GETTING INSIDE

Tennessee finished with 21 victories last season, but more was expected from the Volunteers, who lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Looking back, those expectations may have been a bit overblown since the Volunteers were looking to replace Chris Lofton and JaJuan Smith, their top two scorers from the 2007-08 campaign.

The inexperience showed at times.

That shouldn’t be the case this time, as the Vols bring back almost everyone of note.

The returnees include Tyler Smith, one of the conference’s top scorers at better than 17 points a game. His decision not to enter the NBA draft makes all the difference for the Vols.

“If you look at Tennessee’s team without Tyler Smith, I think there would be those having us picked somewhere in the middle of the East, the middle of the SEC,” coach Bruce Pearl said.

“With Tyler coming back, we’re in the discussion of being in the upper half of the league.”

Smith is joined by 6-9 Wayne Chism, who averaged 13.7 points and 8.0 rebounds per game and bullish 6-10 junior Brian Williams, who averaged 5.0 and 5.6 coming off the bench.

The Vols won’t have promising sophomore Emmanuel Negedu, however, after he collapsed during an offseason workout.

Also back is Scotty Hopson, a sharpshooter whose freshman season—which included 36 percent 3-point shooting and 9.2 points a game—probably was underrated since he was seen as the second coming of Lofton. That’s a role he wasn’t ready for, but he might be closer this season.

Senior J.P. Prince has done just about everything for the Vols and will take over the low post. He began his career as a point guard at Arizona. In addition to scoring—he was a total of three points shy of averaging in double figures—he gives the Vols energy with his fast-paced play.

Bobby Maze returns as the starting point guard after finishing with 109 assists last season, about double his 54 turnovers. Newcomer Marvin Goins, who likely will be slowed early after having knee surgery, and Josh Tabb will back him up.

Overall, it’s a well-balanced, experienced, deep team that expects to win and is capable of making a deep run into March.

NOTES, QUOTES

• Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl led the USA Open Men’s Team to the gold medal in the World Maccabi Games, an event often described as the Jewish Olympics. The U.S. team finished 5-1 and beat Israel in the title game.

• F Tyler Smith, who decided to return for his senior season instead of entering the NBA draft, is a two-time All-SEC first-team selection.

• F Wayne Chism gave the Volunteers a rare combination last season. He was the leading rebounder at 8.0 per game and also shot 32 percent on 3-pointers (41-of-128).

Last Year:   21-13 overall, 10-6 in the SEC; lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Head Coach:   Bruce Pearl (career 415-121); fifth year at Tennessee (98-37).

Quote To Note:   “I like our team. I like our depth. And obviously I like our experience.”—Coach Bruce Pearl, who welcomes back all five starters and key backups.

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

Scouting The Newcomers:   Kenny Hall is a 6-8 freshman who was rated as one of the top power forward prospects in the country and was among Rivals.com’s top 75 prospects. He could contribute in a backup role and give the Vols point production down low. Marvin Goins is a 5-11 point guard who played at Mount San Jacinto (Calif.) last season after spending his freshman year at Ball State, where he had 26 starts. Skylar McBee is a 6-3 freshman guard who turned down offers from some mid-level schools to walk on with the Vols.

Key Early-season Games:   Tennessee traditionally has played an ambitious scheduled under coach Bruce Pearl, and 2009-10 is no exception. The non-conference schedule features trips to Southern California on Dec. 19 and Memphis on Dec. 31 and a home game against Kansas on Jan. 10. Earlier, the Vols play East Carolina in the U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam on Nov. 20 with a second-round game against either DePaul or Northern Iowa. Purdue and Boston College are in the opposite bracket.

Program Direction:   It could be said the Vols took a step backward, at least a small one, last season when they lost their final regular-season game to fall into a tie for first place in their division, lost in the title game of the SEC Tournament, then lost a first-round NCAA Tournament game to Oklahoma State. If they come back hungrier and with more focus, they could take a big step back to the top.

Probable Starting Lineup:   PG Bobby Maze, SG Scotty Hopson, SG J.P. Prince, SF Tyler Smith, PF Wayne Chism.

Roster Report:  

• F Emmanuel Negedu will miss the season following surgery early in October to insert an implantable cardio defibrillator. Negedu collapsed after a September workout following what was called sudden cardiac arrest caused by ventricular fibrillation. His teammates and athletic trainers took quick action to get Negedu, a 6-7 sophomore, proper medical attention, essentially saving his life.

• PG Marvin Goins, one of three newcomers to the roster, had knee surgery early in October and isn’t expected back until early November at the earliest.

• F Renaldo Woolridge has released three mix tapes under the name “Swiperboy” and has about 100 songs available online. He is taking a break from recording rap music until after basketball season.