University of Tennessee Athletics
Vols Host Local Media Day Ahead of 2026-27 Season
October 06, 2026 | Men's Basketball
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – With just nine days until fans return to Food City Center for the Volunteers' exhibition matchup with Xavier, the University of Tennessee men's basketball team hosted Tuesday its annual local media day.
Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes, entering his 12th campaign at the helm for the Volunteers, sports a new-look roster featuring nine transfers and four freshmen joining four returning players from last season's Elite Eight run. Barnes, who boasts the second-most wins among active Division I coaches, enters the 2026-27 campaign with 861 career victories. The 2026-27 season will mark his 40th as a head coach at the Division I level.
Among his new crop of talent is Third Team All-ACC designee Dai Dai Ames, veteran A-10 big man Christian Fermin, All-ACC Honorable Mention Jalen Haralson, Second Team All-ACC choice Juke Harris, First Team All-A-10 selection Terrence Hill Jr., CUSA Defensive Team pick Braedan Lue, MVC Player of the Year Tyler Lundblade, two-time All-A-10 Defensive Team honoree Miles Rubin and experienced SEC Forward Jalen Washington.
Tennessee is coming off a 25-12 (11-7 SEC) campaign in 2025-26. The season culminated with a fourth straight appearance in the Sweet 16 and a third consecutive trip to the Elite Eight. The Volunteers are the lone team to make the Sweet 16 each of the past four years and the Elite Eight each of the last three. Tennessee is, according to Stats Perform, one of three SEC schools—five instances—to make the Elite Eight at least three years in a row, since the tournament expanded to 16 teams in 1951.
Quotes from Barnes' Tuesday press conference can be found HERE. To view the press conference online, click HERE. For quotables from select student-athletes, click HERE.
