Advertisement
basketball Edit

Player Grades: Tennessee 81, Florida Gulf Coast 50

Tennessee fired on all cylinders against Florida Gulf Coast on Wednesday night.
Tennessee fired on all cylinders against Florida Gulf Coast on Wednesday night. (Calvin Mattheis/News Sentinel/USA TODAY NETWORK)

After falling 78-66 to Colorado on Sunday in Nashville, No. 22 Tennessee (2-1) got back in the win column with an 81-50 win over FGCU (2-2) on Wednesday night.

Let’s dive into some player grades from the Vols’ dominating victory.

Josiah-Jordan James: A

Advertisement

The highest-graded player of the night was senior leader Josiah-Jordan James. In his first start of the season, James put together an impressive offensive performance with 18 points on 5-for-8 shooting from the field and 4-for-6 shooting from 3-point range.

Outside of his offensive production, James also made an impact in every other aspect of the game. He reeled in six rebounds and dished out two assists while playing stout defense. The team was also at its best with James on the floor — earning him a team-high +/- of +35.

The only reason he did not earn an A+ was his foul trouble. James was forced to sit for extensive periods of the game due to his accumulated fouls.

Jahmai Mashack: A-

After fighting for playing time in his freshman season, Jahmai Mashack earns a high grade for his part in Wednesday's win. He played his typical aggressive and elite defense while forcing two steals and grabbing four rebounds.

However, what stood out the most was his offense. Mashack doubled his career-high with 10 points — including a monstrous dunk. He shot an efficient 4-for-7 from the field and even recorded two assists.

If Mashack can continue to score consistently while locking down opponents, he could see a lot more time off the bench going forward.

Olivier Nkamhoua: A-

After a poor offensive showing against Colorado, Olivier Nkamhoua put together a dazzling 18-point performance in the Vols’ bounce-back win. From the field, he shot an impressive 5-for-7 while mixing in post-ups and jumpshots. Defensively, he held his own as well — being rewarded with a block and a steal.

What brought Nkamhoua down to an A- was poor free throw shooting and an inability to rebound. Despite getting to the line 12 times, he only connected on seven free throws. On the boards, he corralled just one rebound while playing 26 minutes at center.

Julian Phillips: A-

Against the Eagles, freshman Julian Phillips put together one the best games of his young career. He finished the night with 11 points, five rebounds, two assists, a block and a steal. Phillips showed a consistent ability to get to the free throw line with the bulk of his scoring coming from the charity stripe. He shot 9-for-12 on free throws and 1-for-3 from the field, propelling him into double-digits.

Phillips’ third game in orange showed the former five-star recruit's potential, but there are still areas he’ll need to iron out as the season develops.

Santiago Vescovi: B+

Usually when Santiago Vescovi puts together a highly-graded performance, it’s due to his sharpshooting and scoring ability. However, against FGCU, he shined the brightest elsewhere.

On top of his eight points on efficient shooting, Vescovi recorded six rebounds and three assists. He also only turned the ball over just once as a primarily ball handler. His defense was the biggest factor, though. He had high energy throughout the match and continually hounded the Eagles’ guards. This powerful defense led to three steals.

Zakai Zeigler: B

After the team’s loss in Nashville, Tennessee coach Rick Barnes called out Zakai Zeigler. After Wednesday’s win, Barnes said he was much happier with the sophomore guard’s performance. Zeigler finished with six points, six rebounds, an assist and a steal on 2-for-7 shooting.

The stats don’t necessarily show his impact, though. Zeigler continued to be a pest defensively, making it difficult for FGCU to operate. He also conducted the offense well by not letting the ball stick and limiting turnovers.

Tyreke Key: C+

Rounding out the group is Tyreke Key. The transfer out of Indiana State didn’t have a bad game, but he didn’t impact the game as much as others. He scored six points on 2-for-5 shooting and failed to make a 3-pointer. He also added three rebounds and an assist.

Defensively, Key held his own and played within the system. Overall, it was a solid game from him on a day where the Vols didn’t need him to shine.

*****

– TALK ABOUT IT IN THE ROCKY TOP FORUM.

– ENJOY VOLREPORT WITH A PREMIUM SUBSCRIPTION.

SUBSCRIBE TO THE VOLREPORT YOUTUBE CHANNEL.

– FOLLOW VOLREPORT ON TWITTER: @TennesseeRivals, @TMansfieldMedia, @JNichols_2121, @ByNoahTaylor, @TylerIvens, @RealTBannerman.

Advertisement