By Jimmy Hyams
Tennessee lost its leading scorer from a 16-16 team that couldn’t even make the NIT last year and didn’t sign any blue-chip recruits to bolster the roster.
That’s why the SEC media picked Tennessee 13th in a 14 team league. That’s why many local media thought the Vols were a borderline NIT team before the season.
Tennessee was supposed to finish ahead of only LSU. Instead, the Vols are ahead of every team in the SEC except Auburn. Surprisingly, they’re ahead of Kentucky and Texas A&M and Florida and Missouri in the SEC standings and in the NCAA RPI.
And even though the Vols have faltered by losing two of their last three league games, UT has an NCAA RPI of 15 with a projected NCAA Tournament seed of 3 or 4.
“I’d have to say I’m very surprised for them to turn it around this quickly,’’ said Mike DeCourcey, senior basketball writer for The Sporting News and one of the foremost authorities on college hoops.
“Rick Barnes does a great job.’’
In a recent interview on SportsTalk radio WNML, DeCourcey said he wasn’t sure Barnes, now 63, would do a great job at Tennessee. His last few Texas teams weren’t world beaters and the Longhorns decided it was time for a change.
“I think it’s fair to wonder if he had lost his fastball a little bit,’’ DeCourcey said, echoing the thoughts of others as well. “I never doubted that he was an excellent coach. But he’s at a point now where he could be playing golf or sitting on the beach if he wished.
“It takes a lot of effort and time and concentration and focus and did he still want the life that goes with being a coach at this level. I think he has answered that question with a million exclamation points and he has not left anything undone in the transformation of the program.
“It’s been outstanding to watch. And Rick is one of the really fun people in college basketball. I’m really excited to see how well he is doing.’’
Tennessee hasn’t done so well lately, losing by double digits to Alabama and Georgia within a week’s span to fall to 9-5 in the SEC, 19-7 overall. The Vols have games remaining against Florida, Ole Miss Mississippi State and Georgia before playing in the SEC Tournament March 7-11. Chances of a double bye remain if UT can finish in the top four of the SEC standings.
What’s the strength of this Tennessee team?
“Toughness,’’ DeCourcey said. “For Rick, that has always been a hallmark of his program and it’s possible that those final few teams at Texas didn’t (have toughness) and he wasn’t able to get that out of them. ‘’
DeCourcey said Barnes’ best teams have always been tough, physical and guarded hard in the lane and at the rim.
“Those have always been his best teams,’’ DeCourcey said, “and I think you see that reflected in this Tennessee team most of the time. It’s not been universal, but most of the time, opponents have to really work hard to score.’’
UT did have a stretch where nine consecutive opponents scored fewer than 65 points.
For Tennessee to take that next step this season, do the Vols need better guard play or a complement inside to Grant Williams?
“That is a great question,’’ DeCourcey said. “I don’t know if they can take a step beyond what they’ve done. …
“I don’t know if there is a next step in this team. I don’t think this is a team that is all the sudden going to change its personality. They are not super dynamic. … They have to make 3s to be successful in the biggest games.
“The trick is to try to sustain something close to this over the course of the next (few) weeks and then you take your shot in March.’’
And that shot in March – to the surprise of many – will be in the NCAA Tournament, not the NIT.
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