It’s impossible to tell when it’s going to click for someone.

For Brandon Huntley-Hatfield, his true freshman season on Rocky Top hasn’t gone quite the way most expected.

Huntley-Hatfield, a native of Clarksville, Tennessee, reclassified from the class of 2022 to the 2021 class in order to skip his senior year of high school. Most pegged the young forward to provide immediate help to a Vols frontcourt that struggled throughout the course of 2020-21.

That wasn’t the case for Huntley-Hatfield, however, as he struggled to find consistent playing time early on.

“We love him as a person and we knew that he would come in with a lot of expectations and pressure in a lot of different areas,” Rick Barnes told the media Monday. “As a coaching staff you wish it was not like that, but that is a process you have to go through. Young people only know what they know and what they have been told until they get into the thick of it. It is always harder than you think.

"With every team, you go through issues you have to deal with internally that sometimes come from outside people thinking they know more than what is going on in the in-house every single day. That is part of it and the part you deal with.”

Huntley-Hatfield didn’t begin the season as a starter despite arriving as a five-star prospect according to some outlets. In fact, he was struggling to even find regular minutes once Tennessee reached the meat of the schedule.

Still, his teammates have stuck with him through it all.

“Olivier (Nkamhoua) was able to share with him, 'Hey man, I have been here three years and these are the ups and downs I have gone through’,” Barnes said.” Josiah (James) and Santi (Vescovi), every one of these guys have had to deal with the ups and downs of understanding what college basketball is about.

“They have told Brandon from day one, 'We need you'. It takes time, it does. But give him credit because he has stayed with it and he knows it has not been easy. What he is getting right now we are happy for him because he has stayed after it."

Huntley-Hatfield averaged just 7.4 minutes over 11 games once conference play began on Dec. 29 against Alabama in Tuscaloosa. He was only averaging 1.9 points and 1.4 rebounds in those games while Tennessee was struggling to find a consistent post player.

The urge for the Vols to find a post player magnified in that 11th game when Olivier Nkamhoua suffered a season-ending ankle injury. Despite a lack of production from Huntley-Hatfield in the games prior, Barnes elected to start the 6-foot-10 forward in their next game against Mississippi State in the round.

“You never know when the light comes on for someone,” Barnes said. “Brandon in the last couple weeks has been so locked into our scouting reports. I mean, he came in early on his own, wanting to know exactly what he had to do today. And I think most freshmen coming in, in their idea of success is scoring, scoring, scoring. I do think Brandon is starting to find out, one, he’s quicker off the floor than you think. He’s got a really good feel for the game and for the ball.”

Huntley-Hatfield has now started the last six games for the Vols. His average of 3.0 points and 3.9 rebounds since starting may not be eye-popping, but he’s certainly been passing the eye test of late.

He particularly passed the eye test against No. 3 Auburn on Saturday. In the Vols’ win 67-62 win over Bruce Pearl, Huntley-Hatfield recorded as many offensive rebounds (five) as Tigers star Walker Kessler had total rebounds (five).

“I thought he was key,” Barnes said. “He was terrific. He came in there and he saw it. He made the plays, which was really, really key. His demeanor was really good. And he’s worked. It goes back to the old adage. The more you put into it, the more you’re going to get out of it. In his case, it’s been more mental than physical. Where he’s really starting to want to learn the game at a high level.”

Huntley-Hatfield finished with eight rebounds to go along with five points, two blocks and an assist. He hit a key three — his first of SEC play — while the Vols were down 11 to spark a run and he also had a momentum swinging put-back dunk.

“We wanted to impose our will on them and whoever we play,” Huntley-Hatfield said. “The game plan was pretty simple: Be physical, grab the rebound and get down to the end of the floor.

“(Barnes) letting me know that he has confidence in me feels good. He has confidence that I can help the team win. I’m just trying to build on these last two games and keep it going.”

Consistency is the next step for Huntley-Hatfield now that he seems to have found solid footing.

The should-be high school senior will get another crack at it on Tuesday night when the Vols travel to Athens to take on Georgia.

“Brandon was one of the first guys we congratulated in the locker room (after Auburn),” Barnes said. “His mental preparation for the game has gone to a different level in the last week. He came in a couple of games ago and did it again wanting to know exactly what was expected of him on the defensive end.

“He is really wanting to learn the game in a whole different way. It is fun to watch him do it. Now, we told him that he is showing what he can do, with what we have known you can do all along. You have to give him credit for really buying into it. I have told him that there is more there, we are going to get it. I think he is excited about what he has done but knows he has to continue to get better."