapting to the competitive level that he's going to face. But we're excited about what we've seen from him.
"There's always been a lot of talk about Lamonte Turner. Lamonte is what we would call a 'one.' He's a lead guard with a scoring mentality. We want him to score--we're going to need him to score. He's a guy who plays well with the ball in his hands. He's still got a lot to learn. Even though he sat out last year (as a redshirt), experience-wise he's still a freshman. But he's got the competitiveness, the work ethic and the commitment that we believe will give him an opportunity to come in and contribute at a very high level early.
"And then Kwe Parker also has a little bit of a pass-first mentality. He's an athlete. Out of those three, he's probably a guy who's more passionate on the defensive end of the floor. It's well documented how good of an athlete he is, but I think all of the hoopla about his athleticism kind of undersells his basketball ability. He's got good IQ, and he's a good all-around player. And his game is not actually defined by his jumping ability. That's something he has--and it's really good when he's in a dunk contest--but as he's playing in a game, he's a good basketball player.
"So we're excited that at that position we've got three young guys. And the experience that (sophomore) Shembari Phillips got (in a limited backup point guard role) last year will serve him as an all-around player. So we're much deeper and much more skilled and much more equipped to make the basketball plays that you'd expect from that position on this year's team."
Chris Lofton
Former Tennessee All-American and reigning SEC 3-Point King Chris Lofton attended the Vols' first practice Friday. The 2007 SEC Player of the Year is training to prepare for his eighth season of professional basketball. He spent last season playing in France.
(His thoughts on observing practice)
"I loved the passion, the intensity and the energy. It's something I really love watching. Those are the types of things coach Barnes teaches, and I think it's going to be a fun year."
(On what he's doing in Knoxville)
"I'm training, getting ready to had back overseas soon. I came here for a week just to switch it up. I do most of my training back home in Kentucky, but I like to come down here every now and then."
(On watching the Vols while playing overseas)
"Depending on the game times, sometimes I can watch them. I have a Slingbox, so I can watch on my computer--if the game's not too late. Last year I was seven hours ahead, so afternoon games were better."
Tennessee hosts its lone exhibition contest in just 35 days, as Slippery Rock visits Rocky Top on Nov. 3. And the regular season tips off for the Vols on Nov. 11, when they host Chattanooga at Thompson-Boling Arena.
Though NCAA bylaws have allowed for a very limited number of full team workouts so far this semester (not exceeding two hours per week), work now begins in earnest as Tennessee prepares to return to the postseason in its 107th season of varsity hoops. The squad enters the preseason at full strength, as all 16 players took part in Friday's practice.
Barnes and his staff of associate head coach Rob Lanier and assistant coaches Desmond Oliver and Michael Schwartz put the Vols through up-tempo skill-instruction station work, team defense and rebounding drills as well as live 5-on-5 action Friday.
"They gave great effort," Barnes said. "We've got a lot of young guys, so we're trying to teach them that every possession counts. They have to listen, concentrate and learn to play when they're tired. They all want to do the right thing, but one of the major keys will be when they hit that threshold of being fatigued, can they push through it? You have to execute when you're tired."
Possessing the mental toughness to make the right decisions at game speed when exhaustion starts to set in is a critical step in the development of individual players and, ultimately, teams that make winning plays.
True freshman forward Grant Williams was thankful for the limited early-fall workouts the team was able to conduct prior to Friday, because they provided an opportunity to acclimate to the pace and physicality of Division I basketball.
"This was the hardest basketball practice--or even game--that I've ever played in," a sweat-soaked Williams said immediately after the workout. "If we hadn't worked as hard as we did leading up to today, I don't think we'd be as prepared as we are right now. I feel like we've already come a long way, but we still have a long way to go."
"This was a long practice," Barnes said. "You can see when fatigue sets in what it does to certain guys, but that's what the preseason is about. You have to get guys to understand how hard it is to play for long periods of time at this level. I'm not sure we've got many guys, today, who can play for long periods of time at the pace we want to play. We'll see who separates themselves from the pack over the next few weeks."
Barnes did offer up a few names of individuals who helped themselves out of the gate Friday.
"I thought today Jordan Bone did some good things at the point guard spot," Barnes said. "Robert Hubbs III is a guy who, as you'd expect, he has a knack for putting the ball in the basket. And Admiral Schofield had a good day. We worked on several things today, and he showed that he's a guy who can do a lot of different things.
"All of them had some decent moments. But playing with consistency--being able to sustain it--is something you have to be able to do, and we're not there yet."
A CLOSER LOOK AT THE ROSTER
With just three upperclassmen on its roster, Tennessee will be a youthful--but skilled and athletic--squad in 2016-17. Returning swingman Robert Hubbs III (10.6 ppg) and incoming graduate transfer Lew Evans (8.4 ppg, 5.6 rpg at Utah State) are the team's only seniors, while explosive guard Detrick Mostella (8.4 ppg) is the lone junior.
A trio of rising sophomores who were significant contributors last season--guard Shembari Phillips (5.4 ppg, .368 3FG) and forwards Kyle Alexander (3.2 rpg, 1.0 bpg) and Admiral Schofield (7.6 ppg, 4.0 rpg)--looks to expand their respective roles, while point guard Lamonte Turner provides a boost in the backcourt after redshirting last season.
The Vols also welcome six scholarship freshmen in guards Jordan Bone, Jordan Bowden, Jalen Johnson and Kwe Parker and forwards John Fulkerson and Grant Williams.
Additional depth is provided by guards Lucas Campbell, Jacob Fleschman and Brad Woodson.
The Vols’ roster features 16 players representing six states as well as Ontario, Canada. There are five Vols who hail from the state of Tennessee, three from North Carolina, and a pair of players are from Alabama. Georgia, Illinois, Texas and Utah also are represented.
