Braedan Lue didn’t take long to figure out what Tennessee wanted from him. The 6-foot-9 forward, who arrived from Kennesaw State after averaging 10.9 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game last season, said the Vols’ practices have been every bit as demanding as he expected - and exactly the kind of environment he was looking for.
“I came here to get better. When I came on my visit. The staff and Coach Barnes, they just showed me how they can get me better and how they always win and stuff like that, and I just came here to impact that.”
Lue spoke with the media for the first time last Thursday after Tennessee’s practice was open to reporters, and the early message from him was clear: the work has been relentless, and he’s embracing it. He said the biggest thing that has stood out through the first month is the grind in practice and the level of competition around him.
“Probably all the hard work we’ve put in in practice. When I came here, I knew it was gonna be tough in.
It’s been living up to that. I’ve been getting better every day and it’s just playing against all the good competition out there.”
That theme carried through the rest of his comments. Lue described Tennessee’s summer sessions as difficult, but said that’s part of the appeal. He pointed to the need to stay locked in mentally and keep attacking every day, no matter what the scoreboard or circumstances look like.
“When I came here, I knew it was going to be hard, and I just got to keep training my mind. Keep going hard every day, getting better. Which y’all can’t expect from my team is that we’re going to always go hard no matter how the game’s going or whatever, we’re just going to keep playing hard and trusting our work that we’ve put in at practice everyday.”
Inside the frontcourt, Lue said the group’s identity is built around effort and competition, even if people question the size.
“I’d say we compete, we play hard. People might say we were are undersized or whatever, but I feel like the way we keep playing hard and stuff like that, that’s going to lead us through everything, no matter what.”
He also had praise for Miles Rubin, who flashed with two dunks in practice. Lue said that kind of explosiveness has been easy to spot from the start.
“Yeah, from what I’ve seen from him, his film, yessir. All the practices we’ve had so far, he has some pretty good slams too. I keep seeing those from him.”
Later, Lue singled out Rubin again, this time for his nonstop motor and defensive presence.
“His motor. He always keeps going no matter what.
He blocks shots and moves around all over the court. So, yeah, I would say his defensive energy that sticks out to me the most.
And I can’t wait to hop on the court with him.”
Lue also said he’s been leaning on DeWayne Brown, calling him a steady presence when questions come up in the program.
“Just to keep going hard no matter what. Every time we have questions or one of the coaches on staff doesn’t explain something good we just go to DB and he’ll help us get through it or coach us through it. He’s been a good leader.”
As for the backcourt, Lue said the fit has already been encouraging. He likes the way Tennessee’s guards create shots, open the floor and make smart reads in pick-and-roll action.
“It’s been fun. They can get you the ball in ways you wouldn’t even have thought of, the way that they shoot the ball just opens up the court.
The way they make reads off the pick and roll. I just think we’re going to have a good season with all that together.”
That kind of setup matters to Lue, who said he doesn’t model his game after anyone in particular but knows exactly what he needs to bring on defense if he wants to stay on the floor.
“I wouldn’t say I model my game after anybody, for real. But I think why I keep attention together for defense and stuff like that just because I feel like that’s what I need to do in order to get on the court and just have a good career.”
He said watching three Tennessee players get selected in the NBA Draft only reinforced why he chose the program in the first place.
“Seeing that,, it puts a good thought in my head. That’s one of the reasons why I came here is because Coach Barnes, he’s good with developing players and stuff like that, and I was just hoping to be one of those players that he makes to league.”
And after a month in the program, Lue said the early returns match what he was hoping for when he arrived.
“I would say it’s fun, tough, man. Yeah, everything I’ve been looking for real. All the aspects of my game that I need to get better at is happening here.”
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That slow drip matters because what Tennessee supporters will judge most is whether Adidas and the universitys creative team can keep the uniforms looking like Tennessee uniforms. The goal is to protect the traditional feel of the programs most recognizable sets while rolling out new looks across several sports, a detail that should keep plenty of attention on the reveal as the week unfolds. [Read more 🡒]