Tennessee basketball fans should be surprised by how different the Vols look when they their first exhibition game.
With a talented transfer class built around skilled guards, assistant coach Gregg Polinsky said the Vols are capable of playing a faster and more balanced brand of offense this season.
"I think we have a lot of depth that can score the basketball. Now, we’ll see it against live defense coming up tomorrow night from an opponent, but we have more depth offensively," Polinsky said on Oct. 14. "I don’t think that’s something fans have seen in a while."
The Vols host Xavier at Food City Center on Oct. 17 (7 p.m. ET, SEC Network+). It's the first of two exhibition games. UT plays at Duke on Oct. 20 (7 p.m., ACC Network).
The Vols have leaned
on one or two high-volume scorers while role players fit around them, Polinsky said. They've also been among the slowest offensive teams in the country, finishing a season ranked in the top 100 in tempo twice in 11 seasons with Rick Barnes as coach, according to KenPom.
But after adding transfer guards Juke Harris (Wake Forest), Terrence Hill Jr. (VCU), Dai Dai Ames (California) and Jalen Haralson (Notre Dame), who each averaged 15 points or more during the 2025-26 season, the Vols have threats at multiple positions.
The task at hand for Barnes and the coaching staff is figuring out how all the talented pieces best fit together.
“I think we have a lot of guys who can make the net move," Polinsky said. "We’ve had a really good formula here with putting guys in their roles – and it’ll be the same thing this year, guys will have roles – but, depending on your personnel, that can change."
Haralson, at 6-foot-7 and 222 pounds, has a wealth of offensive skills and defensive potential, so he's been moving all around the court − from point guard to power forward − as coaches look for the most efficient lineups in preseason practices.
“I’ve been all over these last three or four months," Haralson said. "That’s been Coach Barnes’ thing with me. Coming out of the portal, he told me that he wants me to be a Swiss Army knife guy, play at every position. So we’ve been working towards that."
Tennessee doesn't have much time to optimize its rotations before the regular season begins on Nov. 3 against Wofford at Food City Center. Playing someone other than themselves for the first time will be an important for figuring out how all these new players will come together.
But having this much offensive talent is a good problem for the Vols.
“I think we have depth offensively. Now, we’ll see when we’re guarded by someone else," Polinsky said. "I just think, when you have different choices on the buffet to choose from, that’s a lot better than just ordering off the menu.”
Stephen Thompson covers Tennessee Volunteers men's basketball. Email him at stephen.thompson@knoxnews.com and follow him on X @stephenethom.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: How Tennessee basketball offense could surprise fans in exhibition vs Xavier
