After falling just short of the Final Four for the third straight season, Tennessee has another big offseason ahead of it. Rick Barnes will look to add pieces via the transfer portal, as he's already got Tyler Lundblade from Belmont.
Part of the development process is seeing your own players bloom. We saw Bishop Boswell take a step up this year, and JP Estrella had his best season in a Vols uniform. Given that, let's take a look at two underclassmen who could take a leap for Tennessee next season.
1. Amari Evans, Wing
While Evans' freshman year wasn't the greatest offensively, he proved one thing: he is a menace defensively. Evans has long arms and can contest any shot on the court and get into every passing lane. He plays with an edge that Rick Barnes has to love.
Not to mention, he averaged around 14 minutes a game and still pulled down 3.2 rebounds. That’s an impressive number for a guard/wing coming off the bench. If his role expands and he starts getting more minutes, it’s not hard to see him turning into a six-rebounds-per-game guy from that position.
To put that in perspective, Felix Okpara averaged 6.3 boards a game this year. Had Evans got more minutes he may have outrebounded the Vols' center.
To sum it all up, Evans does all the little things that are needed to win. With an expanded role, he could bring huge dividends to the Vosl roster next season.
2. Troy Henderson, PG
Next, point guard Troy Henderson could make a huge leap with Ja'kobi Gillespie gone next season. The freshman guard averaged just 1.8 points and 1.0 assists this year, playing just under six minutes a night.
Vols fans may remember, but in a game against Texas A&M, Henderson was the hero for Tennessee. He hit a clutch three-pointer and scored eight points with two steals, shooting an efficent 50% from the field.
Henderson has all the tools to be a starting point guard; he can pass and make good decisions while also being capable of scoring off the dribble. Yes, he's still raw, but he has a lot of potential. Vols fans should be excited about his game and how it could trend.