When the Florida Gators visited Thompson-Boling Arena last March, a sobbing John Fulkerson was taken out of Tennessee’s 65-54 victory in the final seconds to a standing ovation among the socially distanced crowd.
Fulkerson and fellow senior Yves Pons had been recognized before the opening tip, and Fulkerson wasn’t sure whether his college career was over or if he would be using the NCAA’s extra year that was implemented at the outbreak of the coronavirus.
“I’ve had the best time of my life here,” Fulkerson said after a 14-point, seven-rebound performance, “and I wouldn’t trade it for anything else.”
The Volunteers would defeat Florida again several days later at the Southeastern Conference tournament in Nashville, where Fulkerson sustained a flagrant elbow to the head by former Gators player Omar Payne that resulted in a facial fracture and a concussion that ended his season. The 6-foot-9, 219-pounder from Kingsport wound up using the extra year but will enter Wednesday night’s game against the visiting Gators (6 on ESPN2) from a very different spot.
For a third consecutive contest, Fulkerson is expected to come off the bench, with coach Rick Barnes having replaced him in the starting lineup with 7-foot redshirt junior and former Hamilton Heights standout Uros Plavsic.
“It has been a while, and it has been different,” Fulkerson said of his new situation this week in a news conference. “I still have the same mindset to do whetever I can to help my team. Our roles are still the same. We’re just doing what Coach asks us to do.”
Fulkerson started 55 of 56 games the past two seasons and started the first 12 this season, including his stellar 24-point, 10-rebound showing in the 77-73 topping of Arizona on Dec. 22. Yet when Fulkerson went home over Christmas, he contracted COVID-19, which forced him to miss the Dec. 29 league opener at Alabama.
In the six games that have followed his return to the floor, Fulkerson’s 19 minutes, 4.7 points and 3.2 rebounds per game are noticeably below his season averages of 23.2, 7.9 and 5.3.
“He knows that we need him to bring the energy, and he will,” Barnes said. “I just think he’s still getting back from his COVID over Christmas. Uros has gone in and given us a lot. He’s brought a lot of energy to it, but I thought John the other night did a good job.
“We’re going to play the guys who are getting it done at that point in time.”
Barnes has opted for Plavsic and 6-8 junior Olivier Nkamhoua to start games inside for the No. 18 Vols (13-5, 4-3 SEC), with Fulkerson and 6-10 freshman Brandon Huntley-Hatfield coming in as a tandem in relief. Tennessee is 2-0 with the new look, having dispatched Vanderbilt and LSU last week by a combined 22 points.
Plavsic totaled 25 points and 13 rebounds in those wins, with Fulkerson admitting that the sizable Serbian “is a glue guy and an energy guy” who has done a great job.
“I think it was something that needed to be done,” Fulkerson said. “Coach has been doing this a long time, and he knows what’s best for his team and his players. He’s going to put us in the right position, and he’s going to put us in the best position to win. I trust whatever Coach is doing and whatever he says. Whatever he wants from any of us, we’re all willing to do it.
“I can’t say that I was expecting it, but I definitely trust Coach.”
Odds and ends
– In his latest NCAA tournament projection released Tuesday, ESPN analyst Joe Lunardi has the fourth-seeded Vols facing 13th-seeded UTC in the South Regional.
– Tennessee holds a 79-58 series lead over Florida, which includes a 49-16 mark in Knoxville.
– When the Gators won consecutive national championships under Billy Donovan during the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons, they were just 1-3 against Tennessee during that stretch.
– Current Florida coach Mike White is the older brother of Tennessee athletic director Danny White.
– Tennessee ranks fifth nationally in average home attendance with 16,789 fans per game.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.