SNAFU
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- Dec 2, 2011
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#5 Tennessee (Kansas, Marquette, Purdue, dook 1-4)
The Volunteers were a top-six team in most metrics a season ago because of stifling defense and a veteran group that bullied the opposition. In 2023-24, that same level of experience and at least a similar level of defensive continuity should exist. Seven of the team’s top nine players figure to be juniors or seniors. But whereas last season was typically a dog fight, this season the Vols have substantially upgraded their offensive firepower.
Senior transfer Dalton Knecht averaged 20 points per game last season at Northern Colorado, and has transitioned seamlessly into the Vols’ attack based on his standout performances during the team’s European trip. Redshirt freshman Freddie Dilione V was similarly terrific overseas and blends scoring and passing at a terrific level for a young, 6-foot-5 guard. And after shooting only 32 percent from 3 last season, Tennessee went into the portal and added Jordan Gainey (son of Vols’ assistant Justin Gainey), an absolute sharpshooter who drilled 41 percent of his 3s in his two years at USC Upstate. Don’t sleep on improvement from Tobe Awaka, who had a great summer with the United States U19 World Cup team. Tennessee also has two recruits in Cam Carr and J.P Estrella that we think would be good enough to play this season, but we’re just not sure where the minutes will come from on a team this deep.
That’s all about the newcomers, though. The backbone of this team is still upperclass returnees Santiago Vescovi, Josiah-Jordan James, Zakai Zeigler, and Jonas Aidoo. If Zeigler can return from the torn ACL he suffered on Feb. 28, this team will have every piece necessary to cut down the nets. But what Rick Barnes and company have done is build a roster that won’t be reliant upon that, either. This team is truly loaded.
Strengths
The Volunteers were a top-six team in most metrics a season ago because of stifling defense and a veteran group that bullied the opposition. In 2023-24, that same level of experience and at least a similar level of defensive continuity should exist. Seven of the team’s top nine players figure to be juniors or seniors. But whereas last season was typically a dog fight, this season the Vols have substantially upgraded their offensive firepower.
Senior transfer Dalton Knecht averaged 20 points per game last season at Northern Colorado, and has transitioned seamlessly into the Vols’ attack based on his standout performances during the team’s European trip. Redshirt freshman Freddie Dilione V was similarly terrific overseas and blends scoring and passing at a terrific level for a young, 6-foot-5 guard. And after shooting only 32 percent from 3 last season, Tennessee went into the portal and added Jordan Gainey (son of Vols’ assistant Justin Gainey), an absolute sharpshooter who drilled 41 percent of his 3s in his two years at USC Upstate. Don’t sleep on improvement from Tobe Awaka, who had a great summer with the United States U19 World Cup team. Tennessee also has two recruits in Cam Carr and J.P Estrella that we think would be good enough to play this season, but we’re just not sure where the minutes will come from on a team this deep.
That’s all about the newcomers, though. The backbone of this team is still upperclass returnees Santiago Vescovi, Josiah-Jordan James, Zakai Zeigler, and Jonas Aidoo. If Zeigler can return from the torn ACL he suffered on Feb. 28, this team will have every piece necessary to cut down the nets. But what Rick Barnes and company have done is build a roster that won’t be reliant upon that, either. This team is truly loaded.
Strengths
- +Depth
- +Experience
- +Defense
- +Shooting Upside
- -Shot Creation
- -Zeigler Health?