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The 2023 NCAA tournament keeps rolling along, with Sweet 16 action scheduled to begin on Thursday, March 23. The winner of these matchups will move one step closer to the ultimate goal of making it to the Final Four. If you reach this point in the season, you likely have some future NBA players or veteran players leading the charge.
The Tennessee Volunteers had to fight through a tough SEC schedule to make it here as a No.4 seed. They escaped by Louisiana only to beat a red-hot Duke Blue Devils squad. Their floor general, Zakai Zeigler went down before the tournament, so they’ve had other guys step up to help shoulder the load. Let’s see the guys who have helped Tennessee to reach this point.
Tennessee roster breakdown
Olivier Nkamhou
Nkamhou has had to step his game up over the past few games. He was huge against Duke, scoring 27 points and grabbing five board. He struggled against Louisiana, only scoring eight points. On the season, he’s averaging 11 points and five rebounds per game. He’s shooting 52 percent from the field and 34 percent from three.
He’s a senior, so this is it for him unless he wants to use an extra COVID year to come back and play more. As a long, athletic wing, if he can improve his three point shooting, he could be a possible late second round pick for a team or get a spot on a G- league roster spot.
Santiago Vescovi
You could make a case that he is the best player on the roster, but both guys are invaluable to the team’s success. Vescovi averages 12.7 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. His best asset is that he shoots it 37 percent from deep. He’s a senior as well, and could use a COVID year as well. If he doesn’t come back, look at him a possible training camp invite for a team or maybe a G-league spot.
Tennessee roster
| Player | # | Class | Pos | Height | Weight | Hometown | High School | RSCI Top 100 | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | # | Class | Pos | Height | Weight | Hometown | High School | RSCI Top 100 | Summary |
| Santiago Vescovi | 25 | SR | G | 6-3 | 188 | Montevideo Uruguay | NBA Global Academy | 12.7 Pts 4.6 Reb 3.1 Ast | |
| Olivier Nkamhoua | 13 | SR | F | 6-8 | 223 | Helsinki Finland | Bishop Walsh School | 11.0 Pts 5.0 Reb 2.0 Ast | |
| Zakai Zeigler | 5 | SO | G | 5-9 | 160 | Long Island NY | Our Saviour Lutheran School | 10.7 Pts 2.7 Reb 5.4 Ast | |
| Tyreke Key | 4 | SR | G | 6-3 | 205 | Celina TN | Clay County High School | 8.3 Pts 2.6 Reb 1.4 Ast | |
| Julian Phillips | 2 | FR | F | 6-8 | 198 | Blythewood SC | Blythewood (SC); Link Academy (MO) | 14 (2022) | 8.6 Pts 4.8 Reb 1.5 Ast |
| Josiah-Jordan James | 30 | SR | G | 6-6 | 207 | Charleston SC | Porter-Gaud School | 20 (2019) | 10.0 Pts 4.7 Reb 1.8 Ast |
| Jonas Aidoo | 0 | SO | F | 6-11 | 230 | Durham NC | Durham Voyager Academy (NC); Liberty Heights Athletic Institute (NC) | 39 (2021) | 4.9 Pts 4.8 Reb 0.9 Ast |
| Jahmai Mashack | 15 | SO | G | 6-4 | 192 | Fontana CA | Etiwanda HS | 64 (2021) | 4.7 Pts 2.3 Reb 1.5 Ast |
| Uros Plavsic | 33 | SR | C | 7-0 | 262 | Ivanjica Serbia | Hamilton Heights Christian Academy | 4.8 Pts 3.4 Reb 0.7 Ast | |
| Tobe Awaka | 11 | FR | F | 6-8 | 250 | Hyde Park NY | Cardinal Hayes (NY) | 3.3 Pts 3.9 Reb 0.3 Ast | |
| B.J. Edwards | 1 | FR | G | 6-3 | 188 | Knoxville TN | Knoxville Catholic (TN) | 100 (2022) | 1.2 Pts 0.6 Reb 0.4 Ast |
| Isaiah Sulack | 31 | SR | G | 6-5 | 170 | Knoxville TN | Christian Academy (TN) | 1.0 Pts 0.3 Reb 0.3 Ast |