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Santiago Vescovi Named Finalist For Jerry West Award

Tennessee guard Santiago Vescovi has been named a finalist for the Jerry West Award.

Jonathan Lidskin

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On Tuesday afternoon, Tennessee guard Santiago Vescovi was named a finalist for the Jerry West Award. The award, which first went to D'Angelo Russell in 2014-15, signifies the nation's top shooting guard. Vescovi was the only shooting guard in the SEC on the list.

Regarding his performance, Vescovi earned the honor of being named a finalist. His traditional stats aren't eye-popping, and his numbers are down from last season in scoring and shooting. However, what Vescovi does as a floor spacer for a team that isn't a great shooting team cannot go unnoticed. He has also had an efficient year on offense with a 113.8 offensive rating. If he were shooting the ball from three like he did last year, he would most definitely be talked about as a potential award winner.

However, what Vescovi did to earn the award was not primarily because of his offense. Vescovi has been one of the best wing defenders in the country this season. Vescovi is 7th in the SEC and top 20 in the country in Defensive Bayesian Performance Rating. 

Four of the six players ahead of him in the conference are his teammates. Vescovi is also extremely important for Tennessee when forcing turnovers, as he's 43rd in the country in steal percentage. He and Zakai Zeigler show what kind of identity Tennessee has on defense.

Vescovi's counting stats may keep him from winning the award, but don't be fooled by the simple numbers. His importance to Tennessee cannot be understated, and the Vols would not be what they are without him.

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Jonathan Lidskin
JONATHAN LIDSKIN