#20 Tennessee Volunteers Predictions: 2010/2011 NCAA Future Lines
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MySportsbook.com Odds to win NCAA title – 20/1
NCAA Basketball – Tennessee Preview
Key players added – Tobias Harris, Trae Golden and Jordan McRae
Key players lost – Wayne Chism, Tyler Smith
Last season Tennessee had a great NCAA run advancing to the Elite 8 for the first time in school history and even though they lost their leading scorer and 2nd leading rebounder in F/C Wayne Chism they have the talent to go far this season. Head coach Bruce Pearl has a lot of guys that can see the court this season recently stating, “This is the first year I really think since we got here that we have 13 guys on scholarship—maybe it’s happened before—and really 14 guys that have an opportunity to be in the regular rotation legitimately. From that standpoint, it is our deepest team.”
G Scotty Hopson (12.2 ppg last season) and F John Fields (10.2 ppg 8.7 rpg last season) will be the main veterans returning and Fields will be a key guy, as he was the team’s leading rebounder last season. Hopson can shoot the pill, but last season slumped only shooting 33.3% from beyond the 3-pt arc and he will have to improve upon that this season. 6”10” senior C Brian Williams averaged 5.6 ppg and 6.4 rpg game last season and this season will have to play a bigger role on both offense and defense for the Volunteers to make another deep Big Dance run.
One player that has a lot of pressure this season is PG Melvin Goins. He will be running the point this season and last season averaged 5.3 ppg and 1.8 assists in16 minutes per game. He has looked great in fall practice and Pearl has a lot of faith in him saying, “Melvin Goins has stepped up, I think, both on and off the court, with his play, with the way he communicates to the team.” 
Last season Tennessee had some turmoil and 4 players were suspended including star Tyler Smith. Because of that some players that were riding pine had to step and produce. Skylar McGee, Steven Pearl, Kenny Hall and Josh Bone were those players and the experience they got last season will help them this season and even though they none of these guys are the Volunteers’ big guns they will contribute.
One of the strengths of Tennessee will be their defense. Last season they ranked 13th in 3-point defense, 21st in opponents’ field goal percentage, and 30th in turnover margin. Coach Pearl stresses defense and this season’s squad has a good chance to be better on D than they were last season.
The Volunteers had a solid recruiting class led by 6’8” PF Tobias Harris, who is a legit prospect and will likely start as a freshmen. Tennessee also got 2 shooting guards in Trae Golden and Jordan McRae and even though neither should break the starting lineup each will get minutes and be counted on to score off the bench.
Tennessee plays a pretty weak pre-conference schedule, but they do play at #4 Pitt and host #19 Memphis before SEC play begins.
Surprising stat: In the last 5 seasons Tennessee has the most wins in the SEC with 57 with Kentucky with the 2nd most at 52.
Strengths: Depth, defense, and rebounding
Weaknesses: lack of a big time scorer.
Big Dance? Totally, big shock if they do not get to the Big Dance
Tennessee Win total prediction for 2010-11: The team will miss Chism, but the experience of the returning players and the solid recruiting class will make them a legit threat to win the SEC this season.
The SEC is strong and I think the Volunteers will win around 25-27 games this season after winning 28 last season.
