A really bad night at Cameron Indoor got that much worse as Tennessee saw starting point guard Terrence Hill Jr. limp off the floor with an obvious ankle injury. The injury occurred in the opening minutes of the game, with Duke already out to a very commanding lead.
Hill was unable to put much weight on the ankle at all, eventually returning to the bench with crutches. He would not return to the game, leaving plenty of minutes for Troy Henderson, who also went through an ankle issue during this one. Henderson would be able to return, however.
Hill’s issue seems a little more serious.
“He turned his ankle,” Rick Barnes said after the game. “He got his foot stepped on. That’s what happened.”
Barnes said he didn’t know the severity of the injury just yet.
Hill, who is expected to take over the lead guard role for Rick Barnes this season, transferred in from VCU after a big season. Hill averaged 15 points per game for the Rams last season, shooting 37 percent from three-point range. He would add 2.8 assists and 2.7 rebounds in 25 minutes of play per contest.
Hill’s injury and potential absence opens the door for much more playing time for Troy Henderson, who is entering his second season in the program. Henderson was a bright spot last night, scoring ten points in just 15 minutes of play. He was 3-6 from the field. Tennessee could also experiment with Dai Dai Ames running point, along with true freshman Marquis Clark. Clark scored seven points after Henderson exited briefly, hitting five of six from the free throw stripe.
Obviously, Tennessee has more issues here than just an injury to Terrence Hill. The Volunteers were once again lifeless on the defensive end, and Duke simply looked like they were in a different stratosphere as a team.
Barnes now has a couple of weeks to work out the kinks — and get Hill healthy — ahead of Tennessee’s opener against Wofford on November 3rd.