Tennessee basketball season recap: Vols awards for 2019-2020 year
Defensive player of the year
Yves Pons
Guard/Forward; Junior; 6’6″ 215 pounds
He was extremely close to winning most improved player, but Yves Pons was definitely Tennessee basketball’s top defensive player of the year. Heck, he won the SEC’s Defensive Player of the Year award, so of course he was going to win it for the Vols. Entering his junior year, Pons was expected to fill the role of Admiral Schofield, a wing who could play anywhere on the court.
Pons wasn’t able to match Schofield’s offensive efficiency, despite averaging double-figures. But he outdid Schofield on defense in an amazing way. With his ridiculous athleticism, and playing the four much more than Schofield due to Rick Barnes playing smaller, Pons became a block machine, averaging over two a game for 73 overall. In fact, he had at least one block in every game.
That’s an insane stat. In addition to his bocks, Pons contested a lot of shots, and he was always aggressive under the basket. If he played on the perimeter, he easily could have averaged multiple steals a game with his length, aggression and athleticism. Overall, his development on defense was incredible, and he has blossomed into an elite wing player as a result.
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DPOY runner-up: John Fulkerson
Forward; Redshirt junior; 6’9″ 212 pounds
They basically reversed roles from most improved player. However, John Fulkerson was an underrated defender. He led the team in steals with 33, an incredible stat for a big man, and he was second in blocks with 27. Fulkerson knew how to contest shots and disrupt the paint as well, and he fed off of Pons’ aggression. So he deserves a mention.