BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Tennessee guard Tyler Lundblade is back to full speed. The senior said at SEC Basketball Tipoff on Tuesday that he is practicing without limitations after undergoing back surgery in August.
Lundblade, a 6-foot-6 transfer, gave the update at the league’s media event at the Hotel Wildemont. He said he is still getting his legs back under him, but that being on the floor with his teammates is what he had been missing.
His path back has been slow. When the Vols opened preseason practice on Sept. 22, Lundblade was limited to individual work such as shooting, ball-handling and conditioning. He is now healthy enough to join full team drills.
The back problem cost him most of Tennessee’s summer. He was sidelined when the Vols held their first practice open to the media on June 25, though he kept working on the side with shooting drills alongside assistant coaches. The surgery was reportedly not considered severe.
The timing matters for Rick Barnes. Lundblade was the first addition in Tennessee’s 2026 transfer portal class after two seasons at Belmont, where he averaged 12.4 points per game in 2024-25 and 15.6 in 2025-26. He shot 48.1% from 3-point range in 2024-25 and 40.6% last season, giving the Vols a proven outside shooter.
Barnes said over the summer that the program would make sure Lundblade was totally healthy before pushing him, and praised him for staying involved and coaching up teammates while he was out.
Fans can get a first look Thursday, when Tennessee hosts Xavier in the first of two preseason exhibitions at Food City Center at 7 p.m. on SEC Network+. The Vols open the regular season against Wofford on Nov. 3.
