Tennessee basketball season recap: Vols awards for 2019-2020 year

FAYETTEVILLE, AR - FEBRUARY 26: Tennessee Volunteers huddle together before a game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Bud Walton Arena on February 26, 2020 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The Razorbacks defeated the Volunteers 86-69. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
FAYETTEVILLE, AR - FEBRUARY 26: Tennessee Volunteers huddle together before a game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Bud Walton Arena on February 26, 2020 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The Razorbacks defeated the Volunteers 86-69. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /
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Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images
Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images /

Most valuable player

Jordan Bowden

Guard; Senior; 6’5″ 193 pounds

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This was a really close battle, and we’re not sure exactly where it should have gone. However, Tennessee basketball had relied on Jordan Bowden for four years, as a rotational guy, so as one of the two main scorers and the only senior to play the full season, he deserves this recognition for a lifetime achievement award as much as anything else.

Bowden, despite slumping at times, was still effective anyway. He averaged 13.7 points per game, just like Fulkerson, and he became the only consistent scoring option on the perimeter after Lamonte Turner’s season-ending shoulder surgery. Sure, his three-point shooting dipped to 28.7 percent this year, a dramatic fall. But he found numerous other way to be effective.

When his shot wasn’t falling, Bowden found a way to get to the line, where he shot 82.2 percent. He also managed to score from the paint a lot more. Meanwhile, he remained unselfish, leading the team with 85 assists on the year, and he was also aggressive with 30 steals and four rebounds. As the leader of the team, it went as he went, and that’s why he’s MVP.

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MVP Runner-Up: John Fulkerson

Forward; Redshirt junior; 6’9″ 212 pounds

From a numbers perspective, John Fulkerson probably stands out over Bowden. However, He came on late, and it was February that put him over the edge. Bowden produced for Tennessee basketball all season. But Fulkerson did tie for leading the team in scoring, and he also led in steals and rebounds, so it’s fair if somebody wants to give it to him.