What Rick Barnes said about Santiago Vescovi's return to Tennessee Basketball
NASHVILLE — Tennessee coach Rick Barnes discussed Santiago Vescovi’s decision to return to the Vols for a fifth season during the Big Orange Caravan stop Wednesday in Nashville.
“We are excited because he is excited,” Barnes said. “I remember senior night and he talked about it might not be his last one. It gives us back a guy who is arguably our most durable guy the last four years. Santi loves the university of Tennessee and Vol nation. When I got up this morning I went to the barber shop and everyone was so excited and we know who goes to the barber shop. We are excited and his teammates are too.”
Vescovi announced his decision to return on Instagram Tuesday night, posting that he would be returning for a fifth year.
“I need to clear the air,” Vescovi wrote in the post, “about the rumors going around about me. I’m going going to say this once: They are absolutely true. See you next season Vol Nation.”
Santiago Vescovi: ‘See you next season Vol Nation’
Vescovi led Tennessee this season in both scoring, averaging 12.5 points per game, and minutes, playing 32.9 minutes per game. He shot 39.6 percent from the field and 37.0 percent from the 3-point line, going 91 of 246 from deep. He was fifth in rebounding, averaging 4.6 per game, was second in assists with 102 and led the team with 60 steals.
Vescovi, who scored in double figures 22 times in 33 games, missed three games with a sprained shooting shoulder. He suffered the injury initially against McNeese State in November, missing the following two games, and aggravated the injury in the January home loss to Kentucky.
Over the last four seasons, Vescovi averaged 11.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.2 assists over 114 games, averaging 31.1 minutes per game. He shot a combined 39.7 percent from the field and 38.1 percent form the 3-point line.
Santiago Vescovi: 11.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists in 114 career games at Tennessee
Vescovi had a breakout junior year, finishing second for Tennessee in scoring, at 13.3 points per game, while leading the Vols in minutes, at 31.2 per game, the only player on roster to start all 35 games last season season.
He shot 41.3 percent from the field and 40.3 percent from the 3-point line in 2021-22, going 102-for-253 from the arc. Vescovi became only the second Tennessee player in program history to hit 100 or more threes in a single season, joining Chris Lofton, who did so three times.
All five Tennessee scholarship seniors — Vescovi, Josiah-Jordan James, Olivier Nkamhoua, Uros Plavsic and Tyreke Key — went through the Senior Night ceremony before Tennessee beat Arkansas 75-57 at Thompson-Boling Arena on February 28.
All but Key have another year of eligibility at their disposal, dating back to the COVID-altered season in 2020-21.
