Tennessee basketball: 2 Vols named 'darkhorse candidates' to earn SEC player of the year honors in 2022-23
247Sports recently predicted who will win conference player of the year honors in each major conference next season and two Tennessee Vols basketball players were named as "darkhorse candidates" as potential winners of the award in the SEC. Kentucky's Oscar Tshiebwe was named as the most likely SEC player of the year winner, followed by […]
247Sports recently predicted who will win conference player of the year honors in each major conference next season and two Tennessee Vols basketball players were named as "darkhorse candidates" as potential winners of the award in the SEC.
Kentucky's Oscar Tshiebwe was named as the most likely SEC player of the year winner, followed by Florida's Colin Castleton, who was described as "strongly in the mix".
Tennessee guards Santiago Vescovi and Zakai Zeigler were named as darkhorse candidates to win SEC player of the year honors.
From 247Sports:
Tshiebwe stands head and shoulders above the rest of the SEC, but there are plenty of talented guys who could really make some noise. Keep an eye on Broome. The Morehead State transfer could be an absolute star at Auburn. Making the jump to the SEC is not easy, but he's got the talent to cruise. Florida has plenty of unknowns under first-year coach Todd Golden, but Castleton is a known commodity. You know you're going to get All-SEC defense and his offensive game has another level he can get to. Florida's guard play is much better, so that might help Castleton reach his full potential.
I'm sure Zeigler and Vescovi are happy to be recognized as a couple of the best players in the SEC, but it's highly unlikely that either player earns SEC player of the year honors. And that's not a bad thing.
The Vols aren't dependent on one player taking over a game to win. Tennessee is a balanced team, which was evidenced by the fact that no one on the roster averaged more than 14 points per game last season — including freshman sensation Kennedy Chandler, a soon-to-be first-round selection in the NBA draft.
Ultimately, Tennessee doesn't care if one of their players wins SEC player of the year — they just want to get to a Final Four so they can prove that Rick Barnes isn't deserving of his can't-get-it-done-in-March reputation.
Featured image via Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK
