With the college basketball season rapidly approaching, SEC Basketball Media Days is next week in Birmingham. In the past, each program has brought its head coach and two players to media days but they’re expanding it to three players this year.
Both the Tennessee men’s and women’s teams will participate in media days next Wednesday, Oct. 15. Which Tennessee players will accompany Rick Barnes to media days in Birmingham? Seniors Ja’Kobi Gillespie and Felix Okpara as well as junior Cade Phillips.
The three were obvious candidates. Okpara and Phillips were two of Tennessee’s four returning players from last season and had the biggest roles of the group. Okpara was Tennessee’s starting center and averaged 7.1 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in 25.8 minutes per game. Phillips was one of the first players off the bench where he averaged 4.6 points and 3.5 rebounds in 14.9 minutes per game.
Gillespie transferred to Tennessee from Maryland this offseason where he averaged 14.7 points, 4.8 assists and 2.8 rebounds per game on his way to earning Third Team All-Big 10 honors. The point guard was one of the Big 10’s best shooters last season on the Terrapins first Sweet 16 team since 2016.
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An East Tennessee, Gillespie grew up a Tennessee fan and is one of the best players on the Vols’ roster. While he is new to the program, the senior is still an obvious candidate to represent the program in media days.
Expectations are again high for Tennessee entering the season despite losing four of five starters and five of its top seven players from last season’s Elite Eight team. Ament and Gillespie are the headliners but Tennessee’s front court as the potential to be on the SEC’s best. Shooting guard and overall floor spacing remain the biggest questions for Tennessee entering the season.
The Vols open up the season on Nov. 3 against Mercer at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center. But before then, Tennessee will an instrasquad scrimmage Saturday that’s open the public, face Ohio State in a closed door scrimmage in Knoxville on Oct. 18 and face Duke in an exhibition game in Knoxville on Oct. 26.
The Tennessee men’s basketball team will be at the main stage in Birmingham from 12:50 to 1:15 p.m. ET next Wednesday.
