“You can throw it all out. We’re 0-0 like everybody else,” Barnes said. “Rankings mean nothing. None of it, other than maybe people look at it as a way to build their resume right now. But the fact is 0-0 with everybody in the league.”
Coach Barnes and the Tennessee Volunteers have found true success in non-conference play this season, dominating their way to a 13-0 record for the second time ever in program history.
Below are five thoughts about Tennessee basketball’s non-conference season:
Tennessee has grasped the transfer portal
Tennessee has found great success in the past two portal cycles. For Tennessee, and perhaps the entire country, Dalton Knecht is the hidden gem for the transfer portal era. Jordan Gainey was another hit for the Vols during that portal cycle. He is an outstanding sixth man.
Before this season, the Vols acquired the four-man group of Felix Okpara, Igor Milicic Jr., Chaz Lanier, and Darlinstone Dubar. Because it combined a team with a core of returning leadership with quality new players, Tennessee is ranked first and winning early. Adding the proper personnel to your program is necessary for such unexpected success.
Chaz Lanier is a Star
This season, Lanier is among the top transfers in the country. Lanier has largely made up for Dalton Knecht’s offensive production from the previous season. He is averaging 19.6 points per game and has scored 20 points or more six times in 13 games. Lanier is on track for program shooting and scoring records and shooting more than 45% from three-point range.
“(Lanier) is producing, but he’s got to keep going,” Barnes said. “He’s got to learn to continue to cut harder. He’s got to come off knowing that he’s not going to have as much time to get set up and those type of things. And obviously, people are scouting him. I do know he’s gotten better defensively, which is something that is important obviously.”
Igor Milicic Jr. has aided Tennessee in many ways
Milicic Jr., a 6-10 forward, has made a significant impact on Tennessee. A big guy who can also shoot from the outside, he started the season as one of the Vols’ top-scoring threats and is currently leading the team in rebounds with 8.2 per game.
Tennessee is among the top rebounding teams in the country in large part because of his outstanding rebounding. He is a playmaker and a floor-spacer, and he moves remarkably effectively for his stature. The way opposing defenders handle the Volunteers is influenced by his size and shooting ability.
As they move further into conference play, Coach Barnes and the team will rely more on him.
Tennessee has found success in a small rotation
Veteran guard and SEC Defensive Player of the Year Zakai Zeigler is helping the transfers settle into the program. As the offense’s quarterback, he has been instrumental in creating most of the team’s baskets with his high IQ, exceptional penetration, and playmaking skills. Zeigler is also getting closer to the top of the record books. In addition to averaging more than 11 points per game, the guard recently moved into fourth place in the program’s history with an average of 8.1 assists per game.
Sixth-man Jordan Gainey is the team’s second-leading scorer. He is followed closely by forward Cade Phillips in terms of off-the-bench contributions. Additionally making progress are freshman Bishop Boswell, who had recovered from an injury, and transfer guard Darlinstone Dubar.
Jahmai Mashack remains one of the country’s most stingy defenders alongside transfer forward Felix Okpara’s block attempts that alter shots at the rim.
Despite the success of this small 7-8 man rotation, Barnes hopes to see more as the Vols prepare to defend their SEC title, starting with Arkansas.
Depth appears to be a possible weakness for the Vols
After losing sophomore guard Cameron Carr to a mid-season transfer and sophomore forward JP Estrella to injury for the season, Tennessee has shared a fair amount of roster losses. Tennessee mostly depends on seven players, and they play a lot of minutes. That rotation will be difficult to maintain throughout conference play and the postseason.
Gainey and Cade Phillips are the Vols’ primary bench players, with Dubar and Bishop Boswell being used occasionally. The rotation might stay at seven, but the last two could get more minutes.
Additionally, Coach Barnes’ squad will have to perform consistently in games that will have greater significance than any of their previous games.
With five opponents now ranked in the top 25, including three SEC rivals ranked in the top 10, the Volunteers have an extremely difficult January schedule as they start conference play. Tennessee will have to travel for two of those top-10 contests, the most important of which is against No. 2 Auburn on Saturday, January 25.
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