One of Tennessee's unsung heroes in the round of 32 win over Virginia was guard Bishop Boswell. It's easy to see how good Ja'Kobi Gillespie was, but seeing Boswell step up was massive. Boswell scored 13 points, including four threes, and he had nine assists.
Rick Barnes finally admitted what every Tennessee fan already knew
After the game, Gillespie was asked about when Boswell plays well on offense and how it opens everything up. He said, "It means everything. If he’s playing like that, that makes us a whole ‘nother team. I think we’re going to be really hard to beat with him doing that, and yeah, I feel like he had a great game today.
Not only did Boswell get praise from the star point guard Gillespie, but Rick Barnes gave some major praise as well.
Barnes said, "When Bishop puts up these kind of numbers, and they mentioned it does give us a whole different look as a team."
Bishop Boswell is a Tennessee X-factor
Boswell is the kind of player every team needs. He does all the dirty work, diving for loose balls, boxing out, and making the hustle plays. It felt like earlier this season, he was getting hit in the face every game just from going all-out on every possession, diving for loose balls.
Digging deeper, when Boswell is scoring points and making plays this team is on a whole new trajectory. He plays great defense and brings a physical edge to the backcourt, but when he’s also knocking down shots, it completely changes the dynamic for the Vols.
Tennessee is 5-2 when Boswell scores double-digit points, including wins over Houston, Georgia, and Texas A&M, all tournament teams. The two losses came to Mizzou and Kentucky, two games the Vols probably should've won, if wouldn't have been if it weren't for mediocre second-half execution.
Looking ahead, Tennessee will need Boswell to come up big in the Sweet 16 against Iowa State. If Joshua Jefferson is in for the Cyclones, Boswell will be tasked with guarding him, and he will need to be on point. On offense, the Vols will need to be efficient and intentional with their passes and movements. Iowa State is a very good and aggressive team on de.