Vols Fall Short Against Kansas, 74-68

Tennessee went into Lawrence, Kansas and gave the Jayhawks all they wanted. The Vols came up short against Kansas by the count of 74-68, however they played some of their best basketball of the season. Tennessee showed that they are capable of going toe to toe with anyone in the country. The Vols came up short, and there are no moral victories for a team like Tennessee that will be fighting to make the Tournament, but Tennessee should be able to see that they have a formula to continue to win games. A victory at Kansas would have helped the Vols' tournament cause, but efforts like the one they turned in against Kansas for the rest of the season should result in a shot at the Tournament.

The Vols came into Phog Allen Fieldhouse and came out from the opening tip playing excellent defense. The first points didn't come until nearly 4 minutes into the game for either team. The Vols were scrambling all over the hardwood, switching with the Jayhawks as they tried to create space. The long, athletic Vols were able to keep up with Kansas, pressuring them, making them work for each pass and shot. The Vols were matched in defensive intensity by Kansas, who utilized their pressure to trip the Vols up with turnovers, a problem which has plagued them all season long. The first half was marked by streaks, for both teams. The key became Kansas senior center Udoka Azubuike. Azubuike found himself in foul trouble early, with two quick fouls, that saw him spending significant time on the bench. A blatant push on John Fulkerson should have been Azubuike's third, but there was no call made. The Jayhawks were +13 with their big man on the floor, but the Vols controlled the game while he was on the bench.

For Tennessee, their big men turned in another excellent performance, as John Fulkerson turned in another double-double performance with 15 points and 12 rebounds, carrying Tennessee early in the game. It was another efficient effort from Fulkerson, and an explosive game for Yves Pons, especially early. Fulkerson shouldered the offensive load, while Pons turned in 24 points on offense, a career high, while blocking 3 shots, grabbing 7 rebounds, and playing stellar defense all over the floor. The Vols were at their best, as they have been all season, when they worked the ball inside to their starting pair of bigs. By forcing the Jayhawks to collapse inside on Fulkerson and Pons, the Vols gave themselves open shots on the outside. Pons was rewarded for his inside play, hitting a few of the three pointers the paint presence of the Vols created. The contributions of Pons on defense against the Jayhawks cannot be overstated. Pons was brilliant, guarding every position, switching from the point guard to the center on the same possession, and guarding both well. He continued to block shots on Kansas players of all sizes and positions, while Fulkerson willed the Vols into steady offense. The aggressive play of Fulkerson was also incredibly important, attacking Azubuike all game long, forcing fouls, and creating advantageous matchups for Tennessee by forcing him to the bench.

Unfortunately for Tennessee, the production from their guards was dramatically less than their big men. Josiah James had a miserable game playing mostly as a point guard. James had a scoreless first half and turned the ball over five times. James ended the game without scoring a single point, and while he pulled in 7 rebounds, even with contributions on defense and the rebounds, he couldn't overcome the total of 6 turnovers. Jordan Bowden was a tale of two halves. Bowden drew a pair of quick fouls in the first half, which limited him to only 6 minutes and 23 seconds in the first half. He was also scoreless in the first half as well. In the second half, Bowden played his best basketball of the season, playing well within the offense, hitting timely threes, driving to the rim, and getting to the free throw line. The Vols were up and down all game, but they struggled early in the second half. Bowden getting hot pulled the Volunteers out of their slump and allowed them to make it an interesting game. Despite his struggles lately, Bowden playing the way he is capable lifted Tennessee into the game, and showed what the Vols haves missed so much this season. Bowden ended the game with 19 points, all in the second half, and he was a major factor in keeping the Vols going when Kansas did all they could to stop the interior game. The slow start for Tennessee's backcourt, and the early fouls, put the Vols in a bind from a production standpoint on offense as well as defensively, where Barnes was forced to put other freshman in, resulting in some defensive let downs for Tennessee.

One of the guards that gave a more consistent effort, and was on the bench far too long, was Santiago Vescovi. As James struggled enormously with turnovers all night, the offense again looked to simply run better with Vescovi on the floor. Tennessee played well enough defensively to pick up a road win against the Jayhawks, but their offensive inefficiencies put the game in peril. The decision by Barnes to leave James at the point so long was a baffling one. Tennessee turned the ball over so much with James at the point, and it not only resulted in empty offensive possessions, it allowed Kansas to get out in transition. The Jayhawks are one of the best transition teams in the country, and the turnovers gave those opportunities to get into that offense and bypass the excellent half-court Tennessee defense. James kept having empty possessions and giving Kansas chances. Vescovi created more opportunities for the offense with better passes, but especially driving the lane. Vescovi's ability to score, 9 points in the game, facilitate, and drive aggressively opened up opportunities all over the floor for the Vols. The decision to play James so much over Vescovi was a difficult one to explain, especially when efficiency was such a key to Tennessee having an opportunity to pull an upset in Lawrence.

The Vols leave Lawrence disappointed, knowing that had a legitimate shot to upset the third ranked Jayhawks. They also leave with some more answers for the remainder of the season. Tennessee has realized that this team must run through John Fulkerson and Yves Pons on offense. Uros Plavsic must step up on his defensive game, but has an opportunity with this team. Santiago Vescovi appears to be the answer at point guard, while Josiah James has to find a role on offense. The Tennessee defense continues to carry the team, but the offer since efficiency is what will decide wins for this team. The Vols have to find answers on the bench with their freshmen, but the future in SEC play is not as from as it looked at the start of the New Year. The Vols are back in action Wednesday night at Thompson Boling Arena against Texas A&M.

Original Image credit of SB Nation. Link to original image: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.sbnation.com/platform/amp/college-basketball/2018/11/30/18112798/dedric-kj-lawson-kansas-jayhawks-memphis-transfer-tennessee-nit

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