All for Tennessee
Fansided

Tennessee basketball 2021-2022 preview: Backcourt

By Caleb Calhoun

Tennessee guard Victor Bailey Jr (12) dribbles the ball 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 Victor Bailey Jr (12) dribbles the ball 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 /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 5
Next
Tennessee’s Justin Powell (24) participates in a drill during a Tennessee men’s basketball practice in Pratt Pavilion, Wednesday, Sept. 29, 2021.Basketball0929 0659
Tennessee’s Justin Powell (24) participates in a drill during a Tennessee men’s basketball practice in Pratt Pavilion, Wednesday, Sept. 29, 2021.Basketball0929 0659 /

With the losses of Keon Johnson and Jaden Springer to the NBA and the transfer of Davonte Gaines, Tennessee basketball had a lot of reshuffling to do at the guard position this year. Rick Barnes didn’t just do that by bringing in new talent either. He has moved players to different positions based on the talent he brought in.

Barnes brought in a transfer and four freshmen. He also has three returning contributors, so even with the talent that left, he’s got plenty to work with this year. With no COVID-related shutdowns to stymie development, lots of expectations also come with this team.

As we get set to preview the Vols’ backcourt, we’re going to separate those returners and freshmen into different slides. We’ll also have a slide for our biggest questions plus a final take. However, we’ll start with a walk-on and the transfer we mentioned. This is our look at Tennessee basketball’s guard positions for the 2021-2022 season.

Walk-ons

Kent Gilbert

  • 6′ 1″ 175 pounds
  • Sophomore
  • Greenville, N.C.

Last year, Kent Gilbert and Isaiah Sulack were both scout team contributors. However, Gilbert is the one walk-on on the backcourt for the Vols this year. As a freshman, he did see three minutes of action against the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles. He might see more this year.

Transfers

Justin Powell (Auburn Tigers)

  • 6′ 6″ 197 pounds
  • Sophomore
  • Prospect, Ky.

Despite being just a three-star, Justin Powell went on a tear early for the Auburn Tigers last year. He started seven of 10 games and averaged 11.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 0.9 steals while shooting 44.2 percent from the three-point line, hitting nearly two a game.

Powell suffered a season-ending injury after that, but he’s back and healthy now. As a member of the Vols, he’ll be counted on to play the wing and be another sharpshooter, but his size allows him to bring a ton of versatility as well. He could be an immediate star.

Home/Vols Basketball