The University of Tennessee men’s basketball team had its turn in the spotlight Tuesday at SEC Tipoff ’27 in Birmingham, with head coach Rick Barnes joined by sophomore forward DeWayne Brown II, junior guard Terrence Hill Jr. and sixth-year guard Tyler Lundblade.
The group was on hand at the Hotel Wildemont to meet with media from across the country and give a first look at the Volunteers heading into the 2026-27 season. Barnes then stepped to the podium and made clear that Tennessee’s approach starts with the team, not the individual.
"I'm not concerned about how many shots [our players] think they should get," Barnes said. "We're going to do what we need to do as a team to be the best basketball team that we can be. And I do think that if you talk to each one of these guys that we brought in, they would tell you, man for man, that this is the best group of talent they've ever played with.
"Certainly, guys have had some great production in college basketball." Barnes continued.
"They're coming in from different leagues and our league is different. The SEC is different than any other league in the country and they'll have to make those adjustments."
Barnes also singled out Brown, one of the few returning pieces from last season and a player who has grown into a leadership role.
"We certainly, more than anything, appreciated his loyalty," Barnes praised. "He was the one guy, along with Troy Henderson, that's back.
But we knew that we wanted DeWayne Brown back because he stands for everything that any coach would want. [He is] just a great character person, a guy that works hard every day and he's the ultimate team player.
And we're going to ask him to do a lot more."
In Other News...
Tennessee Fans Have A New Reason To Be Furious Before Saturday
As Tennessee turns its attention to Saturday, the Vols are dealing with an off-field incident that has already drawn plenty of disgust around campus. The University of Tennessee Police Department charged Beckett E. Nachtman, a 19-year-old from New Jersey, with felony vandalism after the Smokey statue outside Gate 21 was damaged on Oct. 10 near Neyland Stadium. Nachtman was not affiliated with the university and was on campus visiting individuals when the incident occurred.
For Tennessee fans, the statue is more than just a piece of campus decor. Smokey has long been one of the programs most recognizable symbols, so the reported beheading of the statue struck a nerve in a place where traditions matter. With the case now in the hands of police, the damage has already become one more unwelcome storyline hanging over a week that was supposed to be about football. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Just Lost A Huge Piece Before Tennessee Showdown
Alabama enters the Tennessee showdown without one of its most important playmakers, with Ryan Coleman-Williams already ruled out because of a lower-body injury and a head injury suffered against Georgia. The receiver has been the Crimson Tides top target this season, leading the team in receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns, so his absence changes both the look and the rhythm of Alabamas passing game heading into one of the SECs biggest rivalry dates.
Kalen DeBoer said Coleman-Williams is dealing with both a knee issue and the head injury, leaving his status uncertain beyond this week as Alabama waits to see how he responds. For Tennessee, it is the kind of development that can reshape a game plan before kickoff, even if the full ripple effect will only become clear once the Vols see how the Tide chooses to replace their most productive receiver. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Has One Clear Edge Entering Alabama Game That Could Matter
Tennessee and Alabama meet this week in the Third Saturday in October with matching 5-1 records, and the numbers suggest a tight game despite the oddsmakers leaning toward the Crimson Tide. ESPNs FPI Matchup Predictor gives the Vols a 28.4% chance to win, while DraftKings has them installed as a 7.5-point underdog, a spread that reflects both Alabamas reputation and the challenge of winning in this rivalry setting.
Still, a look at the SEC rankings shows Tennessee does have one area where it can tilt the field, especially when the game gets into the kind of phase that usually decides marquee conference matchups. The Vols have been compared with Alabama across scoring, rushing and passing on both sides of the ball, along with sacks, and that one clear edge could end up mattering more than the pregame forecast suggests. [Read more 🡒]