Tennessee was back at Pratt Pavilion on Monday afternoon for a summer practice that was open to the media, and the first thing that stood out wasn’t a player at all. It was new assistant coach Earl Grant, who has stepped in to replace Justin Gainey and brought a loud, constant presence to the floor. He was involved throughout practice, teaching and directing the new roster every step of the way.
On the court, Dai Dai Ames made the strongest impression. In one-on-one work against Terrence Hill Jr., his midrange pull-up looked nearly impossible to bother.
Hill’s contests didn’t do much to change the shot, and Ames kept drilling looks from 10-15 feet. He carried that same energy into scrimmage action, where he was especially effective getting all the way to the rim despite being a 6-foot-2 guard.
Hill, meanwhile, looked like the team’s primary ball-handler. Tennessee has other options to ease some of that load, but he handled the job with a tight dribble and strong passing instincts.
His jumper also looked steady, the kind of shot he seems able to knock down consistently. There’s still room for him to improve defensively, but overall he looked as expected.
DeWayne Brown II also drew attention, and assistant coach Gregg Polinsky’s pre-practice comment about him fit what showed up on the floor. Polinsky said Brown can make the NBA not as a guy with freakish vertical ability, but someone that dominantes on the ground.
Brown backed that up in post work, using his frame to carve out position and finish off the glass, often with little more than a tiptoe to get the shot home. Brown and Troy Henderson both also looked older and more filled out after a year in the program.
Juke Harris had the kind of day that showed both the ceiling and the rough edges. Rick Barnes was visibly frustrated with him at times, but that comes with the territory at Tennessee if the staff believes there’s more to unlock.
Harris answered with offensive flashes that hinted at why he could be one of, if not the best, players in the SEC this season. The talent is obvious; the next step is settling into the program.
Another player who could quickly become a favorite is Jalen Haralson. The Notre Dame transfer brought plenty of Tennessee grit, especially on the offensive glass, where he kept flying in for rebounds.
Tennessee may not be as strong on the offensive boards as it was last year, but Haralson looks capable of helping there. He also showed a smooth high-release midrange jumper with good touch.
The lingering question is whether he can stretch it out and make shots from range.
In Other News...
Boo Carter Just Got Pulled Into A Colorado Ranking Debate
ESPNs latest transfer portal reshuffle gave Colorado another bit of national attention, this time with wide receiver DeAndre Moore Jr. sliding into the No. 26 spot after a ranking change at the top of the list. Moore arrives with SEC production on his rsum and a reputation for being more than just a pass catcher, which is part of why his move from Texas to Colorado has drawn so much notice inside the program.
For Tennessee fans keeping an eye on the wider portal landscape, the more interesting wrinkle is how many names around Colorado still did not crack ESPNs Top 100, including Boo Carter, Danny Scudero and Gideon Lampron. Deion Sanders has been pushing the idea that preseason lists do not decide anything, and Moores fit under Brennan Marion only adds to the sense that Colorado is betting on role and leadership as much as rankings. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Just Sent A Loud Message About Its Quarterback Situation
Tennessee is heading into SEC media days with a message that says as much about the quarterback room as anything else on the roster. Instead of sending a passer to Tampa for the July 20-23 event, the Vols will be represented by linebackers Arion Carter and Jeremiah Telander, running back DeSean Bishop and coach Josh Heupel, a clear sign the starting job is still not settled after spring practice.
Heupel left the competition unresolved coming out of the spring, and the battle is set to carry into preseason work before the Vols make any final call. For a program trying to build momentum entering the fall, the absence of a quarterback at media days only sharpens the focus on how Tennessee plans to sort out its most important position. [Read more 🡒]
Heupels Biggest Five-Star Wins Just Got A Reality Check
Josh Heupels run of five-star recruiting at Tennessee has already produced a mix of instant impact, slow-burn promise and a few names still waiting for their first real chance. Mike Matthews has been the clearest win so far, while David Sanders Jr. has also flashed the kind of early play that makes NFL evaluators take notice. At the same time, a few of the classs biggest names have either been hard to judge or simply have not matched the hype yet, which is part of what makes any ranking of Heupels best blue-chip additions such a tricky exercise.
Jordan Ross is the reminder that recruiting stars do not always translate cleanly, and Nico Iamaleavas Tennessee tenure landed in a more complicated middle ground than the five-star billing suggested. Even with that mixed track record, the Vols are still working on adding to the group, and there is a real chance another elite prospect could be folded into the mix in the coming days, which would give Heupel yet another chance to reshape how this class is remembered. [Read more 🡒]