Tennessee basketball: Santiago Vescovi’s return gives Vols nation’s deepest backcourt

Less than a week after Josiah-Jordan James announced his return to Tennessee basketball for his senior season, Santiago Vescovi followed suit. The Vols now know everybody they have returning from last year, with Kennedy Chandler, Victor Bailey Jr., John Fulkerson, Justin Powell and Brandon Huntley-Hatfield as the five departures.

This is a huge deal, as it now gives the Vols the deepest backcourt in the SEC. Vescovi, who stands at 6’3″ 188-pounds, averaged 13.3 points per game and over three assists this past year, shooting over 40 percent from three and just under 80 percent from the free throw line.

James joining him gives Tennessee basketball two seniors who averaged double figures last year returning at the two and the three, which is where they’ll be with Olivier Nkamhoua returning. Vescovi announced his decision to come back on Instagram after testing the NBA Draft waters.

Thanks to Vescovi’s return, Barnes could go two through five with seniors, as Nkamhoua and center Uros Plavsic are also seniors. However, the real story is how deep the Vols are at the one through the three, starting with Vescovi.

With Nkamhoua back from injury, James could move back to the three. Last year, he became a breakout player as a defensive specialist averaging over 10 points a game. Meanwhile, Zakai Zeigler was effectively a co-starter with Chandler, averaging just under nine points a game. He’ll take that spot.

So you’ve got three returning major contributors to occupy the three spots, including two seniors. Then enter the newcomers. Most notable among them is five-star wing Julian Phillips. He’s one of the highest-rated recruits to ever commit to UT, and he could compete for a starting job.

Then there’s Indiana State Sycamores transfer Tyreke Key. The 6’3″ 205-pound combo guard missed last year due to a shoulder injury, but over the four years before that, he averaged 14.5 points per game while shooting 37.4 percent from three.

Taking this into account, Barnes is set at the two and the three with two returning seniors, a transfer with four years of experience and a five-star. They could all compete to start. Then he’s got Zeigler to start at point guard. What about the backup point guard position, though?

Well, that’s where B.J. Edwards, the first commitment in Tennessee basketball’s 2022 recruiting class, comes in. Edwards is a four-star local kid who stands at 6’2″ and can likely make an immediate impact. The fact that he brings the least hype of this two-deep situation shows how elite UT is here.

However, there is also some flexibility. Vescovi and Key can both play the point if they need to, and should that happen, Tennessee basketball returns Jahmai Mashack, a four-star wing from last year, and secured a commitment from four-star wing D.J. Jefferson. Both are 6’5″ and can play the two if necessary.

Those two also can help provide depth at the three if Barnes decides to move James of Phillips down low. Simply put, Vescovi’s return is a huge deal, and it gives Tennessee basketball the deepest backcourt in the nation now. The combination of talent and experience can’t be matched and should serve them well going forward.