Tennessee basketball: Ranking all nine returning players for 2022-23

6’4″ 196 pounds

Now we’re getting into scholarship players. Jahmai Mashack is a forgotten prospect in Tennessee basketball’s 2021 recruiting class, but remember, he was a four-star across the board. Although he can move between shooting guard and small forward, Mashack was recruited specifically as a wing, so that’s likely where Rick Barnes will use him.

Last year, Mashack played in 27 games and saw an average of four and a half minutes an outing. He shot 41.2 percent from the field, 33.3 percent from three, and 44.4 percent from the free throw line. The sample sizes for all those are small, but if Mashack developed as a scorer, he was actually a really good defender when he was in the game.

Taking that into account, lots of things are working in his favor to see more action this year. He won’t start, but there is competition for one more rotational backcourt spot. A returning point guard and two returning shooting guards, who we’ll get to, have spots locked up. Five-star Julian Phillips has the wing locked up.

However, two more spots are available, and Mashack is in competition with Indiana State Sycamores transfer Tyreke Key, 2022 four-star combo guard B.J. Edwards and 2022 four-star wing D.J. Jefferson. If Key locks up the other point guard spot over Edwards, then Mashack could beat out Jefferson to get into the rotation, so watch out.