Tennessee Basketball: Santiago Vescovi's confidence pays off against Austin Peay

Rick Barnes never lost his confidence in Santiago Vescovi’s shooting ability, despite his recent slump. Neither did Vescovi himself, regardless of what the numbers over the previous two Tennessee games looked like. 

“If you’re a shooter,” Vescovi said Wednesday night, “confidence is one of the things you can’t lose. That’s one of the most important things. I think confidence wise, I’ve been good.”

“We weren’t concerned about Santi shooting it,” Barnes said. “(We knew it) wouldn’t take but for a game for him to get back with it.”

That game was Wednesday against Austin Peay at Thompson-Boling Arena. While the Vols blitzed the visiting Governors, 86-44, Vescovi scored 18 points, going a perfect 5-for-5 from the 3-point line. 

Tennessee’s senior shooting guard was just 4-for-23 from the field and just 2-for-16 from the 3-point line in his previous two games, a win over Maryland in Brooklyn and the loss Saturday night at Arizona. 

Vescovi had nine points Saturday, going 2-for-12 from the field and 1-for-7 from the 3-point line. He was 2-for-11 against Maryland in Brooklyn, going 1-for-9 from three while scoring seven points.

“You watch him on tape,” Barnes said, “the way people guard him, he doesn’t get a whole lot of looks he gets used to having, because people are trying to down him, not let him come off the screens or chase him hard.”

Vols looking for ‘different things’ to get Santiago Vescovi open

The Vols on Tuesday did “some different things” in practice, according to Barnes, trying to get Vescovi some more separation. Shots still weren’t falling, but Barnes and his coaches stayed in his ear.

“We said hey, you gotta shoot it, you gotta shoot it,” Barnes said. “You know what, didn’t shoot it great in practice.”

That changed at shoot around Wednesday morning. 

“Every time I looked,” Barnes said, “he was making shots.”

Vescovi went 4-for-4 in the first half against Austin Peay, helping Tennessee build what was as much as a 35-point lead before halftime. It reached 47 points in the second half, as the Vols shot 56.3 percent form the field and 44.4 percent from the 3-point line, going 8-for-18. 

Late in the win over McNeese State on November 30, Vescovi sprained his left shooting shoulder, sidelining him for the next two games. He returned against Maryland on December 11, but struggled to find his shot.

“It’s been getting definitely way better,” Vescovi said of the shoulder. “(There are) moments I struggle, but right now it’s fine. It doesn’t hurt or anything. Just, if I take a weird hit or something on that shoulder it would hurt for a little bit and then it’ll calm down and be fine again. I’m not really worried about it now.”

Vescovi was the Battle 4 Atlantis MVP in the Bahamas, scoring 43 points over three games against Butler, Southern Cal and Kansas, shooting 33.3 percent from the floor and 31.0 percent from three.

Entering Wednesday, though, he was shooting a career-low 27.8 percent from the 3-point line. Last season he shot 40.2 percent from three, making 102 of 253.

Up Next: No. 8 Tennessee vs. Ole Miss, December 28, 5 p.m. ET, SEC Network

Vescovi’s presence has been felt even if shots aren’t falling. He still leads the Vols in scoring at 11.8 points per game while fifth in rebounding (4.6) and second in both assists (2.7) and steals (2.5).

“Him, Zakai (Zeigler), Shack (Jahmai Mashack), they do a lot,” Barnes said. “I think Tyreke (Key) is getting there, too, where even nights when they don’t shoot it (well), they play a huge impact on the game.”

Vescovi’s five 3-pointers against Austin Peay tied a season high. He made five against Kanas in the Atlantis championship game, but needed 14 attempts to get there. He was 4-for-12 against McNeese before the shoulder injury. 

“I’ve never lost confidence shooting wise,” Vescovi said. “I’ve just gotten into a slump, personally. Not going to blame it on the shoulder but kind of slowing down also in practice and everything has kind of gotten in the way a little bit. 

“Being able to get back with the team fully has been good. To be honest, it’s kind of refreshing. Being able to see the shots go in has been kind of refreshing.”