With just nine games to go, Tennessee basketball still hasn’t told us who it is.
It isn’t that the Volunteers are keeping a secret. They don’t know, either.
Rick Barnes has no idea.
The 90-80 victory over Texas A&M wasn’t very revealing. The Aggies have lost five in a row. The Vols have enough talent to beat mediocre foes by showing up at the correct arena.
Josiah-Jordan James, showing no hangover from the missed shot at Texas, was best-all-around against A&M – eight rebounds, five steals and 14 points on 4-of-7 field-goal shooting and 5-of-5 free throws.
Olivier Nkamhoua contributed 15 points and seven rebounds. Kennedy Chandler had 16 points and seven assists. Zakai Zeigler scored 14 and Santiago Vescovi added 13. Justin Powell hit a pair of threes that made a difference.
Barnes couldn’t help but notice the 17 turnovers and problems the Vols had with the Aggies’ second-half pressure defense.
Tennessee’s defense was better than the numbers implied. The Aggies got 18 points off Vol errors.
Who are these Volunteers? All along, we believed they would be good on defense. Generally speaking, they have been. Playing time is directly linked to defensive effort.
We thought team speed would be a decisive factor. There have been flurries.
It was obvious the inside offensive game would be limited. There is no dependable post player. That was part of the reason Barnes committed to the perimeter attack. Another part was good shooters – or so he thought.
Shooters have, in fact, been streaky. For the season, they are hitting 43.7 percent of field-goal attempts, 33.5 from three-point range and a disturbing 68.8 percent of free throws.
Barnes says free throws are more difficult than they appear. Kennedy Chandler has been Exhibit A. He has improved to 66.7 percent. Uros Plavsic is 46.9.
Three-pointers have built-in challenges. Some do it better than others. Santiago Vescovi hits 38.9 percent. Josiah-Jordan James hits 27.7.
The coach remains steadfast regarding team and individual goals – consistency. The Vols are nowhere close. They peaked on offense against Arizona. In a game or three, they hit under or near 30 percent.
Tennessee has won several games without looking crisp. This causes coaches’ hair to turn gray. The potential for excellence is obvious. Dependable excellence, where art thou?
These Vols are not quitters. They have delivered dramatic comebacks. When they are sharp, they sometimes roll.
Tennessee-Texas A&M was a game of runs. James set the early pace as the Vols built a 17-6 lead. The Aggies got the idea and reduced the deficit to four. UT led 43-35 at intermission.
Early in the second half, the Vols ran out to 51-37. The Aggies hit six of nine and closed to within six. Tennessee responded with turnovers and fouls. The visitors trailed by 60-59 with 8:41 remaining.
A 12-0 run restored order. Nkamhoua started the rally. Powell hit back-to-back threes. Chandler converted a break-away. James hit four free throws. Game over – but the Aggies refused to go home. They kept trying. That might be what they do best.
Barnes said he never expected a 90-point outburst. He was concerned about recovery from the heartbreaking loss in Austin. He praised great ball movement. He fussed about careless passes and the poor response to the Aggies’ second-half trapping defense.
The coach doesn’t miss much. He noted that after 21 games, some of his players still dribble into double-team trouble.
Yes, he noticed that the Vols hit 57 percent in the second half and had balanced scoring – five in double figures.
All that fit perfectly with the season-long question: Who are these Volunteers?
Marvin West welcomes reader comments or questions. His address is marvinwest75@gmail.com