KNOXVILLE - After months of preparing without a cause, there's finally a purpose to all of Lamonte Turner's extra work.
Soon he could be Tennessee's starting point guard.
The Volunteers have been searching for a natural at the position seemingly for the past decade.
"People come up to me and say we finally found our natural point guard," Turner said last week. "That's exciting. I've played it all my life, so it just comes natural to me, I guess. There's not really much pressure behind that."
Turner is working this offseason like there's all the pressure in the world on him, though.
After playing for three different schools and bouncing between the 2015 and 2016 signing classes, Turner was denied clearance by the NCAA Eligibility Center and had to sit out last season.
Yet he maintained his reputation as a hard worker, and head coach Rick Barnes heaped praise on his redshirting freshman for how he approached his season in limbo.
"I've always been a gym rat," Turner said. "I truly believe if you work hard, it'll definitely pay off. I think I worked a little harder last year, because I could do extra workouts and stuff like that on game day. I've always worked hard, so that's nothing new."
What is new is how Turner is approaching this offseason knowing how much the Vols will count on him when the season tips off in November.
Barnes is especially demanding of his point guards, and his public praise of Turner toward the end of last season set the bar pretty high.
"You should see how hard he works," sophomore forward Kyle Alexander said. "He's got me beat. He's definitely probably one of the hardest workers on the team. We get there for a 6 a.m. workout, and he's already been there for 30 minutes.
"He's pulling a Kevin Punter - we walk in the gym and he's already got a sweat (going) before we're about to lift weights or start a practice. He's so excited. Last year it killed him to have to sit on the bench and watch. As a point guard to watch your team struggle some games and not to be a part of the success that we did have, for him, he can't wait.
"He's stepped it up to the highest level, he's working hard and he can't wait to get on the court."
Turner is confident in his ability to run a team, and he admits he's learning what his teammates need and how to put them in positions to be successful.
His teammates have noticed he possesses the mentality needed from a point guard.
"He's the type of guy that you want on your team, because he's always going to have that fight in him," Admiral Schofield said. "He's a feisty guy. He's on everybody. He's a good leader, and he's maturing. He's a young one, and I try to help him with how to communicate with people.
"You've got to learn to communicate with everyone differently, because everyone's different. He's maturing in that manner, but he's a great leader. He puts in a lot of time in the gym. Even from last year, he hasn't even stopped, and I just love how he's progressed. He's still got a lot to learn, but we all do."
Turner developed his alpha dog personality as a player during his sophomore year of high school.
"I was usually like a laid-back player, but being a point guard, you can't be laid back, because guys have got to listen to you," he said. "If they don't feel like you're going to lead or you have the qualities to be a leader, then they're not going to follow you. You've got to kind of be feisty, but that plays a big role in being a leader and running a team."
After two seasons without a true point guard - Punter and Josh Richardson admirably filled the role, however - Tennessee now has two in Turner and freshman Jordan Bone, the Nashville product who teamed up with Schofield on the Rocky Top League's championship team.
With a smooth jump shot, comfortable ballhandling and an obvious confidence, Bone impressed more than the other six freshmen who played in Tennessee's annual summer league.
"He can score, and he can really shoot it," Schofield said. "He's a very athletic point guard (that) can play defense, but he's just got to learn the scheme. It's a learning process for him."
Turner's process has tested his patience, but he's already starting to dream about his upcoming debut.
"It's definitely motivation," he said. "Last year I didn't have really much to look forward to. I knew I wasn't going to play, so working out and stuff, I had to motivate myself. Now I know I'm going to play, so I work out a little bit harder. I've got a little bit more to work out for. It's definitely giving me a drive."
Contact Patrick Brown at pbrown@timesfreepress.com.