# 2016–17 Tennessee Volunteers basketball team

The 2016–17 Tennessee Volunteers basketball team represented the University of Tennessee in the 2016–17 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Volunteers were led by second-year head coach Rick Barnes. The team played its home games at Thompson–Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tennessee, as a member of the Southeastern Conference. They finished the season 16–16, 8–10 in SEC play to finish in a tie for ninth place. They lost in the second round of the SEC tournament to Georgia.

## Previous season

The Vols posted a record of 15–19, 6–12 in SEC play, during the 2015–16 season and finished in 12th place. They advanced to the quarterfinals of the SEC tournament where they lost to LSU.

## Roster turnover
### Departures

| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Notes |
| Kevin Punter | 0 | G | 6'2" | 190 | Senior | Bronx, NY | Graduated |
| Ray Kasongo | 2 | F | 6'8" | 245 | Junior | Toronto, Ontario, Canada | Transferred to Iowa State |
| Armani Moore | 4 | F | 6'4" | 217 | Senior | Kennesaw, GA | Graduated |
| Detrick Mostella | 15 | G | 6'1" | 179 | Junior | Decatur, AL | Dismissed on January 10, 2017 |
| Derek Reese | 23 | F | 6'7" | 230 | Senior | Orlando, FL | Graduated |
| Devon Baulkman | 34 | G | 6'4" | 200 | Senior | Bainbridge, GA | Graduated |

### Incoming transfers

| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Notes | Ref |
| Lew Evans | 21 | F | 6'9" | 230 | RS Senior | Salt Lake City, UT | Graduate transfer from Utah State. Eligible to play immediately. | |

## Recruiting
### 2016

US college sports recruiting information for 2016 recruits :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Jordan Bowden SG | Greenville, SC | 22 Feet Academy | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | Mar 22, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: N/A |||||||
| Kwe Parker SG | Wade, NC | Wesleyan Christian | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 172 lb (78 kg) | Nov 20, 2015 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 80 |||||||
| Grant Williams PF/C | Charlotte, NC | Providence Day School | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | 235 lb (107 kg) | Nov 13, 2015 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 81 |||||||
| John Fulkerson PF | Arden, NC | Christ School | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | Nov 6, 2015 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: N/A |||||||
| Jalen Johnson SF | High Point, NC | Wesleyan Christian | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | Oct 11, 2015 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 81 |||||||
| Jordan Bone PG | Nashville, TN | Ensworth | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 165 lb (75 kg) | Sep 13, 2015 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: N/A |||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: NR Rivals: NR 247Sports: NR ESPN: NR |||||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "Rivals.com 2016 Tennessee Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. "Tennessee Volunteers 2016 Player Commits". ESPN.com. "2016 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. |||||||
Source:

### 2017

US college sports recruiting information for 2017 recruits :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Yves Pons SF | Paris, France | INSEP Paris | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 217 lb (98 kg) | Feb 28, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: |||||||
| Derrick Walker PF | Kansas City, MO | Sunrise Christian Academy | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | 255 lb (116 kg) | Feb 2, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 80 |||||||
| Zach Kent C | Middletown, DE | Blair Academy | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) | 235 lb (107 kg) | Oct 30, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 77 |||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: NR Rivals: NR 247Sports: NR ESPN: NR |||||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "Rivals.com 2017 Tennessee Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. "2017 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. |||||||
Source:

## Roster
### Depth chart

| Pos. | Starting 5 | Bench 1 | Bench 2 | Bench 3 |
| F/C | Lew Evans | Kyle Alexander | | John Fulkerson (INJ) |
| F | Grant Williams | | | Jalen Johnson (RS) |
| G/F | Robert Hubbs | Admiral Schofield | | Lucas Campbell (W) |
| G | Jordan Bowden | Shembari Phillips | | Jacob Fleschman (W) |
| PG | Lamonte' Turner | Jordan Bone | Kwe Parker | Brad Woodson (W) |
Source:

## Schedule

Tennessee opened the season against the Chattanooga Mocs. Additionally they played these games: at East Tennessee State, host Georgia Tech, and at North Carolina. The Vols took part in the 2016 Maui Invitational tournament, where they finished 7th. Tennessee hosted Kansas State in the Big 12/SEC Challenge. Tennessee released its full non-conference schedule on June 24. The 2016 Maui Invitational Tournament bracket was announced on July 19.
| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Exhibition |||||||||
| Nov. 3* 7:00 PM | | Slippery Rock | W 83–48 | | 14 – Hubbs | 5 – Schofield | 4 – Tied | Thompson–Boling Arena Knoxville, TN |
| Regular season |||||||||
| Nov. 11* 7:00 PM | | Chattanooga Maui Invitational opening round | L 69–82 | 0–1 | 21 – Bone | 10 – Williams | 2 – Hubbs | Thompson–Boling Arena (14,483) Knoxville, TN |
| Nov. 15* 7:00 PM, SECN | | Appalachian State | W 103–94 | 1–1 | 16 – Hubbs | 7 – Alexander | 8 – Bone | Thompson–Boling Arena (11,758) Knoxville, TN |
| Nov. 21* 2:30 PM, ESPN2 | | vs. No. 16 Wisconsin Maui Invitational quarterfinals | L 62–74 | 1–2 | 16 – Phillips | 6 – Alexander | 2 – Tied | Lahaina Civic Center (2,400) Maui, HI |
| Nov. 22* 1:30 PM, ESPN2 | | vs. No. 12 Oregon Maui Invitational Consolation 2nd Round | L 65–69 $^{OT}$ | 1–3 | 22 – Mostella | 10 – Fulkerson | 2 – Tied | Lahaina Civic Center (2,400) Maui, HI |
| Nov. 23* 2:15 PM, ESPNU | | vs. Chaminade Maui Invitational 7th Place Game | W 95–81 | 2–3 | 28 – Hubbs | 8 – Fulkerson | 4 – Turner | Lahaina Civic Center (2,400) Maui, HI |
| Dec. 3* 1:00 PM, SECN+ | | Georgia Tech | W 81–58 | 3–3 | 14 – Tied | 8 – Fulkerson | 7 – Phillips | Thompson–Boling Arena (12,634) Knoxville, TN |
| Dec. 6* 5:00 PM | | Presbyterian | W 90–50 | 4–3 | 24 – Turner | 8 – Williams | 4 – Phillips | Thompson–Boling Arena (11,547) Knoxville, TN |
| Dec. 11* 5:00 PM, ESPN | | at No. 7 North Carolina | L 71–73 | 4–4 | 21 – Hubbs | 6 – Tied | 2 – Tied | Dean Smith Center (18,745) Chapel Hill, NC |
| Dec. 13* 7:00 PM, SECN | | Tennessee Tech | W 74–68 | 5–4 | 25 – Hubbs | 7 – Hubbs | 5 – Phillips | Thompson–Boling Arena (11,524) Knoxville, TN |
| Dec. 15* 7:00 PM | | Lipscomb | W 92–77 | 6–4 | 30 – Williams | 10 – Hubbs | 5 – Phillips | Thompson–Boling Arena (11,893) Knoxville, TN |
| Dec. 18* 4:00 PM, ESPN2 | | vs. No. 8 Gonzaga Nashville Showcase | L 76–86 | 6–5 | 17 – Mostella | 7 – Williams | 4 – Tied | Bridgestone Arena (13,784) Nashville, TN |
| Dec. 22* 7:00 PM | | at East Tennessee State | W 72–68 | 7–5 | 25 – Mostella | 9 – Williams | 4 – Parker | Freedom Hall Civic Center (6,149) Johnson City, TN |
| Dec. 29 9:00 PM, SECN | | at Texas A&M | W 73–63 | 8–5 (1–0) | 14 – Turner | 6 – Phillips | 4 – Tied | Reed Arena (9,199) College Station, TX |
| Jan. 3 6:30 PM, SECN | | Arkansas | L 68–72 | 8–6 (1–1) | 21 – Hubbs | 11 – Williams | 3 – Bone | Thompson–Boling Arena (13,002) Knoxville, TN |
| Jan. 7 5:15 PM, ESPN2 | | at No. 24 Florida | L 70–83 | 8–7 (1–2) | 18 – Schofield | 10 – Schofield | 4 – Turner | O'Connell Center (10,843) Gainesville, FL |
| Jan. 11 6:30 PM, SECN | | South Carolina | L 60–70 | 8–8 (1–3) | 15 – Williams | 7 – Hubbs | 3 – Schofield | Thompson–Boling Arena (13,794) Knoxville, TN |
| Jan. 14 8:30 PM, SECN | | at Vanderbilt | W 87–75 | 9–8 (2–3) | 23 – Bone | 9 – Williams | 5 – Bone | Memorial Gymnasium (12,235) Nashville, TN |
| Jan. 17 9:00 PM, SECN | | at Ole Miss | L 69–80 | 9–9 (2–4) | 15 – Turner | 8 – Tied | 5 – Turner | The Pavilion at Ole Miss (6,085) Oxford, MS |
| Jan. 21 6:00 PM, SECN | | Mississippi State | W 91–74 | 10–9 (3–4) | 19 – Hubbs | 9 – Evans | 6 – Turner | Thompson–Boling Arena (13,917) Knoxville, TN |
| Jan. 24 9:00 PM, ESPN | | No. 5 Kentucky Rivalry | W 82–80 | 11–9 (4–4) | 25 – Hubbs | 7 – Tied | 6 – Williams | Thompson–Boling Arena (19,349) Knoxville, TN |
| Jan. 28* 2:00 PM, ESPN2 | | Kansas State Big 12/SEC Challenge | W 70–58 | 12–9 | 17 – Williams | 9 – Alexander | 5 – Tied | Thompson–Boling Arena (14,398) Knoxville, TN |
| Jan. 31 9:00 PM, SECN | | at Auburn | W 87–77 | 13–9 (5–4) | 18 – Schofield | 9 – Hubbs | 5 – Hubbs | Auburn Arena (7,525) Auburn, AL |
| Feb. 4 3:30 PM, SECN | | at Mississippi State | L 59–64 | 13–10 (5–5) | 13 – Bone | 8 – Bone | 3 – Hubbs | Humphrey Coliseum (7,581) Starkville, MS |
| Feb. 8 6:30 PM, SECN | | Ole Miss | W 75–66 | 14–10 (6–5) | 18 – Tied | 7 – Tied | 5 – Bone | Thompson–Boling Arena (12,209) Knoxville, TN |
| Feb. 11 4:00 PM, ESPNU | | Georgia | L 75–76 | 14–11 (6–6) | 30 – Williams | 9 – Alexander | 5 – Turner | Thompson–Boling Arena (15,637) Knoxville, TN |
| Feb. 14 7:00 PM, ESPN | | at No. 13 Kentucky Rivalry | L 58–83 | 14–12 (6–7) | 17 – Schofield | 7 – Schofield | 2 – Tied | Rupp Arena (24,391) Lexington, KY |
| Feb. 18 1:00 PM, SECN | | Missouri | W 90–70 | 15–12 (7–7) | 25 – Williams | 8 – Hubbs | 6 – Bone | Thompson-Boling Arena (14,680) Knoxville, TN |
| Feb. 22 6:30 PM, SECN | | Vanderbilt | L 56–67 | 15–13 (7–8) | 16 – Hubbs | 10 – Williams | 2 – Tied | Thompson–Boling Arena (12,713) Knoxville, TN |
| Feb. 25 1:00 PM, SECN | | at South Carolina | L 55–82 | 15–14 (7–9) | 16 – Hubbs | 8 – Tied | 1 – Tied | Colonial Life Arena (16,117) Columbia, SC |
| Mar. 1 7:00 PM, SECN | | at LSU | L 82–92 | 15–15 (7–10) | 16 – Williams | 14 – Williams | 3 – Turner | Maravich Center (6,557) Baton Rouge, LA |
| Mar. 4 1:00 PM, SECN | | Alabama | W 59–54 | 16–15 (8–10) | 16 – Williams | 10 – Williams | 6 – Bowden | Thompson–Boling Arena (14,652) Knoxville, TN |
| SEC Tournament |||||||||
| Mar. 9 1:00 PM, SECN | (9) | vs. (8) Georgia Second Round | L 57–59 | 16–16 | 14 – Bone | 11 – Schofield | 5 – Bone | Bridgestone Arena (11,973) Nashville, TN |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. All times are in Eastern Time. |||||||||
Source: