Tennessee’s first public look at this new group came with plenty of offense - and more than a few defensive headaches.
The Vols dropped an exhibition game to Xavier 86-70 on Thursday night at Food City Center, and while the result won’t count, the game still offered a clear read on where this roster is already comfortable and where it still has work to do. Tennessee showed it can score. Tennessee also showed it has some real issues to clean up on the other end.
That imbalance showed up most clearly after halftime. The Vols were ahead at the break, but Xavier found its rhythm in the second half and Tennessee never really had an answer. The Musketeers finished the night shooting 49.2% from the field and 37% from 3-point range, then went even hotter after the break at 70.4% from the field and 57.1% from deep.
For a Rick Barnes team, that’s not the kind of stat line anyone in orange wants to see. Barnes and his staff have spent the offseason talking up the offense, but they’ve also been candid about concerns on defense. Even KenPom’s preseason numbers reflect that split, with Tennessee sitting at No. 16 offensively and No. 19 defensively.
Another area that came into focus was the frontcourt rotation. Tennessee opened with DeWayne Brown II at power forward and Miles Rubin at center, but Rubin quickly picked up two fouls and headed to the bench. From there, Christian Fermin got the next extended look, rotating with Braedan Lue until Rubin returned in the second half.
Brown was the steadiest presence inside all night. He finished with six points and 10 rebounds in 32 minutes, giving Tennessee a reliable anchor in the middle of the lineup. Barnes appeared to favor the Brown-Rubin pairing when both were available, which makes sense given Rubin’s reputation as a rim protector and rebounder at Loyola (Chicago) and Brown’s sturdier presence on the other end.
Still, that center group looks like the most vulnerable part of the roster right now. The scoring options there are limited, with most of the production likely coming around the rim on lobs.
Xavier also found success attacking the paint, finishing with 40 points there. That helps explain why Tennessee is still hoping Jalen Washington can become eligible.
He would bring defense, rebounding and a usable offensive role.
The clearest bright spot on the night came from Tennessee’s backcourt firepower. Terrence Hill Jr. and Juke Harris look like they could form a major scoring combo, even if Hill didn’t start this one. Once the season begins, both are expected to be among the starting guards.
Hill led Tennessee with 22 points on 9-for-17 shooting and added three assists and two rebounds, though he also had three turnovers. Harris scored 15 points on 5-for-14 shooting and went 0-for-7 from 3-point range, but he still filled the box score with two rebounds and two assists without a turnover. Given his track record, the shooting line looks more like a rough night than anything more.
Troy Henderson and Dai Dai Ames also give Tennessee more scoring options around that duo, which only raises the offensive ceiling. The question now is how this team will handle elite guard play on the defensive end, especially without the kind of lockdown defenders Tennessee has leaned on in recent seasons.
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