Tennessee Basketball: 2024-25 season preview for the Volunteers

Season Outlook

Tennessee made the Elite Eight last season and did their best to put recent failures in the rearview window. The Volunteers had actually lost to a team that was a 9-seed or lower in each of the three previous seasons. While last season’s breakthrough was great for the program, last season was last season and things are very different this year.

Sure, Zeigler returns and he’s a major part of whatever success is to come in Knoxville this season. However, losing Knecht and the other three starters has a major impact. We’ve detailed the new faces in town, and how each of those four transfers could be starters this season and make their own types of impact, but there’s still a lot of unknown for the Volunteers.

From a pure talent level, it’s easy to be excited about the backcourt. Zeigler is one of the nation’s best defenders, Gainey and Mashack are among a group of returners with high potential, and the new faces should also contribute on a high level. Defensively, the Volunteers should be elite yet again, though there still remain a few questions on the offensive side of the ball.

Who replaces Knecht’s raw production? The Volunteers certainly added formidable talent, especially with the shooting ability that Lanier, Dubar, and Milicic each bring to the table. In all likelihood, it’ll be a little bit of all of them contributing off the bat, though one wonders how they’ll each adjust to life in the SEC. Having three new faces in the frontcourt could also raise some issues, though Tennessee hopes Estrella and those other sophomores are ready for their moment if needed.

The bottom line is that this Tennessee squad should compete for another SEC title. They likely won’t be anyone’s favorite, especially with the talent at Alabama and Auburn and the expectations elsewhere, but don’t count out the Volunteers. Nobody expected Knecht’s development last year and you never know just how could develop into that next offensive star for Tennessee. We’ll see if this squad maintains their elite defense and if another potential trip to the NCAA Tournament can end in happiness instead of heartbreak.