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Projected Starting Lineup
G – Daniel West 6-1 Fr. (3-Star Prospect)
G – J.P. Prince 6-7 Jr. (18.8 MPG, 8.0 PPG, 3.2 RPG)
G – Scotty Hopson 6-7 Fr. (5-Star Prospect)
F – Tyler Smith 6-7 Jr. (28.2 MPG, 13.6 PPG, 6.7 RPG)
F – Wayne Chism 6-9 Jr. (22.9 MPG, 9.9 PPG, 5.8 RPG)

Impact Bench Players
G – Josh Tabb 6-4 Jr. (9.3 MPG, 1.3 PPG, 1.5 RPG)
F – Emmanuel Negedu 6-7 Fr. (4-Star Prospect)
F – Renaldo Woolridge 6-8 Fr. (4-Star Prospect)

Guards
Tennessee went with a three guard attack last season, and we expect them to start that many this season as well, depending on if you consider incoming freshman Scotty Hopson as a guard or a forward. Nevertheless, he’s a big time prospect who’s known as a good rebounder and a smart player. He’ll be one of two new starters as Chris Lofton and JaJuan Smith were seniors, and Ramar Smith transferred. That leaves J.P. Prince to step up and lead the young guards. Prince came off the bench last season, and he usually tries to be more involved than he should be. The other starter is expected to be Daniel West, who will run the point. That’s going to be an area of concern because West wasn’t recruited by high majors, but the Vols don’t really have anyone else. Getting a bigger role off the bench will be Josh Tabb, who appears to be a solid player that had a limited role a season ago.



Forwards
The Volunteers frontcourt will fortunately look the same when it comes to its starting lineup. Juniors Tyler Smith and Wayne Chism return, and Smith will now step up as the best player on the team (and maybe the best in the conference) with Lofton gone. Smith is a very good rebounder, who is also a surprisingly good passer for his height. Chism is a pretty good player himself, and he brings good rebounding and shot blocking ability to the table. Tennessee will be young off the bench, as incoming freshman Emmanuel Negedu and Renaldo Woolridge will likely be the main big guys off the bench. Negedu is known for his toughness, so he’ll surely fit the PF position well, and he’ll bring some spark off the bench, too.

Final Thoughts
Tennessee was a pretty well balanced team last year, and they were especially good defending the perimeter. The losses of Lofton and JaJuan and Ramar Smith could really hurt in that regard so that’s something to keep an eye on. Pearl likes to press a lot, so they do tend to give up some easy baskets at times, but they force turnovers, too. Another thing to note is that Lofton and JaJuan Smith were the Vols only deep threats last season, so it’s pivotal that the freshmen fill that void. The SEC was the weakest of the power conferences last season, and most teams lost a good portion of their team. As a result, Tennessee should be able to overcome their losses and contend for an SEC title once again.

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