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Nichols: No. 18 Tennessee punches back, sticks to standard with statement win over 15th-ranked Kansas

Tennessee came out firing on Saturday afternoon, and the effort was enough to take down one of college basketball’s blue-bloods. But can the Vols replicate that energy down the stretch?
Jake Nichols|
Nichols: No. 18 Tennessee punches back, sticks to standard with statement win over 15th-ranked Kansas
Nichols: No. 18 Tennessee punches back, sticks to standard with statement win over 15th-ranked Kansas

A little over a week ago, two straight losses knocked 18th-ranked Tennessee to the floor.

Against Mississippi State, the Vols picked themselves up off the canvas.

But it wasn’t until Saturday, against No. 15 Kansas, that Rick Barnes’ team delivered a haymaker in return.

This weekend’s opponent just happened to be the Jayhawks, and Tennessee’s 80-61 win just happened to count as a statement victory for the SEC, which won the SEC/Big 12 Challenge 5-4.

“I am glad we won the Challenge,” Rick Barnes said. “I really am. There is enough talk about our league not being very good and people talking arguably the Big 12 or the Big 10 being the best league. The fact is we were able to win 5-4 and yes, I think it's great for our league.”

That’s Barnes’ version of shade, FYI. It wasn’t as spicy as the Chick-fil-A sandwich I had for dinner before tip-off, but it was still well-deserved, especially with SEC commissioner Greg Sankey in attendance.

To be quite honest, though, I don’t think the Vols’ opponent mattered much. Tennessee came out ready to prove the doubters wrong, tearing through anyone and anything that stood in their way. Foolishly, I was one of those people, as I had picked the Jayhawks to win during a podcast we recorded before tip-off.

Instead, my chicken and waffle fries came with an extra side of crow.

Don’t get me wrong — I know the opponent mattered some. Even on a down year for the Jayhawks, it’s Kansas. The blue-blood of the blue-bloods, which hadn’t visited Knoxville since Skylar McBee drained this 3-pointer in January of 2010:

And just like that night in 2010, the storylines were still ripe for the picking. The program history was there for Rick Barnes, as he beat KU for the first time since his Texas team won in 2014. The revenge mindset was there for Tennessee (especially Yves Pons and John Fulkerson), as the Vols lost two straight to the Jayhawks before Saturday’s meeting. And the statement opportunity was there for the taking, as Tennessee gobbled Bill Self’s team on a prime-time silver platter otherwise known as ESPN.

“Yves and I were 0-2 against Kansas,” Fulkerson said. “With us being seniors and knowing where Coach Barnes was before this, I know he played Kansas a lot. I have the most respect for their coaches and their players, but we knew what a big game it was for Yves and I, coach, our team and just for our program. We knew we had to come ready to play and I think we did just that.”

Tennessee took the floor with swagger. 40 minutes later, that swagger had morphed into a much-needed win. But between the opening tip and the final whistle, the Vols didn’t just beat Kansas — they rediscovered Tennessee’s own standard of basketball.

And when the Vols stick to that standard? Well, you saw what happened.

“We needed a big change,” Pons said. “We haven’t been the Tennessee team we’ve been from the beginning. (Saturday), we got back to our standard. The talk we had (Friday) was really effective and efficient. We freed our minds and focused on what we have to do personally and what our jobs our on the team and I think everyone showed what they have to do.”

Pons, Fulkerson and Josiah-Jordan James each made separate postgame references to what James called a “come-to-Jesus meeting” that Tennessee had on Friday night, as Barnes reiterated the role that each player needs to fill on this team.

Evidently, that meeting worked.

The Vols jumped out to an early 5-0 lead, and they stretched that to a 21-10 advantage off a 12-2 run.

New Tennessee football coach Josh Heupel was introduced between those spurts, and he gave a message to fans in Thompson-Boling Arena.

Heupel is known for his offense; anyone that follows Tennessee knows that by now. So it only seems fitting that Tennessee’s basketball program answered the new football coach’s presence with an offensive showing that would rival any Air Raid in the nation.

The Vols led 40-26 at halftime, as Pons’ 10 points and Kansas’s 1-for-12 three-point effort aided Tennessee.

The final 20 minutes were more of the same. Tennessee led by as many as 26 in the second half, and the Vols finished the night with a 28-for-53 (52.8 %) clip from the floor, with an 8-for-13 (61.5%) effort beyond the arc. The Vols also dominated the boards, winning the rebound battle 38-23.

“We’ve just allowed people to play harder and be more aggressive and not go at it the way we need to,” Barnes said. “We said sooner or later we have to rebound the basketball. I thought early we were able to do that and now we’ll see if we’re tough enough to continue doing that.”

Kansas, meanwhile, finished just 20-of-53 inside the arc, went 6-of-24 beyond it, and it came up short on every single second-chance opportunity. 

That defensive effort paid off in other ways for Tennessee, too. It put the Vols back at No. 1 in defense for KenPom.com’s college basketball rankings, and it made KU look almost as confused as the woman in this Vine graphic that Tennessee released after the game:

To lead the Vols, Pons became the basketball version of Lamar Jackson with 17 points. The senior forward is built like a linebacker (that Heupel could use, cough, cough) and, on most days, he plays defense like a human whack-a-mole. He was even named to the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Watch List last Wednesday. But on Saturday afternoon, Pons continued an offensive barrage that has showcased his versatility.

The game was a repeat affair for the Frenchman, who notched 24 points, seven rebounds and three blocks against KU last season.

Pons came up hobbling twice on Saturday after taking shots to his knee and ankle, and he reiterated that he’ll pay a visit to the training room on Sunday. But with a quick self-diagnosis of “I’ll be ready for our next game,” the senior was more focused on the Tennessee-Kansas ramifications rather than those of his physical play.

“Kansas is a special team for me and I think for Fulky too,” Pons said. “This is our third time playing against them. They kicked our butt the first two times, so it’s a great challenge to play them and they’re a great team. I was really excited about getting my revenge and that’s what we did.”

Jaden Springer and Keon Johnson were also outstanding, as were Josiah-Jordan James, Victor Bailey, Jr. and Olivier Nkamhoua.

Saturday marked the first time that Springer and Johnson started together. In his second game back from injury, Springer finished with 13 points, four rebounds, three assists and a steal. One of his passes was particularly impressive, as Springer got caught in a double-team before hooking the ball over his shoulder and straight to Fulkerson, who rose for a slam.

Johnson was electric, too — he added eight points on 3-of-8 shooting from the floor, with two free-throws.

James had one of his best games of the season, as his nine points and season-high 11 rebounds came dangerously close to a double-double.

Bailey notched 11 points with two rebounds and four assists, and he drew an offensive foul that got a major response from the Vols’ bench and Thompson-Boling Arena as a whole.

Finally, Nkamhoua showed why his minutes continue to rise. He finished with four points on 2-of-7 shooting: not eye-popping stats, but impressive when considering how well he’s filled a sixth- to seventh-man role for Tennessee.

“O is playing at a very high level right now,” Fulkerson said of Nkamhoua. “I have full confidence that he’s going to do that for us.”

Still, as good as the rest of Tennessee’s players were and as well as they filled the roles that Barnes emphasized on Friday, none performed a complete 180 the way Fulkerson did. 

After struggling in three straight games, the Vols’ big man finally returned to form for 11 points, six rebounds and three assists on Saturday. 

What fueled that return? Going back to the basics.

“I thought he played with more speed, and he got back to doing what he had spent four or five years doing — working on the high release and quick up,” Barnes said. “Those are the things that have made him good.”

Fulkerson also played Saturday’s game with more physicality than we’ve seen lately. It was a welcomed change, even if that change stemmed from the simple expectation for contact.

Barnes said Fulkerson has “to know that there’s going to be some bumping going on. You can’t be flopping and flailing around. You’ve got to apply the force, because they are entitled to their position as much as you are yours.”

“You just have to prepare and know that it’s going to be a fight every night and you just have to hit first,” Fulkerson added. “You can’t be the one to be hit and keep getting hit. You have to deliver the blow and be the one that brings the physicality to your opponent.”

Tennessee did that on Saturday.

Now, the Vols have to replicate it.

I asked Fulkerson how that replication would happen, and his answer summarized each and every blowout we’ve seen this team deliver this season.

“We can't just get up to play to our opponents,” Fulkerson said. “It doesn't matter if we're playing the No. 1-ranked team in the country or the last-ranked team in the country. It doesn't matter who we're playing. We have to play Tennessee basketball, and we have to play to our standard. We don't have to [do anything else].

“We can't play to our opponent's strengths and weaknesses,” he continued. “The biggest thing is we just have to keep getting better, staying focused, and like I said, it doesn't matter who our opponent is. We have to come out and play like that every single night regardless of our opponent.”

Were there some low points on Saturday? Sure. Tennessee sacrificed 13 turnovers, and the Vols allowed the Jayhawks to make six of their final eight shots. Both of those have to be fixed, and the Vols have to stick to the standard Fulkerson mentioned, especially with a grueling SEC slate at the beginning of February.

If they can do that, and this Tennessee team stays hot, there might not be a team in the country Barnes’ group can’t beat.

“We definitely haven’t played our best defensive game yet,” James said. “To be the team we want to be at the end of the year holding the national trophy, we need to become that team. I think tonight was a better showing of our defense, but we definitely need to keep taking steps forward.”

Did you catch that? National trophy.

Of course, James didn’t include the assumed “championship” part in the middle. Still, to my knowledge, that’s the first time anyone on this team has uttered anything remotely related to what they can ultimately accomplish.

Maybe it’s a fear of tempting fate. Maybe it’s a fear of jinxing in general. And I can’t say I don’t understand.

Whatever the case for its wordplay, though, Tennessee has rediscovered its standard, putting those Missouri and Florida losses firmly in the rearview mirror.

Now, we’ll see if the Vols can stay on track for a goal that’s eluded not just the Tennessee men’s basketball program, but its coach as well.

Maybe together, they can finally reach that long-coveted finish line in Indianapolis. I’d certainly consider a 19-point win over Kansas to be a good first step.

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Jake Nichols
JAKE NICHOLS