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Tennessee basketball: Vols most likely to leave early in 2021

By Caleb Calhoun

ATHENS, GA - JANUARY 15: Head coach Rick Barnes speaks with Santiago Vescovi #25 of the Tennessee Volunteers during the first half of a game at Stegeman Coliseum on January 15, 2020 in Athens, Georgia. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
ATHENS, GA - JANUARY 15: Head coach Rick Barnes speaks with Santiago Vescovi #25 of the Tennessee Volunteers during the first half of a game at Stegeman Coliseum on January 15, 2020 in Athens, Georgia. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images) /
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Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images
Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images /

Pick Analysis. Forward. Sophomore. 10. player. 534. Scouting Report. Drew Pember

Size: 6’10” 190 pounds; Hometown: Knoxville, Tenn.

Yeah, we can confidently say this local product of Bearden High School won’t be going to the NBA after this year. Given Tennessee basketball’s additions, there is no possible way for Drew Pember to even be in the two-deep rotation for the Vols this year. John Fulkerson, Yves Pons and E.J. Anosike will 100 percent be ahead of him.

However, last year, Uros Plavsic and Olivier Nkamhoua both saw twice as many minutes as Pember. He’s not going to surpass either of them this year. As a result, with very limited chances to play, Pember won’t do near enough to impress scouts and leave early for the NBA Draft.

In his five and a half minutes of play per game last year, Pember averaged just over one point and right at one rebound a game. He was recruited as a long-term project, and that’s what he’s still expected to be. Although he’ll likely become a valuable role player for the Vols as he gains experience, he’s still a backup deep in the rotation right now.

Even if he does see more action, he doesn’t yet have the measurables to be an NBA player. You can’t weigh less than 200 pounds as a power forward or center at that level. Again, Pember should be a very good player eventually. However, him going to the pros after this year appears to be almost impossible.

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