17. Tennessee (3-0)
Based on what really hasn’t been an inspiring early schedule, we knew that we weren’t going to be able to make many conclusions about the Volunteers right out of the gate. Tennessee has new talent making plays and another strong defense, but their best opponent two weeks into the season has been Mercer. This guys the Volunteers a few weeks to get their lineups together, but can this team be an SEC champion?
Like we mentioned above, we weren’t going to learn any real answers this week, with Tennessee taking it to North Florida in a 99-66 victory. This was another great effort for the Volunteers on offense, getting 23 points and 10 rebounds from J. P. Estrella. The two major newcomers stood out as well, as Ja’Kobi Gillespie had 21 points and 7 assists while stud freshman Nate Ament dropped 19 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists.
When you look ahead, Tennessee does have some significant tests in the nonconference schedule, but for now they’re doing exactly what they need to do. Rick Barnes and his team have new pieces playing new roles and he’s using these games to get the lineups just right. Tennessee has great talent and should be a factor in the SEC race again, but we’re still going to learn much next week in matchups against Rice and Tennessee State.