Vol Basketball Fever

Believe it or not, Tennessee basketball is HERE! Both the Vols and Lady Vols have started preseason practices, and Nathanael Rutherford speaks with Ryan Schumpert of Rocky Top Insider about what he's seen from the Vols' basketball team through the first week of practices and on UT's Media Day this week. Who is going to back up Zakai Zeigler at point guard? Will the Vols have some post players to rely on offensively this season? Plus, Julian Phillips is already garnering rave reviews from UT's coaches.

Some early preseason polls are starting to come out, and the Vols are starting to appear higher up than you might expect for the 2022-23 season. Co-hosts Nathanael Rutherford and Gene Henley discuss whether or not Tennessee will be a preseason top 10 team this upcoming season and if the Vols deserve that ranking. Plus, UT's full 2022-23 schedule has been released, and it could lead to a pretty strong start for the Vols this year. Also, is Josiah-Jordan James the Vols' best player heading into this season? One media outlet seems to think so.

Tennessee's men's basketball program stayed hot on the recruiting trail in the 2023 class when elite big man JP Estrella announced his commitment to UT on Friday. Co-hosts Nathanael Rutherford and Gene Henley break down the Vols' latest commitment and discuss why he could be a dynamic post option for Tennessee in the future. Plus, where does Rick Barnes rank among the rest of the college basketball world when it comes to recruiting? One national media outlet shared their take on Barnes' recruiting prowess. (1:45) - Borderline 5-star PF/C JP Estrella chooses the Vols (16:57) - Looking at some of UT's 2023 targets (20:08) - Where does Rick Barnes rank as a recruiter in CBB? (51:09) - The Vols are already getting Top 10 preseason hype

No surprise here: The Lady Vols have to face another grueling slate of games when they enter the 2022-23 season. Nathanael Rutherford is joined by special guest Ryan Sylvia of TNJN to discuss UT's difficult schedule for the upcoming season now that the full schedule has been released. Plus, if you could only choose one player to protect the entire season from injury, which Lady Vol would you select? And which game (or games) will we see the Lady Vols wear their new Summitt Blue jerseys this season?

**WE APOLOGIZE FOR THE MESSED UP AUDIO QUALITY. Apparently when recording, the software recorded from the incorrect audio source, which is why the audio sounds lower quality in this episode. We apologize for the mishap.** The Vols added a big piece to their 2023 recruiting class this week when four-star combo guard Freddie Dilione out of North Carolina committed to Tennessee. Co-hosts Nathanael Rutherford and Gene Henley discuss the Vols' newest commit and why he could be the exact type of offensive threat UT needs in the future. Plus, the Lady Vols are getting a new alternate jersey for this upcoming season, and the football team is bringing back the Smokey Grey uniforms. When will the Tennessee men's basketball team get to join in on the fun with alternate jerseys? (1:59) - What the Vols are getting from 4-star guard Freddie Dilione (14:11) - Tennessee's 2023 class is shaping up to be VERY nice (24:17) - Heaping praise on Josiah-Jordan James (31:43) - Can the basketball Vols get some alternate jerseys, please?

What exactly are fair expectations for Tennessee's men's basketball program as a whole? Does the Vols' distant past matter more than their recent history? Co-hosts Nathanael Rutherford and Gene Henley discuss how the Vols are viewed nationally and where exactly UT should rank in men's college basketball compared to other programs. Do fans who got sucked into UT hoops during the Bruce Pearl era have higher expectations for the Vols than older fans who grew up watching Ray Mears and Don DeVoe? Plus, Tennessee has released the full non-conference schedule for the men's team, and the Vols should have a pretty nice record heading into SEC play this season. (1:40) - Do younger Vol fans have higher expectations for UT hoops? (21:49) - Inconsistency is the biggest reason the Vols haven't had more success (30:48) - Is Tennessee a top 25 program in the last 25 years? (38:12) - The difference between building a program and having a string of teams (53:16) - Tennessee has a pretty favorable non-conference schedule

Tennessee has swung and missed on some high profile prospects in the 2023 class lately. Is it time for Rick Barnes and his staff to make some adjustments to their recruiting style as Barnes enters his last few years in college basketball? Co-hosts Nathanael Rutherford and Gene Henley discuss the Vols' recruiting as of late, how sustainable UT's current recruiting efforts are, and what the future could hold for the program beyond this upcoming season. (2:18) - Discussing the Vols' recent misses in recruiting (18:35) - Is it better to land high-end 4-stars than one-and-dones? (29:02) - Does good, quality experience trump flashy five-star freshmen? (41:29) - Should the Vols follow Gonzaga's and Villanova's blueprints? (56:55) - How the transfer portal uniquely affects (or hurts) basketball (1:10:40) - A sobering fact for all Vol fans to remember

It's time for the first-ever Lady Vol mailbag edition of the show! Nathanael Rutherford is joined by special guest Maria Cornelius of GoVols247 to answer listener questions about the Lady Vols' starting five, biggest non-conference match-ups this season, how Kellie Harper has changed the culture of the program, and much more! (2:39) - What match-ups are we most looking forward to? (10:20) - How can Kellie Harper keep this coaching staff intact? (19:26) - Who will be the Lady Vols' starting 5 and who will be the biggest impact off the bench? (32:45) - How much has Kellie Harper changed the culture of the Lady Vols? (48:30) - Has the culture been a bigger draw than NIL for transfers?

Tennessee officially added New York big man Tobe Awaka to their 2022-23 roster when his signing in the 2022 class was announced this month. Nathanael Rutherford is joined by Awaka's high school head coach, Joe Lods of Cardinal Hayes High School, to give Vol fans the lowdown on the newest addition to UT's roster. What makes Awaka so great at rebounding? Did the Vols land one of the biggest steals of the 2022 recruiting cycle? Plus, hear why Awaka might be a combination of Zakai Zeigler, Grant Williams, and Josiah-Jordan James.

Have both the Vols and Lady Vols done enough this offseason to create rosters that can compete -- and win -- championships this upcoming season? Nathanael Rutherford is joined by special guest Jack Foster of Volunteer Country on Sports Illustrated to break down the roster reconstruction for both the Vols and Lady Vols basketball teams this offseason. Will the Vols use that last open scholarship this summer? Even if they don't, have the additions this offseason drastically improved the team? For the Lady Vols, is it fair to say "Final Four or bust" for this team? Plus, who are both teams targeting in the 2023 class? (2:13) - Are the Vols actually going to use that last scholarship for this year? (10:58) - Did the Vols fill all their needs this offseason? (22:32) - A look at Tennessee's top 2023 targets (31:28) - Start of the Lady Vols discussion (31:47) - Is it "Final Four or bust" for the Lady Vols after their offseason additions? (48:30) - Can the Lady Vols sustain their success in the 2023 class?

Figuring out the Vols' starting five and their main rotation is going to be a tough job for Rick Barnes and his staff. Co-hosts Nathanael Rutherford and Gene Henley discuss that and more in a mailbag episode of the show! Where does Tennessee stack up with returning production against the rest of the SEC? What do we know about UT's new Director of Recruiting? And is the Vols' SEC schedule actually favorable this year? (2:12) - Do the Vols actually have a favorable slate of SEC games? (16:26) - Beginning of listener questions (17:13) - What will UT's rotation look like this season? (27:16) - What does the future of the Vols' program look like after this year? (49:43) - How does UT's returning production compare to other SEC teams? (1:02:53) - Discussing the Vols' new Director of Recruiting

Many expected Vol point guard Kennedy Chandler to go in the 1st round of the 2022 NBA Draft. Instead, Chandler dropped into the 2nd round and was taken with the No. 38 overall pick. Co-hosts Nathanael Rutherford and Gene Henley discuss why Chandler fell out of the 1st round but why his fit with the Memphis Grizzlies is ultimately more important than where he got drafted. Plus, could the Vols have a NBA Draft lottery pick in next year's draft? One prominent draft analyst thinks so. (2:00) - Why Kennedy Chandler dropped out of the 1st round (12:34) - Should Chandler have come back to UT for a 2nd season? (27:04) - Height does matter in the NBA Draft (and in the NBA) (31:44) - Is this is the most invested Vol fans have ever been in the NBA? (33:34) - An analyst thinks the Vols could have a lottery pick next year (44:25) - Why college production doesn't matter a ton to NBA scouts (54:51) - Brief discussion on expectations for Julian Phillips

We're back! Sorry for the break, but we're back with another Lady Vol episode of the show! Nathanael Rutherford is joined by Maria Cornelius of GoVols247 to discuss all of the post options the Lady Vols have now thanks to their additions in the transfer portal. Plus, 5-star Justin Pissott is reminding people why she shouldn't be counted out as a possible notable contributor for the upcoming season, some unfortunate injury news for a Lady Vol, and Maria shares a story about Pat Summitt in honor of the legendary Lady Vol coach's birthday this week. Tickets for the on-campus screening of CATCH98: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/espn-sec-storied-premiere-tickets-358772607527 Maria's interview with Kellie Harper: https://247sports.com/college/tennessee/LongFormArticle/One-on-one-with-Lady-Vols-Coach-Kellie-Harper-188693584/ (2:14) - An offseason injury (5:21) - The importance of UT's two last additions - Jasmine Franklin and Jillian Hollingshead (28:35) - Two returning players who could be X-factors (37:28) - Justine Pissott is reminding people how good she is (46:09) - Maria shares a story about Pat Summitt (53:53) - Don't miss the CATCH98 on-campus screening

The Vols added 4-star wing DJ Jefferson as part of their 2022 class, and that leaves them with just one more open spot for the upcoming season. With Iowa State transfer point guard Tyrese Hunter choosing Texas, can the Vols find another guard to round out the roster? Or do they even need to? Co-hosts Nathanael Rutherford and Gene Henley discuss the addition of Jefferson to the roster, why Zakai Zeigler could be ready to start at PG, what to expect from Josiah-Jordan James this season, and more! (2:02) - What DJ Jefferson brings to the Vols' roster (11:18) - Do the Vols really need to get a veteran transfer PG? (27:11) - Will Josiah-Jordan James continue to put up points this season? (47:16) - The impact of Grant Williams in the NBA Finals (58:43) - Tennessee steals away an Alabama legacy

The Vols remained hot on the recruiting trail in the 2022 class when four-star wing DJ Jefferson announced his commitment and subsequent signing with Tennessee late last week. Nathanael Rutherford sat down with Jefferson's high school head coach, Lucas Patterson of Minnesota Prep Academy, to discuss what Vol fans should expect from the athletic guard when he arrives in Knoxville. Why did Jefferson take so long to get noticed by high major programs? What is his ceiling? Is he going to surprise fans in his first year on campus?

Tennessee has made it a habit of picking up five-star prospects under Rick Barnes, but not every five-star is made the same. So what should Vol fans expect to see from UT's latest five-star signee, 2022 forward Julian Phillips? Nathanael Rutherford sat down with Phillips' high school head coach, Rodney Perry of Link Academy, to give Vol fans an idea of what kind of player and person Phillips is as he heads to Knoxville.

With five-star Julian Phillips signing on to play for the Vols this upcoming season, it's apparent that Tennessee has made it a point to add more offense to the roster this offseason. Co-hosts Nathanael Rutherford and Gene Henley discuss the impact of Phillips' decision to come to UT as well as what the additions of Phillips, Tyreke Key, and BJ Edwards could have on next year's team. Plus, Grant Williams KILLED IT in Game 7 for the Boston Celtics, Tennessee added another commitment on Tuesday, and the Vols could add some more players to the roster in the coming days. (1:40) - Grant Williams' incredible performance in Game 7 (12:05) - The impact of Julian Phillips' signing with UT (29:03) - What all Tennessee's additions have in common (35:11) - The Vols land an intriguing big man in recruiting (47:44) - Can the Vols pick up transfer PG Tyrese Hunter?

After a year at Georgia, former 5-star center Jillian Hollingshead announced she will be transferring to Tennessee. Nathanael Rutherford sat down with the newest Lady Vol to discuss why she chose UT and what the future holds for her. How is Jillian recovering from her injury? What kind of player is she, and is she looking forward to playing with and competing against Tamari Key? Plus, what kind of person is she off the court?

For the 7th time in the last four years, Rick Barnes and the Vols have landed a five-star. Nathanael Rutherford is joined by special guest Ethan Stone to discuss five-star wing/forward Julian Phillips choosing the Vols over Auburn and the NBA G League. Is Phillips a true one-and-done type of prospect? What role in the rotation will he play for Tennessee this upcoming season? Plus, can the Vols actually land a transfer point guard? And where does UT stand with the two recruits visiting Knoxville this weekend? Follow Ethan on Twitter! @Ethanstone23 (2:13) - Tennessee lands 5-star Julian Phillips (5:50) - How does Phillips fit into UT's rotation? (11:45) - Setting fair expectations for "one-and-done" Julian Phillips (24:18) - Can the Vols land a transfer PG? (35:06) - The Vols have 2 big targets on campus this weekend (42:01) - How good is UT's roster on paper now?

The Lady Vols have "won" the offseason so far thanks to their strong haul from the transfer portal. But can they translate this offseason success into actual success in the 2022-23 season? Nathanael Rutherford is joined by special guest Coral Hall of Knox News to discuss the latest transfers to join the Lady Vols and how all five new additions to the team will fit in this season. Plus, what are fair preseason expectations for this team, and how has the rest of the SEC been doing in the transfer portal? Cora's article mentioned at the end of the show: https://www.knoxnews.com/story/sports/college/university-of-tennessee/womens-basketball/2022/05/06/tennessee-lawmakers-extend-efforts-ban-transgender-athletes-competition/9517461002/ (1:43) - Breaking down the Lady Vols' two newest transfers (6:56) - How do Tennessee's 5 newcomers all fit in to next year's team? (18:56) - Should this team be expected to make a Final Four run? (27:59) - How the rest of the SEC has fared in the transfer portal (34:46) - Favorite Lady Vol story from the season