Tennessee’s basketball team scored 139 points and nailed 49 three-pointers in just 30 minutes during an intrasquad scrimmage, but coach Rick Barnes remains focused on tightening the defense. The defensive issues from that scrimmage lingered in his mind days later, prompting him to insist that the Vols will “find a way to guard somebody” if their defense doesn’t meet expectations.
With 13 new players on the roster for the 2026-27 season—including nine transfers and four freshmen—Barnes and his staff have spent much of the offseason and early fall working on reshaping the team’s defensive identity. Despite Tennessee’s strong defensive history, integrating so many newcomers has made communication and cohesion difficult.
Last season, Tennessee ranked 14th in Division I adjusted defensive efficiency according to KenPom, a drop from consistently finishing in the top five since 2020. The Vols have not allowed opponents to score more than 70 points per game in nearly a decade, and defense has been a staple throughout their six consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances and three straight Elite Eight runs.
Barnes said, “There are some givens that we think that you have to have when you're thinking about the end of the year, wanting to put yourself in position to be in the NCAA tournament, knowing it is a one-game elimination deal. We've got to be able to guard somebody.”
Assistant coach Gregg Polinsky acknowledged the challenge of molding a defensive unit from so many new faces. “It takes a little longer. Unless your retention level was extremely high, and ours was not … it's going to take you a little longer to find that rhythm, that groove,” he said. He added that teams who show purpose and commitment will ultimately succeed.
The Vols have recently shown signs of progress. Assistant coach Earl Grant pointed out improvements in communication as the players become more familiar with Tennessee’s defensive terminology. “Getting the guys, I understand terminology over the last six weeks is probably the reason why we communicate better because we actually know what they're saying,” he said.
This improvement couldn’t come at a better time, with the regular season opening soon. Tennessee is set to face Xavier in an exhibition game on October 15 at Food City Center, a matchup that will test how well the new roster has absorbed the defensive philosophy.
Grant estimated the team’s progress in defensive readiness. “I think we're not 100% where we want to be, but if you would ask me five weeks ago, we'd have been like 40% there. I think we're 70% there now. So we got two more weeks before we play anybody else. Maybe we can close that gap to 80%.”
Barnes’s insistence on strong defense remains unchanged despite the roster turnover. The coaching staff’s challenge lies in melding a patchwork of players from different schools and systems into a cohesive unit capable of meeting Tennessee’s defensive standards. As the season approaches, the Vols are working to turn their potential into consistent performance on that side of the floor.
According to Yahoo Sports.
