You don’t see it very often. “At this point in time, we’ll be playing through our guards to our post guys,” Barnes said on Wednesday. Booker, a 6-foot-8, 228-pound forward, played for Clemson in college and was a first-round pick by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2010 NBA Draft. Yves Pons caught a pass on the left wing, took one dribble and went up for what should have been a game-tying dunk. “But it’s just he works at everything. He’s one of the best defenders that you’ll find in the collegiate ranks. He came in as a well-regarded recruit with upside, thanks to his elite athletic ability. Players like that don’t come around too often. The Vols want Fulkerson to prevent the player from getting to the rim, forcing him into a hook shot or a jump shot. You don’t see it very often. Instead, we got the greatest block … “That means instead of having to run off of pindowns in order to get shots, he’s able to catch-and-shoot while facing the basket. Five Observations: No. Now that the season has reached its midpoint, he looked at the players who have actually proven to be the most improved in the country, and Pons was one of the five players Dauster chose. Tennessee's 6-5 French forward turned heads during Friday night's dunk contest. “I have always been a good defensive player,” Pons said. “He comes over from the backside and can do it. He’s a 6-foot-6 wing. Pons actually started a stretch of games for the Volunteers in the first half of the year, but didn’t offer much on the floor. Metcalf, he can move like a ballet dancer and he has the vertical of someone that can win an NBA dunk contest. Last season, Pons’ role grew a little, but his playing diminished as the season wore on. u/freudianchips. Metcalf, he can move like a ballet dancer and he has the vertical of someone that can win an NBA dunk contest. After an Eastern Kentucky steal, Tennessee's Yves Pons goes straight up for the two-handed block on Nick Mayo. Yves Pons, we’ve treated him the opposite because there wasn’t much space on the front line. Yves Pons has had an interesting career at Tennessee to this point. Barnes said the day before Pons was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Year that the junior makes more “fix-it plays” than any player he has coached in a long time. But as Dauster goes on to state, Pons has always had great defensive ability; where he’s grown the most from last season to this season is his offensive game. Forward, 6-foot-5, Junior. Tennessee promo video- Yves Pons dunks from the free throw line (around 0:20) Close. 210. “He is a great teammate.”. He has long studied and admired Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard for his defense. And so is Pons. He takes it personal. Immanuel Quickley did everything he could to get away from Yves Pons on Feb. 8 at Thompson-Boling Arena. © 2020 www.knoxnews.com. Pons found the floor early on, but was too raw to really contribute anything consistently. We’re going to move him to the front line a little bit. He’s top 15 nationally in block percentage. Black for the single-season Tennessee record, which he probably would have broken if the season was not cut short by concerns over the spread of the coronavirus. The Kentucky guard – the eventual coaches’ SEC Player of the Year – faked to his left. The 6-6 forward obviously would lack some length, but he would likely be able to make up for that with his vertical ability. Burns and Derrick Walker all gone, Tennessee is going to have to reinvent its frontcourt. While Pons hasn’t been able to find his way on offense, his ability to rebound and defend should allow him to find consistent minutes as a junior. "I just slapped the ball into the stands,” Pons recalled on March 11. An extraordinary leaper and big-time athlete, Williamson set a new record at Duke for vertical leap during the team’s summer combine testing … “What he does well, too, he can kind of keep his body away from his man,” Barnes said in February. Pons appeared in 24 games as a freshman but only averaged about five minutes a contest. Site design by John Cave Osborne and Reed Carringer. His rights were later sold to the Washington Wizards, and that’s where he spent his first four years in the NBA. He’s a guy that can jump out of the gym and defend, but he just hasn’t found his offensive game to this point. He can guard 1-5 at the college level. Posted by. Dauster cites a quote from Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes to describe Pons, calling him one of the hardest workers Barnes has ever seen. He’s gotten where he does a pretty good job even guarding his own man, when he gets behind him, and timing it. The rest is a combination of in-depth preparation and understanding Tennessee’s defense. Tennessee played Pons in a perimeter role during the first two years of his career. Just like we did with Grant and Admiral as a post player, new to the perimeter. “We push each other,” Pons said of Nkamhoua. “It’s different. Pons’ shot-blocking talent starts with a natural ability to leap that allows him to play above the rim regularly. Nathanael graduated from the University of Tennessee and cultivated a passion for the Vols while growing up in Knoxville a mere 10 minutes from Neyland Stadium. It’s easy to play defense. But he can bring more to the Vols than that.