Tennessee coach Rick Barnes said Thursday that Robert Hubbs III will miss Saturday’s contest against Butler.
The junior guard underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee on Dec. 1 to address chronic swelling that has been present since the offseason.
“He’s making good progress,” Barnes said, “but he won’t be ready for (this game).”
Barnes said that the Vols hope to have Hubbs return sometime before Christmas. UT plays East Tennessee State on Dec. 22 and then plays Tennessee State on Dec. 29.
Hubbs averaged 15.6 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game through the Vols first seven games. He was the first Vol to score at least 13 points in seven consecutive games since Jarnell Stokes did it in 2014.
The Newbern, Tenn., native was also one of UT’s most efficient players, committing just three turnovers in 222 minutes.
Saturday’s contest will bring an end to a 13-day layoff the Vols will have had in between games. Their last game was a 82-71 loss at the hands of Nebraska in Brooklyn, N.Y. as part of the Barclays Center Classic.
In regards to Hubbs, the break proved to be a positive and a negative. It allowed him time to undergo surgery and give him some time to recover without missing any games. But it also left him absent from practices the Vols could have used him in.
“We would’ve loved to have Robert this last week and a half, so we could really get started on what we want to do,” Barnes said. “But he wasn’t. I do think, though, it has allowed some other guys to have some of those reps and hopefully they are going to benefit from it.”
Sophomore guard Detrick Mostella is listed as probable starter in Hubbs’ place on Tennessee’s game notes, but Barnes said the coaching staff would make their final decision on who will start after Thursday’s practice.
Size isn’t everything: It’s a stat that has Barnes scratching his head.
Despite their tallest player being just 6-foot-9, the Vols have blocked 43 shots through seven games, the most for the program since the 1999-2000 season (49).
UT’s average of 6.1 blocks per game ranks third in the SEC and is tied for 17th nationally.
“There are just certain things in this game that just don’t make any sense,” Barnes said. “I look at that and I can’t put a finger on it. It’s not something we even emphasize. We are more into getting into position and trying to stay between the ball and the basket. … It’d be great if we can continue to do it.”
Senior forward Armani Moore has a team-high 17 blocks this season and ranks 29th nationally with 2.43 blocks per game. Aside from him, though, every Vol who has played this season, with the exception of Mostella, has blocked a shot.
“It just comes down to playing hard,” Moore said. “I’m not necessarily the tallest guy, but it’s all about being competitive and trying to do whatever you can to win the game. That makes up for our lack of height.”
Hinkle Fieldhouse?: After beating Butler 67-55 in Knoxville last season, the Vols will complete the second half of a home-and-home series against the Bulldogs in historic Hinkle Fieldhouse.
The Fieldhouse was constructed in 1928 and at the time it was the largest basketball arena in the United States. It was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983 and declared a National Historic Landmark in 1987.
At the very least, the Fieldhouse is known for being the site of the state title game in the popular movie “Hoosiers,” which was released in 1986.
Moore, though, has never seen the movie and wasn’t too familiar with the historic venue, saying he “didn’t know who that was” when asked about the arena.
“(I’ve never seen the movie), not that I know of at least,” Moore said. “I’m going to try and search it and watch it before we go there.”
