Tennessee’s game against the George Mason Patriots had git-rite written all over it.
After being on the road for both the Maui Invitational (which was played in Oahu due to damage caused by the fires in Lahaina) and the ACC/SEC Challenge, the Vols returned to Thompson Boling Arena (TBA) for the first time in 21 days to host the school that gave current Tennessee head coach Richard Barnes his first opportunity to lead a college basketball program. Since his first year at George Mason in 87-88, Barnes has coached at Providence, Clemson and Texas, mostly with aplomb in the regular season.
His 2002-03 Texas team made it to the Final Four, but Tennessee has failed to make it past the Sweet 16 since Barnes arrived on Rocky Top.
Tennessee (5-3) entered this season with its highest hopes in years, and that’s saying something. When it was announced that Santiago Vescovi and Josiah-Jordan James were going to return, pundits and fans alike rejoiced. Both Vescovi and James were happy because us media apes were finally saying each of their names correctly. It only took us four years.
But it hasn’t gone according to plan in the genesis of the season.
The Vawls own the nation’s toughest schedule by a significant margin and for good reason. The Vols have already taken on Purdue, Kansas, North Carolina and Syracuse. Out of those four powerhouse programs, though, UT defeated only the ‘Cuse. The problems for Tennessee have been two-fold: Surprisingly high scoring totals for the opposition and excruciating stretches of low scoring on offense.
This contest in the friendly confines of TBA against the Patriots (7-2) ended up being the palette cleanser the Vols needed.
Tennessee has been dominant on its home court in recent years. The Vols have typically shot much better at home than on the road under Barnes and this season has been no different.
Tennessee hit 16 of 31 shots in the first half on Tuesday night, which is hauntingly better than most of its starts of late. UT shot 48% for the game.
Ball movement was crisp when the Vols had the rock, though there were still spurts where it looked like nothing was really happening. Josiah Jordan James has been Tennessee’s most consistent returner from a year ago. He accumulated 10 points and five assists in the first half and wasn’t asked to do much in the second.
Vescovi hit his first shot, a three, with 15:20 remaining in the game. While Zakai “Zip” Zeigler has shown some struggles offensively after last season’s ACL tear, Vescovi seems to be playing with slightly less confidence. Not many folks (if anyone) expected transfer Dalton Knecht to set the court ablaze the way he has and Vescovi is finding his place in the rotation. Jordan Gainey, another transfer, has also cut into the minutes of last year’s stars. Gainey has shown promise, as well, but it seems likes he shoots twice per possession when he’s in the game. Vescovi finished the night with seven points, four rebounds and three pretty assists while Zip scored six and had six dimes.
Redshirt Freshman Freddie Dilione V (tha fif) batted a ball away within 5 seconds of checking in. Dilione is sticky. He moves his feet well on defense and has slide on the offensive end. He has time to grow and if he stays in Knoxville for a few more years, he’ll be a fan favorite.
Jonas Aidoo played one of his finest games as a Vol. He even hit a three in each half. Aidoo seems to be one of the only Vols who have improved in the off-season thus far. He looks more confident and he actually looks a bit taller, as well. He tallied a career-high 17 points, eight rebounds and four assists in this one. Tobe Awaka returned from an ankle roll with 11 points and seven rebounds in just 11 minutes of play.
Tennessee is finding its rhythm but it hasn’t hit its stride. If Zip and Vescovi can get in rhythm with James, Knecht and the big men, the Vols might end up being pretty mean. One thing’s for sure, there’s no reason for Tennessee to peak early in the season, or even in the middle of the season. We’ve seen that in the past and the teams that play into April get hot at the end of the season.
Things of note:
– Dalton Knecht showed no signs of the ankle injury he suffered against North Carolina.
– Things of note: They added Outkast’s “Roses” and a pretty gritty remix of “Mrs. Jackson” and Lupe Fiasco’s “The Show Goes On” and Montel Jordan’s, “This is how we do it” and “Clarity” by Zedd and Foxes to the song rotation. All good calls.
– Tobe Awaka is going to be very good. He’ll have an opportunity to play professionally if he continues to improve.
