Tennessee Basketball: 2019-20 keys for Vols against Wisconsin Badgers

1. Jordan Bowden fills in for Turner

Considering that three players who were selected in the 2019 NBA Draft left Tennessee, it’s not a surprise that this team’s offense has taken a step back. But thanks to the returning senior duo of Turner and Bowden, the Vols still have had enough to get the wins they have so far. That and a top-10 scoring defense added to it.

But losing a player in Turner who contributed almost 30 combined produced points a game for Tennessee is a major blow, and there are no ball handlers on the roster capable of replacing what he did. The next leading passer on the team is freshman Josiah-Jordan James (2.5 apg) but it would be unfair to ask the combo guard to take over the offense.

It’ll be up to the other senior guard in Bowden, who leads the team with 13.5 ppg. The 6’5 shooting guard is definitely best suited playing off the ball but has been the lead guard in the five minutes Turner wasn’t on the court. That number will rise to at least 35 mpg unless James a better facilitator himself.

What makes this an even tough task is that this Vols team lacks playmakers who can create their own shot. Besides Bowden, James and sometimes Yves Pons on the fastbreak, the rest of the Vols need plays created for them in order to succeed. The fear is that Bowden panics if others can’t score and he looks for his own shot more than helping out others. It would’ve been nice to work out the kinks against a team like Jacksonville State, rather than a capable Wisconsin squad who’ll look to take advantage of the situation.