Tennessee shooting guard Santiago Vescovi is returning to Knoxville for his super senior season, KnoxNews’ Mike Wilson first reported Tuesday night and Vescovi posted on Instagram. The All-SEC shooting guard is the first of Tennessee’s seniors to announce they will use their extra, COVID-19 year of eligibility.
“I need to clear the air about the rumors going around about me,” Vescovi said on IG. “I’m going to say this once: They are absolutely true. See you next season Vol Nation.”
Vescovi was a four-year starter and two-year star for Tennessee basketball. The Montevideo, Uruguay native averaged over eight points per game in all four college seasons but particularly found his stride in his junior season.
In his final two collegiate seasons, Vescovi averaged 12.9 points and 3.2 assists per game while knocking down 193 three-pointers. The left-handed shooting guard totaled 282 three-pointers in his collegiate career— the third most in program history.
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What Vescovi did on the offensive side of the ball made him a star but his growth as a defender made him an elite college player. The 6-foot-3 shooting guard was a defensive liability when he arrived at Tennessee but turned himself into a strong defender through his high IQ and unwavering intensity.
Bringing Vescovi back bolsters Tennessee’s roster in a major way for the 2023-24 season as the Vols roster is in a year of transition. The shooting guard will be the Vols’ top returning player and will bolster Tennessee back into the preseason top 25.
While Julian Phillips, Josiah-Jordan James and Uros Plavsic have not announced their plans for their basketball futures, Tennessee’s exact roster availability is unclear. After adding USC Upstate transfer Jordan Gainey, the Vols would be two scholarships over the 13-scholarship limit if all three of Phillips, James and Plavsic returned.
