Kennedy Chandler and Efficient Shooting Leads Vols to Dominant Bounce Back Win
COLUMBIA, Mo.– The No. 17 Tennessee Vols bounced back with a 19-point win over unranked Mizzou after a 48-point Saturday performance against Arkansas in Fayetteville.
The Vols traded blows with the Tigers early, but a 13-0 run in the middle of the first half set the tone for a dominant Tennessee win.
Kennedy Chandler erupted for his best game in conference play, scoring 23 points, eight rebounds, six assists and a pair of steals. Twenty-three points is Chandler's second season-high (27 vs. Colorado).
"I do think that Kennedy Chandler was spot on in terms of the balance in his game," Barnes said of Chandler's performance against Mizzou. "Defensively, he had really pushed up."
When asked about Chandler's growth since his career-high total against Colorado, Barnes says his maturity has changed the most.
"It's night and day difference," Barnes said. "And I said in some ways that was a curse. Because it looked so easy for him, and I think he thought every game was going to be like that, so he struggled afterward. He thought they'd all be repeats, but he's gotten better with reading defense, being vocal, and he's just matured so much. He plays when the ball isn't in his hands."
Chandler's shot was magnificent against the Tigers, as the freshman bucketed nine of 12 attempts from the field and two of four from three.
"We just came from a loss. Me, personally, we shouldn't have lost to Arkansas. So, this game was about playing as hard as we can to get the win."
And play hard Chandler did. Chandler not only posted a career-high 75 percent shooting percentage, but he also recorded a career-high in rebounds with eight.
So that raises the question, what led to this game seeing the most complete Kennedy Chandler grace the hardwood?
"Coach Barnes talked to me about not settling. I know where my hot spot is. Attacking is the best part of my game, and I did today. Ever since I settled for the three to start the game, I continued to attack."
Chandler's dominant performance led the Vols to another bounce-back win, as Tennessee has not suffered consecutive losses this season. And although Chandler scored nine points more than the second-highest scorer (Vescovi), the Vols displayed a complete performance against a team that took many SEC powerhouses down to the wire.
Victor Bailey Jr. Brandon Huntley-Hatfield, Jonas Aidoo and the Vol veterans in Santiago Vescovi and Josiah-Jordan James all contributed to the win in their way. Still, it starts with how Chandler led the team on Tuesday night.
"It's comforting, as a teammate it's very comforting," Tennessee guard Victor Bailey Jr. said of how Kennedy Chandler's play affected him. "Seeing a guy get into his spots and make shots like that... It gives me confidence to try to do my job. He makes it easy on guys like us to make plays and get in there. Eight rebounds today? It's big for us."
Like Chandler, Victor Bailey Jr. put together his best performance against an SEC opponent, earning his second season-high point total with 11 versus Mizzou. The senior's jump shot looked the best it has all season, and Bailey's seven first-half points played a significant part in UT's run to coast into a halftime lead.
Bailey, a highly respected member of the locker room, always puts the team first and tries to fill in the gaps when needed.
Tonight, it was making shots.
"When I'm able to have an immediate impact, it feels good. And it's really whatever the team needs, whatever I can do to help my team win is my main focus," Bailey said. "I've tried to do a better job this year keeping a level head. it's good to see shots go, but my focus is doing whatever it is to help this team win. If it's making shots, if it's making tough plays on the floor, whatever it takes to help them."
And Bailey's double-digit, confidence-boosting performance could have come at a better time for the Vols, as the stakes keep getting higher, as Auburn is well on the horizon as the Saturday date with the Tigers looms.
In that matchup, Tennessee must face star forward Walker Kessler, a 7'1" sophomore with a 64.5 field goal percentage and averages four-and-a-half blocks per game.
Since losing Olivier Nkamhoua, freshman post player Jonas Aidoo has emerged as Tennessee's best rim protector. The Durham, North Carolina, native proved that again on Tuesday night, swatting three Tiger shots.
"Jonas has been doing incredible," Kennedy Chandler said of Aidoo's performance as of late. "We need someone to step up as a shot-blocker to fill in for O, and Jonas has done that. He's been improving on the offensive end as well, and he's becoming more aggressive on the offensive end and has been feeding our post guys as well."
Aidoo's freshman post counterpart, Brandon Huntley-Hatfield, also contributed to the Vols' complete win, recording six rebounds and six points in 18 minutes. Hatfield logged more minutes against the Tigers due to John Fulkerson dealing with a hip pointer he suffered in Tennessee's loss to Arkansas.
Barnes has been looking for an inside presence offensively, and Huntley-Hatfield's ability to get in position and wreak havoc on the glass had Barnes singing praise for the five-star following the game.
"I think tonight, Brandon was a force," Barnes said. "He's athletic, he has terrific hands, feet, he knows how to move, and he got himself in a good position to impact the game in many different ways. The effort he made on the rebounds was nice to see. We're just really proud of his effort and that he was locked in and vocal. He gave us a good game."
The timing of Victor Bailey's best game, along with increased/continued production from Brandon Huntley-Hatfield and Jonas Aidoo, is perfect for the team's confidence heading into the most challenging game of the season on Saturday.
The Vols will host No. 3 Auburn in Thompson-Boling Arena at 4:00 p.m. ET. Tennessee will look to keep their 14-0 home record alive as they take on their first top-three ranked opponent of the season.
Tennessee topped their most recent top-five opponent in No. 4 Kentucky with a 76-63 win in Knoxville. A win against Auburn would further boost the Vols in SEC Tournament and NCAA Tournament standing, as Tennessee and Arkansas tied for third in the SEC with an 11-4 conference record.
Vols head coach Rick Barnes' entire post-game press conference is in the video at the top of the article.
Photo Credit: Tennessee Athletics
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