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Tennessee basketball: Ranking the top 5 Vols with 2020 NBA Draft potential

By Caleb Calhoun

COLUMBUS, OHIO - MARCH 24: Lamonte Turner #1 and Jordan Bowden #23 of the Tennessee Volunteers react after defeating the Iowa Hawkeyes 83-77 in the Second Round of the NCAA Basketball Tournament at Nationwide Arena on March 24, 2019 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
COLUMBUS, OHIO - MARCH 24: Lamonte Turner #1 and Jordan Bowden #23 of the Tennessee Volunteers react after defeating the Iowa Hawkeyes 83-77 in the Second Round of the NCAA Basketball Tournament at Nationwide Arena on March 24, 2019 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images
Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images /

When it comes to combo guards, Josiah Jordan-James is the guy with the most potential. However, Tennessee basketball has a much more proven combo guard right now, and the proven player always takes precedence over the player with potential.

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With the departures of Jordan Bone and Admiral Schofield, Lamonte Turner is expected to see his usage rate increase dramatically. Now, this year, he’s likely to fully convert over to a point guard with his 6’2″ frame.

As he does that, he’ll be a point guard with solid size who has explosive ability and can score from anywhere on the court. Remember, he shot nearly 40 percent from three two years ago. A nagging injury limited his efficiency this past year, but he still averaged double figures both seasons.

Also, Turner’s assist number went up to nearly four. So with Bone gone, he could dramatically up that this year, and Barnes is likely to have the offense go entirely through him. That’s a huge deal, even with the arrival of James.

Next. Vol football's 2019 depth chart projection. dark

If Turner can make the full transition to point guard, he’s going to turn a lot of heads next year as a redshirt senior. His experience and command of the offense under Barnes is already highly impressive. Combine that with his scoring ability, defense and better passing, and he’s definitely the best Tennessee basketball 2020 NBA prospect if he stays healthy.

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