How Has COVID Shifted The World Of Sports?
Tennessee point guard Kennedy Chandler and power forward John Fulkerson are out tonight in the Vols’ SEC opener against Alabama after testing positive for COVID-19, a Tennessee spokesperson confirmed with RTI.
Chandler has been the straw that stirs the drink for Tennessee this season, scoring 14 points while dishing out 5.3 assists to just 2.2 turnovers a game. Rick Barnes has adjusted his offense to feature the star freshman in an abundance of ways on the offensive side of the floor.
How the Vols adjust will be one of the storylines to watch for tonight.
Fulkerson is the reigning Co-SEC Player of the Week after scoring 24 points and grabbing 10 rebounds in Tennessee’s win over No. 6 Arizona.
The power forward has bounced back from a rough 2020-21 season with a strong start to his super senior campaign. Fulkerson is averaging 9.9 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game and has scored in double figures in four of UT’s five games against quality opponents.
At point guard, Zakai Zeigler and Santiago Vescovi will be thrust into a bigger role. Inside Brandon Huntley-Hatfield and Uros Plavic will be relied on for bigger minutes.
