My All-Time Favorite Players: 8th - Kevin Punter

Kevin Punter had such a unique, incredible career at Tennessee and that's why he is my eighth favorite basketball Vol of all-time. I was fortunate enough to have some personal experiences with Kevin, making his spot on my list an even easier choice. As a Bronx native, he attended Salesian High School in New Rochelle, New York, as the school's second all-time leading scorer. After averaging 24.2 PPG in his one year at Body of Christ Christian Academy, a prep school in Raleigh, North Carolina, he began his collegiate career at State Fair Community College in Missouri. He excelled here, especially as a sophomore, as he averaged 20 PPG, 4.6 RPG and 1.7 APG, all while shooting 57% from the floor, including a 37% mark from 3-point range. He was nominate to the first-team NJCAA All-American team before he made the transition to Division 1.

After initially committing to Missouri, Punter chose to attend Tennessee with 2 years of eligibility remaining. His junior year came during the 2014-15 season. While Punter could go on scoring rampages at times, he quickly showed Vol fans that he impacted the game in multiple areas. In his very first game with the Vols, he logged 8 points, 7 assists and 2 steals. He posted an 18-point performance on 7-10 shooting in the Vols' upset over No. 15 Butler. Later, against Tennessee Tech, he scored 19 points while connecting on all 4 of his 3-point attempts. He also made the first 5 of his shots from beyond the arc versus Texas A&M, finishing with 17 points. He recorded a season-high 6 steals at Georgia. In a matchup against Vanderbilt, he helped win the game for Tennessee by draining a 3-pointer to cut the Vols' deficit to 2 with 10 seconds left. Then, he made 2 clutch free throws to give Tennessee a 1-point lead in overtime. Kevin played in all 32 games, with 31 starts as a junior. Throughout the year, I was impressed with Kevin's defense, after he led Tennessee in steals 14 times, totaling 51 total on the year. He averaged 10.3 PPG, 1.9 APG and 1.6 SPG, while playing in 31 MPG. In 19 games, he scored in double figures, while shooting an impressive 35% from 3-point range.

Punter had an outstanding senior season. It was one of the greatest senior seasons I have ever been able to witness. It seemed as if he carried the team on a nightly basis. On the very first game of the season, he erupted for 31 points on 10-14 shooting, including 3-6 from downtown versus UNC Asheville. He buried 5-10 of his 3-pointers against Gardner-Webb and later scored 27 points in the matchup with No. 18 Butler. During the Florida Atlantic game, he scored 11 consecutive points for Tennessee. At one point, Kevin had scored 20 or more points for 7 straight games, the longest streak for a Vol since Ron Slay in 2003. He did not let up as SEC play began. He scored 31 points in the SEC opener versus Auburn, including 14 consecutive in the first half, which was the fifth-longest in-game scoring streak in Tennessee basketball history. While battling Florida, Punter came out on fire, making his first 7 shots attempts of the game, including 3 shots from beyond the arc. He showed versatility as he played in all 40 minutes against Mississippi State, the first Vol to do this since C.J. Watson in 2003. His career-high in scoring came in a 36-point effort against South Carolina. He knocked down 6 shots from downtown and went 14-15 from the free throw line.

Punter boasted some remarkable stats as a senior. He missed the final 8 games of the season due to a stress fracture in his foot, but that did not stop him from being named second team All-SEC after scoring 22.2 PPG during his impressive season. He was ranked second in the SEC and twelfth in the nation in scoring. His outstanding field-goal percentage of 46% as a senior was the highest of any guard in the SEC. Also, he averaged 3.5 RPG and 3.5 APG while playing in 34.1 MPG.

Not only did I like Kevin for his play on the court, but having him coach me at a Tennessee basketball camp during the summer before his first season with the Vols was an awesome experience. He was one of my two main coaches and we won the championship under his guidance. As a young fan, and even now, I enjoy talking to players and getting their autographs, but little did I know that Kevin would go on to score 905 points in his 2 seasons with Tennessee. This total is the most points ever scored by a 2-year player in Tennessee history. Additionally, it was neat to see Coach Rick Barnes come to Tennessee and immediately fix Punter’s shot over the offseason. This made a drastic difference in his efficiency. Currently, Kevin is playing overseas, but is a VFL. I will always remember the great memories that Kevin brought to Knoxville in his 2 years here.