🏀 What's next for Tennessee?

Hello. This is the Josh and Swain Newsletter, a quick roundup of the week’s top stories and topics involving Tennessee and the sports world.

Here’s what we have for you today:

• The incredible accomplishments by the 2024-25 Tennessee basketball team

• The top target for Rick Barnes’ staff + other needs for the Vols

• Why oddsmakers are high again on Tennessee football in 2025

• Introducing the Vol Network’s new football crew (we think you’ll like it)

THE END OF AN EPIC RUN

Tennessee’s basketball season came to a disappointing end on Sunday. 

But that doesn’t mean the Vols had a disappointing season. 

Far from it.

Tennessee’s performance against Houston was difficult to watch. 

The Vols’ offense was absent in the first half.

The Vols tried to fight their way back into the game, but Houston was too good and too much to overcome.

That left Tennessee one win away from the Final Four… again.

That’s tough to take, especially with the confidence almost everyone had entering the game. 

But that doesn’t spoil everything Tennessee did before Sunday. 

Consider these accomplishments by the Vols this season:

• Consecutive Elite Eight appearances for the first time in school history

• Three straight Sweet 16 appearances for the first time in school history

• Five consecutive weeks as the nation’s No. 1 ranked team 

• Beat top-5 Florida by 20, top-10 Alabama on Jahmai Mashack’s buzzer-beater, and ended Kentucky’s season in the Sweet 16

• Beat top-5 Auburn to reach the SEC tournament final

• Saw Zakai Zeigler. Jahmai Mashack and Chaz Lanier rack up SEC and national honors

Tennessee basketball has become a major program in the sport. 

The Vols have been ranked every week for the last four seasons.

Sunday stung, and will for a long time. 

But as time moves forward, the memories of this season (and the senior class) will ease that pain.

Tennessee basketball must also move forward, which we’ll get to next…

SO WHAT’S NEXT?

The end of the season brings immediate attention to the following year. 

Tennessee has to replace six seniors and a lot of leadership.

Priority No. 1: Maryland transfer Ja’Kobi Gillespie.

Gillespie would be a great replacement for Zeigler at point guard.

Gillespie’s a Greeneville, Tenn., native who earned third-team All-Big Ten honors this season.

He shot almost 41-percent from three and helped lead Maryland to the Sweet 16.

Several national writers predicted this week that Tennessee will land GIllespie.

The Vols will try to hold off Villanova — his coach at Maryland, Kevin Willard, left for Villanova.

But Tennessee appears to be the clear favorite for Gillespie.

What else does Tennessee need?

More outside shooting with the departures of Chaz Lanier and Jordan Gainey.

Virginia’s Isaac McKneely was a top target, but he committed to Louisville on Thursday.

VFL and ESPN analyst Ron Slay joined us Wednesday and shared his thoughts on what Tennessee’s roster will need next season:

Slay also discussed the importance of Tennessee improving its scoring out of the post.

JP Estrella could help with that when he returns from injury.

But the Vols will also explore front-court options in the portal to see if they can find a big man who can score.

Tennessee has several things going for it:

◾ Resources to attract talent
◾ A coaching staff with a proven track record
◾ Recent success of transfers who chose UT
◾ Tennessee wins a lot against good competition

The transfer portal market is as competitive as its been.

Every team in the SEC wants to win in basketball.

And basketball schools, like Louisville and Villanova, will be aggressive in trying to land talent.

But Tennessee can put together a roster that will compete at the top of the league again next season.

It will just take some work.

➡️ Want to track the portal and all the players available? Here are player portal rankings from On3 and from 247Sports.

And check out our full conversation with Ron Slay below or anywhere you listen to podcasts.

SPORTS NUGGETS

💰 Ross Dellenger explains how wild negotiations with basketball transfers have been with the new revenue-share model looming in college sports.

🏈 Tennessee’s Joshua Josephs is one of the nation’s top 10 returning edge defenders, according to Pro Football Focus.

🏈 ESPN’s latest NFL mock draft has James Pearce Jr. going no. 27 to the Baltimore Ravens.

🏈 Ty Simpson is the guy to beat in Alabama’s quarterback battle, according to ESPN’s Greg McElroy.

🏀 Joe Lunardi believes Tennessee overachieved this season by reaching the Elite Eight.

🏀 It might be tough to watch for Tennessee fans, but the Final Four could produce some great games.

⚾ Here’s a series preview for Tennessee vs Texas A&M as they face each other for the first time since the College World Series.

📻 Check out the final Vol Network segment from Bob Kesling and Bert Bertelkamp, who were terrific duo for 26 years.

HOW MANY WINS FOR TENNESSEE?

The football offseason talk continued this week with FanDuel’s updated win totals for all 16 SEC teams.

Tennessee remains positioned among the league’s best.

Tennessee’s number of 9.5 is higher than last year’s total before the season began.

➡️ The Vols have three big-time games that stand out:

Georgia (Sept. 13), at Alabama (Oct. 18) and at Florida (Nov. 22)

Can Tennessee go 2-1 in those games while avoiding an upset in the other nine?

One thing that helps Tennessee: the Vols will play the bottom six teams in terms of projected win totals.

That doesn’t mean all of those games will be easy.

Florida is one of those teams.

So is Oklahoma, which has a chance to improve with a new quarterback and offensive coordinator.

But oddsmakers believe Tennessee is positioned to make another run at the playoff.

One other note: all win totals are not created equally.

The over on 9.5 wins is juiced for Georgia and Texas, meaning 10+ wins is the more likely outcome for those two teams.

For Alabama and Tennessee, under 9.5 is viewed as the more likely outcome.

Tennessee hasn’t won at Alabama or Florida since 2006.

This might be the year that needs to happen.

STATIONS, STAND BY…

Tennessee announced its new football broadcast crew on Thursday… and it’s a good one. 

Mike Keith introduced new analyst Ramon Foster, who played on the offensive line at Tennessee from 2004-08 before spending 11 years with the Pittsburgh Steelers. 

Foster is part of Ramon, Kayla and Will each morning on 104.5 The Zone — and Foster spent the last two years working with Keith on Tennessee Titans broadcasts. 

Jayson Swain will serve as a host and handle multiple on-air duties during each football broadcast. 

Brent Hubbs of Volquest will continue his role with each broadcast, including a move to the sideline during games. 

It’s an A-plus crew, which is no surprise. 

Something cool to consider: Foster and Swain were teammates as Tennessee football players from 2004-06.

Now they’re teammates as Vol Network broadcasters. 

Foster explained on the Mike Keith Show what it means to join the Vol Network:

Spend any time with Foster or Swain and you’ll quickly figure out how much Tennessee means to them.

Their analysis — combined with the knowledge of Keith and Hubbs — will create a great broadcast for Tennessee fans.

Add it to the list of things for fans to look forward to.

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