Rick Barnes didn’t sugarcoat what came after Tennessee’s loss to Duke. The Volunteers went straight into a marathon film session that lasted about three and a half hours, and there were no breaks.
Barnes confirmed the long stretch on Thursday during an appearance on The Mike Keith Show, explaining that the point was bigger than replaying missed shots or pointing out defensive breakdowns. He wanted his players to see what has to change before the regular season starts and to understand what winning basketball actually looks like.
Tennessee’s preseason slate included games against Xavier and Duke, and both exposed areas that still needed work. Barnes said those matchups helped his team see the gap between expectation and execution. After the Duke game, the Volunteers came back to practice with a different mindset.
That shift showed up quickly. Barnes said Tennessee turned in two of its best practices before a closed scrimmage against Davidson, then followed that with a better performance in the scrimmage itself. For him, that was a sign the lessons from the preseason were starting to stick.
One of the biggest changes, Barnes said, has been the team’s togetherness. That matters for a program built on defense, discipline and effort, especially with the season getting closer.
The film work wasn’t just about cleaning up individual mistakes. Barnes wants his players to recognize what’s happening all over the floor, not just what they’re responsible for on a given possession. That kind of awareness, he believes, helps players make better decisions and sharpen the fundamentals Tennessee works on every day.
Barnes also made it clear that his standards come from inside the program, not from outside noise. Tennessee enters another season with big expectations after back-to-back trips to the Elite Eight, but Barnes knows none of that means much without daily progress.
The games against Xavier and Duke gave Tennessee an early reality check. The Davidson scrimmage offered a more encouraging response. Now the Volunteers have to carry those lessons into the regular season, and Barnes will be watching to see whether those three and a half hours in the film room pay off once the results start counting.
In Other News...
Josh Heupel's Knoxville Visit Put Tennessee Fans On Manning Watch
Josh Heupels stop at Baylor School on Friday night had the kind of built-in intrigue Tennessee fans notice right away. The Vols coach was there for the game against Knox Catholic, where Baylor came away with a 21-7 win, and he took time to meet with freshman quarterback Marshall Manning, the son of Peyton Manning. Marshall is still early in his high school career, has only recently made his debut, and has seen limited action so far, but any appearance involving the Manning name tends to draw attention in Knoxville.
Heupel was not the only Tennessee staffer on hand, either. Running backs coach DeRail Sims was also in attendance to watch five-star commit David Gabriel Georges, who turned in a strong showing in the game. For Tennessee, it was a reminder that the recruiting trail and the Manning family continue to intersect in ways that keep Vols fans watching every sideline sighting a little more closely. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessees Next Depth Chart Already Comes With One Huge Uncertainty
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The broad outline is there on both sides of the ball, but the quarterback picture remains the biggest variable in an otherwise orderly projection. Because the portal has not been factored in, the list is inherently fluid, and that makes the early read more of a starting point than a forecast. For Tennessee, the next few weeks could do a lot to turn speculation into something closer to a real depth chart. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee's Five-Star RB Commit Just Gave Vols Fans Another Reason To Dream
The first Covenant Health Classic at Covenant Health Park had plenty of local intrigue, but the Tennessee staff had a very specific reason for being there. Josh Heupel and running backs coach DeRail Sims showed up to watch five-star commit David Gabriel-Georges, and the Baylor School standout delivered the kind of evening that keeps a fan base buzzing well beyond Friday night.
Gabriel-Georges ran for 247 yards and three touchdowns on just 12 carries in Baylors 21-7 win over Knoxville Catholic, helping the Red Raiders finish the regular season unbeaten and add another region championship to the rsum. For Tennessee, it was another reminder that the Vols have a prized back in the fold, and another reason to imagine what he could look like in orange down the line. [Read more 🡒]