Santiago Vescovi's decision to return to Tennessee doesn't boil down to just one factor.
As he prepares to begin his fifth and final year as a Vol, it was a myriad of reasons that drew him back to the program.
This includes the coaching staff and his teammates. In the 2019 class, he was joined by Josiah-Jordan James and Olivier Nkamhoua as freshmen. Uros Plavsic also joined as a redshirt freshman transfer from Arizona State.
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These teammates played with him at Tennessee for the next four seasons. James is returning with Vescovi for year five, as well.
"I don't really think there were second thoughts," said Vescovi. "To be honest, I really, really love Knoxville. I love the people here. I love the team. Love the coaching staff. Love the people that support. Love everything about it. I figured that it wouldn't hurt me to come back one more year. Get better here, the aspects that I need to get better at that I know I can here. The platform that we have, it's one of the easiest places to get better at. Got people all the time willing to help you. You've got all the resources.
"On top of that, have fun another year. It's pretty much my family that we've built here. With guys like Josiah, that we've been here for five years now. At this point in life, he's like my brother. Even all the other guys that have been with us throughout the whole process. They end up leaving this year, past couple years, still consider them family. I think that's one of the biggest things of basketball. Just being able to create those bonds. Find those brothers in life that are going to last a life time."
While teammates and the family atmosphere are enough to draw the guard back, the first thing he mentioned when asked about his return was the city of Knoxville.
He has called Knoxville his home for the last four years and has grown to love it. A big reason for this is the size and pace of the city. It's medium size and speed fit Vescovi's interests.
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"What I love most about Knoxville, it's just the speed of the city," said Vescovi. "I think it's like not too fast of a city. But there's also a lot of things you can do. It's right in the middle where it's not crazy like somewhere like New York or other places where it's a lot more crowded and madness all day long. And it's not like other places where you don't have anything to do with there's nobody in there. It's kind of in between, it's that sweet spot where you have the balance of both worlds. I just love that."
Vescovi was born in raised in a city very different from Knoxville, though. A native of Montevideo, Uruguay, he is used to a crowded and bustling environment.
Motevideo is the capital and largest city in the country with a population of over 1.3 million people. This is nearly a third of the entire country's population.
In comparison, this would rank as the ninth largest city by population in the United States. It would be slotted between San Diego and Dallas.
On the other hand, Knoxville's 2021 population sits at just under 200,000 residents. This difference is a positive to Vescovi, though.
Instead of a large city with limited green space, he can now experience the variety of nature Knoxville has to offer.
"It's actually different," said Vescovi. "Back home, it's more of a New York vibe. A little smaller but same madness. A lot of people. What I love most about Knoxville is how much green there is around here. You see trees and grass everywhere. A lot of parks that are beautiful. The river itself, I think there's a lot of great things in nature here in Knoxville. I really love it."
Due to his personality and production on the floor, the residents of Knoxville have welcomed him and clearly love him back.
He enters his final year of eligibility with with averages of 11.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game in his career. This comes on an impressive 38.1% shooting, as well.
Now, he is one of the undisputed leaders on a team looking to crack its second-ever Elite 8 appearance. Last year, the team fell short in a Sweet 16 loss to FAU.
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