'We are going to fight': No. 2 Tennessee developing character in recent wins

Josiah-Jordan James hit a deep jumper just in front of the Texas bench in the first half Saturday at Thompson-Boling Arena. As the Tennessee senior turned to get back on defense, he pointed to the Longhorns on the sideline who had just watched him make the play.

When he blocked Texas forward Dillon Mitchell from behind in transition early in the game, committing a foul to avoid giving up the easy bucket, James turned to give the Longhorn freshman a few choice words. 

When Zakai Zeigler fought for a loose ball, won it, then drew a foul, he let out a fist pump and a yell toward the Tennessee crowd. 

In No. 2 Tennessee’s 82-71 win, the Vols played with a certain edge. 

“It’s been something we’ve been trying to develop,” Zeigler said after scoring 22 points and recording 10 assists, his third double-double of the season and second in his last three games. “We have talked about it in the locker room, developing our character and developing who we want to be known as around the country and what type of team we are.”

Tennessee (18-3, 7-1 SEC), which is back on the road at Florida (12-9, 5-3) on Wednesday (7 p.m. Eastern Time; TV: ESPN2), outrebounded Texas 38-23 on Saturday and scored 40 points in the paint to the Longhorns’ 28. Senior forward Olivier Nkamhoua got everything he wanted, scoring a career-high 27 points while grabbing eight rebounds and shooting 12-for-15 from the field.

Vols played tougher, more physical than Texas in 82-71 win over Longhorns

“They’re a physical team, both ends of the floor physical,” Texas interim coach Rodney Terry said of the Vols after the game. “They really pounded the glass on us. We don’t really get out-toughed a whole lot of times, but they really out-physical’ed us in this ballgame. 

“They set the tone early and we never really kind of adapted and adjusted to the physicality of the game.” 

That’s exactly the kind of team these Vols want to be known as. Physical. Tough. Scrappers.

“We always want to be the type of team that everybody says we are going to play the hardest,” Zeigler said. “We are going to fight. No matter what the score is. No matter what we are up. We are going to give our all. We are going to play with a lot of emotions. We are definitely still building our character as a team.”

Rick Barnes said before practice on Monday he didn’t know if his team had a different edge in recent weeks — Tennessee bounced back from the Kentucky loss on January 14 by beating five teams by an average of 18.0 points per game — but he likes where the Vols are exiting January.

“Really and truly, January is a tough month in college basketball for everybody,” Barnes said. “Just the fact that you’ve played a lot, you’ve practiced a lot, now you get into February, which we know is an important month for everybody. A lot of basketball left to play for everybody.”

“Our guys … they know what it’s about. I do know that they know that we’ve got to continue to get better.” 

Up Next: Tennessee at Florida, Wednesday, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2

Tennessee had won 13 of 14 games, including two wins by a combined 77 points over Mississippi State and South Carolina, before an unranked Kentucky team came to Thompson-Boling Arena and pulled off a 63-56 upset. The Wildcats outrebounded the Vols 43-23 in the win, playing the more physical brand of basketball.

Since then the Vols have bounced back with an 11-point shorthanded win at Mississippi State and a 21-point win at LSU, then the 70-41 win over Georgia and 82-71 win over Texas.

Tennessee moved up two spots to No. 2 in the Associated Press Top 25 on Monday, the highest ranking of the season. The Vols are currently projected as a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament by ESPN’s Joe Lunardi, are No. 1 overall in the KenPom.com ratings and No. 2 in the NET.

“I like where this team has been the whole year,” senior guard Santiago Vescovi said. “The ups and downs, I couldn’t ask for a better group of people and players. We all are riding this wave together.”

The waves gets rougher in February. 

After going to Florida Wednesday, the February schedule includes home dates with Auburn, Arkansas, Missouri and Alabama, along with road games at Kentucky and Texas A&M. The regular-season schedule ends March 4 at Auburn. 

“We talk about that all the time,” Barnes said, “about what do we have to do to continue to raise the ceiling at the standard we want to play with, the standard that we want to be held to. It has to come from within. I think we’ve got a group of guys that have embraced it and will continue to embrace it.”