Two Vols were ruled out for the North Carolina game
Tennessee basketball will be without Tobe Awaka and Freddie Dilione V against North Carolina in the ACC/SEC Challenge.
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Sophomore forward Tobe Awaka and redshirt freshman Freddie Dilione V have been ruled out for No. 10 Tennessee basketball’s game at No. 17 North Carolina on Wednesday night, the program announced before tipoff.
Dilione is missing his fourth consecutive game due to a partial tear of his plantar fascia in his left foot, while Awaka is missing his first game of the season due to a right ankle injury he suffered last week in the Maui Invitational, respectively. Awaka did not practice on Monday. Dilione was a limited participant.
“I think it’s day to day,” Barnes said about Dilione when meeting with the media on Monday afternoon. “We got back (from Hawaii). He didn’t do anything with us. We gotta get him healthy. That’s, that’s a tough one. I mean, if you don’t get it fixed, it, it’ll linger all year. And we don’t want that. We’re still in November and we got a long way to go. So we gotta make sure we get him totally healthy and before we can get him back out there.”
Barnes confirmed later in the day on Monday during Vol Calls that Awaka did not practice.
“Tobe (Awaka), he’s still out (ankle injury),” Barnes said during the coaches call-in show. “He didn’t practice today. JP (Estrella) came in and gave us some really good minutes against Purdue. We were not sure what he might give us, but I thought his seven, eight minutes in the first half were really good. But we need more balance with our post guys. We need consistency.”
Wednesday’s game at North Carolina will mark the first time in program history that Tennessee plays three straight ranked teams in non-conference play in a single season. UT last played three consecutive ranked opponents in January of 2012 during SEC play. That 2011-12 season is also the last time the Vols played four straight regular season games away from home.
“I think Hubert Davis has done a really good job blending these young guys in with where they want them to be,” Barnes said this week. “And I think they’re a much improved team from a year ago.”
Tennessee dropped three spots to No. 10 in Monday’s updated AP Poll coming off a 1-2 appearance in last week’s Maui Invitational. The Vols have now finished 1-2 each of the four times they’ve appeared in tournament. UT also went 1-2 in 2016 (seventh place), 1-2 in 2011 (seventh) and 1-2 in 2004 (fourth).
Tennessee remains the highest ranked SEC team in the AP Poll. Kentucky joins them in the top 25 at No. 12 along with Texas A&M (No. 14), Mississippi State (No. 21) and Alabama (No. 23).
The Volunteers also dropped three spots in the Coaches Poll, falling to No. 11. Kentucky (No. 12), Texas A&M (No. 13), Alabama (No. 20) and Mississippi State (No. 22) are the other SEC teams ranked by the coaches.
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