Tennessee basketball debuts in top 10 of Blue Ribbon preseason rankings

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Published Sep 6, 2023

Tennessee basketball debuts in top 10 of Blue Ribbon preseason rankings

Noah Taylor • VolReport

Managing Editor

@ByNoahTaylor

A preseason of expectations has begun for the Tennessee men's basketball program.

The Vols debuted at No. 6 in the Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook preseason rankings on Tuesday, marking the fourth-straight season that Tennessee has made the top 10.

Tennessee was the highest ranked team in the SEC and the projected conference champion with Arkansas (8), Kentucky (11), Texas A&M (17), Alabama (19) and Mississippi State (20) rounding out the top 25.

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Tennessee won 25 games last season with ranked wins vs. Kansas, Maryland, Texas, Auburn and Alabama in the regular season. The Vols beat Duke in the second round of the NCAA Tournament to punch its ticket to the Sweet 16.

Tennessee is set to return much of its production from that team, including leading scorer Santiago Vescovi and assist leader Zakai Zeigler. Guard Jahmai Mashack and forwards Tobe Awaka and Jonas Aidoo are back after contributing heavily a year ago and Josiah-Jordan James spurned the NBA Draft to return for a fifth season.

In the transfer portal, the Vols added a pair of guards Jordan Gainey from USC Upstate and Dalton Knecht from Northern Colorado and Freddie Dilione V is expected to make an immediate impact after red-shirting last season along with a number of highly touted freshmen.

Blue Ribbon named Vescovi a preseason fourth-team All-American and an All-SEC selection.

The 6-foot-3 guard averaged 12.5 points and 33.0 minutes per game and made a team-high 91 3-pointers and nabbed 60 steals in 2022-23.

Vescovi shot .370 from 3-point range and led the Vols in scoring in 12 games, as well as in rebounds in seven games, assists in 13 games and steals in 15 games. He enters his fifth season ranked third in program history in 3-pointers made and 27th in career points at 1,318.

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