Tennessee Basketball: 2020-21 season preview for the Volunteers
Tennessee Basketball is loaded with talent all over the roster and is looking to bounce back after a down season a year ago. Can the 2020-21 team be better than the Sweet 16 team of two years ago?
Tennessee Basketball certainly made the right decision when they brought Rick Barnes aboard in 2015, having amassed a 105-64 record in five seasons that includes a 31-6 mark and a trip to the Sweet 16 two seasons ago.
After that season, the Vols took a bit of a dip last year, finishing just 17-14 and 9-9 in the SEC, but then again losing the likes of Grant Williams, Admiral Schofield, Jordan Bone and a key reserve in Kyle Alexander to the NBA would do that to most teams.
The season started out well with a five-game winning streak with a win over No. 20 Washington, but in their next two despite another win over a ranked team, this time VCU, two close losses to Florida State and No. 13 Memphis by a total seemed to turn their season around as they finished up just 10-12 after that loss.
light. Related Story. Preseason SEC power rankings for 2020-21
The season ended on a bit of a high note, winning two of their final three games with wins over Florida and on the road at No. 6 Kentucky. The Vols were the No. 8 seed and prepared to face Alabama in the quarterfinals before the conference tournament was canceled.
The 2020-21 version of the Tennessee Volunteers should be in the top 25 before the season starts, with a roster that is young with just two returning seniors as their most important pieces, swingman Yves Pons and forward John Fulkerson, but with plenty of other ammunition returning and some impactful new faces, the Volunteers should be able to improve on last season.