Scouting Report: Three Things to Know About Tennessee

The Louisville men's basketball program faces the Volunteers for their first true test of the Pat Kelsey era.

Tennessee guard Zakai Zeigler (5) goes for the basket while guarded by Gardner-Webb guard Anthony Selden (1) during an NCAA college basketball game on Monday, Nov. 4, 2024, in Knoxville, Tenn. / Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - On the heels of game and win No. 1 of the Pat Kelsey era, the Louisville men's basketball program is getting their first true test of the young 2024-25 season, with No. 12 Tennessee marching into the KFC Yum! Center this weekend.

Here are the top three things that Cardinals fans should know about the Volunteers ahead of their matchup this Saturday at 12:00 p.m. EST:

The Vols' Backcourt Leads the Way

Most well-versed college basketball fans know that it's a guard's game. If you're going to be a serious contender in a power conference or even for a national championship, you need a strong backcourt. Well, Tennessee has just that.

For the Volunteers, it all starts with senior point guard Zakai Zeigler. The 5-foot-9, 160-pound guard is coming off of a stellar 2023-24 season, one where he was named both First-Team All-SEC and the SEC Defensive Player of the Year. In 36 games last year, he averaged 11.8 points, 6.1 assists and 1.7 steals per game, while shooting 39.3/34.4/70.6. He's the definition of a floor general on both ends of the court.

Zeigler also has great left- and right-hand men in Chaz Lanier and Jahmai Mashack, and they complement each other.

Lanier, a transfer from North Florida, is a sharpshooter who routinely torched opposing teams last season. The 6-foot-4, 175-pound two guard averaged a whopping 19.7 points per game last season while shooting 51.0 percent from the field and 44.0 percent from deep. His defense lags behind a bit (lot), but his scoring capabilities make up for it.

As for Mashack, he's on the other end of the spectrum and is a dogged defender. The 6-foot-4, 200-pound guard has no issue guarding 1-through-5, and while his 0.8 steals and 0.3 blocks per game last season might not suggest that, his impact goes beyond the stat sheet. He does leave some to be desired as a scorer, averaging just 4.5 points last year, but he did pour in 10 points in the Vols' season-opener vs. Gardner-Webb.

Off the bench, Tennessee also has a solid backcourt option in Jordan Gainey. While he put up just 6.8 points per game last season, he did average 15.2 per game in his final year at USC Upstate, and had 16 points off the bench against Gardner-Webb.

Potential, Yet Questions in Tennessee's Front Court

While Tennessee is a team that will be carried by the play of their backcourt with established options, down low in the paint, the Vols aren't nearly as reliable. Sure, they have potential to be great here. But there's also some questions with the area of the floor in general.

It starts with the fact that UT lost their leading rebounder, leading shot blocker and third-leading scorer to the transfer portal, as center Jonas Aidoo is now at Arkansas.

Felix Okpara is now the man in the middle for Tennessee, coming over from Ohio State during the offseason. The 6-foot-11, 220-pound big man is good rebounder and great blocker, averaging 6.4 and 2.4, respectively last season with the Buckeyes. But he's not a polished passer (0.5 assist per game) and isn't nearly the scoring threat that Aidoo was at 6.6 points per game last season.

Over at the four-spot, Tennessee has a more offensive-minded option in Igor Milicic. The 6-foot-10, 224-pound stretch four from Charlotte put up 12.8 points on 48.7/37.6/81.8 shooting last season, primarily from beyond the arc. He was able to show he can play around the rim last season, hauling in 8.5 rebounds and blocking 1.1 shots per game, but one giant red flag is that he averaged 2.0 turnovers per game.

Beyond this one-two punch, Tennessee isn't super deep in the front court, which is partially a byproduct of being guard- and wing-heavy. Forwards J.P Estrella and Cade Phillips combined to average just 2.5 points and 2.2 rebounds last season for the Vols, but are both heading into their second year in college.

There's also guard/forward Darlinstone Dubar, who averaged 17.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists on 53.9/39.9/73.4 shooting last season at Hofstra, but he might not play vs. Louisville. He missed the Vols's season-opener due to an unspecified personal reason, and head coach Rick Barnes didn't specify when he could return.

A Rocky (Top) Start?

On paper, Tennessee has the makings of a team that can contend for the SEC, and has the potential to make a deep run in March. That being said, the Volunteers haven't been played their best basketball leading up to and starting the regular season.

Tennessee played No. 17 Indiana in a charity exhibition in Knoxville ahead of the start of the regular season, and dropped that matchup 66-62. The Vols were very sluggish on the offensive end, shooting just 30.5 percent from the floor, starting the game 1-of-15 from three, and having as many turnovers as they did assists (15).

While they took down Gardner-Webb 80-64 in their season-opener, Tennessee did not crisp on the defensive end - something that has been a staple of Rick Barnes-led teams. The Runnin' Bulldogs were able to get penetration on the Vols and shoot 43.6 percent from the floor, while putting up 1.000 points per possession.

Granted, this is just a two-game sample size, and one of these games didn't even count. But that being said, Tennessee has shown some early vulnerability on both ends of the floor.

(Photo of Zakai Zeigler: Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK)

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