Terrence Hill Jr. could be the PG Rick Barnes has been searching for

Rick Barnes completely flipped the script on what fans thought Tennessee’s roster would look like this season.

Last year, and for most of Barnes’ tenure at Tennessee, the Vols were built around relentless centers who dominated the offensive glass, paired with great point guard play running the offense. Now, Tennessee has changed the way it builds its roster. Barnes went out and added multiple high-level guards, all of whom can create their own shot while also being effective playing off the ball.

Tennessee basketball is already making noise in 2027 NBA mock drafts

With so many guards on the roster, it begs the question: who is the starting point guard? The consensus choice appears to be former VCU guard Terrence Hill Jr. In the NCAA Tournament, Hill scored 34 points and dished out five assists in a win over North Carolina. The 6-foot-3 point guard averaged 15.0 points per game while shooting 46.6% from the field in a talented Atlantic 10 Conference.

On 99.1, Hill received some of the utmost praise one can get. Paul Biancardi, an ESPN college basketball analyst, said, "When I say someone's a killer, that's the utmost respect I have for a player. That means I don't want to coach against them & want them on my team."

Terrence Hill Jr. is an elite PG for Tennessee

You just love to see Hill getting that kind of praise from college basketball analysts. I also like what Biancardi has to say because I think Hill is a great fit for what Tennessee wants to do offensively.

Under head coach Phil Martelli Jr., VCU played a much faster-paced motion offense than Rick Barnes typically does at Tennessee. Barnes prefers a more traditional, slower-tempo old-school motion system, but many of the same principles still apply. Because of that, Hill should be able to make the transition to Barnes’ system and take on the role of primary ball-handler in Tennessee’s offense.

What makes Hill such an elite option for Tennessee is that he can do more than just run the offense. He isn’t simply a pass-first point guard. Hill can score at all three levels. He has shown he can be a reliable finisher at the rim while also being able to knock down shots from beyond the arc.
He was very efficient last season at VCU, and with Tennessee needing a point guard who has experience in a motion offense, the Vols found a great fit.

The Atlantic 10 is a very good conference, probably the best mid-major league year in and year out, so I don’t think there will be a huge adjustment period for Hill. However, if the transition is tougher than expected, the good news is he doesn’t have to carry the entire load. Tennessee also has Cal transfer Dai Dai Ames, former Wake Forest standout Juke Harris, and former Notre Dame player Jalen Haralson, all of whom have proven they can score at the power-conference level.

Hill can run the offense, and with his dynamic ability, it should open things up for Ames and Harris, who are very good on the perimeter.

The load doesn’t need to fall on one player next season like it did with Ja’Kobi Gillespie for much of last year. Tennessee’s roster has multiple high-level scorers and playmakers who can make a difference on any given night.

But when the dust settles, Tennesse needs a versatile guard to make the Final Four, and If Tennessee makes it to Detroit, it will be because Hill has led them in running the offense.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow