A few hours before their season-opening matchup against Colorado, the 12th-ranked Tennessee Volunteers released a hype video titled "Iron Sharpens Iron."
The film, narrated by former Tennessee standout Tobias Harris, chronicled hardships that plagued teams across the country through the past several months.
Cancelations for the SEC Tournament and NCAA Men's and Women's Tournaments forced pauses across the college basketball world.
But Tennessee absorbed more blows than most.
The Vols were sidelined for a two-week shutdown to postpone a season that was initially set to begin November 25. In total, the shutdown and coronavirus positives with another possible program, UT-Martin, wiped five possible games from Tennessee's slate to start the year.
So, after all of that, why would a gritty, obstacle-filled first matchup be any surprise?
The Vols got everything they wanted and more from Colorado in their third-ever matchup against the Buffaloes.
Still, Barnes' bunch survived several second-half surges to win its season opener 56-47.
The win was a long-awaited breath of fresh air for a fan base in desperate need of a change in scenery.
In case anyone forgot, Tennessee football coach Jeremy Pruitt’s seat is still scorching hot.
His team sits at just 2-6, coming off a sixth consecutive loss, which is tied for worst in program history. Vanderbilt looms this week, and Pruitt’s Vols have a possible date with fifth-ranked Texas A&M set for next Saturday.
In short, this Tennessee fan base has spent all fall cooped up at home, glued to televisions showing horrid football devoid of passion, pride or any sort of purpose.
So, on Tuesday night, who could blame those fans for wanting nothing more than for Barnes and his team to deliver a toughness-fueled, celebration-filled opener they could actually enjoy?
Barnes and Co. answered the bell.
Tennessee started things off with a 17-2 run, as a suffocating defense and quick-paced offense put the Vols up early. That lead increased to 26-10, the greatest margin of the night, before the Buffs began their ascent.
Tennessee’s 26-10 lead shrank to 26-15, and by the end of the first half, the Buffaloes had drawn with seven at a 31-24 margin.
A John Fulkerson turnover started the second half for the Vols, and the Buffs responded with a 3-pointer to draw within four.
A couple plays later, Colorado's Keeshawn Barthelemy slammed home a dunk to bring his team with two at 33-31, part of a 7-2 run for the Buffaloes.
But that was as close as Colorado got.
Keon Johnson crammed a dunk of his own with an emphatic celebration to push Tennessee's lead back to four, and a subsequent steal and 3-pointer from Santiago Vescovi pinned the Vols' lead back at seven.
The Buffs drew within five with just over two minutes left, but two free-throws apiece from Fulkerson and Vescovi put the game away.
Yves Pons, the reigning SEC Defensive Player of the Year, finished with just two points on 1-of-9 shooting from the floor and no blocks — a rarity, considering he led the conference in that statistic last season.
Pons was, however, able to corral a team-high 10 rebounds, which stretch back to last season as one of Tennessee's largest struggles. The Vols finished with just 32 boards, compared to Colorado's 38.
“The biggest concern I have is the way we rebounded,” Barnes said. “We have to be better to be the team we want to be.”
Moreover, the Vols also committed 15 turnovers, and they finished with just two players, Vescovi and Fulkerson, in double figures with 11 apiece.
(Note: Vescovi suffered a cut below his right eye during the second half after accidentally bumping into Keon Johnson. He appeared fine after the game, though, and said it feels fine, too.)
“It’s December whatever, and we’re playing our first game,” Barnes said. “We’re just hoping to figure out our substitution patterns. There were times when we lost some rhythm.”
Colorado’s switch to a zone defense flummoxed Tennessee, yes. And the rebounding still needs a lot of work.
But the good outweighs the bad for the Vols’ season debut, especially when considering the scrambling, last-minute matchup, star-studded newcomers and the opportunistic nature of a potentially lethal defense.
Victor Bailey Jr. and Josiah-Jordan James finished with 8 points apiece, and James was a perfect 4-for-4 from the charity stripe.
Jaden Springer added six points off two smooth 3-pointers, flashing a deep threat that will pose well for Tennessee through this season.
Johnson and E.J. Anosike put in 4 points apiece, and each proved a fantastic addition in terms of physicality and defense. As mentioned, Johnson let loose with two slams to bolster Tennessee’s momentum, with a steal en route to one dunk to kickstart a run for the Vols.
Anosike, meanwhile, added to the family name with four points and an imposing, immediate effect in the paint.
(Many will remember Anosike’s older sister, Nicky, who starred for Pat Summitt’s Lady Vols in the late 2000’s. She is now the women’s basketball coach at Anderson County.)
That tough defense wasn't just limited to Anosike, though.
Coming into Tuesday's matchup, Colorado had averaged 80 points a game. Tennessee held the Buffaloes to almost half that at 47.
CU's best player, McKinley Wright, averaged 22 points per game. The Vols held him to just 8 points.
In perhaps the most telling statistics, Tennessee finished with 11 fast break points, 12 steals and 16 points off 23 Colorado turnovers.
“We were not good enough offensively,” Colorado coach Tad Boyle said. “I got to do a better job as their coach. But I thought we dribbled the ball way too much. We were so impatient. Some of our turnovers were self-inflicted, some of them were the result of Tennessee.”
“I think we can be great,” Bailey said. “With this team, we have some of the best defensive guards in the country. Once we really lock in on defense, it's going to be hard for teams to beat us.”
We saw the Vols outlast several opponents with their defense last season, and it looks as if that trend could continue.
Now, Barnes' team will look to its December 12 matchup against Cincinnati, although this won't be Tennessee's last matchup against Colorado for at least two more years.
Barnes announced Monday that the Vols will travel to Boulder to face the Buffaloes next year, while the programs will meet in Nashville the following season.
For now, though, Tennessee turns its attention to a Bearcat team that beat the Vols 78-66 last December in Ohio.
The matchup is set for Saturday at 12:30 p.m. ET, and it will be shown on the SEC Network.
That game will lead right into Tennessee football’s tilt at Vanderbilt, which is set to begin at 4 p.m. ET.
And with Barnes’ Vols trending upward and Pruitt’s Vols plummeting toward Earth, the timing could not be better.
The Link LonkDecember 09, 2020 at 10:02PM
https://www.si.com/college/tennessee/mens-basketball/nichols-12th-ranked-tennessee-basketball-gives-fans-a-breath-of-fresh-air-in-season-opening-win-over-colorado
Nichols: 12th-ranked Tennessee basketball gives fans a breath of fresh air in season-opening win over Colorado - Sports Illustrated
https://news.google.com/search?q=fresh&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en
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