For Tennessee, Confidence and Chemistry Pair with New and Old Faces for Fresh Start in Indianapolis

INDIANAPOLIS -- 362 days ago, Tennessee walked off the Gainbridge Fieldhouse (then Bankers Life Fieldhouse) floor with its collective head bowed.

The Vols -- then a five seed in the first round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament -- had just been blown out by 12-seed Oregon State, which went on to clinch a spot in the Elite 8 before bowing out to Houston.

Now, Tennessee is back in the same building in the same round, starting The Big Dance for 2022.

“I was excited that they put us back here,” said Josiah-Jordan James. “I think everything is coming full circle, and I’m glad we have a chance to redeem ourselves.”

Along with that redemption, the Vols also have lots of newness and freshness to go around.

And not just because of the opponent: 14-seed Longwood, which is making its first NCAA Tournament appearance in school history.

Instead, this Indianapolis version of Tennessee is marked by several differences -- unwavering confidence, warm chemistry and new and old faces -- that can help spark a different result than last season.

Confidence

The confidence part is no surprise, given that UT (26-7) is fresh off its first SEC Tournament title since 1979.

In Tampa, the Vols ran through Kentucky and dismantled Texas A&M to clinch the biggest banner of Rick Barnes's Knoxville tenure so far.

The Kentucky win was particularly impressive, as UT clinched its second win over the Wildcats this season after losing by 28 in Lexington earlier in the year.

After the Vols lost in Rupp Arena, Rick Barnes challenged his team's leaders to step up where needed.

Still, Barnes's confidence never wavered -- and neither did Tennessee's.

"We opened up, I thought at the time -- you think about the schedule that we opened up with, we had to go to Alabama, we had to go to LSU, Kentucky," Barnes said. "I'm not sure anybody had to open up the league anymore difficult and we were -- again, we felt like we were coming off the Arizona game we felt like we were in a really good spot at home.

"But, no, we never wavered on what we believed this team could do."

"I feel like we learned the most from that loss," said James. "I felt like we came together. Losing that way on ESPN, it really lit a fire under us. And we knew that we wouldn't want to be in that situation, that position again, and I felt like we just tried to do everything in our ability to not put ourselves in that situation."

Added Kennedy Chandler: "We knew that's not the team we were."

Chemistry

Aside from confidence, the Vols' chemistry has also played a large factor -- not only in Knoxville, but in Indianapolis since there are no longer pandemic restrictions for the tournament.

"I would say it's a lot more exciting this year, just being able to be around your teammates," said James of the environment. "Last year we were really -- had to be in the hotel room, your individual hotel room for the majority of the day, besides team meetings and practices and stuff like that.

"It's just been exciting to be around your teammates. Just guys being able to hang out with each other and being in each other's rooms in the presence of others has really made this a lot more exciting. I feel like last year, coming from last year, it made us not take this moment or this opportunity for granted. So I think we're just trying to get the most out of it as a team."

Added Uros Plavsic: "I would say it's so much fun to be around people, and I think the chemistry on the team is so much better because we get to spend a lot of time together. And just being around your teammates more, it makes you feel more comfortable around them on the court as well.

"I remember in this gym right here we were honestly like just warming up and waiting to get on the court, wear masks and all this stuff; and now, you know, it's just so much different, all the people are in front of you and stuff like this. So I think that would be the biggest difference."

New and Old Faces

A large part of Tennessee's production this season can be attributed to Chandler, who won tournament MVP in Tampa.

He'll be making his March Madness debut Thursday, but at this point, almost nothing is new for the player who leads the Vols with 13.8 points per game, 4.6 assists per game and 2.1 steals per game, per ESPN.

"I was a big fan, making brackets, every single time, coming to March Madness, it's a dream come true, and I'm excited to be able to play my first game tomorrow," Chandler said. "And I'm looking forward to, you know, getting experience and to be able to play in March Madness."

As he has most of this season, Chandler should be an X-factor for Tennessee.

But so should James, considering how the Charleston native has had a career renaissance for the Vols.

"He's such a versatile part of our team," Barnes said of James, who leads UT with 5.9 rebounds per game and 1.1 blocks per game. "I think the other guys listen to him, which is really important for our team. When Josiah is healthy and doing what he's doing, that's when we are at our best."

Still, Tennessee is not itself without one more key -- one who missed the tournament last year, yet who returned for his sixth and final season before ascending the ladder in Tampa as an SEC champion: John Fulkerson.

"With (Fulkerson) being back, it's different, because we came off where we were playing good basketball in the SEC Tournament, and obviously he took the blow where he couldn't finish and come back and was in concussion protocol," Barnes said. "But right now I think our team is in a good place in having him back. And he was very important to us Sunday. He played maybe as many minutes as he's played in quite some time.

"As a group, it's just important that we all just stay focused in on what we've got right now."

Cover photo via Jake Nichols