Something to watch for in the coming weeks.
A pair of longtime Tennessee Volunteers have found opportunities at the next level after not being selected in last week’s NBA Draft. Both Santiago Vescovi and Josiah-Jordan James will play in the NBA’s Summer League, which is set to begin in a couple of weeks.
Santiago Vescovi will play with the Warriors.
Santiago Vescovi will play with the Golden State Warriors in the NBA summer league.
Vescovi was a two-time All-SEC selection at Tennessee and holds multiple program records after an impressive career. https://t.co/xw0bviIkmp
— Mike Wilson (@ByMikeWilson) June 30, 2024
Josiah-Jordan James will play with the Pacers.
Josiah-Jordan James is joining the Indiana Pacers on an Exhibit 10 contract.
The Tennessee product and cornerstone of its recent success will play for the Pacers in the summer league with the opportunity to earn a two-way deal. https://t.co/eFYK9si4fP
— Mike Wilson (@ByMikeWilson) June 28, 2024
Both James and Vescovi have been a huge part of the Tennessee basketball program for the last five years. James, a former five-star prospect, ultimately ended up becoming a glue guy for the Volunteers, doing a little bit of everything. From manning everything from the point to the hybrid power forward role, James did whatever was asked of him through the years.
Although the offense was inconsistent, James brought a ton of value to the program. As did Vescovi, who also manned a few different roles for Tennessee.
Vescovi joined Tennessee as a true freshman in the middle of the season back in 2019. Right from the start, Vescovi was asked to do a lot for a team that was in a bit of a rebuild after losing Grant Williams and Admiral Schofield. He averaged over ten points per game as a true freshman, despite the late start. Vescovi topped out at 13.3 points per game in 2021-22, shooting over 40 percent from three-point range.
Vescovi took a bit of a backseat in his final season in Knoxville, as Dalton Knecht exploded onto the scene and became the SEC’s Player of the Year.
Both players will get their chance to make impressions on NBA squads this summer. The Summer League is set to begin on July 6th and will run through July 22nd.