For a team featuring 13 newcomers, Tennessee didn’t exactly ease into its first public appearance.
The Vols opened Food City Center on Saturday for a 30-minute intrasquad scrimmage, then gave the crowd a little bonus basketball when Juke Harris buried a buzzer-beating three to force a mock sudden-death overtime. Miles Rubin eventually ended it on an alley-oop from DeWayne Brown II.
But the biggest story was the shooting.
Terrence Hill Jr. was terrific. The VCU transfer poured in 29 points on 11-of-14 shooting and went 7-of-9 from three, while adding six assists. That’s exactly the kind of scoring-plus-playmaking combination Tennessee hoped it was getting when Barnes called Hill a player capable of making an “immediate, significant impact.”
He wasn’t alone.
Troy Henderson scored 22 points and made six threes, while Harris finished with 24 points and seven triples of his own. Harris’ perimeter showing was especially encouraging after shooting 33.2 percent from three last season at Wake Forest. Barnes has repeatedly pushed him to balance his natural unselfishness with greater scoring aggression. Saturday looked like a pretty healthy compromise.
Brown didn’t need a scoring explosion to stand out. The sophomore grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds, then delivered the pass that produced Rubin’s sudden-death winner. Manny Green quietly contributed six points on perfect 2-of-2 three-point shooting and handed out five assists, while Jalen Washington had eight points on 4-of-6 shooting with five rebounds.
Not everybody had his best afternoon.
Braedan Lue went 0-for-5 from the floor, while Dai Dai Ames needed 13 shots to score 13 points. Jalen Haralson finished with nine points on 4-of-9 shooting. None of those lines should set off alarms in an October scrimmage, but they’re useful reminders that Barnes still has plenty of roles and combinations to sort through. Lue in particular remains an intriguing developmental piece; Barnes has said Tennessee doesn’t intend to “put him in a box” because of his defensive versatility.
Three Vols did not participate. Tyler Lundblade remained out with the back issue that has limited him throughout the offseason, while freshman Ralph Scott continues recovering from his knee injury. Gavin Paull also sat out, though the statistical report did not specify a reason. Barnes recently said Lundblade’s experience should allow him to catch up quickly once he’s fully available.
The usual preseason disclaimers apply. The Vols were playing themselves. Defenses are still being installed. Rotations remain fluid.
But Tennessee spent the offseason deliberately adding offense, and on Saturday Hill, Harris and Henderson combined for 75 points and 20 made three-pointers.
One scrimmage won’t tell us what Tennessee will become. It did offer one tantalizing possibility: these Vols may be able to score with anybody.
– Vol Hoops Staff Writer