Tennessee’s summer work has been moving along without one of its biggest new additions on the floor, but Rick Barnes says Tyler Lundblade is still very much part of the mix.
Lundblade, the Belmont graduate transfer and the first player to commit in Tennessee’s nine-player transfer class, visited Knoxville the day after the Vols’ season ended with a loss against Michigan and a week before the transfer portal officially opened. He committed on that visit, giving Barnes and his staff an early win in the offseason.
Since then, though, a back injury has kept Lundblade out of most of Tennessee’s summer workouts.
“Well, you don’t want anybody to get hurt,” Barnes said Thursday. “But if a guy can probably do it and sustain it and come back, it is him.
Because he is such a hard worker. He still has stayed so involved.
I have loved what he is doing during practice, trying to coach guys up and doing what he needs to do. Again, just out of precautionary reasons, we are going to make sure we are going to get him totally healthy.
He has kept involved. He will be fine.”
Tennessee’s first practice open to the media came June 25, and Lundblade was already sidelined that day. He also missed the next two practices open to reporters. During those sessions, he did some shooting work off to the side, while Barnes said the staff has let him handle individual work and trusted him not to overdo it.
“He has continued to do what he can do,” Barnes said. “I think anytime you are dealing with your back, it is up to that person.
If you have ever had a back injury, you’d understand it. He has been doing the things he thinks he can do without causing any more harm.”
Even while he’s been limited physically, Lundblade has made his presence felt. Tennessee players and coaches have praised his vocal leadership this summer, and Barnes has noticed that too.
That matters because Lundblade arrives with a real shooting résumé. Last season at Belmont, he averaged 15.6 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game and was named MVC Player of the Year.
He knocked down 112 threes at a 40.9% clip, finishing seventh nationally in made three-pointers. Over the last two seasons, he has hit 212 triples.
For now, Tennessee is playing the long game with him. The expectation from Barnes is simple: keep him involved, keep him from pushing too hard, and get him back fully healthy.
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