Thompson Boling Arena was a pressure cooker early on Saturday afternoon.
The closure of Phillip Fulmer Drive made getting to the arena for the sold out contest feel more like Bonnaroo than a noon basketball game but once the fans finally made it into their seats after the first media break, they were ready to rock.
Both teams came out hot.
Tennessee (6-3) and the visiting Illinois Fighting Illini (7-2) traded haymakers throughout the opening minutes of the game, with Tennessee maintaining a slight edge through this period. The aforementioned first media timeout went well past it’s scheduled 16:00 break and the pace was set.
Until it wasn’t.
Both teams went cold halfway through the half, with the Fighting Illini going cold from the field for four minutes before shooting a three to take the lead at 31-30. Meanwhile, Tennessee made just one basket in seven minutes.
Zakai “Zip” Zeigler answered with a crossover/jumper combo to give the lead back to Tennessee, then tied up an Illinois guard. The Illini retained possession but it did nothing with it, but when the scoreboard hit zeros for the break, Illinois led 36-34 in a half where it appeared to be outplayed by the home team.
I went to the court at halftime warmups and noticed that no one on Illinois’s team had a great deal of height. “Awaka and Aidoo should eat in the second half,” I thought.
Tennessee got the ball first in the second half but a Zip three fell short and it went to Illinois.
Coleman Hawkins scored on the other end for Illinois. The senior big repeatedly razzed those cheering for the home team in the first half after nearly every positive play he made, much to the crowd’s dismay. He finished the game with 12 points on 4-13 shooting.
The game changed when the refs called a hook technical foul against the Fighting Illini. Josiah Jordan James made one of his two free throws and Dalton Knecht got an and one on the ensuing possession. That brought the score to 39-38, in favor of Illinois.
With 15:30 remaining, Zip got a steal and kicked it ahead to James from his back for a thunderous dunk. Knecht followed with a beautiful left handed layup to stretch the lead to three one possession later. Sports Animal 990’s Vince Ferrara was smart to point out that the group that made the comeback consisted of James, Knecht, Tobe Awaka, Zip and Jahmai Mayshack. They remained on the court for several minutes before Aidoo checked in to join the other four. This was the squad that brought the Vols back.
With 13:39 left in the game, Mayshack dished to Knecht after a gritty offensive board. Knecht was true from beyond range at the top of the circle and the crowd went wacky with the score 50-44 in favor of the Vols.
Jordan Gainey was the next to check in and he rattled off five quick points to stretch the lead to nine. Luke Goode answered with a three for the Illini.
This was big time basketball at TBA.
Vescovi entered with 10:28 to go with Gainey, Mayshack and both Aidoo and Awaka. It was great to see both big men on the court at the same time. Vescovi immediately got steal and hit a three on the next possession. Then he screamed down the court after a rebound and delivered the dirtiest of dishes to a trailing Mayshack to push the lead to double digits and after a quick errant shot from Illinois, the Vols ran again. The ball landed in the corner in the hands of James and while he had a look at three, he patiently waited for Aidoo to establish position deep in the post. He made the pass and Aidoo turned and hit. Illinois timeout.
The Illini stayed in it, due in large part to repeated Tennessee’s fouling and a six-and-a-half minute drought from the field down the stretch. Luckily for the Vols, Illilnois was cold from the floor for three minutes of that stretch as well. The lead went down to five with just under a minute to go and it was up to Tennessee beating the press and making its free throws. It did both and the sold out crowd at TBA went home happy.
Tennessee shot 76% from the free throw line but improved slightly when the game was on the line. It assisted on 21 of its 27 baskets. The Vols also out-rebounded Illinois 43-34 and got one more steal and one more block than did the Illini.
The best thing to come out of Saturday’s game was the play of Vescovi. This is the most comfortable he’s looked thus far this season and it seemed to be the most fun he’s had in the early year, too. In fact, the first ten minutes of the second half featured the most fun I’ve seen the basketball Vols have in quite some time.
Next up for the Vols is a home matchup against Georgia Southern on Tuesday at 7p.m. The game will be televised on SEC Network.
Notes
– Josiah Jordan James had another solid game. It’s obvious that he’s healthier than he has been in some time. So far, he has been the team’s second most consistent player, behind only Dalton Knecht.
– Only eight Tennessee players got minutes in the game. Barnes has definitely shortened his bench and there was a higher level of comfort for those on the floor as a result.
– The game was much better officiated in the second half. If you’ve watched college basketball for any amount of time, you know the drill. As conference play nears, buckle up.
– This Illinois team is mature and plays with confidence. They don’t seem to get rattled and their shooting style could take them deep into the tournament come March (and maybe even April). Look for the Fighting Illini to beat Purdue later in the season and maybe even make the Elite Eight.
