Tennessee reinvented basketball against Texas.
Rick Barnes didn’t like what the Volunteers did at Arkansas. Over and over the team reviewed the bad video.
The coach demanded a different look – intensity, more effort, better inside defense, stronger rebounding, consistency. He probably mentioned the need for improved free-throw shooting.
What he got was Ja’Kobi Gillespie against the world, his best game, a stunning 34-point performance, 12-of-18 marksmanship plus confident leadership, five assists, four rebounds and three steals. He hit five of eight threes and all five foul shots.
The Vols hit 63 percent in the first half and led by 15. Gillespie had 22.
Felix Okpara #34 goes to the basket at Food City Center. (Photo by Elliot Walker/ Tennessee Athletics)
They looked more like themselves after intermission. The game wasn’t a beautiful work of art. The teams combined for 27 turnovers. Officials called 44 fouls.
Tennessee toppled Texas, 85-71. The Vols overwhelmed the visitors in the paint. Credit the Longhorns for never giving up. Early in the second half, they were down 23 and about to be run out of Food City Center. They reduced the deficit to 10 and caused a few moments of concern. Tennessee went four minutes and change without a field goal.
Order was restored. Gillespie scored 12 in the closing 10 minutes.
Frequent whistles hurt the Longhorns more than the Vols. Matas Vokietaitis, seven feet tall, imported from Marijampole, Lithuania and Florida Atlantic, was limited to 12 minutes, four points and one rebound.
Tennessee defense was a factor. Texas, 32nd in the nation in field-goal percentage (49.6%), hit only 22 of 57 attempts (38.6). The Vols finished at 52.7. They were much improved free-throw shooters – 21 of 29. They won the rebound battle by six. They scored 44 points in the paint.
Barnes said he saw the good game coming from Gillespie.
“After Saturday’s game and in our film session, the boatload of mistakes we made at Arkansas, you could tell he was really locked into doing his part individually, more defensively than anything.
“And I thought his defense is what got him really going in this game. He was really working hard on the defensive end. We know he can get it going like he did. It started in practice on Monday.”
Barnes had gentle words for inside defenders.
“I think for the most part our post guys did what we asked them to do – compared to what we didn’t do Saturday.”
The coach did some additional coaching. He said the Vols were more disciplined defensively, “just about a total about-face in following the scouting report” compared to the previous game.
He called the 12 steals “playing with active hands.”
Barnes credited DeWayne Brown with slowing down Dailyn Swain, Texas’ leading scorer. He settled for five points. Tremon Mark scored 20.
J.P. Estrella spoke for the Tennessee post players and their pride. He said they took Barnes’ criticism of the Arkansas game very seriously and made necessary adjustments, physically and mentally.
Estrella contributed 11 points and led with six rebounds. Jaylen Carey scored 10 and had four rebounds. Brown also went 10 and four. Felix Okpara had four points and four rebounds but played only 16 minutes. He’s still recovering from a hip injury.
Nate Ament was much improved as a free-throw shooter – four of five. He scored eight points but had five turnovers.
Next: Tennessee plays at Florida on Saturday afternoon.
Marvin West welcomes comments or questions from readers. His address is marvinwest75@gmail.com
