Tune-Up Takeaways: Vols Throttle Lenoir-Rhyne 103-62 in Exhibition Matchup

The Vols made quick work of the Bears, with plenty of notable moments -- and concerns -- on Saturday afternoon.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- With rain drizzling outside Thompson-Boling Arena on Saturday afternoon, Tennessee flashed several signs of a sunny future in a lopsided 103-62 exhibition win over Lenoir-Rhyne. 

Still, the unofficial victory didn't come without some concerns. 

Here are our full takeaways, as Rick Barnes' young team dismantled his alma mater in preparation for its November 9 home opener against UT-Martin. 

Kennedy Chandler Leads as Newcomers Shine

After riding a wave of hype into his freshman season at Tennessee, Chandler lived up to the excitement in his first action in a Vols uniform. 

Chandler -- who assumed quick control of the starting point guard spot in preseason practices -- sliced and diced the Bears' defense for 21 points, 18 in the first half, to lead all scorers. 

After Tennessee took a 3-0 lead, Chandler snatched a steal for a coast-to-coast layup before connecting on a reverse lay-in to notch four of UT's first seven points. 

A few possessions later, he bounced a nasty no-look pass to Brandon Huntley-Hatfield -- another strong UT newcomer -- before connecting on back-to-back 3-pointers for a 28-21 Tennessee lead. 

Still, the Memphis native wasn't done. He delivered a no-look, behind-the-back pass to Olivier Nkamhoua midway through the first half. Then, he pumped and drove baseline before floating a layup, drawing a foul and connecting at the stripe with 2:33 left in the period. 

In total, Chandler was 8-for-10 from inside the arc, 4-for-5 from long range, and he collected five rebounds with six assists, two steals and a free throw. 

Fittingly, he wore a "Chef" necklace after the game -- a nod to a moniker given by Chandler's high school Spanish teacher, who said his pupil "cooked on the court,” according to Chandler.

As mentioned, though, Huntley-Hatfield also had a successful outing, as did several other newcomers. 

The Clarksville native finished the day with a double-double (15 points and 12 rebounds), while Auburn transfer Justin Powell showed his range with 14 points -- 12 of which came from 3-point land. 

Jahmai Mashack, Zakai Zeigler and Quentin Diboundje each saw the floor as well, as Barnes rotated through his new pieces quite frequently. 

Still, the pacing came primarily from Chandler and Huntley-Hatfield, who could quickly find his way to more playing time if he and Chandler — the nation’s top point guard in the 2021 class — keep producing as they did Saturday.

"I know what it's like to compete for playing time,” Huntley-Hatfield said. “I know what it's like to start and play the whole game."

Aside from notching over 100 points in total, the Vols also totaled 46 shots from beyond the arc -- a mark Barnes said they've been hitting routinely in scrimmages. 

Vets Provide Positive Sparks, Though Fulkerson's Absence Was Noted

Olivier Nkamhoua led UT's older crew with 12 points, while Josiah-Jordan James netted nine points off three connections from deep. 

Santiago Vescovi -- who rotated with Chandler and Zeigler at point guard -- notched three points on 1-of-9 shooting from long range. 

He and Nkamhoua did provide a highlight-reel moment, as Vescovi delivered to Nkamhoua on a rim-rocking alley-oop. 

Speaking of dunks, Uros Plavsic remained strong under the rim. He totaled 10 points and used his 7-foot frame to slam several home, with each cram bringing Thompson-Boling Arena to its feet. 

Despite the win, Barnes noted that the result of Saturday's exhibition "would have been different" if Tennessee had John Fulkerson, who has been rehabbing from a broken thumb. 

Fulkerson wasn’t dressed out Saturday but will be good to go for the Vols' home opener against the Skyhawks. 

Tennessee Runs Enough to Stave Off Concerning Defensive Performance

Early Saturday afternoon, it appeared Barnes' team would play into a decent crowd with easy success against the Bears. 

Except Lenoir-Rhyne didn't get the message — at least not at first.  

The Vols jumped out to a 9-0 lead, but L-R erased what became a 12-3 UT advantage to pull within three. 

“Defensively, we have to be more active,” Barnes said. “We have to get more deflections, we have to do a better job of guarding the ball 1v1. Give Lenoir-Rhyne credit, they spread you out.”

Later, Lenoir-Rhyne's Tim Steele connected for eight points in three possessions to trim the Bears' deficit to one at 22-21 -- and then Chandler found his groove once more. 

The freshman connected on back-to-back threes for a 6-0 UT run, and Tennessee cruised for the rest of the half for a 54-33 lead at the break before cranking up the volume in the second half.

While UT's effort was enough to handle a Lenoir-Rhyne team that cooled off after halftime, the Vols' defense -- especially beyond the 3-point line -- was less than stellar. 

"We missed Yves Pons today," added Barnes, referring to the Flying Frenchman that's now giving solid minutes for the Memphis Grizzlies. "We missed his defensive fix-it plays."

"INAM" Effort Still There

Still, the Vols' overall mindset was put on full display. 

In Barnes' time at Tennessee, he's established a culture based in four letters: INAM, or, "It's Not About Me."

The Vols flashed that several times on Saturday. Chandler went flying into the bench in search of a loose ball, Vescovi went between UT's bench and the scorer's table, and Diboundje leapt into the white chairs beyond the baseline to retain possession, ultimately leading to a 3-pointer from James. 

They’ll need more of that effort going forward, as Tennessee will face one of the nation’s toughest schedules after its season opener.

As mentioned, that opener is slated for November 9 at Thompson-Boling Arena. Tip is at 7 p.m. ET, and the game can be seen on the SEC Network.

Cover photo via Jake Nichols