Like football, Basket-Vols look to pick up the pace this season

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - After winning last season’s SEC Tournament and making the program’s fourth straight NCAA Tournament appearance, the Vols enter the 2022-23 season riding a 17-game home winning streak. Returning upperclassmen Santiago Vescovi, a 2022 first-team All-SEC performer, Josiah-Jordan James, Olivier Nkamhoua and Uros Plavsic.

They lead a group of seven returners from last season’s squad that also includes SEC All-Defensive Team selection Zakai Zeigler and rising sophomores Jonas Aidoo and Jahmai Mashak. All of the above will lead a charge that head coach Rick Barnes said he’d like to see move faster this season.

The Basket-Vols have opened preseason practice. Coach Barnes is high on his team which welcomes in some terrific young talent.

Tennessee should contend for another SEC title and will do so the coach says by picking up the pace @wvlt @Vol_Hoops pic.twitter.com/ZJezgRwaeC
— Rick Russo (@wvltrick) September 29, 2022

Tennessee’s returning contributors are complemented by five scholarship newcomers—transfer guard Tyreke Key, Tobe Awaka, B.J. Edwards from Knoxville Catholic, D.J. Jefferson and McDonald’s All American, Julian Phillips.

The Vols open the season at home on November 7th against Tennessee Tech.