Tyndall, Vols taking on distractions 'right between the eyes'

photo Tennessee head coach Donnie Tyndall watches his game against against Pikeville in Knoxville in this Nov. 3, 2014, photo.

KNOXVILLE - The cast and crew the Tennessee basketball program took down to Florida on Wednesday afternoon was a little lighter than it would have been a couple of weeks ago.

It probably means the Volunteers will welcome the sight of three games in the next four days.

Two members of first-year coach Donnie Tyndall's staff -- assistant coach Adam Howard and special assistant to the head coach R.J. Rush -- have resigned in recent weeks very likely as the result the NCAA's investigation into alleged violations that may have occurred under Tyndall's watch at Southern Mississippi the past two seasons.

Both Howard and Rush were on Tyndall's staff in Hattiesburg.

"It's just been one of those weeks that get you through some adversity," Tyndall said Wednesday morning before the Vols practiced and flew to Orlando. "You face some distractions and hit it right between the eyes. Our team's had great practices. Our team, I think, is a mature team for our lack of experience and not a lot of veterans, so I think we're fine.

"We're ready to go, and we're looking forward to playing against a really good Santa Clara team."

Today's meeting with Santa Clara in the opening round of the Orlando Classic at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando comes just three days after Howard's abrupt departure.

"I got pretty close to him," guard Josh Richardson said. "He's a great guy, he's a good coach. I'm going to miss him, but like I said, it's about basketball, so we've got to turn around and go play these ball games."

Beau Braden, originally hired as Tennessee's video coordinator, will slide into Howard's role as a full-time assistant alongside Chris Shumate and Al Pinkins. Graduate assistant Ty Proffitt, who played for Tyndall at Morehead State, will assume Braden's role. It's unlikely, Tyndall said, Tennessee will fill Rush's spot until after the season.

"Beau is a very intelligent, hard-working guy," Tyndall said. "I think he's a guy that in game preparation will be organized and do a fantastic job. He was on the floor as a full-time coach for two years at Morehead State, so he has experience in regard to being on the practice floor and in recruiting, so I'm very comfortable and confident he'll do a very good job."

Tyndall reportedly met with NCAA enforcement staff members last week, but it's unclear what will happen next to Tennessee's first-year coach. A notice of allegations from the NCAA is certainly a possibility, but nothing appears imminent. NCAA investigations rarely come and go quickly.

The whole situation has cast a cloud over Tyndall's future, and his first team -- which includes five freshmen and nine newcomers -- will have to manage the off-court situation throughout the season.

"It's been different, but I've been telling the guys to stay together," said Richardson, the team's leader. "It's about basketball, really. That's all it comes down to.

"Within that 94 feet, that's all that matters, is that ball," he added. "Whatever goes on outside is what it is."

Tyndall addressed the situation, Richardson said, before the team's film session on Tuesday.

"I don't want to try to make too big of a deal out of it," Richardson said. "I don't want to freak no guys out, so I just told them in the film room yesterday whatever goes on, the 15 of us are still brothers, so just stay together."

The Vols will get a chance to do that -- and play plenty of basketball -- over the next few days.

"That's the focus we try to have every day," Tyndall said. "It's about these young men, growing them, helping them develop as people and becoming better student-athletes. All the focus is on them and making sure our team continues to improve and grow. This is a great opportunity to play three games in four days against quality competition.

"I think our team is ready and looking forward to playing basketball."

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