Jordan Bone takes in Tennessee basketball vs. Vanderbilt, sees big potential for Vols
NASHVILLE — Jordan Bone dipped in and out of conversations outside the Tennessee basketball locker room Saturday.
The former Vols guard wore an orange Tennessee jacket with white sleeves and a white 'T' on the chest as he immersed himself in the postgame revelry. Bone, who played at UT from 2016-19, spent his Saturday with the Vols. He was at shootaround, took in No. 5 UT’s 75-62 win at Vanderbilt, then got in the celebration in the locker room afterward at Memorial Gymnasium.
“I love this team, man,” Bone said. “It is one of my favorite teams — outside of my teams, this is one of my favorite teams I have ever seen in Tennessee program history. I just hope these boys continue to keep going and continue to grow.”
What Jordan Bone likes about this Tennessee basketball team
Zakai Zeigler walked past Bone as he chatted in the hallway after the win. The current Vols point guard is one of the many things the former Vols point guard likes about this Tennessee group.
“He plays hard,” Bone said. “He plays the right way. He competes. That is what I love most about him. He competes. He leaves it all out there on the floor.”
Resilience and fight were the attributes Bone noted most for the Vols. They fell behind by as many as nine in the first half and were struggling at Memorial Gymnasium. But they rallied. Dalton Knecht — who Bone described as thriving and momentum-creating — was the primary source with his 32-point outing.
So was the defense creating turnovers.
“I just think the overall toughness of this team,” said Bone, who played in Italy last season. “They defend. I love the way they really defend and try to knock the other team from doing what they are used to doing and what they are comfortable doing.”
So which Tennessee basketball team is better?
Bone was on two standout Tennessee teams, one that won the a share of the SEC regular-season title in 2017-18 and another that held the No. 1 ranking in the nation for a program-record four weeks in 2018-19.
He naturally thinks the latter would hold up against this Vols squad in a hypothetical matchup.
“You know I am taking my team,” Bone said “We were loaded. This team is talented. It definitely would have been a good game. But I think our team was one of one. We were nice. But these boys are hard. I like these boys.”
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Bone, who averaged 9.7 points and 4.3 points in 95 games in three seasons, played on teams with Vol greats Grant Williams and Admiral Schofield. All three were picked in the 2019 NBA Draft. Bone, who spent time with the Detroit Pistons and Orlando Magic, was joined in the backcourt by Jordan Bowden and Lamonte Turner.
Those teams went to the NCAA Tournament in back-to-back seasons, including a Sweet 16 appearance in the 2019 NCAA Tournament.
Bone said it would “mean everything” for this team to beyond that and get to the program’s first Final Four.
“I think they have the team to do it,” Bone said.
Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and follow him on Twitter @ByMikeWilson. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Jordan Bone loves Tennessee basketball team post-Vanderbilt win
