Over the last two seasons, Tennessee existed as an outlier.
How often does a team with zero top-100 recruits evolve into a top-10 juggernaut with legitimate Final Four aspirations? While the Volunteers came up short of that goal, coach Rick Barnes funneled the will and ire of under-recruited players into a monster of a roster — an ultimate testament to the culture he’s established in Knoxville.
Every coach stresses hard work, focus on team success over personal, and an us-against-the-world mentality. If you’re lucky, you’ll be good. Tennessee was great. Powered by Grant Williams, the 6-foot-5 son of a Navy man, the Volunteers went from the No.