GoVols247: A Tennessee Volunteers athletics podcast

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Episode 176: Grant Williams leaning toward leaving? May 16, 2019

Show notes

GoVols247’s Wes Rucker, Grant Ramey and Patrick Brown went into the Fort Rucker Sun Room — the Fort Rucker Studio somehow is still being renovated — to discuss the NBA Draft preparation process of Tennessee stars Grant Williams, Admiral Schofield, Jordan Bone and Kyle Alexander.

Recent mock drafts have included Schofield (a senior) and Williams (a junior) late in the first round, which could be an indication that Williams — the two-time reigning SEC Player of the Year, and a first-team All-American — will forego his senior season and remain in the draft. That obviously would be a big blow for the Vols heading into next season, but having two potential first-round picks and four potential picks in the same draft would be a huge statement for Rick Barnes and his program.

If Williams is indeed projected late in the first round, does he essentially have to stay in the draft? Is Bone still intent on turning pro, even if he goes undrafted? Why is Schofield continuing to fly under the radar? Why is Alexander not getting even an invitation to the NBA G-League Combine but has been invited to workout for multiple NBA teams? There’s plenty of draft stuff to discuss, and this episode features plenty of it.

Williams’ departure would make a transition season even more challenging for the Vols, but reinforcements are on the way. Tennessee recently added another player to its signing class, and that player — Finland native Olivier Robinson-Nkamhoua — is a talented one. The versatile, 6-foot-8 forward is considered by some a top-100 overall prospect, and his stock is very much on the rise after he emerged as a senior at Bishop Walsh School in Cumberland, Md. He likely would have burst onto the scene as soon as he arrived from overseas, but he missed his junior season with a leg injury.

Former Vols forward Derrick Walker also made news this week by announcing his decision to enroll at Nebraska.

In other words, it’s been a newsy Tennessee basketball week for May. There’s plenty to discuss.

Episode 175: The portal door swings both ways May 03, 2019

Show notes

GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from the Fort Rucker Sun Room) and Grant Ramey (from GoVols247’s Blount County Satellite Office) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to break down a newsy, early-offseason week for Rick Barnes and the Tennessee basketball program.

Three Vols — senior wing Admiral Schofield, junior forward Grant Williams and junior point guard Jordan Bone — were invited to the upcoming NBA Draft Combine, which means Williams and Bone now have the option to stay in the NBA Draft and still return to school if they’re not selected. That obviously won’t happen in Williams’ case, because he’d come off the board at some point if he stayed in the draft, but some think that could happen with Bone. The impact of having three players invited to the combine and the impact that could have on Williams Bone is a major discussion point in this episode.

Other big news happened this week, though. Sophomore forward Derrick Walker has put his name into the transfer portal after a postseason conversation with Barnes, which at least somewhat surprisingly leaves another hold for Barnes and Co. to fill this offseason.

What went into Walker’s decision, and what impact will it have on the 2019-20 season? On the surface, Walker seemed to be in line for much more playing time next season, but perhaps there are other reasons for him leaving the program. Either way, his absence creates another opportunity for Tennessee to bolster the roster, and that’s exactly what the Vols hope to do. Remember, the transfer portal swings both ways, and there are still some exciting high school, prep school and junior college prospects on the table, too.

It was always going to be an interesting offseason for the Tennessee basketball roster, but it might be even more interesting than we thought. That means there’s plenty to discuss.

Episode 174: Once and future NFL Drafts May 03, 2019

Show notes

GoVols247’s Wes Rucker, Patrick Brown and Ryan Callahan went into the Fort Rucker Sun Room — the Fort Rucker Studio somehow is still being renovated — to discuss the reasons no Tennessee players were selected in the 2019 NFL Draft and whether the 2020 NFL Draft will be any different.

If you want to understand the magnitude of the rebuilding project inherited by Jeremy Pruitt and his staff, understand this: There are 14 teams in the SEC, and 13 of them had at least two players selected in last week’s draft. Tennessee had zero.

Eight teams in college football’s deepest conference had at least five players drafted last week. And … yep, Tennessee had zero.

On one hand, Tennessee beating two ranked teams despite not having a single draft pick on its roster makes last season seem more impressive. On the other hand, Tennessee hasn’t had a player selected in three of the past five NFL Drafts. How is that possible at one of the winningest programs in college football history? How is that possible at a place that had at least one player selected in 51 consecutive drafts?

Will 2020 be any different? Probably so. But how much different?

Other odds and ends from the previous week — including young lineman Eric Crosby going on a medical scholarship and ending his Tennessee football career — also are discussed in this episode, and there’s plenty of recruiting for Callahan to discussing following the trip he and Grant Ramey took to last weekend’s The Opening regional in Charlotte.

Episode 173: Post-spring outlook on 2019 Vols Apr 26, 2019

Show notes

GoVols247’s Wes Rucker, Patrick Brown and Ryan Callahan went into the Fort Rucker Sun Room (Fort Rucker Studio is still being renovated) to gauge the temperature of these Vols heading into summer workouts and take some guesses on the 2019 season.

Why just guesses or guesstimates? Well … there are four good reasons for that.

***Two of Tennessee’s most intriguing talents — sophomore defensive lineman Aubrey Solomon and junior WR/DB Deangelo Gibbs — are still going through the NCAA immediately-eligibility waiver process, and it remains to be seen whether either player will be eligible to play this fall.

***Tennessee needs immediate impact from several players who still haven’t enrolled in classes, and we’ll have to wait and see what kind of shape they’re in when they arrive. And if they’re in shape, we’ll have to wait and see how well they can adjust to life at this level and make an instant impact. If the Vols want to feel confident about their chances of securing a bowl bid this season, they’ll need some of those talented summer enrollees ready to roll.

***Several of Tennessee’s younger players — even some of its best young players — need productive offseason workouts in order to take their frames and their games to the next level. We don’t know who will do that and who won’t. That’s not possible at this point.

***It’s not clear whether Tennessee will even dip into the NCAA transfer portal and look to bolster its roster, but we do know this: The Vols need to shed scholarship weight in order to stay at 85 or fewer scholarships. If they do that, though, and they still have room to add an instant-impact transfer, that could change things in a hurry.

One legit caveat is more than enough to delay making a final decision. Four legit caveats is more than enough to suggest there’s no way to know right now.

Regardless, the GoVols247 staff — well, most of it — convened to discuss some possible projections for Tennessee’s 2019 record. We assumed the Vols would get as much good news as bad news this offseason, and we came up with the proper over/under for regular-season wins in 2019.

This week’s episode also features discussion on the ongoing 2019 NFL Draft, which could come and go without a single Tennessee player being selected. Several Vols will sign free-agent contracts and rookie-camp deals after the draft concludes Saturday, but at least a couple have a chance to hear their name called during the draft. This episode briefly rehashes some of the reasons for Tennessee’s NFL Draft cold streak because … well … it is news when the Vols don’t have many or any prospects selected. It’s rare enough historically that it is news.

Callahan took control of the conversation down the home stretch, offering insight and analysis on where things stand with Tennessee’s 2020 recruiting class. Discussions on Tennessee’s current class are combined with discussions on the Vols’ vague plans during the spring evaluation period and more. Recruiting never stops, so GoVols247’s recruiting efforts don’t stop, either.

Episode 172: The fallout from Rick Barnes' candor Apr 23, 2019

Show notes

GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from the Fort Rucker Sun Room) and Grant Ramey (from GoVols247’s Blount County Satellite Office) convened via Al Gore’s Internets to break down the fallout from Rick Barnes’ unusually candid comments following his decision to spurn UCLA and remain at Tennessee.

In perhaps an only-at-Tennessee moment, the Barnes-Vols-Bruins saga took three sharp turns in a short period of time. First there was shock and anxiety that stemmed from reports of the mutual interest between UCLA and Barnes. Then there was the elation that stemmed from Barnes’ decision to remain at Tennessee. Then there was the confusion that stemmed from Barnes’ candid remarks that he would have become the coach at UCLA if the Bruins had played ball on his buyout with Tennessee.

What are we to make of this situation? What does it all mean? How much impact will it have on a coach and fan base who to this point have done nothing but fawn over each other?

Did Barnes just prove he’s more like the average coach than anyone thought? Will that matter? Will the results on the court be the determining factor in how much it matters?

Will this controversy go away in time, such is the way things go in this era of minuscule attention spans? Or will it remain a rock stuck in Barnes’ shoe any time the Vols start to struggle?

Barnes’ comments left plenty to chew on, and this episode provides a forum to continue that discussion. It also discusses new Tennessee assistant coach Kim English, a bright up-and-comer whose hire would have been discussed much more in the past couple of weeks if these were ordinary circumstances.

Episode 171: Vols spring camp recap Apr 19, 2019

Show notes

GoVols247’s Wes Rucker, Patrick Brown and Ryan Callahan went into the Fort Rucker Sun Room to break down Tennessee’s second spring camp under coach Jeremy Pruitt.

The Vols obviously had a laundry list of things to improve after a 5-7 record in Pruitt’s first season, and many of those things couldn’t possibly be solved in a single spring camp. But some of them could, in theory, right?

Well … were they solved?

Or at least sort of solved?

Did Tennessee take necessary steps forward on both lines of scrimmage this spring? What did the offense look like under new (old) coordinator Jim Chaney? Were there any noticeable differences in the defense under new coordinator Derrick Ansley?

Who helped themselves this spring? Who didn’t? Who was somewhere in between?

And what are the biggest things on the checklist heading into the summer?

Obviously there’s plenty to discuss, and this episode discusses plenty.

Episode 170: Orange & White Game recap Apr 14, 2019

Show notes

GoVols247’s Wes Rucker, Patrick Brown and Grant Ramey went into the Fort Rucker Sun Room — the Fort Rucker Studio is almost (but not quite) reconstructed — to break down the Vols’ annual spring game at Neyland Stadium.

The White team (first-team offense and second-team defense) beat the Orange team (first-team defense and second-team offense) by a 28-10 score before an announced crowd of more than 50,000, and there was plenty of good, bad and ugly in the process.

What looked good? What didn’t look good? How much stock should we put it into anything we saw, whether it looked looked good or bad? What do we make of the line of scrimmage, where Tennessee had so many questions entering spring camp? What about all three of the Vols’ scholarship quarterbacks? What about the experienced wide receivers? Did any newcomers stand out?

A spring game always leads to plenty of discussion points, and plenty of points are discussed in this episode.

Episode 169: Rick Barnes ain't no Beverly Hillbilly Apr 12, 2019

Show notes

GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from the Fort Rucker Sun Room) and Grant Ramey (from GoVols247’s Blount County Satellite Office) convened via Al Gore’s Internets to break down a stunning turn of events that nearly concluded with Tennessee losing reigning national coach of the year Rick Barnes to UCLA.

News emerged Sunday night that UCLA’s search for a new head coach was focused on Barnes, and multiple sources close to the situation insisted that Barnes nearly accepted the job before getting brought back into the fold by Vols athletic director Phillip Fulmer.

How did Tennessee nearly lose Barnes? Where was the disconnect between Barnes and Tennessee’s athletic administration, and just how bad was it? What ultimately brought the two sides back together? How lucrative with Barnes’ new contract be, and what kind of pressure will that put on him?

Tennessee retained Barnes, but the Vols did lose associate head coach Rob Lanier to the head-coaching position at Georgia State, and there’s still plenty of interest in other Tennessee staffers. Barnes already filled one vacancy, adding Colorado assistant coach (and former Missouri star) Kim English to his staff, but what other changes could occur in the coming days and weeks?

A unexpectedly wild week left plenty to discuss, and this episode breaks down all of it.

Episode 168: Jordan Bone, Grant Williams, NBA Draft, etc. Apr 05, 2019

Show notes

GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from the Fort Rucker Sun Room) and Grant Ramey (from GoVols247’s Blount County Satellite Office) convened via Al Gore’s Internets to break down Tennessee junior point guard Jordan Bone’s recent decision to declare for the NBA Draft while leaving open the possibility of returning for his senior season, which NCAA rules allow.

Vols junior forward Grant Williams — the two-time reigning SEC Player of the Year — also has an NBA Draft decision to make in the near future, and there’s plenty of discussion on Williams’ situation, as well.

Putting players into the NBA is necessary in order to recruit the nation’s best players on an annual basis, and Tennessee adding to its alums-in-in-the-NBA list would be a good thing for the Vols in the long run.

But finding a way to keep Bone and/or Williams also would keep Tennessee’s current national-championship window open heading into next season, and losing either — but particularly Williams — could have a huge impact on that.

What are the chances Tennessee ultimately could return either player? What would the Vols look like with or without either or both of those players next season? How much impact will those decisions have not only on Tennessee’s quality, but also the style in which Tennessee will play? Would the Vols look to replace Bone and/or Williams with ready-made, plug-and-play graduate transfers, or with traditional high-school recruits? Could there be any other roster additions or subtractions?

Basketball season has ended for Tennessee, but it really hasn’t ended. There’s a ton to discuss now, in the near future and throughout the following weeks and months, so come join that conversation now.

Episode 167: Vols digging Chaney's offense Apr 05, 2019

Show notes

GoVols247’s Wes Rucker, Patrick Brown and Ryan Callahan went into the Fort Rucker Sun Room — hopefully Fort Rucker Studio is back up and running next week — to break down some recurring themes and some new developments from Tennessee’s second spring camp under head coach Jeremy Pruitt.

One major theme throughout spring camp has been the positive energy and optimistic vibes with new (old) offensive coordinator Jim Chaney. Several players — including junior quarterback Jarrett Guarantano — have praised Chaney’s system and personality throughout spring camp, and Chaney was made available to reporters last week, so there’s plenty to discuss on that front.

Tennessee’s first major scrimmage of the spring has come and gone, and Pruitt said enough about that scrimmage to generate some conversation points. The first-team offense seemed to have a good scrimmage, perhaps lacking explosiveness but also taking good care of the ball and putting together some good drives. Of course, that also means the first-team defense didn’t force turnovers, which also has been a recurring theme this spring.

Some of Tennessee’s experienced wide receivers have mentioned their leadership role on the team in the past week, too, and that and several other topics also were on the docket for this episode.

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