I think it's safe to say the Tennessee defense has been disappointing this football season,

but why is that?

Tim Banks speaks.

You are locked on balls, your daily podcast on the Tennessee Volunteers,

part of the Locked on Podcast Network, your team every day. Hey, everybody, welcome into it. Your Wednesday morning, Lockdown Vols. I am your host, Eric Kane, a member of the Volkwest.com team here in town covering your Tennessee Volunteers. We are a part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, where it is your team every single day. Appreciate you guys for making this your first listen, your first watch each year every single day. Every dayers could not do this show without you and we are a part. Again, in the Lockdown Podcast Network. That is the number one sports podcasting network out there. So that is really, really cool. Today's show is going to be a fun one. Ward Wednesday get his thoughts on Tennessee basketball, what we've seen from Nate A. Mint and Jacoby Gillespie, JAPStrella as well.

So far this season, Ron Sylvie is going to chime in on the dismissal of Ruby Whitehorn for the Lady Balls

and how that impacts Kim Caldwell's second season here on Rocky Top, but not before we get into Tennessee defense.

Let's have that conversation about the Tennessee defense and Tim Banks speaking to the media yesterday, what he had to say about his group so far this year.

Tim Banks like Tim Banks. I think he's done a heck of a job here at Tennessee over the years. Obviously, this year, the defense is not where it's needed to be.

2021 and 22. I mean, you were kind of just surviving, to be honest with you.

You did some good things, but you didn't really have the players at your disposal. You just didn't.

Okay. And in 2023, you started getting some of those players and started making a difference.

And you're starting to see some of the developmental, the developmental aspect of, you know,

class over class, over class.

And you made some strides in 2023.

2024, obviously, we know that Tennessee defense was elite.

And 2025, it was going to take a step back, but it was still supposed to lead the way and

be a really good unit.

We know that's not been the case.

Tennessee is not very good.

Injuries aside, and we'll talk about that here in just a moment, but Tennessee's had a ton of

injuries. But any way you want to spin it, the volunteers are 15th in the league out of 16 teams.

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