The rumors 'are absolutely true': Santiago Vescovi announces return for fifth year at Tennessee
Tennessee senior guard Santiago Vescovi is returning for another season with the Vols. He announced the news on Instagram Tuesday night, posting that he would be returning for a fifth year.
“I need to clear the air,” Vescovi wrote on Instagram, “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.”
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.
Santiago Vescovi: ‘See you next season Vol Nation’
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.
Vescovi said in early March, as Tennessee was entering the postseason, that his future was something he hadn’t given thought to.
“No, I haven’t thought about it yet,” Vescovi said at the time. “Keep every door open, but I haven’t thought about it.”
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.
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.
Vescovi enrolled at Tennessee midway through the 2019-20 season, jumping into the starting lineup in his first career game, making six threes in a home loss against LSU. He averaged 10.3 points, 3.7 assists and 3.3 rebounds per game as a freshman. He averaged 8.7 points, 3.1 assists and 3.7 rebounds in 29.2 minutes per game last season.
His field-goal percentage has climbed from 37.3 percent to 38.8 percent to 41.3 percent during his career. His 3-point percentage has improved from 36.0 to 37.3 to 40.3.
