# 2015–16 Tennessee Volunteers basketball team

The 2015–16 Tennessee Volunteers basketball team represented the University of Tennessee in the 2015–16 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Volunteers were led by first-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 15–19, 6–12 in SEC play to finish in 12th place. They defeated Auburn and Vanderbilt to advance to the quarterfinals of the SEC tournament where they lost to LSU.

## Previous season

The Vols posted a record of 16–16, 7–11 in SEC play in the 2014–15 season and finished in 10th place. They advanced to the quarterfinals of the SEC tournament where they lost to Arkansas.

## Departures

| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Notes |
| Josh Richardson | 1 | G | 6'6" | 200 | Senior | Edmond, OK | Graduated |
| Brandon Lopez | 33 | G | 6'1" | 180 | Senior | Knoxville, TN | Graduated |
| Galen Campbell | 25 | G | 6'2" | 190 | RS Junior | Knoxville, TN | Graduated |
| Ian Chiles | 5 | G | 6'1" | 200 | RS Senior | Louisville,KY | Eligibility Ended |
| Tariq Owens | 11 | F | 6'10" | 205 | Sophomore | Odenton, MD | Transferred to St. John's |
| Willie Carmichael III | 24 | F | 6'8" | 210 | Sophomore | Apopka, FL | Transferred to Western Kentucky |
| Braxton Bonds | 32 | G | 6'1" | 170 | RS Freshman | Nashville, TN | Transferred to Columbia State |
| Jabari McGhee | 21 | F | 6'5" | 207 | RS Freshman | Albany, GA | Transferred at the end of fall semester to Western Kentucky |

## Recruiting

US college sports recruiting information for 2015 recruits :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Kyle Alexander C | Milton, Ontario, CA | Orangeville Prep | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | May 7, 2015 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: N/A |||||||
| Lamonte' Turner PG | Harvest, AL | IMG Academy | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | Apr 28, 2015 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 80 |||||||
| Ray Kasongo PF | Toronto, Ontario, CA | College of Southern Idaho | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) | 235 lb (107 kg) | Apr 28, 2015 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: N/A ESPN grade: JC |||||||
| Shembari Phillips SG | Marietta, GA | Wheeler | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | Sep 1, 2014 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 75 |||||||
| Admiral Schofield SF | Zion, IL | Zion-Benton Township | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 210 lb (95 kg) | Aug 31, 2014 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 75 |||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: NR Rivals: 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: "2015 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. |||||||

## Roster
### Depth chart

| Pos. | Starting 5 | Bench | Bench 3 |
| C | Kyle Alexander | Derek Reese | |
| PF | Armani Moore | Ray Kasongo | |
| SF | Admiral Schofield | Robert Hubbs | |
| SG | Devon Baulkman | Detrick Mostella | Lucas Campbell |
| PG | Kevin Punter | Shembari Phillips | Brad Woodson |

## Schedule

Tennessee has been invited to play in the Barclays Center Classic, where they will host two to-be-determined opponents and then play against two of these three teams in Brooklyn: Cincinnati, Nebraska, and George Washington. The Vols will travel on the road to play at Butler, Georgia Tech, and TCU. Tennessee will matchup with Gonzaga in neutral venue in the Battle in Seattle. Tennessee will also host Marshall, East Tennessee State, and Florida Atlantic.
| Date time, TV | Opponent | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Exhibition ||||||||
| Nov. 6* 7:00 pm | Alabama-Huntsville | W 96–83 | | 29 – Moore | 10 – Moore | 5 – Tied | Thompson–Boling Arena Knoxville, TN |
| Regular season ||||||||
| Nov. 13* 7:00 pm | UNC Asheville | W 82–78 | 1–0 | 31 – Punter | 8 – Moore, Reese | 6 – Moore | Thompson–Boling Arena (11,564) Knoxville, TN |
| Nov. 16* 7:00 pm, ESPNU | at Georgia Tech | L 67–69 | 1–1 | 17 – Moore | 10 – Reese | 3 – Hubbs | Hank McCamish Pavilion (5,467) Atlanta, GA |
| Nov. 19* 7:00 pm | Marshall | W 84–74 | 2–1 | 20 – Moore | 13 – Reese | 4 – Punter | Thompson–Boling Arena (12,341) Knoxville, TN |
| Nov. 22* 12:00 pm, SECN | Gardner–Webb Barclays Center Classic first round | W 89–64 | 3–1 | 24 – Punter | 16 – Moore | 6 – Punter | Thompson–Boling Arena (11,911) Knoxville, TN |
| Nov. 24* 7:00 pm, SECN | Army Barclays Center Classic second round | W 95–80 | 4–1 | 29 – Moore | 11 – Reese | 6 – Moore | Thompson–Boling Arena (13,326) Knoxville, TN |
| Nov. 27* 9:00 pm, ASN | vs. George Washington Barclays Center Classic semifinals | L 70–73 | 4–2 | 24 – Punter | 6 – Moore, Reese | 4 – Moore | Barclays Center Brooklyn, NY |
| Nov. 28* Noon | vs. Nebraska Barclays Center Classic Consolation | L 71–82 | 4–3 | 23 – Punter | 5 – Alexander | 5 – Punter | Barclays Center Brooklyn, NY |
| Dec. 12* 2:30 pm, FS1 | at No. 18 Butler | L 86–94 | 4–4 | 27 – Punter | 7 – Schofield | 7 – Moore | Hinkle Fieldhouse (9,100) Indianapolis, IN |
| Dec. 16* 7:00 pm | Florida Atlantic | W 81–62 | 5–4 | 24 – Punter | 8 – Reese | 5 – Punter | Thompson–Boling Arena (12,309) Knoxville, TN |
| Dec. 19* 11:00 pm, ESPNU | vs. Gonzaga Battle in Seattle | L 79–86 | 5–5 | 23 – Punter | 7 – Baulkman | 5 – Punter | KeyArena (16,770) Seattle, WA |
| Dec. 22* 7:00 pm | East Tennessee State | W 76–67 | 6–5 | 17 – Mostella | 11 – Moore | 4 – Mostella | Thompson–Boling Arena (14,684) Knoxville, TN |
| Dec. 29* 1:00 pm, SECN | Tennessee State | W 74–69 | 7–5 | 23 – Punter | 14 – Moore | 6 – Moore | Thompson–Boling Arena (13,214) Knoxville, TN |
| Jan. 2 2:00 pm, CBS | at Auburn | L 77–83 | 7–6 (0–1) | 31 – Punter | 9 – Moore | 4 – Punter, Moore | Auburn Arena (8,614) Auburn, AL |
| Jan. 6 7:00 pm, ESPN2 | Florida | W 83–69 | 8–6 (1–1) | 26 – Punter | 9 – Hubbs | 6 – Moore | Thompson–Boling Arena (14,387) Knoxville, TN |
| Jan. 9 1:00 pm, SECN | No. 21 Texas A&M | L 88–92 | 8–7 (1–2) | 19 – Punter | 6 – Moore, Schofield | 5 – Tied | Thompson–Boling Arena (14,907) Knoxville, TN |
| Jan. 13 7:00 pm, SECN | at Georgia | L 72–81 | 8–8 (1–3) | 16 – Mostella, Punter | 8 – Moore | 5 – Moore | Stegeman Coliseum (8,029) Athens, GA |
| Jan. 16 3:30 pm, SECN | at Mississippi State | W 80–75 | 9–8 (2–3) | 24 – Mostella | 8 – Reese | 5 – Punter | Humphrey Coliseum (5,926) Starkville, MS |
| Jan. 20 9:00 pm, SECN | Vanderbilt | L 74–88 | 9–9 (2–4) | 26 – Punter | 8 – Moore | 3 – Punter, Moore | Thompson–Boling Arena (13,561) Knoxville, TN |
| Jan. 23 Noon, SECN | No. 24 South Carolina | W 78–69 | 10–9 (3–4) | 36 – Punter | 8 – Hubbs | 4 – Baulkman, Moore | Thompson–Boling Arena (13,928) Knoxville, TN |
| Jan. 26 9:00 pm, SECN | at Alabama | L 57–63 | 10–10 (3–5) | 15 – Punter | 11 – Moore | 4 – Baulkman, Moore | Coleman Coliseum (11,429) Tuscaloosa, AL |
| Jan. 30* 2:00 pm, ESPN2 | at TCU Big 12/SEC Challenge | L 63–75 | 10–11 | 24 – Punter | 11 – Alexander | 6 – Moore | Daniel–Meyer Coliseum (5,761) Fort Worth, TX |
| Feb. 2 7:00 pm, ESPN | No. 20 Kentucky Rivalry | W 84–77 | 11–11 (4–5) | 27 – Punter | 13 – Moore | 4 – Moore | Thompson–Boling Arena (19,295) Knoxville, TN |
| Feb. 6 8:00 pm, SECN | at Arkansas | L 67–85 | 11–12 (4–6) | 24 – Punter | 5 – Tied | 7 – Punter | Bud Walton Arena (15,970) Fayetteville, AR |
| Feb. 9 7:00 pm, SECN | Auburn | W 71–45 | 12–12 (5–6) | 20 – Hubbs | 12 – Moore | 4 – Baulkman, Moore | Thompson–Boling Arena (13,740) Knoxville, TN |
| Feb. 13 3:00 pm, SECN | at Missouri | L 64–75 | 12–13 (5–7) | 21 – Punter | 7 – Alexander | 3 – Punter | Mizzou Arena (10,536) Columbia, MO |
| Feb. 18 7:00 pm, ESPN | at No. 14 Kentucky Rivalry | L 70–80 | 12–14 (5–8) | 21 – Moore | 11 – Moore | 2 – Baulkman, Moore | Rupp Arena (24,274) Lexington, KY |
| Feb. 20 5:30 pm, ESPNU | LSU | W 81–65 | 13–14 (6–8) | 19 – Hubbs | 10 – Moore | 7 – Moore | Thompson–Boling Arena (19,721) Knoxville, TN |
| Feb. 24 9:00 pm, SECN | at South Carolina | L 58–84 | 13–15 (6–9) | 19 – Baulkman | 9 – Alexander | 6 – Moore | Colonial Life Arena (13,224) Columbia, SC |
| Feb. 27 7:30 pm, SECN | Arkansas | L 65–75 | 13–16 (6–10) | 17 – Moore | 11 – Moore | 5 – Moore | Thompson–Boling Arena (14,413) Knoxville, TN |
| Mar. 1 7:00 pm, SECN | at Vanderbilt | L 69–86 | 13–17 (6–11) | 23 – Phillips | 7 – Phillips | 6 – Moore | Memorial Gymnasium (13,099) Nashville, TN |
| Mar. 5 Noon, SECN | Ole Miss | L 60–83 | 13–18 (6–12) | 18 – Baulkman | 6 – Schofield | 4 – Schofield | Thompson–Boling Arena (14,424) Knoxville, TN |
| SEC tournament ||||||||
| Mar. 9 8:00 pm, SECN | vs. Auburn First round | W 97–59 | 14–18 | 22 – Moore | 11 – Reese | 5 – Moore | Bridgestone Arena (9,787) Nashville, TN |
| Mar. 10 3:30 pm, SECN | vs. Vanderbilt Second round | W 67–65 | 15–18 | 18 – Mostella | 10 – Reese | 3 – Moore, Mostella | Bridgestone Arena (12,270) Nashville, TN |
| Mar. 11 3:30 pm, SECN | vs. LSU Quarterfinals | L 75–84 | 15–19 | 19 – Hubbs | 6 – Moore | 8 – Moore | Bridgestone Arena (15,222) Nashville, TN |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. All times are in Eastern Time. ||||||||