Former Tennessee Vols make weekend splash in the pros

Former Tennessee Vols baseball player Nick Senzel and men’s basketball player Kevin Punter both made splashes in their leagues over the weekend.

The 2019 NFL Draft was embarrassing for Tennessee football, as they were the only SEC program without a player taken. But a week later, the Tennessee Vols were well-represented by two players in other sports, and both are worth mentioning here.

Ironically, both players played through a dark period of their respective sports’ history on Rocky Top. But they were always ones who managed to stand out, and now they’re standing out in the professional ranks.

Most notable is Nick Senzel. A player from the Dave Serrano era, the Cincinnati Reds outfielder got called up and played in his first Major League Baseball series over the weekend against the San Francisco Giants.

On Saturday, in a 9-2 win, Senzel hit his first MLB home run. He also walked once every game and twice on Friday, assuring he got on base each game over the weekend. Now, he still only had two hits, including that home run, meaning he ended the weekend with a .182 batting average. But it was still a splash of a start in the Big Leagues for him.

Meanwhile, former Tennessee Vols basketball guard Kevin Punter was making a huge splash overseas. Punter won a second straight FIBA Champions League title, and this time he was named Final Four MVP after putting up 26 points and seven rebounds while leading Segafredo Virtus Bologna (Italy) to a 73-61 victory over Iberostar Tenerife (Spain). Last year, he won the Basketball Champions League with AEK Basketball Club out of Greece.

Similar to Senzel, Punter had to suffer through a down period with his sport. He was a junior college transfer who first committed to play for Donnie Tyndall. But Tyndall was then fired, and Rick Barnes had to change up the program again.

However, as Barnes noted earlier this year, Punter was one of the first people to buy into his program. It didn’t translate to a winning season in 2015-2016, but it did show Punter to be a team player, and it allowed him to raise his profile enough to now become the impact player he is overseas.

Senzel and Punter are both young players who have lots of pro potential. As Tennessee Vols baseball and men’s basketball thrive now at levels they were never at when those two guys were in school, it may be a bit unfair. After all, they were always bright spots for both programs and had incredible talent.

Already, Senzel is on the biggest stage in the majors. Maybe with his consistent play, Punter could now get an NBA look. As a 6’4″ combo guard who is athletic and can shoot, he could definitely find a spot as a role player. And at age 25, he’s got plenty of time to still get an opportunity there.

But if it doesn’t work out, Punter is thriving in the Euro Leagues. And Senzel is now getting his chance at Major League Baseball. Both players are guys UT fans will have no trouble rooting for, as they deserve a ton of credit for what they stuck through while on Rocky Top. After such a bad NFL Draft week, the pro success of these guys makes Vol Nation proud.