Tennessee guard Josh Richardson (1) drives against Pikeville guard Jackson Hussey (10) in the first half of their exhibition basketball game Monday night in Knoxville. Richardson, the Vols' senior leader, played point guard much of the game, and his team pulled away in the second half against the NAIA's second-ranked team.KNOXVILLE -- Josh Richardson always knew he was going to have to be the guy this season for Tennessee's new-look basketball team.
It turns out he may have to be the point guard, too.
The senior and primary holdover from the last season's Sweet 16 run made his debut as Josh Richardson the Point Guard on Monday at Thompson-Boling Arena, and the Volunteers overcame a sloppy start to run away with an 80-62 exhibition win against the University of Pikeville, the No. 2-ranked team in the NAIA preseason poll.
"I just like the ring of 'Josh Richardson the Hooper,'" he said with his usual carefree grin. "But either way you want to put it."
Six minutes into the debut of new coach Donnie Tyndall, the Vols were trailing 15-6, and by the 12-minute mark of the first half Tennessee had more turnovers (six) than made baskets (five). Richardson, who was a big part of the Vols' NCAA tournament surge under Cuonzo Martin last March, had three of the giveaways.
"We've kind of made that move the past couple of weeks," Tyndall said. "We talked all preseason about Kevin Punter, and then one day we kind of threw Josh out there and he was pretty solid. I think he embraces that role more than maybe I thought he would. It puts the ball in our best player's hands more often, but I think everybody knows we really just don't have a natural point guard.
"Kevin will get better as the year goes along as well, but we just don't have that natural playmaker, so we're going to have to do some things and tweak some things as we move along offensively to help with that."
Richardson went the rest of the game without any turnovers and scored 15 points while adding three rebounds and five assists, a total he reached twice last season, including in the NCAA tournament win against Massachusetts.
On Tennessee's 10-0 spurt to end the first half, he got into the paint on three straight possessions, making one tough shot before dishing to Robert Hubbs III for a dunk and to Armani Moore, who had 17 points and six rebounds, for a layup.
"I know it's a little weird for Josh right now," Moore said. "He's playing out of his position. Obviously he's not a point guard, but he does have some of the most experience on this team, so he understands how to play the game of basketball. Josh really did a good job tonight distributing the ball. He did a very great job tonight."
Freshman Detrick Mostella led Tennessee's newcomers with 11 points. Tyndall played 12 players Monday night, with only IUPUI transfer guard Ian Chiles missing out due to an ankle injury. The starting five of Richardson, Hubbs and Punter in the backcourt and Derek Reese and Memphis transfer Dominic Woodson "earned that right," Tyndall said.
K.K. Simmons, the former UNC Wilmington and Kent State guard who scored 28 points and hit six 3-pointers in Pikeville's 116-68 loss at Kentucky on Sunday night, kept the Bears in the game with 30 points and seven treys.
Tyndall liked that his team shot 61 percent, but he admitted the sloppy start was "tough to watch" and won't like the 18 turnovers, something he said would be "an Achilles' heel" for his first Tennessee team.
With battles for playing time "dead even," in Tyndall's words, at multiple positions, Saturday's second exhibition against Division II Lenoir-Rhyne will be key in advance of the Vols' opener against Virginia Commonwealth in Annapolis, Md., a week from Friday.
That's when the Vols truly become Richardson's team.
He said it hit him Monday night that the core of last season's team -- guard Jordan McRae and forwards Jarnell Stokes and Jeronne Maymon -- aren't in orange anymore.
"It definitely made it real that I'm going to have to be the guy and have to be the vocal leader," he said. "I can't lean on them to take over the vocal job anymore. It's cool. I feel like I'm capable of carrying this team."
Contact Patrick Brown at pbrown@timesfreepress.com.