CBB: Tennessee survives on the road against Missouri
The Tennessee Volunteers performed a Houdini-level escape job in Missouri on Tuesday night. In a game that was brutal early for both teams shooting-wise, Missouri had Tennessee right where they wanted them. Missouri forced Tennessee into several turnovers and bad shots in the first half and did enough on the offensive end to go into halftime with a 29-26 lead. Tennessee allowed Missouri, the worst rebounding team in the SEC, to outrebound them during the first half too, and it didn’t help that Dalton Knecht was only able to muster 2 points through 20 minutes.
However, Tennessee got their act together with about 15 minutes to go in the game. Rick Barnes made a great coaching decision when he decided to put Jonas Aidoo at the 5 and Tobe Awaka at the 4. Missouri, a team without a notable post presence, couldn’t handle this tandem on the glass or guard them effectively when they posted up. Tobe Awaka ended the game with 18 points and 10 rebounds while Jonas Aidoo finished the game with 14 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 blocks. Furthermore, Dalton Knecht started to heat up in the 2nd half, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. In the past, the Vols would have 100% lost this game, but when you have a get-out-of-jail-free card on offense like Dalton Knecht these are the types of games you can pull out. Knecht scored 15 points in the 2nd half and the Tigers simply could not guard him. The Vols ran the same action several times in a row to get him the ball, and all the Tigers could do was watch and pray. The Vols hitched their wagon to their post superiority and the soon-to-be SEC player of the year, and finally, after a stressful night for Vol fans, escaped with a 72-67 win.
This team can be frustrating because everyone knows how lethal they can be when they play at their best. However, there is a silver lining to these frustrating games. Even when the Vols look like they’ve never seen a basketball before, they have the depth and versatility to win any game. The Vols can score 100 points to beat Kentucky in Rupp, but they can also pound it in the paint when teams try to drag them into the mud. The ideal scenario is for this team to start well and dictate how a game will be played, but they have shown even when they fail to do that, they can still come out on top.
The Vols will be back in action on Saturday against Texas A&M at home. The Vols will be looking for revenge after the loss they suffered to the Aggies in College Station, and the comments Rick Barnes made about Buzz Williams is also an intriguing storyline to watch. The Vols need this win to continue to separate from the pack in the SEC standings, and if they don’t sleepwalk, I think they will secure another big victory on Saturday.