No. 6 Tennessee starts its season Tuesday at home against Division II's Lenoir-Rhyne full of expectations after coming out of nowhere last season to reach the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament.
The Volunteers, 26-9 overall last season, earned a share of the SEC title after being picked 13th in the preseason.
Of the preseason hype this year, coach Rick Barnes, in his fourth season with the Volunteers, said recently during a press conference, "It doesn't mean anything unless you make it work for you."
He also has tried to keep his team humble by saying, "If what we did last season looks big to us, we've made a mistake.