On the surface, Tennessee's men's basketball team is off to a good start. Their overall record is 10-5 with a 1-1 record in SEC play. However, the Volunteers have been frustratingly inconsistent lately, but that should be expected from a team with so many young players.
After a hot start that included wins against Georgetown and Marquette, the Vols have been inconsistent with two losses to Gonzaga and a thrashing by Kansas. However, the key game may have been a narrow win over Belmont. In that game, the Bruins used a zone defense that stymied the Vols at times. Since then, opponents have been using the zone with success because the young Vols still aren't comfortable playing against it.
In the SEC opener against Georgia last Saturday, I was surprised the Bulldogs didn't play more zone, especially in the second half when they led by 10 points. Because of that, the Vols gained control of the game's tempo and fought back to win 86-77. Against Kentucky, the Vols' defense was a disaster. Jodie Meeks torched them for 54 points, and Tennessee seemed a step behind the Wildcats all game.
As said above, the Vols have a lot of young and new talent. Heralded freshman Scotty Hopson is still searching to develop his complete game. He has a sweet jump shot, but too often, he relies simply on that and doesn't put the ball on the floor to get to the basket. Junior college transfer Bobby Maze is handling his point guard duties reasonably well, but he has been up and down. Cameron Tatum provided a spark in the second game against Gonzaga, but he seems content to shoot only long jump shots.
Tyler Smith remains the team's leader, and the Vols would be up a creek without him. He poured in 24 points with 11 rebounds against Georgia despite a very sore knee. Wayne Chism has been a force in the low post. J.P. Prince has also played well, but hasn't reclaimed the form he had before he missed three games with an injured ankle.
Right now, the sum of the Vols' parts don't equal a whole. If the Vols are serious about repeating as SEC champion, they need to become a more cohesive unit. Their talent alone ensures a NCAA tournament berth, but they won't go far without improvement.
Hopefully, Saturday's game against South Carolina will be a step in the right direction.
3 comments:
Tenn 82 South Carolina 79. Offensively, the Vols did a much better job of driving the ball to the basket instead of relying only on jump shots. The defense was better for the first 30 minutes but turned into Mr. Hyde in the final minutes and almost blew a double-digit lead. We gave up 51 points in the second half and that will not cut it in the long term.
Tenn 76 Vanderbilt 63. Obviously, Vanderbilt is having problems scoring right now, but this may have been Tennessee's most complete game of the year. The defense was sticky most of the game. If it remains that way, the Vols may be on the right track.
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