DETROIT — Tennessee will be down a starter when it faces Creighton in the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 late Friday.

Fifth-year guard Santiago Vescovi will not play due to having the flu, a UT spokesperson confirmed to VolReport.

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Vescovi did not participate in the team's practice arriving in Detroit on Thursday. Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes told reporters that Vescovi was "under the weather."

Vescovi has started every game this season and averages 6.5 points, 2.5 assists, 3.7 rebounds and shoots 37.2% from the field. He recently became one of two players in program history to tally 1,000 career points, 500 rebounds and 400 assists.

Vescovi's absence will alter Tennessee's starting lineup. Junior guard Jahmai Mashack, who averages 4.6 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.2 assists will likely start in his place. Mashack averaged 18.5 minutes in the Vols' first and second round games against Saint Peter's and Texas.

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Tennessee's official starting lineup prior to tip-off listed Vescovi as a starter, along with guards Zakai Zeigler, Dalton Knecht, Josiah-Jordan James and forward Jonas Aidoo, but Vescovi was not dressed out during pregame warmups.

The 2-seed Vols are in the Sweet 16 for the second-straight season and are looking to punch their ticket to the Elite Eight for just the second time in program history. Tennessee is a 3.5-point favorite.

Tip-off between the Vols (26-8) and 3-seed Creighton (25-9) at Little Caesars Arena is set for 10:09 p.m. ET on TBS.

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