Tennessee updates the status of Santiago Vescovi for Sweet 16 game vs. Creighton
DETROIT — Tennessee basketball fifth-year shooting guard Santiago Vescovi has been ruled out for Friday night’s Sweet 16 game against No. 3 Creighton due to an illness. The Vols and Bluejays are scheduled for a 10:09 p.m. Eastern Time start on TBS/truTV in the Midwest Regional.
Vescovi did not practice on Wednesday in Knoxville or Thursday in Detroit, but was with the team and sat on the bench during the open portions of Tennessee’s practice at Little Caesars Arena.
“He’s just under the weather a little bit,” Tennessee coach Rick Barnes said during his press conference before Friday’s practice, “but we expect him to be ready.”
The Tennessee-Creighton game follows No. 1 Purdue and No. 5 Gonzaga in Friday’s early game, with the winners from each game meeting in the Elite Eight on Sunday.
Santiago Vescovi has started all 34 games for Tennessee this season
The Vols will have a new starting lineup for the first time since the North Carolina game on November 29, snapping a streak of 28 straight games with Vescovi starting alongside Zakai Zeigler, Dalton Knecht, Josiah-Jordan James and Jonas Aidoo.
Vescovi has started all 34 games for Tennessee his season. He averages 6.5 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.4 assist in 25.7 minutes per game. He’s Tennessee all-time leader in starts (144) and in the second-round win over Texas became the program’s all-time leader in steals with 212.
He went 1-for-4 from the field in the 62-58 win over the Longhorns, finishing with four rebounds and three steals in 20 minutes.
Friday’s game is just the fourth missed by Vescovi in his 148-game career at Tennessee over the last five seasons. He missed three games last season with a shoulder injury.
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Tennessee advanced out of the first round with a 83-49 win over No. 15 Saint Peter’s on Thursday in Charlotte. Creighton beat No. 14 Akron in the first round, then beat No. 11 Oregon in double-overtime Saturday night to get back to the Sweet 16.
Vols looking to advance to Elite Eight for only second time
Greg McDermott took Creighton to the Elite Eight last year, before losing to San Diego State, with the Aztecs on their way to the national championship game against UConn. Two years ago Creighton went to the Sweet 16 before losing to No. 1 Gonzaga.
Creighton is ranked No. 11 overall in the KenPom.com ratings. The Bluejays are ranked No. 11 in adjusted offensive efficiency, scoring 120.2 points per 100 possessions, and No. 23 in adjusted defensive efficiency, giving up 96.3 points per 100 possession.
“Obviously excited to be back in a Sweet 16,” McDermott said on Thursday, “proud of the way our group performed last week in Pittsburgh. This time of year, you just never know. We’ve stayed relatively healthy, which has really helped us with our core group. They just continue to believe in themselves. They’re incredibly connected. That’s the reason we’ve had the season that we’ve had.
“(We) realize we have a heck of a task in front of us in Tennessee with how talented and well-coached that group is.”
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