Tennessee's Top Five 2022 Contributors

The Tennessee Volunteers had one of their best seasons in recent history, and several players repeatedly rose to the occasion. Though the season didn't end how they would have liked it, head coach Rick Barnes emphasized how proud of the group he was during the NCAA Tournament. I highlighted the top five contributors from that team a season ago, and four of these names return to Knoxville in 2023.

1. Santiago Vescovi

I have said it numerous times. How much Vescovi's game evolved during the 2022-23 season cannot be understated. He led the Volunteers in points and was named first-team All-SEC for the second straight season. Along with averaging 12.5 points per game, he also had the best rebounding numbers of his career by a landslide averaging 4.6 a game and improved his steal numbers up to nearly two a game. The Uruguayan guard became more refined for the Vols, and his leadership showed with big performances constantly. He had 22 games where he was in double figures for points. That's 54% of the games the Vols played this year. His three-point shooting remained on point with a percentage of 37%. He made the third-most three-point shots of any player in the SEC and is now 4th all-time for that stat in school history. Offensively, he was the Volunteer's best scoring option.

2. Zakai Zeigler

Being without Zeigler showed at times in the postseason for Tennessee. In year two in Knoxville, he showed how much of a floor general he could be. He led the SEC in assists per game (5.4). And he also had four double-doubles this season in points and assists. Speaking of points, Zeigler became a much more efficient scorer, with his average increasing by nearly three points a game. He reached 20+ points in multiple games this season, including in one of the biggest wins for the Vols against Texas in the Big 12/SEC challenge. On defense, the point guard averaged 2.0 steals a game. That mark also led the conference, and his attack hands at the top of the defensive zone made him a nightmare for teams to deal with. He was named to the second-team All-SEC and the conference's all-defensive team.

3. Olivier Nkamhoua

Surprisingly enough, Nkamhoua was one of Tennessee's more efficient shooters throughout the 2022-23 season. He finished with a field goal percentage of 51.3% and was second on the team in points per game. He had a top 15 true shooting percentage in the SEC, too, which is nothing to sneeze at. The biggest win of the Volunteers' season came in the round of 32 with a win against Duke. Nkamhoua had his way using his size to spread the floor with a free-flowing jump shot and a great drive to the rim. He finished with 27 points on 10-13 shooting, bringing in 5 rebounds. Speaking of rebounding, he was the Tennessee leader in getting boards averaging 5.0 a game. He also had improved assist numbers from a season ago. The drastic improvements in offensive numbers moved Nkamhoua significantly up on this list.

4. Josiah-Jordan James

The combo guard put up relatively similar numbers to the 2021-22 season. He averaged 10 points, four rebounds, and two assists. It was another year of solid numbers for a player with nice perimeter play. He also improved at the free throw line, shooting 86% from the stripe. He shot a total of 36 free throws and made 31 of them. He is the most efficient player on the roster when he gets to the line for shots. Along with Vescovi, James was one of the players with the most "pop" from beyond the arc, and it was something the Vols missed when he was injured with knee soreness. In two of his best games of the season against South Carolina (in Knoxville) and LSU, he went a combined 8-13. When his shot was on, the Volunteers usually found themselves winning.

5. Jahmai Mashack

Mashack cracks this list, not necessarily for his offensive game. But more so for his defense. He has the reputation of being one of the Volunteer's more lockdown defenders, which gives a team known for its defense a major boost. He averaged 1.4 steals a game and had many games with 3+ steals, including against Arkansas, Mississippi State, and on the road against South Carolina. His active hands translated into many fast break chances for Tennessee on offense. Regarding his offense, it looked more refined than his freshman season. He had many games in double figures, including two postseason games against Missouri in the SEC tournament and Louisiana in the NCAA tournament. Mashack earns a spot on the list with a steadfast defense and an improved scoring ability.

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