The Tennessee Vols made a big statement on Tuesday night in Las Vegas.

Tennessee knocked off No.3 Houston in the Players Era tournament. The Vols’ 76-73 win over the Cougars essentially announced to the rest of the country that Tennessee is a dangerous team this season.

The Volunteers were led in scoring by Ja’Kobi Gillespie, who scored 22 points in 38 minutes of action.

Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson gives Tennessee’s front court a huge compliment

After the game, Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson gave the Vols’ front court a huge compliment.

Sampson specifically praised Vols head coach Rick Barnes for building a front court with “men”.

“Where Rick and his staff have done a good job, too, is their front-line bench,” said Sampson. ” (Jaylen) Carey and (J.P.) Estrella are [basically] starters, so give them credit for building that kind of roster….You can tell that Carey has a high basketball IQ. He’s a playmaker. He’s huge, thick, but he’s also smart. (Felix) Okpara, Estrella, and Carey. Those three guys are men.”

Okpara, Estrella, and Carey combined for 30 points and 15 rebounds in the win over Houston.

Sampson’s Cougars took down Tennessee in the Elite Eight last season, so the longtime coach certainly has a good feel for the Vols’ roster.

A dominant front court has been one of the missing ingredients over the last few years for the Vols. There’s a lot of season left to play, but this Tennessee team feels like its made to make a deep tournament run — as long as the Vols can keep everyone healthy (which, of course, will require a bit of good fortune).

Tennessee Volunteers News

National media outlet says the ‘most talented player in the transfer portal’ is a former Tennessee Vols player

A former Tennessee Vols player is currently the top option in the NCAA transfer portal.

Zach Ragan