By Nick Rose
The Volunteers have started the basketball season 3-0 with big wins over Wofford and Radford, plus a close call against Tennessee State.
On paper, the team looks stacked after bringing in one of the best transfer classes in the country.
And on paper, when you look at the final scores, it seems the Vols are gelling well.
However, this team has been a difficult one to watch.
Tennessee has entered halftime with a single-digit lead in all three matchups despite being overwhelming favorites in each game.
This stems from excruciatingly slow starts from the offense, along with turnover problems.
Preseason All-SEC Second Team member Juke Harris has been an incredible disappointment for the Vols this season.
In the Vols’ most recent matchup, Harris started 1-for-6 from the field, going 1-for-5 from beyond the arc.
He has averaged 2.7 points in the first half so far this season. That is less than the $4 million NIL valuation that ON3 granted him for this season, the 22nd-highest among all collegiate athletes.
However, Tennessee’s struggles extend well beyond Harris’ inefficiency.
Tennessee has averaged 7.7 turnovers in the first half alone this season. For comparison, the Volunteers averaged 11.8 turnovers per game in the 2025-26 campaign.
Add in the second half for the 2026-27 Vols, and they have averaged an astounding 14.3 turnovers a game.
Michigan State has forced teams to commit 14.3 turnovers a game so far this season.
Even more impressive, they have averaged an astonishing 21.8 points off of turnovers.
Tennessee has been effective at limiting its own turnovers, allowing 15.7 points off turnovers per game.
However, they have yet to face a team of Michigan State’s caliber in the regular season.
They did face off against the highly touted Duke Blue Devils at Cameron Indoor Stadium during an exhibition matchup that saw the Volunteers suffer a humiliating 39-point loss.
Michigan State also faced Duke on Nov. 10, 2026, at the United Center in Chicago.
The Spartans never trailed in that game, winning 79-73.
In fact, the Spartans have only trailed for a grand total of 38 seconds so far this year when they were down 2-0 against Toledo.
The Spartans answered quickly with a 17-0 run over the next three minutes and nine seconds to quickly remind the Rockets of who they were playing.
Michigan State has undoubtedly shown that they are going to be one of the toughest teams in the country to beat, with senior point guard and Preseason Naismith Player of the Year watch list member Jeremy Fears Jr. leading the way for head coach Tom Izzo’s squad.
Fears Jr. has been leaps and bounds better than any player that the Volunteers have faced so far in the young season, averaging 16.8 points, 1.3 steals, and 10 assists with only 2.8 turnovers per game as well.
Tennessee’s head coach Rick Barnes’ biggest concern has been the guard play through three games.
“We haven’t had anybody yet from a point guard position take control,” Barnes said. “It’s the mistakes our guards keep making offensively that just stop the ball.
“If we’ll get a group of guys that will listen, we’ll be ok,” Barnes said. “If they listen and understand that we have to be a defensive team.”
Barnes has just a few days to get the guards and the rest of the team to fully buy into his system, or Izzo’s tough Spartan team will be an ugly reminder to listen when a legendary coach is talking.