Lines We Like Ahead of the Round of 32
Just one day before the clash on the court between Tennessee and Michigan, Wolverines head coach Juwan Howard had a fascinating compliment for Vols guard Santiago Vescovi in the form of a comparison.
While talking about his game on the court, Howard compared Vescovi to some of the NBA’s top shooters of all time.
“He moves great without the basketball,” Juwan Howard said. “His feet is always moving. Kind of reminds me of a guy like JJ Redick, also Duncan Robinson, Klay Thompson, Ray Allen, Reggie Miller. That’s pretty special because obviously, he has to have great conditioning, and you can see that he worked on it. But then to be able to read how the defense is playing and whether they’re locking and trailing, how to curl it, or if a guy shoots the gap, how to step back and shoot the jumper.”
Not too bad of a comparison to make.
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Vescovi has been a one-man steam engine this season as one of college basketball’s most active players on the court. There’s no question that Vescovi’s ability to move around on the hardwood – with or without the ball – is one of the most valuable aspects of the Vols’ roster. Vescovi’s movement on the court does a few major things in Tennessee’s offense.
For one, it allows him to get open on the perimeter, which is probably the easiest to see. Oftentimes during Tennessee games, Vescovi will pop out to the three-point line and sink a shot after his defender became lost while trying to navigate through the traffic down low. Additionally, Vescovi’s movement is a pain to guard. Not only do you always have to keep your head on a swivel, but you know it’s going to be exhausting to keep up with Vescovi as he moves around on the court. And lastly, it just adds a layer of unpredictability to Tennessee’s offense. Whether you have an eye on Vescovi or not, he is also a threat to surprise you in a very unsurprising way.
During Tennessee’s first-round win against Longwood on Thursday, Vescovi was unstoppable while reaching a Tennessee record. The Uruguayan guard hit six three-pointers on Thursday, tying Chris Lofton’s Tennessee tournament record.
The Vols will be back on the court this Saturday in Indianapolis at 5:15 p.m. ET.
No. 3 Tennessee and Rick Barnes will take on No. 11 Michigan and Juwan Howard in the round-of-32.
