COMMENTARY: Vols’ offensive experiment fizzles in exhibition debut

Instead of a unit that has been nurtured and developed for two or three years, Tennessee has an all-star team with an immense capacity to put points on the board.

This will be a new challenge for Rick Barnes.

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With three years of evidence to use as a plan for this season, it was determined that defense — and a lack of solid point producers — can only go so far. A lack of big scorers got the Volunteers to the Elite Eight, but has kept them from clearing that hurdle.

We’ll see.

Actually, the Elite Eight is not a bad place to spin your wheels three years in a row. However, that makes it close enough to smell the rare air of the Final Four, and to hunger for the opportunity to finally reach the pinnacle.

If the plan works, it will be an amazing season. If it flops like many all-star teams have flopped before, it will be pretty frustrating.

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The season unofficially started Thursday night at home with an exhibition against Xavier. The play was a little rough and the experiment went terribly wrong as Xavier dominated the Vols, 86-70.

The offense fizzled, shooting just 15% (4 of 26) from 3-point range while being out rebounded, 45-31.

Not an auspicious start.

They’ll have another chance to work out the kinks Sunday night at Duke before games start counting with Wofford Nov. 3 at home.

Tennessee had just two players — forward DeWayne Brown II and guard Troy Henderson — hold over from last season. And, they were both freshman role players during that season.

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The eight transfer portal finds that will be the face of the program this year collectively averaged 15.3 points a game last year. There weren’t many who weren’t the key players on their respective teams.

What Barnes has to do is convince them that the best way to have success this season would be for everyone to play a role, rather than being the dominant influence on the court.

One constant through all-star games is a blatant lack of defense. During the first exhibition game, there were hints…

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Publish date : 2026-10-16 01:14:00

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