Tennessee came into Memorial Gym and took advantage of Vanderbilt’s struggling defense in a 87-75 victory.
Here are some thoughts from the game.
1. Vandy’s lack of defense was the difference in the game
On Wednesday against South Carolina, Tennessee shot 33% from the floor, made only one shot from beyond the arc and turned the ball over 22 times.
On Saturday against Vandy, Tennessee shot 59% from the floor, hit eight three-pointers and only committed six turnovers.
The difference? Defense.
While the Gamecocks are among the nation’s top defensive teams, the Commodores haven’t had that poor of a defensive effort in a while. The Vols got any shot that they wanted in rolling to the 12-point victory, and any time Vandy tried to make a run, Tennessee simply came back down the floor and knocked down a wide open shot.
After playing with a ton of defensive energy against Kentucky earlier in the week, there was no excuse for Bryce Drew’s team to be this awful on defense.
But it allowed the Vols to get open shot after open shot, and that’s not a winning formula.
2. Jordan Bone was the star of the show
The person that benefited the most from Vandy’s poor defense was undoubtedly the freshman guard playing in his hometown.
The Ensworth product scored a career-high 23 points on 8-of-12 shooting, with the most important number coming from behind the three-point line. Bone had made only a single three the entire season, yet knocked down four in this game.
Give him credit for hitting those outside shots and taking what the Commodores gave him, which was pretty much everything.
Bone was key in helping Tennessee keep the momentum going, as the Vols continued to attack the paint and find open shots at will without a lot of pushback from Drew’s squad.
With freshmen like Bone, Lamonte Turner, and Grant Williams leading the way, the future is bright in Knoxville.
3. Luke Kornet played well for Vandy
It was hard to find a ton of bright spots for the Commodores, but Kornet’s play was good for the most part.
He led the team with 18 points and seven rebounds, and although Tennessee got easy buckets inside, Kornet was still effective in altering shots and playing with with the same intensity that he has over the last several games.
He’s scored at least 10 points and grabbed seven rebounds or more in every game since the Auburn win on January 4, and it’s clear to see that he’s playing with an impressive level of confidence right now.
More than anything, this Vandy team will need his leadership going forward into what’s a very tough schedule for the rest of month.
4. Rick Barnes deserves an enormous amount of credit
On this night in particular, Barnes’ experience showed. He had the gameplan and strategy to beat the Commodores, and his team executed that strategy effectively.
That’s good coaching. And despite what some may have you believe, Barnes is an outstanding coach.
He made the NCAA tournament 16 out of 17 years while at Texas, so the man knows what he’s doing.
This Tennessee team does not back down from anything. The Vols have played one of the toughest schedules in the country, and their non-conference schedule away from home has prepared them for road games in the SEC.
Keep in mind that this is a young team that just got even younger after the dismissal of junior guard Detrick Mostella earlier in the week. How did this team filled with freshman and sophomores respond? By playing with supreme confidence and aggression on the road in Nashville.
And Barnes deserves all the credit in the world for putting his players in a position to do that.
5. The upcoming schedule doesn’t bode well for the Commodores
This was a must-win game for Vandy. Why? Because the next five games are extremely challenging.
Here’s what the rest of January looks like, along with each team’s overall record:
- at Georgia (11-6)
- at Florida (14-3)
- vs. Arkansas (13-4)
- vs. Iowa State (11-5)
- at Texas A&M (9-7)
The Commodores won’t be a favorite in any of those games. And if they play with the same type of defensive energy that they did against Tennessee, a few of those games could get ugly.
Vandy played with a unique intensity against Kentucky, and it resulted in a close home loss to the No. 6 team in the country. Playing at that level on a night in and night out basis is the key to success for this team.
And it’s the only way that this team will build any momentum during this difficult stretch of games.
Blake Lovell has worked in sports media for over 10 years. He currently covers SEC football and basketball for various publications.