1. Does this team have a shot at the NCAA tournament?
Some experts would answer this question with a pretty emphatic no – or at least that it’s not likely. Rick Barnes isn’t thinking that way.
“Our goal, we know, we’ve talked about we expect to be one of those teams at the end in the NCAA tournament,” Barnes said in the preseason. “I don’t think (the players) want to hear anything other than that.”
You have to admire Barnes for setting the bar high for a 16-16 (7-11 SEC) team from 2014-15 that will be without its unquestioned best player in Josh Richardson this season after the Heat drafted him last spring. Perhaps that attitude, combined with Barnes’ experience and a few key upperclassmen returning will be enough to help the Vols push for March Madness, but it’s definitely a huge question at this point.
