After a successful out-of-conference slate that catapulted Tennessee to the fifth-ranked team in the country, the Vols have turned to their SEC schedule.
Tennessee is riding a six-game win streak after dropping three straight to ranked opponents outside of Knoxville.
Now, it's treating the final 18 games on the schedule as a new season.
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This change of mindset was made apparent to freshman JP Estrella who is gearing up for his first year of conference action.
"They talked about how this is like the season now," said Estrella on the message from his teammates. "Non-conference play was fun, but now you get to the SEC play and everyone is just, like I said, super excited about it. Super competitive. The atmosphere here and away games are going to be crazy and we're all prepared for it. We're just ready to start the battle and continue and keep winning."
While Tennessee rides a six-game win streak into conference play, there are still some concerns Rick Barnes has with his team. He know they can't get complacent and is looking for a level of consistency he hasn't seen yet.
This needs to come on both sides of the floor.
"We’ll continue to improve, you know, our defense has to get better in terms of consistently, everyone pulling together when, for instance, on a ball screen, depending on how we’re playing the ball screen, the backside of it, doing what needs to be done back there consistently," said Barnes. "And obviously the two guys involved with it communicating and getting the coverage started right. Because if you don’t, it puts you in a bad situation right from the beginning. And then offensively, execution and discipline. When we call something, that we execute it. And when the guy’s open, that’s what the play calls for. He shoots the ball as opposed to trying to break it off and do something that he shouldn’t be doing.”
On the other hand, Barnes is also happy with his team and knows the level it is capable of playing at.
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"We got a good group of guys," said Barnes. "They’re going to work and they’re going to get better. I mean, I watch them, I think all the younger guys are starting to be able to take more from the film room and slowly but surely, I think they’re starting to bring it to the court. The older guys certainly understand that. I think they can go in and they’re obviously more on the same page with the coaches and the younger guys because they’ve been here with us. They know what we’re looking for and what we expect, but as long as we’ll have the attitude that we want to win games, there’s no doubt about it. But that goes with, we’ve got to get better. Every one of us has to get better from here to the end of the year.”
First up on the SEC schedule is an undefeated Ole Miss squad with a new head coach. Chris Beard takes over the program after he was fired by Texas following an arrest.
Now, the Rebels, led by Matt Murrell, are off to a 13-0 start and have climbed to No. 22 in the AP Poll.
"Chris Beard has done just an incredible job everywhere he has ever been," said Barnes. "You know what his teams are. They take on his personality. They are going to play really hard. They execute. They definitely aren’t going to beat themselves. They don’t turn the ball over. He really does a terrific job of getting his players in position to where they can be at their best."
Tip-off for the SEC opener is set for 6 p.m. ET in Food City Center at Thompson-Boling Arena airing on the SEC Network.
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