Debuting at No. 10 in the AP Preseason basketball poll, the Volunteers will look to prove they deserve the ranking. A closer look at the roster and team schedule shows a lot of promise for the upcoming season.

Roster

The Tennessee roster looks good, with nearly every player from last year remaining on the team for the upcoming season. Seniors Tyler Smith and Wayne Chism look to lead a team that went 23-13 last season. Both players were pivotal last season, with Smith scoring 17.3 points per game and Chism averaging 13.7. This season should be no different as these two enter their final season with the Vols.

Rounding out the list of notables are seniors J.P Prince and Bobby Maze, junior Brian Williams, sophomores Scotty Hopson and Cameron Tatum, and freshman Kenny Hall. This relatively experienced lineup should have no problems settling in at the start of the season. Hall, the Vols biggest off-season acquisition, comes in ranked as the No. 9 power forward by scout.com, averaging 21 points and 10 rebounds a game at Redan High School in Stone Mountain, Ga.

Key Player

Scotty Hopson. Last season then freshman Hopson averaged 9.2 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.4 assists last season on his way to the SEC All-Freshman Team. He was ranked fourth last season in scoring for the team, but look for Hopson to have a breakout year as he enters his second season with the Vols.

Schedule

The Vols roster will be tested this season, with a number of difficult matches throughout. The six turning-point games include hosting the Kansas Jayhawks, the top-ranked team in the AP Preseason Poll, state rivals Memphis and Vanderbilt and the annual home-and-home with John Calipari and Kentucky. Don't fall asleep on Mississippi State, either.

12/31/2009: Tennessee at Memphis

- The first test will be at Memphis. Even though Memphis lost some of its incredible roster with the loss of Calipari, the in-state rivals always play the Vols well and will have home court advantage.

1/10/2010: Tennessee vs. Kansas

- In what will be the Vols most difficult game of the season, the unanimous preseason No. 1 Jayhawks come to Knoxville. Senior Sherron Collins and junior Cole Aldrich will give the Vols a lot of trouble.

2/9/2010: Tennessee at Vanderbilt

- The Commodores received multiple votes for the AP preseason rankings, and they always play hard at Memorial Gymnasium. Apart from the Wildcats, the Commodores figure to be the Volunteers biggest competitors.

2/13/2010 & 2/27/2010: Tennessee vs. Kentucky

- Easily the two toughest SEC games for the Volunteers this season. The No. 4 Wildcats have brought in NCAA's King of recruiting John Calipari, as well as stud freshman John Wall to the roster.

3/5/2010: Tennessee at Mississippi State

- The Vols wrap up their season with a game at No. 18 Mississippi State. The Bulldogs always have a solid team and this year is no exception. A visit to Mississippi State will be a tough late season test.

Weaknesses

Every team has them, as well as the Vols. Last season, one of the biggest problems with the team was their streaky play, sometimes playing like a top 10 team and other times looking lost on the court. If the Vols look to go deep in March this year, they will need to find a consistent way to win.

If the Vols come down with multiple injuries this season, a great season could be lost. If the Vols are able to stay healthy, look for them to win a lot of games.