Vescovi, a five-year senior, has been battling the flu and missed Thursday’s practice. While head coach Rick Barnes initially anticipated Vescovi’s recovery, the guard’s absence was confirmed during pre-game warmups.

This presents a significant challenge for the No. 2 seeded Vols, as Vescovi has been a defensive stalwart throughout his career, recently becoming Tennessee’s all-time leader in steals. Offensively, he averages 6.5 points and 2.5 assists per game, but his shooting has dipped this season.

Vescovi’s absence opens the door for either Jordan Gainey or Jahmai Mashack to see increased playing time. Gainey offers a scoring threat from beyond the arc but struggles defensively. Mashack, on the other hand, is a lockdown defender but lacks offensive consistency. However, Mashack has shown improvement this season, shooting a career-high 45% from the field.

While Vescovi is irreplaceable, Tennessee needs a combined effort from Gainey, Mashack, and the rest of the team to step up defensively and offensively against Creighton.

An additional wrinkle exists: a win over Creighton would extend Tennessee’s season and potentially offer Vescovi another chance to suit up, despite his exhausted eligibility. A victory would propel them to a matchup against Purdue on Sunday.