Tennessee sophomore guard Jahmai Mashack is seventh on the team in scoring with 5.4 points per game, and he isn't too far from being ninth.
Yet points aren't what the 6-foot-4, 201-pounder from Fontana, California, is known for these days as the No. 8 Volunteers (11-2, 1-0 SEC) prep for Tuesday night's home game against Mississippi State (11-2, 0-1). In Tennessee's Southeastern Conference opener last Wednesday evening, a 63-59 win at Ole Miss, Mashack helped limit Rebels leading scorer Matthew Murrell to five points on 1-of-11 shooting.
"It's always exciting for me to try and and lock somebody down," Mashack said Monday in a news conference. "Our coaches know I want whoever the go-to-player is. It doesn't matter if they play the 1, 2, 3 or 4. I really want to guard them. That's my mindset.
"I feel like I can go against anybody. They know I want the challenge."
Tuesday's game inside Thompson-Boling Arena will tip at 7 and will be televised by ESPN2.
Mashack didn't have a field-goal attempt in Oxford but collected three rebounds, three assists and two steals in 22 highly productive minutes. His desire to cover the opposing team's best player was there last season, but he said it's tougher to avoid foul trouble as a freshman.
"You've got to be able to impact a game whether you can score a basket or not," Vols coach Rick Barnes said. "Jahmai has done a great job, and we'll continue to work on other facets of his game. If he plays his roles, he's going to have a big impact. He's always had a highly competitive spirit."
Said Mashack: "I like seeing people frustrated, and I like seeing people frustrated because I'm defending them."
Mississippi State opened SEC play last Wednesday with a 78-67 home loss to Alabama, which replaced Tennessee at No. 7 in Monday's latest Associated Press poll. The Bulldogs are led in scoring by Tolu Smith, who is a fifth-year senior forward standing 6-11.
"I'd be happy to guard him or anybody on their team," Mashack said.
Early arrival
Tennessee's highest-rated 2023 signee, combination guard Freddie Dilione of Raleigh, North Carolina, will be enrolling later this month.
"Freddie decided he wanted to get here as early as he could," Barnes said. "We'll get him here, and I don't know how long it will take to get him into practice with us, but we'll get him in school and get him going that way. It's going to be great for us and great for him."
The 6-4, 185-pounder, who is the nation's No. 27 prospect on the 247Sports.composite rankings, is not eligible to play this season but could provide value as a scout-team member.
Odds and ends
The Vols enter Tuesday having won 23 consecutive home games, including 10 against SEC opposition. ... Tennessee leads the series with Mississippi State 88-44 and holds a 47-11 advantage in Knoxville. ... The Vols lead the nation in field-goal defense (33.2%) and 3-point field-goal defense (21.2%). ... Tennessee's home attendance of 16,793 so far this season ranks fifth nationally.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com.