Tennessee basketball: Vols, Lady Vols pushing through despite crucial injuries

It looks like the men’s Tennessee basketball program is now in the same boat as the women. One of their most important players is out indefinitely, and they’ll have to continue chugging along without the contributions he brings to the team.

In a Wednesday press conference, Rick Barnes basically said the team is still waiting on updates on Josiah-Jordan James. This past weekend, it was revealed during the Hall of Fame Tip-Off in Connecticut that James had a torn ligament in his finger.

James tried to go against the Villanova Wildcats but was ineffective in the loss. He then missed the game against the North Carolina Tar Heels, which Tennessee basketball won. Here’s what Barnes said about his status.

Just like the men, the Lady Vols have been pushing through with a more obvious injury. Their best player, Rae Burrell, has been out since the second half of their opener, which they won 59-49 against the Southern Illinois Salukis.

Kellie Harper’s team already had to deal with a season-ending injury to returning starter Marta Suárez, and Jordan Horston missed the opener, which is why they had to squeak by that game. Horston is back, but the other two are still out, Burrell still indefinitely.

While Burrell is a more obvious injury, James is a key injury too. Don’t forget that James was once a five-star recruit, and as a 6’6″ 214-pound junior, he’s a five-star who has had three years to develop playing for Barnes and is UT’s best perimeter defender.

That combination should lend itself to James having a breakout year, the same way Burrell, a preseason All-American already, was destined to dominate since she was going to have to shoulder a heavier load with Rennia Davis out. However, neither has had the chance to do that yet.

Still, Tennessee basketball is chugging along on both sides. UT scored a top 25 win over UNC Sunday, and they did it in dominating fashion with James out. That was pretty impressive and showed the Villanova loss was a bit of a fluke.

A huge reason for that loss was that the three-point shots weren’t falling for the Vols, and James was the guy who got the open looks. Well, with a hurt finger, he was naturally going to struggle, and he went 0-for-6 on the day from beyond the arc. They rebounded well the next day.

Obviously, the play of the Lady Vols has been more impressive. This team has scored a quality road win and two top 25 wins at home since losing Burrell, the most recent one being a 10-point comeback to beat the Texas Longhorns in overtime.

As the programs enter Thanksgiving and prepare for a weekend of games, the men hosting the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles and the women playing the Oklahoma State Cowgirls and Kansas Jayhawks at an event in Las Vegas, what they have done so far is enough to be proud of. They’ve shown a lot of heart overcoming their injuries.

Dealing with the injuries on the women side have been more impressive, but both Tennessee basketball programs have been impressive. On a day to be thankful, it’s worth reflecting on those positives. Kudos to Barnes and Harper.