What's next for Bishop Boswell after breakout performance for Tennessee

Rick Barnes set a clear qualification for the final starting spot in Tennessee basketball’s lineup.

“The guy who is going to win that fifth spot is going to be the best defensive guy of the group — the most consistent guy,” the Vols coach said on Nov. 17.

Bishop Boswell established he was that player entering the season and has only affirmed his standing through eight games.

“Bishop wants to be good,” Barnes said Dec. 1. “He is competitive. He wants to be good. This spring, after the season was over with, the time that he put into the gym − and, even today, he probably puts more time in than anybody.”

Boswell is playing the best basketball of his career as No. 16 Tennessee (7-1) faces Syracuse (4-3) on Dec. 2 (7 p.m. ET, ESPN2) at the JMA Wireless Dome in Syracuse, New York. The sophomore guard had a strong three-game string in the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas, including a career-best showing against Houston on Nov. 25 in an elite win for the Vols.

Barnes is chasing even more consistency from Boswell as he builds on the role he already is playing.

“I have said it before that it is not always the most glamorous one to buy into,” Barnes said. “But as he continues to be as consistent as he can in the role that he needs to play, there’s going to be some other things that are going to start adding to his game on the offensive end.”

Boswell is averaging 6.0 points and 4.2 rebounds in five games, while shooting 57.1% on 3-pointers in a small sample size.

The Vols chased some big name options in the portal to be the two guard. They brought in a handful of freshmen and transfers as options. But Boswell — the lone returning guard on the roster — held steady. He won out with his work ethic, which Barnes saw early in the offseason. He hasn’t let up, which Barnes called a sign of his continued maturity.

He’s Tennessee’s best defensive guard, which is at a premium given the Vols are working in new starters in transfer guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie and freshman forward Nate Ament. He plays that role relentlessly. Barnes praised the way Boswell is a “complete defensive guy” by finishing a possession with a rebound and playing stout off-ball defense.

"There’s a lot of things that go into it," Barnes said.

Boswell missed three games with injuries before returning in the Players Era Festival. He had a career-high 10 points in UT’s 76-73 win against Houston. He also stacked winning play after winning play against the Cougars.

He drew praise from Cougars coach Kelvin Sampson for his play. Sampson lauded Boswell for being a winner and “the toughest guy on the floor tonight” — two traits the longtime coach knows well.

"Every coach in America would love to have Boswell,” Sampson said.

Barnes feels likewise.

Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on X @ByMikeWilson. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Why Rick Barnes is impressed with Bishop Boswell before Tennessee vs Syracuse