Tennessee basketball: Outlet ignores Vols most likely to win 2023 SEC Player of the Year

Rick Barnes figures to run such a deep rotation next year that it may be hard for Tennessee basketball to have anybody come close to SEC Player of the Year. However, if somebody is going to do it, that person will be the guy who could rack up the most all-around stats or somebody who emerges as the league’s best scorer.

In a prediction for the potential players of the year in each of the Power Six conferences by Isaac Trotter of 247Sports, Zakei Zeigler and Santiago Vescovi were both mentioned as darkhorse candidates for the SEC. Neither fits the mold mentioned in the first paragraph.

Oscar Tshiebwe of the Kentucky Wildcats was Trotter’s top choice, and Colin Castleton of the Florida Gators came in as strongly in the mix. Tennessee basketball’s two guards were among seven players who made up the rest.

Despite Zeigler and Vescovi being mentioned Josiah-Jordan James and Julian Phillips are the two Vols most likely to win the award. James is the returning all-around guy. He could lead the team in rebounds, blocks and steals next year while averaging double figures.

Last year, after Olivier Nkamhoua was lost for the season, James moved over to the four spot and was almost a point four, averaging just over 10 points a game along with over one block, nearly one and a half steals and right at six rebounds. If he steps it up this year at 6’6″ 207 pounds, he could become an All-American.

Phillips, meanwhile, is the candidate simply due to his profile as a 6’7″-6’8″ five-star scorer. He was recruited to be just like Kevin Durant for Tennessee basketball, so his potential to win SEC Player of the Year doesn’t really need any explanation.

Although Vescovi was the Vols’ most valuable player last year if you go by advanced metrics, he’s still mostly just a three-point specialist, and he’s not moving back over to point guard. Barnes’ addition of Tyreke Key only creates more competition for Vescovi when it comes to backcourt shooting, and Phillips himself will compete there.

Zeigler is indeed expected to step into more of a lead role this year with Kennedy Chandler gone, but Barnes is still going to operate by-committee with his point guards, and Zeigler can’t move over to the two the way Chandler did last year. As a result, his touches will be limited too.

Taking all of that into account, Phillips and James, the freshman phenom and most experienced player in the system, are Tennessee basketball’s two most likely SEC Player of the Year candidates for next year. It’s not likely anybody wins it given how deep the team is, though.