Tennessee White Squad Takes Open Scrimmage 77-75 in Sudden-Death Finish

Juke Harris forced overtime with a three at the buzzer before Myles Rubin's lob dunk gave the white squad a 77-75 win in Tennessee's Oct. 3 open scrimmage.

Tennessee basketball welcomed fans to Food City Center on Oct. 3 for an open scrimmage that offered the first public look at a heavily overhauled roster. When the intrasquad session was done, the white squad had outlasted the orange squad 77-75 in a sudden-death finish.

Juke Harris shot the white team to a double-digit lead it held for nearly the entire session, while Terrance Hill Jr. put on a scoring display for the orange side. With the result no longer in doubt, the coaching staff leveled the score midway through the final period to manufacture late-game pressure. Harris then connected from three as time expired to force an extra period, and Myles Rubin ended things there, converting a lob from DeWayne Brown II into the winning dunk.

Freshman Manny Green used the stage to strengthen his case for playing time. The 6-foot-6 guard has been steady since summer workouts and through the early weeks of preseason practice, showing up in the right places and making sound decisions rather than flashy plays.

His scrimmage line read six points on a pair of three-pointers, two rebounds and five assists. Size for his position and nonstop energy give him a high baseline as a rebounder and defender, and he shot the corner three with confidence. Whether he produces enough offensively to carve out regular minutes in a crowded backcourt remains the open question.

That backcourt has no shortage of scorers in Hill, Harris and Dai Dai Ames, but no established floor general has emerged. Hill and Harris created their own shots without much difficulty, while generating looks for teammates proved far harder. Who ends up leading the Volunteers in assists is an unsettled race at this point.

Turnovers underscored the problem. Tennessee was unofficially charged with eight over the first 20 minutes, many caused by sloppy execution rather than defensive pressure, with errant passes sailing out of bounds or arriving at shoe level. Rust, unfamiliarity or some mix of the two may be to blame, but the clock is running: the first exhibition, against Xavier, is scheduled for Oct. 15.

In the frontcourt, Vanderbilt transfer Jalen Washington continues to shake off the effects of roughly six months without competitive games. At moments he looked a beat late and less assertive than a projected starting center on an SEC contender typically must be. Tennessee brought him in through the portal believing he could anchor the position.

The positives, though, were clear. Washington powered toward the basket, displayed refined post moves and disrupted opponents defensively with his reach and sense of where to be. He finished with eight points, five rebounds and two assists. If he wins his lawsuit against the NCAA and is granted a fifth season of eligibility, he would be the presumptive starter at center, and his value will hinge on producing while avoiding fouls so he can log extended minutes.