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NCAA Tournament 2021: Five reasons Tennessee basketball can make Final Four

By Caleb Calhoun

Jan 16, 2021; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers guard Victor Bailey Jr. (12) and guard Jaden Springer (11) and guard Santiago Vescovi (25) and guard Josiah-Jordan James (5) and guard Yves Pons (35) after a timeout against the Vanderbilt Commodores during the second half at Thompson-Boling Arena. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 16, 2021; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers guard Victor Bailey Jr. (12) and guard Jaden Springer (11) and guard Santiago Vescovi (25) and guard Josiah-Jordan James (5) and guard Yves Pons (35) after a timeout against the Vanderbilt Commodores during the second half at Thompson-Boling Arena. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports /
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Tennessee guard Jaden Springer (11) takes a shot during a basketball game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the South Carolina Gamecocks at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tenn., on Wednesday, February 17, 2021.Kns Vols Gamecocks Hoops Bp
Tennessee guard Jaden Springer (11) takes a shot during a basketball game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the South Carolina Gamecocks at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tenn., on Wednesday, February 17, 2021.Kns Vols Gamecocks Hoops Bp /

2. Numerous backcourt scoring options

Down low, Tennessee basketball is limited. Yves Pons is the defensive specialist with help from Josiah-Jordan James, and John Fulkerson is the offensive threat. Rick Barnes has to be careful with the way he uses both of them, and that is one thing that could hold UT back.

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However, on the other side, Rocky Top is loaded. If Pons and Fulkerson are full go and do their jobs under the basket, there is plenty of room for somebody to step up in the backcourt. Nobody is averaging more than 13 points a game, but Jaden Springer, Keon Johnson and Victor Bailey Jr. are all averaging double figures.

Beyond those three guys, though, Santiago Vescovi is the team’s go-to three-point shooter. Then you have James, who may be the best at scoring in transition and is capable of getting into a rhythm from outside as well. All five of these guys can be scoring options, and that makes the Vols less vulnerable to losing because somebody in the backcourt had an off-day during the NCAA Tournament.

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Springer is the most consistent option, as he is shooting 44.4 percent from three and can score from anywhere on the court. Bailey is hit or miss, but when he’s on, he’s the best scorer on the court. Similar to James, Johnson is better at attacking the basket and scoring in transition, but he’s certainly capable of stretching the court as well.

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