Josh Richardson drove through the lane, rose up and laid the ball up toward the rim.
The noise that followed, however, wasn’t the swoosh of the ball going through the net. Instead, a loud clang echoed through Pratt Pavilion as freshman Tariq Owens pinned the ball against the backboard.
“I thought the glass was going to crack,” Richardson said during Tennessee’s Media Day on Thursday. “It was crazy.”
And while that block may be the highlight of his offseason, it is far from the only shot Owens has sent back during the Volunteers’ preparation for the upcoming season, which begins with an exhibition matchup against Pikeville on Nov. 3.
Through two weeks of preseason practice, Owens currently leads the team in blocks, averaging approximately three each day.
“He challenges shots,” Tennessee head coach Donnie Tyndall said. “He is another great kid. He is coachable, he hangs on every word and he is a sponge type of guy. He is going to be a good player, I hope it is this year, but at some point in time he is going to be really good.”
For Owens to fulfill those expectations, though, his offensive game must rise to the level of his defensive game.
“I need to develop everything in my offensive game more,” Owens said. “I’m a solid offensive player, but I have to keep developing everything.”
The main thing currently holding back the 6-foot-10 forward’s offensive development is his size. When Owens arrived at the university in June, he weighed around 175 pounds, but has since gained about “16 to 17 pounds” to push his weight to 184.
Ideally, Owens said he would like to be 230 pounds, but by the end of this season, he’d prefer to be somewhere between 190 and 195.
“Offensively right now, when he catches the ball in the post, due to his lack of strength he gets forced away from the rim,” Tyndall said. “That forces him to settle for some tough shots, or he gets knocked off balance and turns it over.”
As he continues to grow in size and strength, Owens will strive to impress his coaches and earn regular minutes on the court when the Vols tip off their season.
“He’s right there,” Tyndall said. “He’s in a battle with Dominic (Woodson), Jabari (McGhee) and even Derek Reese, who has been in and out of that top seven or eight right now.
“There’s a long way to go and it will continue to change probably throughout the season, but he brings some things to the table, especially on the defensive end, that can, and hopefully will, help our team.”
Up and away: Detrick Mostella flashed more than enough highlight-reel dunks this summer when he participated in Tennessee’s Rocky Top League.
The freshman guard’s ability to jump out of the gym, however, has set some pretty lofty expectations for his performance in the Vols’ upcoming dunk contest during Friday’s Big Orange Madness event inside Thompson-Boling Arena.
“Detrick has a 40-inch vertical, so we all have him projected to win,” Owens said.
Sophomore guard Robert Hubbs, however, disagrees, saying that he is going to win the dunk contest, as well as the 3-point competition.
But even with accolades like dunk and 3-point champion on the line, the Vols are most eager to finally get an opportunity to show the Volunteer faithful what they can do.
“We’re all just really excited,” Owens said. “It’s all about showing the fans a good time, us having a good time and everybody going out there and having fun before the kickoff of the season.”
