Tennessee basketball: Ranking Vols five newcomers by potential impact in 2019-2020

Again, we are assuming he will be able to play. But if Uros Plavsic gets that green light, then there’s no doubt that he will be an immediate favorite to likely start. Seven-footers in college basketball are rare to come by, and when you lose all of your inside production from the previous year, you’ll turn to one immediately.

At 7’0″ 240 pounds, the Arizona State Sun Devils transfer is still waiting on his eligibility waiver from the NCAA. But he and Zach Kent, at 6’11” 235 pounds, are the only two players who provide adequate size for that center spot that would be so crucial in Rick Barnes’s system. We saw how crucial Kyle Alexander was in the system last year.

Even if Barnes decides to go small and play fast, one truly tall player underneath the basket to get the rebounds and set up the outlet pass will be crucial. In fact, going small and choosing to play fast while also having a seven-footer down low just adds another element to the mismatches he would be looking for in that situation.

As a result, Plavsic appears to have a greater than 50 percent chance at starting for Tennessee basketball, assuming he is able to go. If that’s truly up in the air, then it’s less than that. But he is almost certain to be a contributor this year.