Leadership is often an offseason talking point for any sports team. But teams don’t figure out what their leadership is truly about in the offseason. They figure it out during the season when they go through rigors and face setbacks.
Tennessee basketball has lost three straight games after starting the season 7-0, and its leadership is being tested. The Vols are finding out that their leadership is not where it needs to be.
“It’s not there yet, the way it needs to be,” head coach Rick Barnes said of his team’s leadership following its loss against Illinois on Saturday night. “You really need it from your guards more than anybody, and we don’t have that yet.”
“It’s very important,” senior guard Amaree Abram said. “That’s kind of what we’re lacking— leadership. We need more guys like JP, including myself. I feel like I’m a leader. I’ve done it. I’m a senior. Just having that voice.”
Questions about Tennessee’s leadership were a talking point this offseason for good reason. The Vols have been spoiled with strong leadership in recent years. It was elite with seniors Zakai Zeigler, Jahmai Mashack and to a lesser extent Jordan Gainey last year.
Before that, Tennessee had veterans Santiago Vescovi and Josiah-Jordan James who had been through the battles, knew Barnes like the back of their hands and could coach in timeouts if need be. That even happened at times.
The Vols have four returning players from last season and all but Felix Okpara are stepping into much larger roles. Besides Okpara, they frankly have not played major minutes in highly competitive games. That’s a challenge on its own, let alone being leaders during it.
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And that’s what Barnes is getting at with his quote. It’s not that Tennessee’s players aren’t practicing hard, ignoring the scouting report or doing the wrong things off the court. It’s that not enough are stepping up when the going gets tough on the court and opposing teams are putting pressure on them.
“I feel like I’m trying to take on that role and talk, and I’m talking in timeouts,” sophomore guard Bishop Boswell said. “I mean, we see it from J.P. (Estrella) and I think we see it from everybody through periods. But just consistently, we need everybody to have a voice whether they’re in the game, on the bench. It just takes everybody to win games like this.”
That’s the positive. Players are stepping up and leading at certain points. And players like Boswell and Estrella are young. They will likely improve as leaders as the season goes along and they face different scenarios.
But it’s fair to have some long term questions about Tennessee’s leadership. Barnes noted that you need to have leadership from your guards. That is, of course, what Tennessee’s been spoiled with between Zeigler, Mashack and Vescovi in the past.
Ja’Kobi Gillespie is Tennessee’s starting point guard and one of its best players. He’s also a naturally quiet person. Barnes and his assistants talked this offseason about how they’re trying to coax more verbal leadership out of Gillespie. The Maryland transfer has talked about the need for him to improve. Gillespie could improve and become the verbal leader Tennessee needs. But even then, it’s unlikely to look the way it has in the past.
Leadership coming from guards is ideal. As is leadership coming from your best players. Nate Ament is theoretically one of Tennessee’s best two players along with Gillespie. But he’s a true freshman who is also quiet by nature and is adjusting to the challenges of big time college basketball.
Who steps up as leaders for Tennessee will be noteworthy. It could be a little bit of everyone, and as this team gets more experience and comfort playing together that should become easier.
