Junior guard McKinley Wright IV elevates the ball toward the basket during the first half of play at Matthew Knight Arena. Feb. 13, 2020 (Nigel Amstock/CU Independent)
In a nearly last-minute agreement, the 2-0 CU Buffs’ men’s basketball team is hitting the road to take on the No. 13 Tennessee Volunteers on Tuesday at 4 p.m. MST. Colorado was initially set to face Colorado State on Dec. 8, but the Rams withdrew due to COVID-19 issues. Head coach Tad Boyle’s Buffs were nimble and replaced CSU with the Colorado School of Mines but on Saturday, the Buffs pivoted again to the SEC’s Tennessee Vols.
Tennessee, however, has had significant struggles with COVID-19 and yet to play a game this season. To learn a little more about the Vols, the CU Independent reached out to University of Tennessee journalism undergraduate and Colorado native, Delaney Tureson.
CUI: After five game cancellations, what do you expect to see from Tennessee?
Tureson: Tennessee is ready to play this game. They were anticipating playing the first game of the season versus Charlotte in the Volunteer Classic and that was canceled after positive (COVID-19) tests were confirmed, including (head coach) Rick Barnes having a positive test. The players were supposed to have already played five games this season, but all of them have been canceled due to COVID-19. With the game being in Knoxville, I expect the Vols to display their talent and show why they are ranked No. 13.
CUI: Which Tennessee players should CU be worried about?
Tureson: CU should be concerned about Yves Pons, who was the SEC defensive player of the year, Jaden Springer and Keon Johnson, who are both five-star freshmen, and John Fulkerson who made Rothstein’s first-team All-SEC. The team has two transfer players who are expected to make an impact as well as Josiah-Jordan James, who began starting at the end of last season, expected to be a breakout player.
CUI: How does this Tennessee team compare to last year’s team?
Tureson: This Tennessee team has different leadership than it had last year. During the 2018-19 season, the Vols had leaders on the floor and off, but last season (2019-20) lacked a true leader who was willing to step into the shoes that Admiral Schofield and Grant Williams left. The team this year has a mix of returning players, such as Yves Pons and John Fulkerson, but they also have two five-star freshman and two transfer players who are eligible to play this year. The leadership and new talent on the team will certainly help to make a difference from last year’s team.
CUI: After finishing 9-9 in the SEC last year, what makes this team ranked No. 13 in the nation?
Tureson: It comes down to recruiting and the culture that Tennessee basketball has created. From the players to the coaching staff all the way up to Tennessee athletics, there has been a push for this basketball team to be mentioned in the top-25 for the AP poll. There was little player movement from last season, with only one major contributor leaving the team everyone mostly stayed. Add in Springer and Johnson along with Victor Bailey Jr. and E.J. Anosike, there is a lot of room for Rick Barnes to see how players contribute on the floor.
CUI: What does head coach Rick Barnes bring to the table?
Tureson: Rick Barnes is a highly regarded coach not only in Knoxville but around the NCAA. This is his sixth team in Knoxville, and he has developed a program that truly has Tennessee fans claiming to be a “basketball school.” Barnes has room in his roster to move players around to see the best combinations on the court. He has the desire to recruit players to Tennessee and develop them both as leaders and as players. Barnes and his coaching staff are working to build a dominant program that will hopefully make a deep run in March Madness.
Contact CU Independent Head Sports Editor Jack Carlough at jack.carlough@colorado.edu and follow him on Twitter @Jack_Carlough.
Follow Delaney Tureson on Twitter at @delaneyrae22 and check out her website here.
