Rick Barnes discusses Tennessee’s options at point guard
Tennessee tips-off preseason practice Tuesday, beginning its defense of a 2022 Southeastern Conference championship.
The Vols (27-8) won the SEC Tournament championship last season for the first time since 1979.
Tennessee is replacing starting point guard Kennedy Chandler in 2022-23.
Santiago Vesovi returns to the Vols’ backcourt for his senior season, along with sophomore Zakai Zeigler.
“Zakai came in late and he was late getting into school,” Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes said Monday at his annual golf tournament at Knoxville’s Holston Hills Country Club. “We had a plan to redshirt him, but after three days of practice, I knew we couldn’t redshirt him.”
Zeigler, a Brooklyn, New York native, became a fan favorite with his brand of play. He will play point guard, along with Vescovi and incoming freshman B.J. Edwards. Edwards is a local product from Catholic High School in Knoxville. Indiana State transfer Tyreke Key will also see time at the position.
Barnes mentioned Zeigler does not want to be a starter.
“To be quite frank, Zakai doesn’t want to start,” Barnes said. “He feels like he can impact the game coming off (the bench), which I think has been good for our team.
“Every coach should have a player like Zakai Zeigler. He would start if we asked him to, but he likes to watch and then come off the bench and into the game.”
Edwards and Key have impressed Barnes during the offseason. Vescovi played point guard for the Vols before Chandler arrived last season.
“Santi has obviously played there, but with Tyreke Key and B.J. Edwards, those guys got a lot of reps at the point this year,” Barnes continued. “It will be point guard by committee.”
The Rick Barnes Emerald Youth Golf Classic presented by UT Medical Center benefits the Emerald Youth Foundation, a youth ministry in Knoxville.
