Tennessee may be getting Terrence Hill Jr. back in the mix sooner than it first appeared after the point guard’s ankle injury last week at Duke.
On Thursday afternoon, Rick Barnes said Hill is expected to start doing some work with the team again that day, and the Tennessee coach did not shut down the possibility of the guard being available for the Vols’ opener against Wofford next Tuesday.
“I think he’ll probably be back with us today doing some,” Barnes said. “I know I saw he was starting to do some stuff on the court with Chad and Garrett the last couple days.”
Hill’s injury came early in Tennessee’s exhibition loss at Duke, when the star guard had to head to the locker room with trainers before later returning to the bench on crutches. He watched the rest of the game from the sideline after leaving briefly.
Before the injury, Hill had accounted for Tennessee’s only two points. He was fouled on the Vols’ opening possession while trying a three-pointer, then hit his first two free throws before missing the third.
The injury update comes more than a week after Hill was also one of Tennessee’s biggest bright spots in its first exhibition, an 86-70 loss to Xavier at home. In that game, he led the Vols with 22 points in 32 minutes off the bench, shooting 9-for-17 from the field and 2-for-8 from beyond the arc. He also added three assists, two rebounds and three steals.
Hill arrived at Tennessee this season after transferring from VCU, where he put together a decorated finish to last year. He won A-10 Tournament Most Outstanding Performer, First Team All-A-10, A-10 Most Improved Player and A-10 Sixth Man of the Year. A junior, Hill has three years of eligibility left under the new five years to play five rules.
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Tennessee Just Entered A Recruiting Battle Vols Fans Will Notice
Jayshawn Mitchell has become one of the more intriguing running back names on Tennessees board, and the Volunteers are in the mix after extending a recent offer to the San Antonio standout. The William J. Brennan High School prospect has trimmed his recruitment to 15 schools, and Tennessee is suddenly part of a battle that should matter to fans keeping an eye on the next wave of backfield talent in Knoxville.
Mitchells rsum already gives plenty of programs a reason to keep coming back, and he has taken visits to several schools on his list as the process continues to tighten. Tennessee, meanwhile, has already landed commitments from other top running back targets and is still active on multiple high-profile fronts, which only adds to the sense that this race is far from settled. [Read more 🡒]
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The bigger concern, though, is his health after a recent injury. Josh Heupel said Bishop is expected to be in good condition for the upcoming game, which should ease some of the immediate worry in Knoxville, but it also adds a little suspense to a situation fans are monitoring closely as Tennessee continues sorting out its early-season outlook. [Read more 🡒]
Arion Carters Rise Gives Tennessee Fans Another Reason To Believe
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For a program that has spent the fall leaning on Carters presence and consistency, the recognition only adds to the sense that he has become one of the SECs more complete defenders. He is also a finalist for other collegiate awards, which underscores how far his profile has climbed beyond Knoxville. The only question now is how much more hardware he can add before the season is over. [Read more 🡒]