Tennessee basketball all-century team: Vols roster with players since 2000

ATLANTA, GA - MARCH 14: Jordan McRae #52 of the Tennessee Volunteers dunks against the South Carolina Gamecocks against during the quarterfinals of the SEC Men's Basketball Tournament at Georgia Dome on March 14, 2014 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - MARCH 14: Jordan McRae #52 of the Tennessee Volunteers dunks against the South Carolina Gamecocks against during the quarterfinals of the SEC Men's Basketball Tournament at Georgia Dome on March 14, 2014 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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PHOENIX, AZ – JANUARY 22: C.J. Watson #32 of the Indiana Pacers during the NBA game against the Phoenix Suns at US Airways Center on January 22, 2014, in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns defeated the Pacers 124-100. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

C.J. Watson is the obvious starting point guard for this century’s team. Watson was as solid as it got for the Vols. He was a smart player that hardly turned the ball over and could even score the basketball.

In the 2005-06 season, Watson was one of the best players on the team. No question he was one of the leaders. That season, he averaged 15.3 points, two steals, and almost four assists per game.

Watson was a gritty defender and a great passer, and that is what this all-star team needs with all the scorers available.

Not a pure point guard but Richardson handled the ball like one. He played on a team or two that needed him to do a little more than just score the basketball. So he got quite a bit of playing time at point guard.

While at Tennessee, Richardson was the best defender on the team and always had to shut down the best scorer on the other team.

Remember, we are putting a team together, not just the best players, so that’s why we moved Richardson to point guard. Plus, his defensive ability puts him on the team and give him a lot of playing time on our all-century team as the backup point guard.