If you weren’t convinced Tennessee would bounce back after that ugly loss to Colorado, the odds are good that you believe now.
The Volunteers ran through Butler, USC and then No. 3 Kansas to win the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament in the Bahamas, capturing their first Feast Week tournament title since 2010.
And they did it without Josiah-Jordan James — perhaps Tennessee’s best player — who missed the entire tournament due to knee soreness.
Five-star freshman Julian Phillips arrived, while Tennessee’s lights out defense was on full display throughout the week. Inconsistent offense is just something that Rick Barnes is going to have to deal with, but their elite defense will keep them in just about any game this season.