Tennessee tips off their 2017-18 basketball season tonight at 7 PM Eastern when they host Presbyterian in Thompson Boling Arena. And hopes are high for this particular Vol squad.

The Vols are looking to get back into the NCAA Tournament after missing out the last three seasons, and this is undoubtedly Rick Barnes’ best team since he took the head coach position at Tennessee prior to the 2015-16 season.

Tennessee welcomes back a bevy of talented young players and several solid upperclassmen as well. Not only that, but the Vols have brought in several strong new additions to their roster, including grad transfer James Daniel III, transfer guard Chris Darrington, and star freshman forward Yves Pons.

The SEC media doesn’t expect much from the Vols, picking them to finish 13th out of 14 SEC teams this year. But ESPN and Ken Pomeroy have higher hopes, ranking the Vols in the mid-40s in the country and picking them to finish in the top half of the SEC.

This Vols basketball team has a talented young roster with the potential to score a lot of points. The defense should be able to upgrade as well. And this Tennessee team could be in for a good season if injuries don’t hold them back.

With all that in mind, here are three bold (yet realistic) predictions for the Vols’ upcoming 2017-18 season.

