Tennessee shooting guard Santiago Vescovi is returning to Knoxville for his senior season after withdrawing from the 2022 NBA Draft, Stadium’s Jeff Goodman first reported and Vescovi later confirmed on Friday.
“Run it back turbo,” Vescovi commented on his Instagram post.
Vescovi declared for the NBA Draft while retaining his eligibility in late March to receive feedback from NBA franchises.
“Coach Barnes has encouraged me to go through the NBA Draft evaluation process, and I intend to take advantage of that opportunity while maintaining my collegiate eligibility,” Vescovi said in an Instagram post. “I know I have the full support of Vol Nation, and I look forward to the valuable experience and feedback I’ll receive in the weeks to come.”
Vescovi made 102 threes in his fantastic junior season, the fourth most triples made by a Tennessee player in a single season. Former All-American Chris Lofton holds all three of the top spots on the record list.
Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes called Vescovi the Vols’ most improved player before the start of last season and the left-hander backed it up earning First Team All-SEC honors.
Vescovi tallied 13.3 points per game on 41.3% shooting from the field, 40.3% shooting from three-point range and 80.7% shooting from the free throw line. The Uruguay native also averaged 4.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.7 steals per game in his junior season.
The 6-foot-3 guard joins classmate Josiah-Jordan James as Vol starters turning down professional basketball to return to Tennessee for his senior season.
That duo — combined with incoming five-star Julian Phillips — forms another strong roster for Barnes entering his eighth season at Tennessee. The Vols are projected to be back in the nation’s top 25 with a chance to compete for a SEC Championship.
Tennessee is coming off its second best regular season of Barnes’ tenure, posting a 23-7 (14-4 SEC) record before winning the program’s first SEC Tournament in 43 years and losing in the Round of 32 of the NCAA Tournament.
