Nichols: Vols ride freshmen and fortitude into ‘Rock Chalk’ rematch
Tennessee fans expect wins, no matter the sport.
Sure, you’d love them in football, but my guess is that a substantial upswing won’t happen anytime soon.
After all, there’s still an entire NCAA investigation to muddle through first, and Josh Heupel — the sixth Tennessee football coach since 2008 — will have to take on a much bigger leadership role through that than anything he dealt with at UCF.
But basketball is a different story.
Kellie Harper’s 20th-ranked Lady Vols are rolling after a win over No. 12 Kentucky on Sunday, their third over a Top-25 opponent.
“We are seeing that growth, and we have been seeing that,” Harper said. “I am so happy for our team because they listened, and they bought in, and they really tried, and they have been rewarded with some really good wins. And that is so fun to see.”
Heupel mentioned that we could see that type of fun on the offensive side of the football field, too. The system he ran at Central Florida should translate well to a loaded wide receiving corps on Rocky Top, especially with Harrison Bailey, Henson Hooker and Kaidon Salter as options under center.
But where haven’t we seen any fun lately? In the program most expected to produce that exact pleasure this season: Rick Barnes’ 18th-ranked basketball program.
Before Tuesday’s 56-53 win over Mississippi State, Tennessee had suffered a two-game losing streak, with 18 turnovers in each loss.
Those weren’t fun to watch for anyone, and honestly, neither was the Vols’ win over the Bulldogs. Each team shot horribly, combining for a 37-for-106 effort from field goal range with a 6-for-29 clip beyond the arc.
“I don’t think you can ever be concerned about shooting when guys take good shots,” said Barnes.
Still, those shots have to fall to be successful. But Tennessee found a way to make plays down the stretch, as their 5-star freshmen showed plenty of fortitude.
I’ll take that ‘f-word’ any day with this Tennessee program, and I think Barnes would, too.
“I told them in a timeout, ‘I don’t know how we are going to do it, but we have to get it done,’” said Barnes.
And Tennessee did. It just wasn’t pretty.
The Vols jumped out to a 15-4 lead in the first half, but Mississippi State roared back before the teams battled through the end of the period.
Tennessee’s lead came off a lone 3-pointer from Santiago Vescovi, but the Vols also endured a five-minute scoring drought and dealt with suffocating defense from the Bulldogs.
The first 20 minutes were sporadic, sure. But the second half is where those two essentials, freshmen and fortitude, truly came into play for Tennessee.
Let’s start with the freshmen. Jaden Springer made his return on Tuesday after missing the previous two games with a left ankle injury. The Vols put him to good use, as he finished with nine points, five rebounds and four assists.
“We needed him, and we’re proud of him,” Barnes said of Springer. “As the game went on, I thought he settled in. He is a difference maker even though I knew he was going to make some mistakes, but he made some terrific plays and it was great to have him back and see him out there.”
Barnes did note that Springer is “still not 100%” and that he continued to play, despite being winded. That’s the type of fortitude Vescovi has shown as well, playing through a hip injury he suffered against Florida.
Yves Pons showed plenty of grit, too, as he sparked the Vols’ comeback. The senior forward finished with a team-high 13 points, four of which came on back-to-back possessions in the second half to tie the score at 44.
Before that, he also scored on a breakaway slam to bring Tennessee within one after a Mississippi State run. This was also after he sat for 14 minutes of the first half due to foul trouble, which climaxed when Pons fouled out with 2:15 left.
“The fact of the matter is, in games like this, players make plays,” Barnes said.
And Pons did. Olivier Nkamhoua did too when Pons was in foul trouble, adding five points and four rebounds with a statement slam off the baseline.
But Keon Johnson was the most impressive, as he strung together his best late-game performance to date to lead the Vols down the stretch.
He drained a jumper, drawing a foul with 4:13 left. Later, Johnson snagged an offensive rebound and connected on a wild put-back, rising between several big bodies for the shot. He also drew a crucial charge with 1:33 left and nailed two free-throws with 1:16 to play. Finally, he made a layup with 59 seconds left, drawing the foul and connecting at the line after a well-designed isolation play from Barnes.
Vescovi also came up big, as he redeemed a late foul with a pair of free throws and a crucial offensive rebound to ice the game.
Those plays are where the Vols’ toughness showed the most. When it came down to the wire, Tennessee would not be denied.
That refusal points to the definition of fortitude.
Still, there is one more ‘F-word’ that the Vols need to truly find their way back to prominence, and he wears No. 10.
Like the Missouri and Florida games, John Fulkerson went missing against the Bulldogs. Other than tipping that offensive rebound to Vescovi late in the matchup, the Vols’ senior had another difficult night.
“Some way somehow, we need Fulky to get going,” Barnes said. “It’s going to get back to personal adjustments he’s going to have to make.”
Fulkerson better make those adjustments quickly, or else Tennessee needs to continue to find ways to win without him. The Vols did that Tuesday.
They can’t do it forever.
Saturday, Tennessee faces a 15th-ranked Kansas team that’s suffered three straight losses.
This isn’t nearly the same team that handed the Vols a 74-68 loss last season. Like a lot of blue-bloods, the Jayhawks are struggling.
But a win in the annual SEC-Big 12 Challenge would still go a long way in saying that the Vols aren’t going anywhere soon. To pull it off, Tennessee will need all the alliteration it can get from freshmen, fortitude and Fulkerson alike.
And when they hit all three, this team should be a lot more fun again, too.
