Vols have chance to be a very good basketball team
Published 1:53 am Friday, November 30, 2018
If you are a Tennessee Vol fan like me, you had to be very disappointed and at the same time very optimistic after the Vols dropped a heartbreaking 87-81 overtime loss to the second-ranked Kansas Jayhawks a day after Thanksgiving.
After watching the entire game, one had to walk away thinking how could the Vols build a pretty solid double-digit lead in the second half only to squander it away down the remaining portion of regulation to end up going into overtime after a last-second Kansas miss.
It was obvious that Tennessee had the better team but there were three things that kept the Vols from leapfrogging themselves potentially into number two in the nation.
The first thing was that Admiral Schofield had to recognize that his outside shooting was completely off and needed to use his 6’6, 241-pound frame on the inside to complement the play of Grant Williams.
Williams did everything that the returning SEC Player of the Year from last season could do to help the Vols win, but eventually foul trouble brought an end to the game for Williams who fouled out just before the overtime session began.
When Schofield was forced to go to the paint and pick up the slack, he started to hit and make an impact which if done earlier may have kept the Vols in the driver’s seat.
Coach Rick Barnes is blessed to have to impactful inside forces and needs to make sure to keep both Williams and Schofield near the glass.
Secondly, Tennessee couldn’t get anything going from the outside, and if fans remember last season when players like Jordan Bone, Lamonte Turner, and Jordan Bowden started to pull the trigger from beyond the arc with success, the Vols had too much firepower to defend.
The outside shooting also allowed Kingsport native John Fulkerson and Kyle Alexander to use their muscle to bring added toughness to Schofield and Williams down low.
Tennessee has too many talented players to be satisfied with the status quo. Yves Pons from France is one of those players that can fly like an eagle above the rim but must learn to play under control.
Pons had a shot called off for offensive goaltending against Kansas which was a bad call even after being shown several times and with the game’s announcers saying the same.
The sophomore must learn to play under control. When he can do that, he will be a lethal basketball player.
If all the pieces to the puzzle continue to come together, this could be one of the best seasons ever for Tennessee basketball.
Most importantly, the fans have been patient with Barnes, and now the program is back to the level of the Ernie Grunfeld and Bernard King era and looks to be set for years to come with some highly impressive commits already for next season.
It will be a great time to pop some popcorn and pull the seats up close to the television when the Vols hit the screen this season.
Or better yet, go online and purchase some tickets to a game for the family although it may be a little tougher than in years past to get tickets to the marquee matchups.
While football may be three or four years away, Tennessee basketball is ripe and ready to make Rocky Top one rocking place.
