Scouting Report: Tennessee Volunteers

The highly awaited rubber match has arrived and this afternoon’s game at Bridgestone Arena could be the biggest game in SEC Tournament history. All that is one the line is a potential No. 1 seed in next week’s NCAA Tournament.

Tennessee now sits at 28-4 and is a lock to be at least a No. 2 seed at worst when the selection committee releasing their field of 68 tomorrow evening. Behind seasoned head coach Rick Barnes, the Vols have a load of experience and are a dangerously efficient offensive while they play very well together on defense. Tennessee has the SEC player of the year in the post and one of the nation’s best point guards running the show.

Two heavyweights will be going at it downtown Nashville and today will absolutely have an Elite Eight/Final Four feel. This is March.

Nuts and Bolts

Rick Barnes has been a head coach for a very long time, but success in conference tournaments has mostly escaped him. In a significant upset, Barnes led his 1994 Providence squad to the Big East title but he hasn’t brought home another trophy since. Barnes was unable to get Clemson to the ACC title game and then he left small town South Carolina for Austin, Texas. Barnes took the Longhorns to six Big XII title games and never recorded a victory. Last year he led the Vols to the SEC title before falling to Kentucky. 

Barnes has done a lot in his career and has 689 career wins, but the next step is sealing the deal in a conference tournament. This year he has the best team of his career and we’ll see if it’s the squad that can get him back to the Final Four.

Today will be the 228th meeting between the two SEC programs with Kentucky owning a 155-72 lead. In the SEC Tournament, this will be the 17th meeting between the two programs with UK owning a 12-4 edge. UK is 2-0 in the Cal era against Tennessee in the SEC Tournament. Since taking the job in Knoxville, Rick Barnes has had a ton of success against Kentucky. Barnes is 5-4 against Kentucky and will look to beat the Wildcats for two times in consecutive seasons. No one in the SEC has done that in the Cal era.

Out in the desert, Kentucky is a 1-point favorite with a total of 141.5. That’s a projected final score around 71-70. On the season, UK is 16-15-1 against the spread while Tennessee is 16-14-1. The under has been on fire in UK games going 10-2 in the last 12 games. 

Backcourt Breakdown

Jordan Bone received All-SEC honors this week and they were well deserved for the junior point guard. The Nashville native will be playing at home and he’s been a Kentucky killer in this year’s meetings.

In the two meetings this season, Bone is shooting 8-for-9 from three-point range and has nine assists with just three turnovers. The 6-foot-3 guard has scored at least 19 points in each meeting and absolutely shredded UK in Thompson-Boling Arena.

Bone is dishing out 6.2 assists per game and is just two dimes shy of 200 for the season. He’s putting up over 13 points per game on a 47 percent shooting clip. He has great speed and can push the pace at any time, but does a great job getting the Vols in the right place at the right time. He’s a huge reason why this team ranks third nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency.

Next to Bone is redshirt junior Lamonte Turner and he is Tennessee’s best perimeter defender. Expect him to spend time checking both Ashton Hagans and Tyler Herro, but on the offensive end he may be Tennessee’s biggest weakness. The 6-foot-2 combo guard is shooting just 29 percent from three-point range and is no threat to score from two. Don’t be surprised if you see UK sag off to help against Grant Williams.

Off the bench, Jordan Bowden is one of this team’s best scorers and in the last couple he’s broken out of a recent shooting slump. The junior has hit seven threes in the last four games and scored in double-digits in the last three games. When he is locked in on offense this team is nearly impossible to guard.

Frontcourt Breakdown

For the second season in a row, Grant Williams brought home SEC player of the year honors and it was well deserved. The All-American is putting up 19.2 points and 7.6 rebounds on the season on a 56.4 percent shooting clip. The big from Charlotte is playing over 30 minutes per game and is efficient from all over he floor. He’s been damn near unstoppable in the high post.

Williams has shot 232 free throws on the season and is shooting over 83 percent when he gets there. He does a great job playing under control and fighting his way through contact. He’s a great college basketball player and will have his jersey retired in Knoxville.

Williams get all of the accolades, but Admiral Schofield is nearly as important. The senior forward has attempted 432 shots on the season and this is nearly 80 more than the SEC player of the year. The Vols hunt for shots for their senior and he has the athleticism to rise up and throw it down.

Against Kentucky, Schofield is shooting just 32.2 percent this year and is an ice cold 1-for-12 from three. Keldon Johnson has done a great job containing one of the SEC’s best scorers and if he stays cold against Kentucky it gives the Wildcats a major edge.

Next to Williams in the post is senior Kyle Alexander and the 6-foot-11 senior brings offensive rebounding and rim protection to the lineup. However, the Canadian struggles to play against power and with Reid Travis in the lineup it could force Rick Barnes to play Admiral Schofield at the four. This is not what Tennessee wants to do.

Off the bench, Barnes rolls with sophomores John Fulkerson, Yves Pons, and Derrick Walker. None bring much offense, but they are all solid defenders and good rebounders. They play limited minutes and bring energy when they are on the floor.

Keys to Victory

• In his first game back yesterday, Reid Travis looked very good against Alabama. The senior showed no limitations playing with a knee brace and seemed to be in shape. That’s a great sign for Kentucky because it allows the Stanford grad transfer to bang with Grant Williams. If Travis stays on the floor, it frees up PJ Washington on both ends and could force Tennessee to play a ton of Admiral Schofield at the four. That’s a win for Kentucky.
• Jordan Bone has had his way with Ashton Hagans in the last two meetings and he’s been the biggest issue Kentucky has had to deal with. Down in Knoxville, Hagans played one of his worst games of the season. Kentucky needs him to step up to the challenge today. If Hagans is aggressive on offense and plays within himself on defense that will give UK a great chance to play Tennessee to at least a draw at point. Do that and UK will feel very good about their chances.
• If Tennessee has a weakness on defense it’s on the offensive glass. In the first meeting, Kentucky collected 12 offensive rebounds on their way to an impressive 1.26 point per possession. The Vols play solid team defense so anytime you can create extra shot it could play a huge benefit.

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