The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly from Tennessee Basketball's Opening Night Win

Here's the good, the bad, and the ugly from Tennessee's opening night victory over Wofford

Nov 3, 2026; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Rick Barnes instructs his team during the first half against the Wofford Terriers at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Tennessee defeated Wofford 90-59 Tuesday night in Knoxville as the Vols are now 1-0 on the season. Here's the good, the bad, and the ugly from the performance.

The Good: Defense

Nov 3, 2026; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers guard Terrence Hill Jr. (3) brings the ball up court against the Wofford Terriers at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

After getting blown out by Duke in an exhibition game a few weeks ago, a lot of question marks were raised about whether Tennessee would pick up where it left off defensively from last season or not. The Vols more than answered those questions today. They held Wofford to just 31% shooting throughout the night, and not one player on Wofford's team shot 50% or above. They also limited Wofford to shooting just 22% from three, making just six attempts. Tennessee also forced 12 turnovers from Wofford with Terrence Hill and Miles Rubin leading the way with two steals a piece.

The Bad: Defensive Rebounding

Tennessee guard Juke Harris (2) moves the ball while guarded by Xavier guard Ruben Dominguez (9) during a college basketball exhibition game on Oct. 15, 2026, in Knoxville, Tennessee. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

In the first half, Wofford had seven offensive rebounds, and there were multiple occasions when Tennessee failed to corral the ball as it bounced out of bounds, so Wofford maintained possession. Tennessee improved in this department in the second half, allowing only five, but they were still far from perfect in that department. This is something the Vols got away with Tuesday night, but as they face better teams throughout the season, they are going to have to improve in this department.

The Ugly: The First Half

Nov 3, 2026; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers guard Tyler Lundblade (7) dribbles the ball against Wofford Terriers guard Chace Watley (4) during the first half at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Tennessee struggled massively in the first half. After Tennessee jumped out to a 12-6 lead, Wofford battled back, tying the game after going on a 6-0 run, which included a four-point play from Luke Flynn. Wofford even led by three with 8:25 left in the half as Tennessee's struggles to rebound continued to bite them. Tyler Lundblade and Terrence Hill's combined efforts kept Tennessee in the lead for most of the half. Still, the Vols only led 34-31 at the half, and it looked like Wofford had a very real chance to win the game, but Tennessee got things together in the second half, outscoring Wofford 56-28.

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