Tennessee basketball 2011-2012 preview

Some people are probably wondering why they should tune in to watch Tennessee basketball this year. The best Tennessee basketball coach since the Jimmy Carter administration has been fired in a situation that turned into a debacle and was botched by everyone involved. The team lost its two best players in Tobias Harris and Scotty Hopson. Not to mention the last time we saw a Tennessee basketball team on the court they lost by thirty to Michigan. It’s easy to understand the lack of enthusiasm. But I believe this can still be a good season. There is still some talent, and Coach Cuonzo Martin is bringing in an entirely new system than what we were accustomed to under Bruce Pearl. Here are the five main questions heading into this year.

1.“What kind of style is Coach Martin going to bring in?”

From every account, Martin is going to bring in a blitzing half-court defense with a disciplined motion offense. The key is going to be the defense. Tennessee isn’t going to have a lot of individual scorers on this year’s team, and a motion offense can be hard to install in such a young team. But defensive intensity can be installed and that’s what the coaching staff is doing. The offense will be a welcomed change. While the first few years of the Pearl Era were fun to watch with an up-tempo offense, the half-court game was atrocious once Chris Lofton and JaJuan Smith left, and it was the biggest issue last year. While it could be ugly at times with such a young team, hopefully the Vols will catch on quickly and get more open looks than last year from their set offense. However, it’s going to be a challenge because Tennessee just does not have the individual playmakers offensively. It’s has to be a team offense to succeed.

2.”Our recruiting ranking was ugly. Did we bring anybody in who will make an immediate impact?”

While you shouldn’t expect any John Wall/Derrick Rose/Jared Sullinger type freshmen, there are multiple newcomers who will be a big part of the team. Josh Richardson is an intense defender with a pretty good shot, and is very athletic on the defensive end. He is going to be the sixth man off the bench and can play all three backcourt positions. Wes Washpun has made a lot of noise with his defense in practice. He is going to be a monster on the defensive end, and can use his quickness to get to the basket. While he is very raw, he will be crucial to the pressure defense Cuonzo Martin wants. Dwight Miller could be the biggest first year contributor. The former Pitt Panther is a JUCO transfer who is going to provide muscle at post. At 6’8/245, Miller can rebound and plays tough interior defense. He will be the first big off the bench. Big man Yemi Makanjuola has been a pleasant surprise in preseason games. He uses his athleticism to rebound and defend, and is active on the offensive glass. He could see some playing time early on. Overall, this is better than Bruce Pearl’s first class, and there are some players that have a lot of potential.

3.”What does the depth chart look like?”

To start the season, it seems that eleven players will play. One thing to notice though that is different from Pearl is that Coach Martin has used a short bench in the past. He has stated that he would like to play eight or nine players in the regular rotation. This is a very different strategy than Coach Pearl, who would get ten guys regular minutes and would even play twelve guys. Right now, the point guard position is Trae Golden’s, with Wes Washpun backing him up. Coach Martin said that both guys would probably be on the floor at the same time in some instances, as Trae is more of a scoring guard than true point guard. Golden has improved his shooting touch over the offseason and has gotten into monster shape. He seemed to be the Vols best player during the preseason and showed a complete offensive game. Washpun will be a high energy player that will bring intensity on defense. The wing spots belong to Jordan McRae and Cam Tatum. Tatum is the most experienced Volunteer and will most likely be the number one three point shooter. McRae has the most potential of any player. He has an incredible vertical and crazy wingspan. He can score in bunches, but so far has shown bad shot selection. He needs to improve in fundamentals also. However he seems to bring good defense. He was in Bruce Pearl’s doghouse last year and McRae could benefit most from a new staff. Josh Richardson will be the backup wing most likely, and hopes to bring great defense and an ability to shoot from outside. Skylar McBee is also going to see playing time at the 2 guard. All four wings can hit the outside shot, but none can consistently create good shots for themselves. Expect a lot of drive and dish with Trae Golden’s ability to get in the lane. There is a lot of athleticism and wingspan with the backcourt, and this could be a nasty defensive backcourt if they buy in to what Coach Martin is selling.

The frontcourt is where the most questions lie. Jeronne Maymon showed a competent offensive game and good defense while locking down the PF spot. All parts of his game have improved and he will be a monster rebounder this year. The other starting post looks to be Kenny Hall. At 6’10 and great wingspan, Kenny has the potential to be a big time post player. However, he has suffered injuries and lacked strength the last two years to warrant consistent playing time. Kenny needs to improve his rebounding and defense to become a force inside. He has decent moves inside, and could be a big time player. However he struggled in the preseason and still commits dumb fouls. As of this point, there are three backup big men. Renaldo Woolridge brings outside shooting touch and is a good energy/hustle player. Dwight Miller will play both post spots and will see significant minutes as a big body to bring muscle inside. He brings defense and rebounding. Yemi Makanjuola is a lot like Dwight Miller, only more athletic. He also could start at center if Kenny Hall doesn’t play better. There is going to be very little post scoring, but the posts seem to bring solid rebounding and good defense. They are also very active on the offensive glass, which could result in some easy buckets for Tennessee.

4.”How tough is the schedule?”

One thing every fan loved about Bruce Pearl was that he wasn’t scared to schedule the big boys. He was willing to play anyone at any time. This year, that’s going to hurt. Tennessee plays the most prestigious preseason tournament this year, the Maui Invitational, and it’s going to be tough. Tennessee plays Duke to start off, then will face either Michigan or Memphis, both likely tournament teams this year. After Maui, Tennessee then has to go to Detroit, Michigan to play Oakland University, who not only beat Tennessee last year, but also made the tourney. Tennessee will host Pittsburgh, and will then have to travel to Memphis to play the Tigers. Tennessee also is going to Charleston to play College of Charleston, who beat Tennessee last year in Knoxville. The last non-conference game will be against defending national champions Connecticut in Knoxville. Tennessee could easily have seven out of conference losses this year. The SEC isn’t too tough, but it’s not going to be easy either. They play Alabama, Mississippi State, and LSU on the road. Kentucky, Vanderbilt, and Florida are all most likely preseason top 25 teams. The schedule is very difficult and it has a monster out of conference schedule. It’s not going to be easy for such a young team and the out of conference schedule might not indicate how good the team actually is.

5.”What should I expect from the team this year?”

Not a lot. This team is young, and while there is talent, it’s not like there is NBA talent everywhere. The one thing that will help this team is that it is very athletic, and with Coach Martin’s emphasis on defense, that will help keep Tennessee in some close games against good opponents. The biggest concern is on offense. There just aren’t a lot of scorers on this team, more specifically guys who can get into space and create their own shot. This team is going to live and die by the three pointer and that is always a risky way to play. The expectations are bigger than they have ever been at Tennessee, and while those shouldn’t change, this should be a free year for Cuonzo Martin and staff. Could Tennessee be a 20 win team? It’s possible, but not likely. It’s hard to say what the fanbase should expect, but most likely at minimum an NIT invitation. A good season would be a 17-14/18-13 regular season and a berth in the NCAA tournament. It’s going to be ugly at times, but just like Coach Derek Dooley in football, this is not a great situation at this point, and it’s going to take a little bit to rebuild. It should be a fun year to watch however, as we can see the team grow and what Coach Cuonzo Martin brings to Tennessee.

Go Vols!!!