COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Jarnell Stokes' double-doubles have been coming so frequently lately that they're starting to be expected. His latest, a 20 point, 10 rebound effort this afternoon against South Carolina, was his fifth in a row and the lynch pin around which Tennessee's victory was built.

These Vols have some ongoing issues that are probably going to keep them from being one of the better teams in the SEC this season. What they do have at the moment though is arguably the most imposing and productive big man in the league, taking both ends of the floor into account (looking at you Nerlens).

Stokes' play over roughly the past month has gone a long way towards silencing his critics, those who were starting to wonder aloud if perhaps he hadn't been more than a little overrated coming out of high school.

"The last five games now I think he's really been playing at that level you want to see," Cuonzo Martin said of Stokes. "He's chasing down rebounds, being aggressive. When he's being aggressive, with the level of strength that he has, it really takes two guys to keep him off the glass.

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