By Garon Bach
After lackluster performances in exhibitions against Xavier and Duke, there were many questions surrounding the 2026-27 Tennessee Volunteers squad.
Well after Tuesday night, players, coaches, and fans alike may have found some answers from the Vols contest against Wofford.
“From our point of view, we had some guys a bit uptight, which you would expect,” said Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes. “But, when we had a chance to get a little more separation, we had some breakdowns defensively.”
The first half left a lot to be desired and felt very similar to the exhibition contest against the Blue Devils, but a fire was lit under Barnes’ team coming out of halftime.
“I just thought that we played more sort of wide open,” Barnes said. “And some good things started happening.”
Questions & Answers
A Tale of Two Halves – First Half Miscues, Second Half Success
At halftime, Tennessee led Wofford 34-31, but it left a lot to be desired, shooting 10-of-29 from the field and 4-of-12 from three.
Offensively, there seemed to be a lack of communication, and that led to seven turnovers, keeping a Terriers team that shot only 30% from the floor in the first half.
Defensively, the Volunteers were playing decently, but not to the standards of a Rick Barnes-led team.
Then came the second half.
Tennessee outscored Wofford 56-28, and held the Terriers to 9-of-29 from the field.
After losing the turnover battle in the first half, the Vols forced seven turnovers while only giving up three, shot 22-of-36 in the second half, and seemed to finally answer some questions lingering around one of the most talented teams in the country.
“[These guys] need to see it because we always talk about what we expect with our program, but they’ve never lived it,” said Barnes.
In regard to the 13 new players on the squad, the Volunteers’ second-half performance was one to be expected.
But the question still remains about first-half performances. While still early in the season, the Vols were sloppy and kept Wofford in the game thanks to miscues and the team not playing as a full unit.
Tyler Lundblade – As Good As Advertised
During the slow first half, the Belmont transfer sparked the Tennessee offense. Shooting 3-of-5 from deep, it was clear Lundblade clearly could be the momentum changer for the Volunteers this season.
“When he was in the Davidson scrimmage, that was his first time out, and he had a calming effect on everybody,” Barnes said. “I thought he did that tonight.”
Having a legendary coach say that about a player is a great sign, and DeWayne Brown II shared a similar message, saying Lundblade helped his teammates during timeouts and talked them through key moments in a game.
The captain role that the 6’6 guard has taken early on should lead to better team efforts down the road.
DeWayne Brown II – A Leader in the Making
Alongside Troy Henderson, Brown II is one of two returning Vols this season. He proved Tuesday night what long-term work on a Barnes-led team can produce. 17 points and 17 rebounds is a monster stat for the night, but also a great omen for a player with many questions around his name coming into the season.
After the Sophomore’s lackluster exhibition performances, he put together a performance no Volunteer has seen since 2014.
“I just think that I needed to play a little bit more free, a little bit more loose, and really that was it,” said the 6 ‘8 forward.
Overall, for the Tennessee squad, “playing more free” seems to be the way to go. It appeared to click in the second half and, for the Volunteers’ sake, will meet expectations later down the line.
UP NEXT: Next up for Tennessee is Radford, as the Highlanders and Volunteers will square off at Food City Center on Monday, Nov. 9 at 7 p.m.