Tennessee basketball: Jalen Johnson shows he can fly like Yves Pons

The Tennessee basketball team held a RockyTopTipoff at Thompson-Boling Arena Friday night. Did you know Jalen Johnson can fly like Yves Pons?

It’s almost basketball time in Tennessee. It felt like yesterday we were talking about how Jeremy Pruitt will fare in his first season as head coach. Fast forward to Saturday and the football season will be over halfway over.

Fast forward to November 6, which is only 18 days away, Rick Barns and his Tennessee Volunteers will start their run at a Final Four.

At the RockyTopoff the team saw the new hype/introduction video, there was a dunk contest, and they got their bling. Bling, meaning the rings for finishing the season as regular season Co-Champs. However, with all that going on an unlikely candidate stole the show.

The 6-foot-6 sophomore guard from Durham, NC, Jalen Johnson made some headlines. We all know about Yves Pons and how he can sky. I’m waiting on him to get a steal and jump from the free throw line and throw it down. Of course, you want something like that to happen in front of the home fans, but wouldn’t it be awesome it Pons threw down a killer dunk in Rupp Arena?

Speaking of dunks, Jalen Johnson showed that Pons isn’t the only Vol that can jump out of the gym. During the dunk contest at the RockyTopTipoff, Johnson was videoed jumping over ESPN’s Marty Smith and throwing down a dunk. Below is the video.

Johnson should see an increased role this season with the departures of James Daniel III and Chris Darrington. In fact, Rick Barnes doesn’t have much of an option but to play Johnson with the limited depth in the backcourt.

Time will tell, but the Vols look like one of the scariest teams in the nation. The starting five is as good as it gets, with experience playing together. Then coming off the bench with last year’s SEC Sixth Man of the Year Lamonte Turner is Pons, Johnson, Walker, and Burns. This year’s Vols team has a legit chance at winning a National Championship.