Tennessee’s newest frontcourt piece, Miles Rubin, didn’t waste much time making his first media session count.
The Loyola (Chicago) transfer met with reporters last Thursday after the Vols held a practice open to the media, and he sounded ready to step into a major role next season. Rubin, who averaged 11.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.3 blocks per game last year, talked through everything from Tennessee’s bigs to Rick Barnes’ coaching style.
Rubin was especially bullish on what Tennessee can bring inside. He called the group “an underrated front court” and pushed back on the idea that others in the conference have the edge.
“I feel like a lot of people are counting us out and don’t think that we have a better front court than there is in this conference, but I feel like we can prove them wrong and show them that we have one of the best front courts in the conference.”
When asked why he felt that way, Rubin pointed to the work ethic.
“I feel like we just work harder than a lot of people. Out work everybody and I feel that if we do that we can be one of the best.”
That confidence has already been sharpened in practice, where Rubin said battling DeWayne Brown has been valuable. He said Brown’s size is helping prepare him for the physicality of the conference, while also making life easier in the paint when they’re on the floor together.
The guard-heavy structure around him also seems to suit Rubin just fine. He said having so many ball handlers makes things simpler because he can trust them with the ball and doesn’t have to carry as much on-ball responsibility as he did before. That, in turn, creates more ways for him to get involved offensively.
Ames is already a familiar face. Rubin said he and Dai Dai Ames have had chemistry since middle school, and he was struck by the fact that they’ve gone from playing together then to sharing a college roster now.
“I mean, we both came on a bit at the same time, so I feel like we both understood, like, oh, yeah, Coach Barnes was the best for us. He wants us to be the best player we can, so I feel like we both understood that, like, we should just both come here and try to win.”
Rubin also embraced the way Tennessee’s roster has come together from different places, likening it to an AAU group and saying the goal is clear.
“Yeah, I feels like it’s an AAU team, everybody coming from different areas. Some players in the same areas, but I feel like we all want to come together and can come win big here and try to win a national championship. I think that’s the goal.”
Barnes has already made an impression on him, too. Rubin described the Tennessee coach as demanding in practice but easygoing away from it, saying Barnes pushes hard because he wants the best out of his players.
“It’s been tough, but it’s been worth it. I mean, I came here to get better and try to be the best player I can, so him trying to push me every day, I feel like that’s great.”
He also said watching Felix Okpara and other Vols get drafted gave him motivation, adding that he sees a connection between his own path and Okpara’s.
Rubin finished by offering a strong endorsement of Braedan Lue, calling him “a Swiss Army knife” who can handle the ball, shoot, attack the rim and finish above the rim if needed. And while he singled out Lue for praise, he said the entire front court has his attention.
“I feel like everybody, to be honest, in the frontcourt. We all have some good chemistry together and I feel like we’re all going to gel together when time comes.”
In Other News...
Former Michigan Star Puts Neyland Above Every Stadium In College Football
A former Michigan offensive lineman who has settled into Tennessee media is making a familiar kind of claim for Vols fans, only this time the praise is aimed at the place itself. Taylor Lewan, now hosting a Tennessee-based podcast, said Neyland Stadium is the loudest venue in college football, adding his voice to the long-running debate over where the sports best atmosphere really lives.
Lewan never played against Tennessee, but he has spent time inside Neyland as a spectator and came away impressed enough to put it above every other stadium he has experienced. The setting helps explain why the argument carries weight, too, with Neylands massive size and reputation for volume giving the Vols another point of pride whenever the building is packed and the noise starts rolling. [Read more 🡒]
Why Tennessee's Buzzed About EDGE Never Found His Footing
Chaz Colemans Tennessee stint never really got off the ground after the former Penn State EDGE arrived with a buzz and the kind of upside that made him one of the more intriguing additions in the room. Instead, his time with the Vols was interrupted by long stretches away from spring and summer workouts, leaving the staff trying to piece together why a player with his reputation could not establish any real rhythm in Knoxville.
Josh Heupel acknowledged Coleman was working through off-field issues, and the situation grew more complicated as concerns surfaced within the program about his physical condition and day-to-day ability to handle team responsibilities. For Tennessee, it became less about waiting for the talent to show up and more about a player whose path forward had turned uncertain long before anyone expected it to. [Read more 🡒]
Rick Barnes Sees Early Leaders Emerging On Tennessees Rebuilt Roster
Rick Barnes is still in the early part of summer workouts with Tennessees rebuilt roster, but the veteran coach is already seeing signs of who will help set the tone. With so much turnover around the program, leadership matters as much as any drill, and Barnes pointed to a mix of returners, newcomers and even a walk-on as players helping establish the voice of the team.
DeWayne Brown, Terrence Hill Jr., Campbell Duncan and Tyler Lundblade have all stood out in that regard, giving Tennessee a few different personalities to lean on as the group continues to mesh before the break around the Fourth of July. Hill has looked comfortable in the system, Brown has taken on a bigger leadership role, and the early response from that core gives Barnes a first glimpse at how the Vols may organize themselves once the pace picks back up. [Read more 🡒]