Tennessee basketball has used four different starting lineups in its first four games this season. Ja’Kobi Gillespie, Nate Ament and Felix Okpara have started every game and will remain in the Vols’ first five as long as they’re healthy.
Rick Barnes inserted Cade Phillips at the four-spot over Jaylen Carey after just one game and Phillips has played well in the role. That leaves shooting guard as the biggest question game-in, game-out. Bishop Boswell started the first two games but injuries have sidelined him each of the last two games. Ethan Burg started against North Florida before Barnes turned to Amaree Abram.
Following the win over Rice, Barnes made his criteria for the fifth starting spot clear.
“The guy that’s going to win that fifth spot consistently is going to be the best defensive guy of the group, the most consistent guy,” Barnes said. “That’s why Bishop (Boswell) was starting. And I think defensively, Moe earned that start tonight.”
It’s unsurprising to see Barnes lean on defense. Tennessee’s program has hung its hat on the defensive end of the court. The Vols don’t have a Zakai Zeigler or Jahmai Mashack this season and while both Ja’Kobi Gillespie and Nate Ament are solid defenders, they’re not shutdown stoppers.
Tennessee wants to position a defensive stopper between the two players that will likely lead the team in usage rate by the season’s end.
Boswell has a year under his belt in Tennessee’s system and understands the expectation. According to associate head coach Justin Gainey, Boswell brings “physicalness, that edge, that toughness, that speed on that side of the ball” that no one else has to this point.
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Abram is the next closest to that. Tennessee brought the Louisiana Tech transfer in as a three-and-defense guard. He doesn’t have elite athleticism but is a good defender. After two lackluster games, Abram has been great on the defensive end the last two times out while totaling five steals.
The two steals, consistent defensive effort and four assists were positives from Abram against Rice. However, his shot selection and three turnovers against the Owls will make Barnes rip his hair out.
“Moe was 1-for-7. He should be probably 1-for-4, too some shots he shouldn’t take,” Barnes said. “He doesn’t have to press there, he doesn’t. He’s a good basketball player, but defensively, he’s had really two good back-to-back games where he’s really worked. But it’s really a byproduct of what he’s been doing in practice because he’s been doing it in practice more consistently.”
Barnes said he was proud of the way Burg responded in practice after spending much of the North Florida game on the bench after twice turning the ball over in the game’s opening minutes. That response carried over to the Rice game where he totaled 11 points, four rebounds and three assists.
Burg has served as Tennessee’s backup point guard as well as a two-guard this season, giving him more ways to make an impact.
It’s an extremely limited sample size but through the first two weeks of the season, Boswell’s posted a 1.38 DBPR (Defensive Bayesian Performance Rating) with Burg posting a 0.95 DBPR and Abram posting a 0.85 DBPR according to EvanMiya.
Shooting guard has been the biggest question on Tennessee’s roster since this spring. It remains that way early in the season. One thing is clear, Barnes is going to rely on defense.
