No. 4: 2010-11
Head Coach: Bruce Pearl
Record: 19-15 (8-8, SEC)
Best win(s): vs. No. 7 Villanova, at No. 3 Pittsburgh
Key players: Scotty Hopson, Tobias Harris, Brian Williams
Tennessee began the 2010-11 season in a cloud of NCAA uncertainty. Bruce Pearl’s recruiting violations had turned into a huge mess, and soon after the start of the season Pearl was suspended for Tennessee’s first eight SEC games.
That did not stop the Vols from getting off to a red-hot start, as they torched through the NIT season tip-off tournament in New York, beating Villanova in the final. Two games later Tennessee defeated third-ranked Pittsburgh on the road, and was the No. 7 team in the AP Poll after a 7-0 start.
The hot start was followed by three straight losses, and Tennessee leveled out. The Vols closed out the non-conference slate strong with a 104-84 win over Memphis, but were about to enter the SEC season at 10-4 with their head coach serving a suspension.
Tennessee went 5-3 without Pearl, and actually struggled more upon his return, dropping another three-game skid. A road win at No. 18 Vanderbilt late in the season helped boost Tennessee’s NCAA Tournament hopes, and a strong non-conference resume snuck Tennessee into the Big Dance despite lasting just two games in the SEC Tournament.
It was a short-lived stint in the tournament, as Michigan blew out the Vols, 75-45, in Pearl’s final game as Tennessee’s head coach. He was fired just three days later.
Scotty Hopson led the charge for Tennessee scoring 17 points per game, earning first-team All-SEC honors. This season also included Tennessee’s last one-and-done player, as Tobias Harris put up over 15 points and seven rebounds per game before being drafted 19th overall by the Milwaukee Bucks. Harris’ NBA career is still going strong, paired with former Vol Josh Richardson at the Philadelphia 76ers.
NEXT: Tennessee’s basketball teams from the past decade