Why Jahmai Mashack's role 'will continue to grow' for Tennessee basketball

The entry pass went to Olivier Nkamhoua in the paint. Jahmai Mashack didn’t hesitate. He cut hard to the rim, was spotted by Nkamhoua and took his pass in stride, raising up for an emphatic one-hand dunk against Florida Gulf Coast Wednesday night at Thompson-Boling Arena.

After the game, an 81-50 bounce-back win for No. 22 Tennessee, Mashack was asked what he saw on the dunk. He didn’t hesitate with his answer, either.

“I saw the rim,” Mashack said, drawing a laugh during his postgame press conference. “I saw the rim.”

Then he expanded on the sequence.

“At first I was like let me just get my two points,” Mashack said, “but once I had the momentum going to the basket I was like no I have to dunk this. It was a swing in the game from there for me, but obviously it was a big play and I was just happy Olivier threw that to me.”

Mashack, Tennessee’s 6-foot-4, 201-pound sophomore wing, seems to be at a swing point early in his second season with the Vols. He had a career-high 10 points against FGCU, playing a career-high 22 minutes and making a career-high four shots from the floor.

He had a career-high five rebounds against Colorado on Sunday in Nashville. He had career-highs in steals (3) and assists (3) in the season-opening win over Tennessee Tech on November 7.

During a quiet freshman season, Mashack appeared in 27 games but averaged only 4.4 minutes. He made seven shots from the field and scored just 19 points for the year. He had 20 rebounds and 11 steals. But that was it while settling for only mop-up minutes late in games.

Now? Now he’s in the thick of Tennessee’s rotation early this season.

“Jahmai gets better every day,” Nkamhoua said. “ … I think Jahmai is incredible. I think he has figured it out in the sense that he as to keep getting better every day. He has to be willing to learn every day. He has to take criticism.” 

He checks off those boxes, according to Nkamhoua.

“Jahmai has always been good at hearing those hard truths,” he said. “He is just a hard-nosed guy. He fits our standard perfectly. He plays defense hard. He wants to score. He wants to guard. He wants to win. I have not been around too many guys like that.”

Rick Barnes: Jahmai Mashack ‘can guard anybody on the court’

His dunk in the second half against FGCU came 15 seconds after he came up with a steal. He had a defensive rebound a little less than a minute after the dunk, then scored off it on the other end.

“His role will continue to grow,” Tennessee coach Rick Barnes said after the game, “because the fact he can guard anybody on the court and is highly competitive. He is a guy that can drive the ball. You guys have seen it and he can shoot the ball. It’s just a matter of time before he brings that back out here.”

For Mashack, a former On3 Consensus four-star prospect out of Etiwanda High School in Ranco Cucamonga, Calif., growing into his role wasn’t easy. It took time just to find it.

“It’s been tough trying to figure out what role I was on the team,” Mashack said. “Trying to figure out anything I can do to win but with the trust of my coaches and my players —  they really have my back. I can appreciate that. It’s come a long way for me. I just have to give credit to them.”

Barnes has consistently labeled “Shack,” the name Mashack goes by inside the Tennessee basketball program, as the team’s most improved player since last season.

Mashack himself said it was nothing more than hard work.

“It was coming in here every day trying to get better,” he said. “I knew coming into the season that it wasn’t going to click automatically just cause I wanted it to. I had to learn the spots I can get to and I’m still getting better with that.

“… As we keep moving forward into getting more games I think I’m going to start getting more comfortable and really start to show a lot of the stuff I’ve done in practice and worked on in the offseason, but it all comes from the trust of my coaches and teammates.”

Jahmai Mashack ‘proud’ of defense-first role

Mashack looks more comfortable on the offensive end. He’s taken 15 shots through three games, just two short of the 17 he attempted during his entire freshman season. He’s shooting 57.1 percent from the field during the fast start to Year 2.

Taking his shot, when the opportunity comes, is just another adjustment as his presence grows with the Vols.

“I know that my role first and foremost is to play defense,” Mashack said, “and I’m proud of that role. I’m going to forever have that as a chip on my shoulder, but I just have to find the spots where I can come in and contribute. 

“My teammates are getting more confidence in me offensively and, like I said, I think it’s going to grow a lot from here.”

His teammates know he’s just getting started.

“I think Jahmai is going to keep getting better here,” Nkamhoua said. “I think he is going to end up being a great Tennessee Vol. He already is.”