Tennessee will put three players and Rick Barnes on the SEC Media Day stage next Tuesday, with the program’s group including a returning contributor, a transfer point guard, and one of the nation’s top outside shooters.
The Vols are part of the first wave of teams scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 13, along with Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, South Carolina, and Vanderbilt. The event continues Wednesday, Oct. 14, with Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi State, Missouri, Texas, and Texas A&M.
Tennessee’s representatives will be Terrence Hill Jr., Tyler Lundblade, and DeWayne Brown II.
Brown, a 6-foot-8 sophomore from Hoover, AL, is back for his second season with the program after being one of two carryovers from Tennessee’s 2025-2026 roster. He gave the Vols solid minutes as a freshman, averaging 4.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 0.4 blocks across 35 games.
This year, Tennessee is counting on him to take another jump and grow into a reliable playmaker. He has already drawn strong reviews in offseason work, and Barnes has praised the way his leadership has developed heading into the season.
Hill arrives after spending his first two college seasons at VCU and then transferring to Tennessee this offseason. The 6-foot-2 junior made a strong impression on fans during last week’s open scrimmage at the Food City Center, flashing the kind of three-point shooting that makes him such a dangerous fit in the backcourt. In his final season with the Rams, Hill posted 15.0 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game, and he is set to open the year as Tennessee’s starting point guard.
Lundblade brings another serious perimeter threat. The 6-foot-6 senior was one of Belmont’s most accurate shooters last season, connecting on 40.6% of his three-pointers after hitting 48.1% the year before.
He averaged 15.6 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.8 assists for the Bruins last season. Lundblade is working his way back from back surgery this offseason, but he is expected to be ready at some point early in the season.
Tennessee’s regular season begins Nov. 3 against Wofford at the Food City Center. Before that, the Vols will get two exhibition tests, hosting Xavier on Oct. 15 and then playing at Duke on Oct. 20.
In Other News...
Rick Barnes Sends A Clear Message About Tennessees Defensive Standard
At UT Media Day, Rick Barnes made it clear that Tennessees defensive reputation is not built on simply finding ready-made stoppers in recruiting. Instead, the Volunteers coach said the program teaches that side of the floor, with most players arriving thinking of themselves first as offensive pieces and then learning quickly that defense, rebounding and ball control are the real currency for minutes.
Barnes pointed to the way players have grown into that standard over time, using development as proof that the identity can survive roster turnover. Even as the lineup changes, the message stays the same in Knoxville: if a player wants to stay on the floor, the defensive work has to show up first. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessees Shorthanded Defense Takes Another Hit Before Arkansas
Tennessee heads to Fayetteville this week for its third straight meeting with Arkansas, and the Volunteers are still trying to piece together a defensive rotation that has been tested repeatedly. Kedric Golston II is listed as out, adding another unavailable player to a growing list and leaving Tennessee with even less flexibility as it tries to keep its defense functioning at a high level.
Golstons absence does not come with a reported season-ending injury, but it does underline how thin the unit has become going into a matchup that usually demands depth and discipline. Even so, Tennessees defense has held up well overall, and the question now is how much more strain it can absorb before the extra absences start to show in a game that already carries some history. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Heads To Arkansas With One Much Bigger Question Than Uniforms
Tennessee heads to Fayetteville for an SEC road test at Razorback Stadium, and the Vols have already settled one small detail for the trip: theyll be in all-white uniforms. The bigger storyline, of course, is what the offense looks like with George MacIntyre expected to get the start because of Faizon Brandons shoulder injury, a development that shifts far more attention than any uniform combination ever could.
Even with that uncertainty under center, Tennessee brings a defense that has made life miserable for opposing offenses, entering the game as the nations leader in team sacks. That gives the Vols a clear path to stay in control if the quarterback situation settles quickly, but it also puts added pressure on a road offense that will need to do enough against Arkansas to let the defense keep dictating terms. [Read more 🡒]