Sunday’s NBA Summer League action gave Tennessee fans a little bit of everything: a head-to-head Vols matchup in San Antonio, a breakout scoring burst from Chaz Lanier, and another look at Felix Okpara in his second game.
The Spurs’ meeting with the Bucks was the night’s biggest Tennessee connection. Nate Ament’s Bucks were on the floor against a San Antonio roster that includes three former Vols: Ja’Kobi Gillespie, Igor Milicic Jr., and Zakai Zeigler. Gillespie has started all three of the Spurs’ games so far, and Milicic was in the starting five for the first time Sunday night.
Lanier, meanwhile, was the Vol who really lit it up. The former Tennessee sharpshooter poured in 25 points against the Cavaliers, and he got there fast.
With four minutes left in the first quarter, he already had 17 points after hitting five of his first six shots from beyond the arc. It was easily his best performance of the Summer League to this point.
Here’s how the games broke down for Tennessee’s former players on Sunday:
Spurs 90, Bucks 80
Pistons 103, Cavaliers 94
30 minutes, 25 points, 9/17 FG, 7/12 3FG, 3 REB, 3 AST, 3 TO, 1 STL
Wizards 104, Kings 85
20 minutes, 4 points, 1/2 FG, 4 REB, 1 AST, 1 TO, 3 BLK
In all, 11 former Vols have seen action in NBA Summer League play, and the stat lines and totals were tracked after Sunday’s games.
Monday brings another full slate for Tennessee followers to watch, starting with Chaz Lanier and the Pistons against the Knicks at 4 ET on Prime Video. Tyreke Key and the Raptors face the Pacers at 4:30 ET on ESPN2.
Then it’s Mavericks-Grizzlies at 6 ET on Prime Video, with Jaden Springer on Dallas and Jahmai Mashack on Memphis. The night wraps with Kennedy Chandler and the Bulls taking on the Jazz at 9 ET on ESPN.
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Josh Heupels recruiting track record at Tennessee has produced some real highs, but a look back at three of the most hyped high school arrivals from his era also shows why the discussion around development keeps coming back. Cameron Seldon arrived as a four-star RB/WR, moved on to Virginia Tech and then South Florida, while Jordan Ross came in as a five-star edge rusher and eventually transferred to LSU after a limited run in Knoxville.
The bigger conversation, though, keeps circling back to Nico Iamaleava, whose Tennessee tenure at least delivered a playoff berth but still left plenty of people wanting more from a former five-star quarterback. His production never quite matched the billing, and the fact that he is now at UCLA only sharpens the debate over how much of this is recruiting, how much is development and how much is simply the risk of chasing elite talent in a volatile sport. [Read more 🡒]
Outsiders Just Weighed In On Faizon Brandon And Vols Fans Will Debate It
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One of the latest outside takes came from SEC Mike, who slotted Brandon near the top tier of league quarterbacks in a preseason ranking that will surely give Vols fans something to argue about. Brandon landed behind the biggest names in the conference and ahead of a handful of other SEC passers, a placement that says as much about the hype around Tennessees young quarterback as it does about the uncertainty that still hangs over the position. [Read more 🡒]