How Tennessee's Freddie Dilione V is earning more important minutes
It’s only a few minutes here and there. Four minutes in the first half at Mississippi State on Wednesday. Four more minutes in the first half at Georgia on Saturday. Still, it’s a sign of progress for Tennessee redshirt freshman guard Freddie Dilione V.
Behind the scenes, Dilione is starting to carve out a spot in the rotation for the Vols.
“Freddie has been practicing well,” Tennessee associate head coach Justin Gainey said before practice on Monday. “And I think for the first time in a long time, he’s healthy.”
Dilione missed four games in November — the three games at the Maui Invitational and the November 29 game at North Carolina — with a foot injury.
“That was the big thing prior,” Gainey said, “him not being healthy and not being able to practice and practice well. He’s much improved. He’s feeling a lot better. And (I) thought he did well in his minutes.”
Josiah-Jordan James on Freddie Dilione: ‘I expect big things from him. We all do.’
Dilione returned from the foot injury against George Mason on December 5, playing nine minutes. He played eight against Georgia Southern and nine against Norfolk State, seeing the floor late in the games after the outcome had long been decided.
His four minutes in the first half in the two road games last week helped Zakai Zeigler get a break. Tennessee’s junior point guard has rarely left the floor the last month, playing 35 or more minutes five times over the last six games.
Zeigler has totaled 111 points, 39 assists, 17 assists and 15 steals in those six games, averaging 18.5 points, 6.5 assists, 2.8 steals and 2.6 assists per game. But he could use some help from Tennessee’s other guards.
Dilione continuing to progress could be that help.
“It’d be huge,” Gainey said. “It’d be huge because it will allow us to keep ‘Z’ a little fresher and kind of limit his minutes a little bit. And so adding that, another guard to that rotation, would be huge for us.”
A huge step for Dilione has been passing the test defensively. On Friday head coach Rick Barnes said he thought Dilione played well on that end of the floor at Mississippi State.
“I thought he came in and did that,” Barnes said.
But it ultimately gets back to practice.
“I thought … it was the best really prep he’s had prior to the game,” Barnes said.
I thought he was really locked in, asking questions from coaches about not just what they do, but also wanting to know, to make sure he knew what we were trying to get done.
“And that’s obviously a great sign. And again, I hope he can continue to build on it.”
Up Next: Tennessee vs. Florida, Tuesday, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN
Josiah-Jordan James agreed with his coaches on Monday. He’s seen a change in his teammate.
“He’s definitely been much better in practice as of late,” James said. “And Coach has been challenging him like he has all year, but Freddie has really just taken it upon himself to get better in practice and that’s why I think he’s been more consistent in seeing more playing time now.”
Dilione’s teammates are encouraging him just as much as Barnes and his coaching staff are challenging him.
“We talk to Freddie all the time,” James said, “about how much we’re going to need him. And he knows that he’s really coming into his own. And I expect big things from him. We all do.”
