The emotional leader of the Vols got emotional before Tennessee took on Mississippi State tonight while the nearly packed house at Thompson-Boling Arena said thank you for four years.

As the tears flowed, Admiral Schofield, surrounded by family, soaked up the moment. Then the lessons he's learned from Rick Barnes showed up.

It’s the life lesson of the last four years with the Tennessee basketball program.

It’s a lesson of respect. Respect your teammates, your opponents, your coaches, the fans and just as important respect the game.

That’s why the box score from the Vols 71-54 win isn’t surprising to anyone who knows Admiral Schofield or Kyle Alexander. Schofield led the Vols with 18 points on 7 of 13 shooting, making 3-of-4 from three-point range.

Alexander had 6 points, 10 rebounds and 4 blocks in his best game in well over a month. Out of respect for the game, the emotions of the night never affected them.

“I thought Admiral and Kyle were terrific with that,” Barnes said. “I thought they kept it under control. I thought they were really locked in.

“This group is a special group. They really are. The way they respect (walk-ons) Brad (Woodson) and Lucas (Campbell) I think paints the great picture. Those two walk ons could arguably be the captains of this team.

“I just think there’s a deep-seated respect that these guys have for each other. I know where we started four years ago and those four guys should be really, really proud of what they have helped create here. Should they be emotional? Why not because they have put their heart and soul into it.”

The emotions for both Schofield and Alexander weren’t just in that moment at mid-court with family as thousands cheered for them. The two, who are roommates, admitted they were emotional all day.

“I didn’t think I would get as emotional as I did in the locker room, but that just shows how big of a family we are,” Alexander stated.

Added Schofield, “I think it was harder this morning waking up and realizing this was my last game at home. I got most of the tears out this morning. I think I was just more thankful for the amount of support I got when my name was called. It was very touching to see how many people who have supported me. With all I have tried to do in the community in and around Knoxville it was just great to see that I was appreciated for my work on and off the floor. I was just more thankful. It wasn’t a sad time crying. It was just more being thankful and appreciative. It didn’t take me long to refocus on what we needed to do.”

That focus and that respect for all things has built Tennessee into a team that is looking to win at least a share of the regular season SEC Championship for the second straight year. It’s helped them now win 53 games in their last two seasons in the orange and white.

It’s made them fan favorites for their work on the court and how they handle themselves off the court. It’s that support that has pushed them to not only improve as players but to become a part of not just the Tennessee athletic community but truly a part of Knoxville.

“These fans have been supportive from day one. I know coach Barnes always talks about how my freshman year I was a baby giraffe and for the fans to stick with me, they are the best fan base in the country. I was a struggle my freshman year. We haven’t been perfect so for the fans to be the way they have been, it’s just unbelievable. I will never experience anything like this again in my life. I will just leave it at that,” Alexander said as he started to get emotional.

“We have always had some sort of comfort at Tennessee both on the floor and off the floor. It’s been a great experience here,” Schofield explained. “For me I will never forget today. I’m very appreciative. God is very good.”

For the Big Orange faithful, Schofield and Alexander have been very good to them. Not just in wins, not just in their style of play, but in helping build this program on and off the floor to a level of respect that arguably the program has never seen.

It’s that respect that had more than just The Admiral crying on Tuesday night as he and Alexander said their good-byes to Thompson Boling Arena with a 17-point win over Mississippi state. It 'got a little dusty'' for a lot of folks in Thompson-Boling arena as they said farewell to two guys who will be remembered fondly for not just how they played the game, but for how they represented their school, their teammates and this fan base.