Santiago Vescovi ruled out for Tennessee basketball’s Sweet 16 matchup with Creighton

DETROIT — Tennessee basketball guard Santiago Vescovi has been ruled out for the Vols’ Sweet 16 matchup against Creighton on Friday night.

The No. 2 seeded Vols take on the No. 3 seeded Bluejays with tip-off set for roughly 10:09 p.m. ET from Little Caesar’s Arena.

Vescovi did not practice on Thursday after dealing with the flu, but Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes expected the shooting guard to play. As the Vols hit the court to warm up for Friday’s matchup, Vescovi was not present.

“Yeah, he’s just under the weather a little bit, but we expect him to be ready,” Barnes said on Thursday.

Despite not practicing on Thursday, Vescovi was at practice watching from the sideline.

Vescovi has been a constant starter for the Vols and an integral part of Tennessee’s team and has started 144 games over his career. He is averaging 25.7 minutes per game to go with 6.5 points per game. He also puts in 3.7 rebounds per game and 2.5 assists per game. He shoots 37% from the field.

Offensively, he is one of just two players to make over 100 3-pointers in a season for Tennessee.

The guard’s offensive play has lacked during the 2023-24 season, but he remains an integral piece on the defensive end. He became Tennessee’s all-time steal leader during the win against Texas during the Round of 32. His veteran presence on the defensive end is one that the Vols have utilized.

With Vescovi sidelined, some options to fill his minutes would be Jordan Gainey or Jahmai Mashack. Gainey provides a 3-point shooting threat but also lacks on the defense end at times. Mashack is a lockdown defender, but his offense has often come second to defense.

This season, though, Mashack has improved to shoot 45% from the field.

What if Tennessee wins? 

Vescovi is out of eligibility, but a win against the Bluejays on Friday could earn him another opportunity to play in a Tennessee uniform.

If Tennessee gets a win in the Sweet 16 on Friday over Creighton, it will face off with Purdue on Sunday.

Tennessee Volunteers guard Santiago Vescovi is out with an injury against the Creighton Jayhawks tonight. His availability was questioned leading up to tipoff, with each passing hour building more suspense. Tennessee posted a statement to their X account saying he would be unavailable; his status is day-to-day, and the team said he would be re-evaluated on Saturday.