Men's College Basketball 2021-2022 Season Preview: Tennessee Volunteers

The SEC is loaded this year as most teams used the transfer portal to their advantage and shored up their talent as well as their depth. Teams like Kentucky, Tennessee and Auburn built elite freshman classes while LSU, Arkansas (as usual) and Florida made key additions via the portal.

SEC slates are going to be high scoring and mega exciting all year long. For DFS players this is the conference that will command your attention, so keep that at the top of your mind as we go team-by-team through the SEC to preview the coming season.

In this one, Tennessee.

(Check out our full college basketball season preview!)

Tennessee Volunteers 2021-2022 Season Preview

2020-2021 record: 18-9 (10-7 SEC), fourth in SEC
Postseason: Lost in NCAA tournament first round

Key Departures | Tennessee Volunteers

Jaden Springer (NBA draftee)
Keon Johnson (NBA draftee)
Yves Pons (left to play professionally)
EJ Anosike (transferred to Cal State Fullerton)
Davonte Gaines (transferred to George Mason)

Key Additions | Tennessee Volunteers

Kennedy Chandler (top 10 recruit)
Brandon Huntley-Hatfield (top 30 recruit)
Jonas Aidoo (top 40 recruit)
Jahmal Mashack (top 65 recruit)
Justin Powell (transferred from Auburn)

Returners | Tennessee Volunteers

Santiago Vescovi (8.7 PPG/3.7 RPG/3.1 APG)
John Fulkerson (9.5 PPG/5.5 RPG/1.7 APG)
Josiah Jordan-James (8 PPG/6.5 RPG/2 APG)
Victor Bailey (10.9 PPG/2 RPG/1.6 APG)

Tennessee Volunteers Outlook for 2021-2022

Credit to Rick Barnes for reloading so quickly. A lot of teams would be primed for a down year after losing three talented players like Jaden Springer, Keon Johnson and Yves Pons. Kennedy Chandler should be a star from Day 1 running the offense, while top-50 recruits Brandon Huntley-Hatfield and Jonas Aidoo should figure into the rotation right away. Chandler is lightning fast and could be one of the best point guards Barnes has had since he took over the Vols program. Chandler’s presence is going to really open things up for guys like Santiago Vescovi, Josiah-Jordan-James and Victory Bailey. All three had to play out of position at times last year so moving them to their natural spots will inevitably help with their efficiency numbers. JJJ has struggled with injuries for a couple of years now, but all indications are that he is healthy and ready to take the next step forward.

Justin Powell has PG experience from his time with Auburn last year and can play multiple positions. Powell had some massive games before injuries derailed his season and had strong averages of 11.7 PPG/6.1 RPG/4.7 APG. John Fulkerson is back for his super senior season which is huge for the Vols as he will be able to mentor the young front court players coming in. Fulkerson is a crafty post scorer that held his own as the Vols best interior defender a season ago.

(Check out our rankings of the top 100 teams and top 100 players for men’s college basketball in 2021-2022.)

Summary

This team has a good mix of veterans and high-upside freshmen with lots of potential. The Vols will be less top heavy with their production this year and should be fairly spread out among their top 6-7 players. Staying healthy is important for every team but this is especially true for the Vols who have dealt with more injuries than most over the past few seasons. Vescovi, JJJ and Powell should have solid statistical seasons next to Chandler assuming they can avoid missing any games due to injury.