Tennessee will have nights when shots refuse to fall. Rick Barnes wants his team to have another way to win.For DeWayne Brown II, that message stood out while discussing the Volunteers' preseason work against Xavier and Duke. Tennessee is still building chemistry. But its defense needs to provide a foundation as the regular season approaches.Brown pointed to a problem the Vols must address: keeping opponents from getting straight to the basket.
Tennessee coach Rick Barnes yells during the Tennessee men's basketball media day at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center on Oct. 6, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
"We get up a lot of blow-bys, a lot of straight line drives, so really our biggest main thing is just being able to stay in front of the ball and make people go east to west not north to south," Brown said.That gives Tennessee a clear starting point.
When a defender gets beaten off the dribble, someone else has to help. That can leave another player open or pull a rebounder away from the basket. One breakdown can create several problems during the same possession.Making opponents move across the floor gives Tennessee a better chance to keep its defense organized. It also makes an offense work harder to create a clean look.For a group still learning to play together, those details matter. Offensive chemistry may take time. Staying in front of the ball is a responsibility Tennessee needs to meet now.
Tennessee basketball coach Rick Barnes gives instructions to the players during a college basketball exhibition game against Xavier on Oct. 15, 2026, in Knoxville, Tennessee. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Brown also shared how Barnes connects those defensive demands to winning."Just like he tells us on a lot of nights when shots aren't falling, we going to have to rely on the defensive side of the ball, and we can't just be a team that if we're not hitting shots we're not going to be able to win any games," Brown said.
The message puts Tennessee's preseason lessons into focus. Making more shots would help. But improved shooting alone would not solve the problems Brown identified.
The Vols need stops that can keep them competitive through an offensive drought. They need to finish defensive possessions with rebounds. And they need opponents to earn their chances around the rim.Brown included himself in that assessment. He said his rebounding and rim protection must improve. His focus was on what he can provide defensively while his offensive game develops.
That accountability gives Tennessee something to build on. The next step is turning it into consistent possessions.The preseason offered a chance to identify weaknesses before the games begin to count. Brown's comments suggest the Vols understand where some of the work starts. Barnes' message will matter most when Tennessee faces its first difficult shooting night. The response on defense could determine whether that becomes a difficult night on the scoreboard, too.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/tennessee as DeWayne Brown II Shares Rick Barnes' Message Tennessee Basketball Must Take to Heart .
