Episode 131: Vols hoops hits the (practice) court

GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Grant Ramey went into Fort Rucker Studio to break down anything and everything from Tennessee basketball media day. Rick Barnes' reigning-SEC-champion Vols have sky-high expectations heading into the season, and understandably so, given the amount of experience and firepower on their roster. The Vols snuck up on the college basketball world last season, but that won't be the case now. They've been in the top-10 nationally in practically every preseason projection and power poll, and many have them ranked in the top-five. Can this team — a team with the reigning SEC player of the year in Grant Williams, the reigning SEC Sixth Man of the Year in Lamonte Turner, another legitimate conference player of the year candidate in Admiral Schofield and the reigning SEC Coach of the Year — repeat or even surpass its performance from last season? It sounds so simple on paper, considering Tennessee brings back its entire starting lineup and all but one of its top bench performers from last season, but things in sports rarely prove to be so simple. What changes should we expect from the Vols this season? Which players have improved, and in what areas? Whose roles could be increased this season? Will this team have the same great chemistry it enjoyed last season? Will touted freshman big man C.J. Burns get himself into the mix for a rotation spot? Those are some of the many questions discussed in this expansive look at Tennessee basketball.