2012-13 College Basketball Preview: 23. Tennessee Volunteers

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23. Tennessee Volunteers

By: Kels Dayton

WHY THEY’RE SCARY: The Vols made moves down the stretch last season, and almost turned a lost year into an NCAA Tournament bid. Sophomore Jarnell Stokes was a big reason for the turnaround. Stokes made history by jumping right into the SEC in the second semester, after playing high school ball the first semester. He was a monster down low, averaging 10 points and 7 boards per game. Stokes should be even scarier this season, as he gets a full year of practice  under his belt. Senior Jeronne Maymon adds even more muscle in the post, and point guard Trae Golden has the potential to turn into an all-league performer.

WHAT SCARES US: The loss of Cameron Tatum (8.1 ppg, 4.1 rpg) hurts, and Tennessee will have to replace his production with juco transfers and freshmen. Maymon and frontcourt mate Dwight Miller are also recovering from knee injuries, and the Vols will need both in order to live up to this ranking.

FINAL DESTINATION: If the vets and the young kids pull together, the Vols could be a serious threat for the SEC title.

2012-2013 SCHEDULE

Date	Opponent / Event	Location	Time / Result
Vols in Italy
08/08/12	at All-Star Italy ^	Rome, Italy	W, 83-32
08/10/12	BC Atletas ^	Montecatini, Italy	W, 82-68
08/12/12	BC Zeta Golubovci ^	Republic of San Marino	W, 126-44
08/14/12	Amici del Campetto ^	Como, Italy	W, 109-59
11/05/12	vs. Victory University ^	Knoxville, Tenn.	TBA
11/09/12	vs. Kennesaw State	Knoxville, Tenn.	TBA
Puerto Rico Tip-Off
11/15/12	vs. UNC Asheville	Coliseo de Puerto Rico (San Juan, Puerto Rico)	12:30 p.m. ET
11/16/12	vs. Akron or Oklahoma State	Coliseo de Puerto Rico (San Juan, Puerto Rico)	10:30 a.m. or 1 p.m. CT
11/18/12	TBD	Coliseo de Puerto Rico (San Juan, Puerto Rico)	TBA
11/26/12	vs. Oakland	Knoxville, Tenn.	TBA
11/30/12	at Georgetown	Verizon Center (Washington, D.C.)	TBA
12/05/12	at Virginia	Charlottesville, Va.	TBA
12/13/12	vs. Wichita State	Knoxville, Tenn.	TBA
12/18/12	vs. Presbyterian	Knoxville, Tenn.	TBA
12/21/12	vs. Western Carolina	Knoxville, Tenn.	TBA
12/29/12	vs. Xavier	Knoxville, Tenn.	TBA
01/04/13	vs. Memphis	Knoxville, Tenn.	8:00 p.m. ET
01/09/13	vs. Ole Miss *	Knoxville, Tenn.	8:00 p.m. ET
01/12/13	at Alabama *	Tuscaloosa, Ala.	1:00 p.m. ET
01/15/13	at Kentucky *	Lexington, Ky.	7:00 p.m. ET
01/19/13	vs. Mississippi State *	Knoxville, Tenn.	4:00 p.m. ET
01/24/13	at Ole Miss *	Oxford, Miss.	7:00 p.m. ET
01/26/13	vs. Alabama *	Knoxville, Tenn.	2:00 p.m. ET
01/29/13	vs. Vanderbilt *	Knoxville, Tenn.	7:00 p.m. ET
02/02/13	at Arkansas *	Fayetteville, Ark.	4:00 p.m. ET
02/06/13	vs. Georgia *	Knoxville, Tenn.	8:00 p.m. ET
02/10/13	at South Carolina *	Columbia, S.C.	1:00 p.m. ET
02/13/13	at Vanderbilt *	Nashville, Tenn.	8:00 p.m. ET
02/16/13	vs. Kentucky *	Knoxville, Tenn.	1:00 p.m. ET
02/19/13	vs. LSU *	Knoxville, Tenn.	7:00 p.m. ET
02/23/13	at Texas A&M *	College Station, Texas	4:00 p.m. ET
02/26/13	vs. Florida *	Knoxville, Tenn.	9:00 p.m. ET
03/02/13	at Georgia *	Athens, Ga.	1:30 p.m. ET
03/06/13	at Auburn *	Auburn, Ala.	9:00 p.m. ET
03/09/13	vs. Missouri *	Knoxville, Tenn.	4:00 p.m. ET

Roster:

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