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Tennessee basketball’s projected 2021-2022 starting lineup

By Caleb Calhoun

Mar 7, 2021; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers forward John Fulkerson (10) reacts as he leaves the court during the second half against the Florida Gators at Thompson-Boling Arena. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 7, 2021; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers forward John Fulkerson (10) reacts as he leaves the court during the second half against the Florida Gators at Thompson-Boling Arena. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports /
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Briarcrest’s Kennedy Chandler (1) stands with a towel draped over his head Saturday, March 7, 2020, after losing to Knoxville Catholic in the TSSAA Division II Class AA Boys State Basketball Championship game at Lipscomb University’s Allen Arena in Nashville.030720briarcrestvsknoxvillecatholic12
Briarcrest’s Kennedy Chandler (1) stands with a towel draped over his head Saturday, March 7, 2020, after losing to Knoxville Catholic in the TSSAA Division II Class AA Boys State Basketball Championship game at Lipscomb University’s Allen Arena in Nashville.030720briarcrestvsknoxvillecatholic12 /

With the NBA Draft set for this week, the deadline for players to withdraw has passed. That means Tennessee basketball certainly won’t have Yves Pons, Jaden Springer or Keon Johnson back this year. Meanwhile, the Vols added a commitment this week who will reclassify as a member of their 2021 class.

Taking all this into account, their depth chart is set. A historically great top five recruiting class that has six commitments, including two five-stars, four-stars and three-stars, combined with the return of four players and the addition of a transfer, all of whom averaged over 25 minutes a game last year, leaves Rick Barnes with a loaded roster.

In addition to those 11 players, the Vols have two other scholarship players back plus four walk-ons, making for a deep rotation. How will Barnes manage all of this? Well, it’s time to break that down here with our Tennessee basketball starting lineup projection for the 2021-2022 season.

Point guard

Starter: Kennedy Chandler

Freshman; 6’0″ 172 pounds; Hometown: Memphis, Tenn.

The first and most highly touted commitment in the Vols’ 2021 recruiting class, Kennedy Chandler getting out of Shelby County was huge for Barnes. After playing at Briarcrest Christian Academy in Eads, Tenn., Chandler refined his game at Sunrise Christian Academy in Kansas this past year.

From Bel Aire, Kan. back to the state, Chandler will likely be a one-and-done star. This one year, though, he’ll likely take a starting job, and he figures to be a standout player with his talent. As an elite athlete, he’ll be able to do a lot of things for this team.

Backup: Santiago Vescovi

Junior; 6’3″ 188 pounds; Hometown: Montevideo, Uruguay

He’s been the point guard for the Vols the past year and a half, but Santiago Vescovi will likely move to Kennedy Chandler’s backup this year. However, that doesn’t mean his role with the team is going to decrease at all.

The product of the NBA Global Academy in Canberra, Australia will be the Vols’ sixth man, as he’s the backup point guard and also going to be the scoring punch off the bench. Shooting 36.8 percent from three the past two years makes him the perfect threat to stretch the offense, and given how Tennessee basketball’s rotation will be, him being a backup won’t lessen his role.

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