Tennessee shooting guard Ethan Burg is out for the Vols’ matchup against Gardner-Webb due to illness according to a UT spokesperson. It’s the first game that Burg has missed this season.
A 6-foot-3 combo guard, Burg is averaging 3.5 points, two assists and 1.1 rebounds in 12.4 minutes per game off the bench. Bishop Boswell is Tennessee’s starting shooting guard. Burg and Amaree Abram have played the main backup two-guard minutes for Tennessee this season though Amari Evans and Troy Henderson have each also earned minutes at the spot.
In addition to being a backup shooting guard, Burg also serves as the backup quarterback behind Ja’Kobi Gillespie. All of the previously mentioned players will see increased minutes with Burg sidelined but Henderson could be the greatest beneficiary due to his ability to run the point guard spot.
Tennessee added Burg to its roster this offseason after he spent the previous two seasons playing professional basketball in Israel. He struggled in his first handful of games against power five competition but played well on Tuesday against Louisville, totaling five points, two assists and a steal in 12 minutes off the bench.
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“I thought he played the way we need him to play,” Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes said of Burg following the game. “He wasn’t too anxious. That’s what’s hurt him. I mean, he did it one time tonight, where he’s got a habit he’s got to break. As soon as he gets the ball, he starts dribbling with nowhere to go most of the time. He made a great post feed, made a great post feed, where he got it — where in the past he would’ve just put his head down and start dribbling.
“Made a really nice layup off of a little formation they ran there at the end of the first half. But defensively, I thought he worked.”
Tennessee’s matchup against Gardner-Webb is its penultimate non conference matchup of the regular season. The Vols are 40.5-point favorites against the Runnin’ Bulldogs according to the FanDuel Sportsbook.
Tipoff is at 3 p.m. ET at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center. Andy Brock and Steve Hamer are on the call for SEC Network+.
