Tennessee's trip to Duke for an exhibition matchup last week couldn't have gone much worse, and the cherry on top was point guard Terrence Hill Jr. exiting the game early after turning his ankle. Hill, who scored 22 points in Tennessee's first exhibition game against Xavier, was unable to return to the game and was seen on crutches in the second half.
According to Chris Low and Volquest , Hill's injury isn't as bad as it was initially feared. Per Low, it's not out of the question that Hill will be able to go in next week's opener against Wofford. Tennessee has a few tune-up games before things really get going against Michigan State on November 17th. The staff certainly could play it safe with that game in mind, but as we've seen so far, this roster badly needs more time on the floor together.
Tennessee dropped their first exhibition to Xavier, falling apart down the stretch . The Volunteers were then blown out by Duke , never once looking competitive at Cameron Indoor. They reportedly beat Davidson in a secret scrimmage over the weekend by single digits, playing without Hill or Juke Harris (back pain).
For Hill, he's expected to be Tennessee's starting point guard after transferring in from VCU. The 6-2 junior guard scored 15 points per game last season, shooting 37 percent from three-point range. Hill will be in some sort of rotation with Dai Dai Ames, Troy Henderson and perhaps freshman Marquis Clark at point.
With Wofford, Radford and Tennessee State up first, the Volunteers have quite a bit to figure out to open the season. Belmont transfer sharpshooter Tyler Lundblade is back, which will provide an obvious boost offensively. Rick Barnes has a week to prepare, with Wofford set to come to town next Tuesday (7 p.m. ET).
