Tennessee basketball 2017-2018 season report card: Vols final grades

Forwards

Starters

Grant Williams: A-

Grant Williams was the best all-around talent for Tennessee basketball. That was predictable going into the year. For the season, he averaged over 15 points and six rebounds along with nearly two assists, earning himself SEC Player of the Year, First-Team All-SEC and honorable mention All-American. All of those are worthy honors. His ability to play big and stretch the floor from the high post is huge.

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However, Williams could have been better. Rick Barnes noted as much in his recap of the season, saying he needs to condition better. He also said Williams doesn’t yet lead the team in terms of drive. You saw that throughout the season, as he struggled with consistency at times and took nights off. So he gets an A- for his talent, but those little things kept the grade from being higher.

Kyle Alexander: B+

Kyle Alexander is limited in his finesse game, and that’s what keeps him from being an A. But nobody plays their role better than Alexander does for Tennessee basketball, and his presence is huge. A 6’11” 260-pound scrapper, Alexander averaged only just over five and a half points a game. But he was insanely efficient when he did score, shooting 68 percent from the field.

Alexander’s real value, however, was his defense. He averaged over five and a half rebounds and one and a half blocks a game. His physical presence freed up Williams to often times do more and stretch the floor. If you question his value, look at how the Vols struggled to get Williams the ball when he was out against Loyola Chicago. Alexander is a very valuable player, and if he adds more skill to his game, he could be unstoppable.

Bench

John Fulkerson: C-

John Fulkerson came back from a season-ending injury that hampered what looked like a bright future. This year, he took a step back. Fulkerson struggled to get physical with players under the basket and did not properly fill in for Alexander. That’s why he gets a C-. However, to be fair, players often struggle the year they return from injury. So give him one more offseason, and perhaps he could take another step.

Derrick Walker: C+

Derrick Walker spelled Grant Williams while Fulkerson would spell Alexander. He did a better job playing his role overall, but he could improve. Barnes may not have given him enough minutes. Either way, he couldn’t be the imposing presence Williams was when he went to the bench, but he did hustle. That was enough for us to give him a C+ without seeing much from his game.

Zach Kent: Incomplete

Barnes said in his season recap that Kent just needs to develop in the offseason. He only played two games this year, so we don’t have much to go on. But Kent was a three-star who stands at 6’10”. So he clearly has potential to be solid.