Tennessee boasts a loaded roster heading into the 2022 campaign with returning guys like Josiah-Jordan James, Santiago Vescovi and Zakai Zeigler paired with a stout group of newcomers such as Julian Phillips and Tyreke Key. However, the departure of fan-favorite John Fulkerson has left a sizable hole in the program.

That hole was going to be bigger when James announced that he was headed to the 2022 NBA Draft. Luckily, he later announced that he was returning to the program.

Now, the trio of James, Vescovi and Zeigler looks to make out one of the strongest leadership groups the reigning SEC Tournament champs have had under head coach Rick Barnes.

While Zeigler is just a sophomore, his presence has provided invaluable energy around Rocky Top.

“What Zekai brought to us made a major impact on on our entire program, and every guy here,” Barnes said. “He was one of those guys that wasn’t going to come in and try to overstep his boundaries, but I think his day to day mindset and the way he goes about things, and his confidence — he’s an extremely confident player — competitive and I do think that his mindset a year ago, had a really big time impact on our team.”

Last year, Zeigler quickly found his place in the team’s rotation, and his presence on the court can inject life into the team on both sides of the ball. If Zeigler’s youth hampers his authority at times, then James and Vescovi will be right there with him as well-seasoned vets.

“They both really have a terrific basketball IQ when it comes to understanding what we’re trying to do as a team,” Barnes said. “They not only know what they’re supposed to be doing, but they really have a pretty good feel for all the other positions. The more you can get guys to understand that is when you can start mixing and matching and doing a lot of fun things from a coach’s standpoint.”

James brings perhaps the biggest veteran presence to the table as a former five-star recruit. Most players of his caliber expect to be in the NBA after year one, but he will be able to draw from his experiences with players like Phillips, B.J. Edwards and D.J. Jefferson, who are in similar positions as he was as a freshman.

Vescovi, on the other hand, comes from a very different background, but his role as one of the driving forces of Barnes’ offense is indispensable to those trying to adjust to the program.

“When they’re playing in practice or in the game, they impact the game when they’re not because they’re able to coach,” Barnes said. “They’re able to help guys coming out of timeouts or just on the side during practice.”

The Vols are looking to improve upon the heights they reached last year, and that all starts on the backbone of a strong leadership presence on the court and in the locker room.

“You got a team that’s got great leadership, and it’s hard to come by,” Barnes said. “It really is but I do think the best teams have it. And I think oftentimes it comes from different players in different ways.”