KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tuesday at Food City Center, Tennessee men’s basketball head coach Rick Barnes and his team met with the media. One clear message taken away is the importance of defense on Barnes’ team.
“ But once we start playing, they’ll realize that who is going to be on that court in the last five minutes when you’ve gotta rely on somebody, [is] a group of guys that can guard somebody,” Barnes said.
Last season, the Vols finished first overall in the Southeastern Conference with 69.6 points per game allowed. They also held their opponents to 40.9 percent from the field. In conference play only, they were second with 71.5 allowed per game and an opponent 43 percent field goal percentage. They also finished close to the top of the SEC in rebounds, but that was a completely different team in regards to players. Now, with a roster of 13 newcomers, Barnes and assistant coach Earl Grant have instilled the heavy importance of being able to guard the ball.
Grant spoke with The Rotation Knox ahead of the 2026-27 season to talk about the Vols’ defensive progress in practice, why guarding Tennessee’s own offense every day is a challenge, how freshmen adjust to Rick Barnes’ standard and why defense, rebounding and taking care of the ball remain the program’s calling card. Watch the full interview below.
