Santiago Vescovi selected to Uruguay’s 12-man Olympic qualifying team

Santiago Vescovi has made Uruguay’s 12-man roster for their Olympic qualifying effort. The announcement was made on Monday, ahead of Uruguay’s first matchup on Tuesday night against Turkey.

Vescovi made the initial cut down to 16, and made the final cut down to 12 after taking part in two weeks of practice with the squad.

Only 12 countries can qualify for the Olympics, which is done by playing through the FIBA Qualifying Tournament, which runs through July 4th. The tournament will award four more bids, which will join the eight countries who have already clinched back in 2019.

Vescovi just finished up his first full season at Tennessee after joining the Vols mid-season during the 2019-20 campaign. Already, Vescovi has 42 career starts under his belt, averaging 9.5 points per game. The 6-3, 188 pound guard shot 36 percent from three-point range last season, adding 3.7 assists per contest.

He took a bit of a backseat to Keon Johnson and Jaden Springer as a sophomore, and likely will be in a similar role as a junior with Kennedy Chandler in town. His best asset is his ability to shoot, and Tennessee could really use a consistent effort in that department for this upcoming season.

Uruguay’s opening matchup against Turkey can be seen live on ESPN+, with tip-off scheduled for 10:35 p.m. ET.