NCAA Basketball: Strengths/weaknesses of each top-25 team for 2022-23

NCAA Basketball: Strengths and weaknesses of each top-25 team for 2022-23 season

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - APRIL 02: Jeremy Roach #3 of the Duke Blue Devils reacts in the first half of the game against the North Carolina Tar Heels in the first half of the game during the 2022 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Final Four semifinal at Caesars Superdome on April 02, 2022 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /

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Tennessee Volunteers guard Zakai Zeigler Robert Goddin-USA TODAY Sports /

14. Tennessee Volunteers

Strength: Backcourt depth

Even without leading scorer Kennedy Chandler around, the Vols have a nice mix of guards for the upcoming season. Zakai Zeigler will go from 6th Man to starting point guard, joined by sharpshooting shooting guard, Santiago Vescovi. Indiana State transfer Tyreke Key has a career 15 ppg scoring average, while Josiah Jordan-James is the versatile veteran that can guard 1-4 on the lineup.

The group may not look overwhelming but Tennessee’s guards all know their roles and do it very well. Any additions from freshmen BJ Edwards and D.J. Jefferson will just make them more formidable in the SEC. And if Zeigler has an offensive breakout campaign, the team will be tough to stop.

Weakness: Frontcourt production

This takes five-star small forward Julian Phillips out of the equation because the concern mainly goes to the power forward and center spots. Both John Fulkerson and Brandon Huntley-Hatfield are gone and the Vols didn’t replace them this offseason. That leaves former top-50 prospect Jonas Aidoo, veteran big man Uroš Plavšić and Olivier Nkamhoua to get all of the frontcourt minutes.

The most likely to break out of the group is Nkamhoua, who averaged around 15 ppg and 8 rpg when healthy and playing over 25 mpg. But he’ll have to stay on the court to maintain the Vols’ interior presence, which is their biggest question mark to date.

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