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In what could possibly be his final game at Tennessee, Vols’ guard Kennedy Chandler was very emotional after the loss to Michigan. The freshman guard has put everything he has into this season in Knoxville, and while his personal future is still very bright, Chandler was noticeably upset about the team loss on Saturday.
The Vols’ basketball season is over after losing in the second round of the NCAA Tournament as No. 11 Michigan took down No. 3 Tennessee by a score of 76 to 68.
After the game, the cameras found Chandler in tears on the court after likely the most significant loss of his playing career. Additionally, a longtime family friend and mentor, Juwan Howard, had words to console and encourage Chandler.
Michigan HC Juwan Howard embracing Tennessee’s Kennedy Chandler: pic.twitter.com/e6r7BoT3RG
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 20, 2022
The video already has over 1.5 million views on Twitter in just the first hour.
“Kennedy is an elite player, and he’s one of the best guards in the country,” Juwan Howard said about Chandler after the game. “I got a chance to know Kennedy back when my youngest son, Jett, and Kennedy played in AAU, and they won the LeBron James tournament in Ohio. So we had a relationship back then. Just watching his growth, I’ve always been impressed. We recruited him, unfortunately, we wasn’t that lucky, but to see the output, the effort, the growth and being able to produce like that on the floor and how he led his team in a special way. I gave him words of encouragement. It shows his emotion, that he cares. As coaches, you appreciate that.”
Chandler finished the game with 19 points, nine assists, and four rebounds.
During the postgame press conference, Chandler was asked about his future at Tennessee. All season long the freshman has been projected as a first-round NBA Draft pick after just one year at school. However, Chandler wasn’t the one to answer the question. Instead, it was Tennessee veteran Josiah-Jordan James who stepped up and spoke on his younger teammate’s behalf.
“With all due respect he won’t be answering any questions about his future today,” James said.
