Leadership, Humility and a Championship Mindset: the Makings of Tennessee's 2022 SEC Title Run

TAMPA, Fla. -- The confetti stopped as quickly as it started on Sunday, collecting in piles across the court at Amalie Arena.

When the dust cleared, after the hugs had been given and the trophies had been awarded and the Vols had formed a line to cut down the nets, John Fulkerson ascended the ladder to take the first snip of nylon -- a fitting start to the Vols' celebration.

Josiah-Jordan James and Santiago Vescovi followed shortly thereafter.

Then, as each of the other players cut his own piece of history, Vescovi and James locked eyes with a mission: Find Rick Barnes.

Tennessee's seventh-year coach, who had escaped the melee in lieu of a postgame interview, had no idea what was coming.

James and Vescovi snuck up behind their leader and draped the remaining net around his neck.

Together, the team mobbed Barnes in celebration of Tennessee's 2022 SEC Tournament title -- the first for the program in 43 years.

"Whenever we were cutting the net, Jo came up to me, and we looked at each other, and we're like, 'yeah, we need to get Coach,'" Vescovi said. "We know he is not going to go up there to get it. We know how much he means for every single one of us and for the whole team, so we wanted to share that moment with him too, especially knowing he took a chance on every single one of us coming to the University of Tennessee, coaching us and keeping us at work every single day."

For the Vols, that moment was a culmination of leadership, humility and the championship mindset.

But for James and Vescovi, that first characteristic began forming long before Sunday's final buzzer sounded.

Leadership Fueled Off Message from MJ

When Tennessee's season ended to Oregon State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament last year, Barnes knew he had to send a message.

"I think it started a year ago when we had lost," Barnes said. "We came back, and I remember an article I read about Michael Jordan talking about leadership, and I actually said to (the team), 'I don't think we can go any further unless it comes from you guys.'"

In the article that fueled the Vols, Jordan didn't just discuss leadership in general.

He discussed the importance of player-to-player leadership, just like Jordan displayed in practices and games leading his title-winning Chicago Bulls.

"The championship teams, the great teams, you know it comes from within," Barnes said. "Basically that article was Michael Jordan talking about where he wasn't afraid, and he talked about how difficult it is to call your teammates out, but yet, love them the same way off the court, but understand we're on the floor."

For Tennessee, James and Vescovi listened closely.

Then, they carried the torch -- even from the sideline.

"I can remember vividly when Jo and Santi were out early in the season -- how hard they coached on the sideline where they were constantly coaching the guys, and we had a lot of young guys out there, and we're young," Barnes said. "There's been times this year where we've had three or four freshmen on the court, but again, their leadership I think is truly the difference in where we've been in the last couple of years."

That difference marked the change between 2018 and 2019 -- when the Vols reached the tournament final and lost -- and 2022, when they finally finished the job.

"We said for us to move forward, we're going to have to have great leadership because we've always been a team that practiced hard and done all those type of things. But in the game and watching these guys take over and talk and communicate, it's been fun," Barnes said. "But that's where it started -- a year ago with them deciding that, 'hey, the leadership had to really come from within,' and we've gotten it."

The effect has shone brightly this season, especially after UT lost by 28 to Kentucky in Lexington.

That day, as Barnes questioned who would resume leadership roles to right the ship of this team, marked a turning point.

Again, James and Vescovi helped spark a change that has spread across the locker room.

In the last month of this season, Tennessee’s player accountability has ratcheted up another level — guys on the court calling each other out in practice, with directness and love, to improve as a group.

But in order for that player-led leadership to click, the Vols didn't just need to talk to one another.

They also needed the recipients of those messages to listen -- and Tennessee’s guys did.

"The biggest thing was wanting to be coached in terms of letting your guard down, and not being afraid to let your guard down and accept what you really are good at and being willing to work at the things that you need to work at,” Barnes said.

In those ways, UT showed the humility and character that teams need to win a title.

But those platitudes also showed after the game, both in words from the tournament MVP and actions across the court.

Humble Through the Glory

When Kennedy Chandler came to Tennessee, he was a 5-star freshman who many expected to head straight for the NBA after a year in college.

The jury is still out on that, as Chandler has reiterated that he's looking only toward this month, this run, instead of any future possibilities.

On Sunday, Chandler received tournament MVP honors — and he was quick to address the change he’s experienced in Knoxville.

"You know, I came to Tennessee for a reason," he said. "I knew Coach Barnes was going to push me to be the best player I could be, and that's what we did from the jump. Just by watching film with him, I came to Tennessee and thought I was going to come here, and it was going to be easy, but Coach Barnes let me know every game is going to be difficult.

"You're going to see different things, different reads. And that's one thing I learned since I came to Tennessee. He has taught me so much. I can't even say all of it honestly, but I just love him for that, and I want him to push me every single day to be the best player I can be and that is what he has done ever since I have been here."

For Chandler, that statement was the epitome of humility considering his status upon arrival.

But he was far from the only player to spread the love.

After Tennessee's players had cut down the net and crowded Barnes (who showed his own humility by attempting to duck out of the celebration), the Vols still took time to honor other members of their administration and basketball staff.

Players cheered as Chancellor Donde Plowman and Athletic Director Danny White ascended the ladder, and then the team turned to assistant coaches before doing the same for team personnel.

Mary-Carter Eggert, UT's Director of Basketball Operations, first shook her head in refusal when the team encouraged to go cut a piece of the net.

Then Uros Plavsic created a hole, and the team chanted "MC!" for Eggert until she obliged.

"The good Lord has blessed me in so many ways and having a chance to be with this group is special," Barnes said. "I can't say enough about my coaches. Santi mentioned it. The job they do with our game preparation has just been phenomenal across the board, and, again, the one thing I told -- when they told me about cutting nets, I said I'm not cutting them down until you get Chad, Garrett, Mary Carter all the people behind us that make this thing go that people don't realize.

"I think that it's great that they wanted to get our managers and GAs and everybody up there because we have a special family, where all we talk about is getting better each day, and I think this group has tried to do that."

Championship Approach Every Day

Now, after all the celebration and enjoyment, the Vols turn their attention to the NCAA Tournament after being slotted as a three seed Sunday night.

Tennessee will face Longwood in the Round of 64 in Indianapolis, Indiana — tip is set for 2:45 ET on CBS on Thursday.

To string together a deep run in The Big Dance, UT will need the same mindset it's carried into each game this season, including Tampa.

But before embarking on the next run, UT channeled that championship approach on Sunday.

And they found inspiration in another basketball legend to do it.

"Coach Gainey today pulled up a clip of Kobe Bryant, and they were up two games, and the reporter said 'You don't seem like you're very happy,'" Barnes said. "He said, 'We're not done. We're not finished.' It's hard. They're kids, and they should enjoy this.”

"We started talking four, five weeks ago about every game is a playoff game because we knew we were still wanting to try to stay in the hunt for an SEC regular season championship, and we came here. The message was on Friday night, 'This is the championship game.' We said yesterday, 'This is the championship game.' We said it again today. 'This is the championship game.'"

The Vols have chased down one championship -- but they're still in search of another.

In the moments after the game, as confetti still flew, Fulkerson looked into a phone and offered a succinct message: "We're not done! We've got more work left."

And so they do.

Cover photo and video courtesy of Jake Nichols