KNOXVILLE - John Fulkerson has shown before that he can be an impact player for the Tennessee Volunteers.
Now a redshirt junior, the 6-foot-9 forward's role decreased the past two basketball seasons as he worked to recover from a dislocated elbow and a right wrist fracture that led to him missing all but the first 10 games of the 2016-17 season. At the same time, Grant Williams emerged as a legitimate national player of the year candidate for the Vols at Fulkerson's position.
Williams is now an NBA rookie with the Boston Celtics, however, and with the Vols in need of someone who can provide at least part of the statistical production he supplied, Tennessee coaches would like to see Fulkerson become an option again.
Over his final seven games that 2016-17 season, Fulkerson averaged 6.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.3 blocks per game while shooting 55% from the field. Included in that was a 12-point, 10-rebound performance against Oregon that also featured five blocks and a pair of steals; and an eight-point, four-rebound performance against North Carolina.
He averaged 3.1 points and 2.6 rebounds last season while playing just 12.1 minutes per game, and he had his first two double-digit scoring performances (11 points against Louisville and a career-high 15 points against Tennessee Tech) since that injury-derailed season.
Photo by Patrick Murphy-Racey / Tennessee's John Fulkerson dunks during a home game against South Carolina in February."Fulky needs to get back to the player he was his freshman year," Vols coach Rick Barnes said. "He's made those strides. He's a guy we know we can count on."
The Vols lost their starting frontcourt from last season with Williams getting drafted and Kyle Alexander completing his eligibility. In addition, guard Admiral Schofield - who at 6-6 and 241 pounds could go inside - is now with the Washington Wizards and Derrick Walker (Nebraska) and D.J. Burns (Winthrop) both transferred.
So there are spots available to be filled in the frontcourt. Fulkerson is the most experienced of the players trying to solidify a place there.
"I'm very excited about the whole basketball season," he told the Times Free Press recently. "The season starts in less than 20 days, and everybody is coming to practice knowing it's not just workouts or running. We're actually getting ready, fine-tuning the details and getting ready for our first game."
That first game is now less than two weeks away - the Vols will host UNC Asheville on Nov. 5, although there is a home exhibition on Oct. 30 against NCAA Division II program Eastern New Mexico. However, there is no preseason ranking this season for Tennessee; no national championship expectations after the Vols matched a program record with 31 wins in 2018-19.
Are they being forgotten due to the roster losses they must deal with, including to a frontcourt that featured point guard Jordan Bone?
"I think we are. I think we have (been forgotten), but that adds fuel to the fire for us," Fulkerson said. "We know the pieces and the players and the coaches we have, so I think we can come out and be successful."
And if, along the way, Fulkerson can fulfill some of the potential he showed for the Vols three years ago?
Even better.
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenley3 or at Facebook.com/VolsUpdate.