KNOXVILLE – The Tennessee basketball Volunteers get back in action Tuesday evening against Texas A&M (9-9, 3-3 Southeastern Conference) at 6:30 at Thompson-Boling Arena.
The Aggies fell 73-62 at home to Oklahoma State on Saturday.
Tennessee guard Yves Pons (35) shoots while covered by Kansas guards Marcus Garrett, left, and Isaiah Moss, right, during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Lawrence, Kan., Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)Here are three keys for the Vols to get the win:
Finding Nebo (and Flagg): Texas A&M’s pace of play ranks last in the SEC in league play. Offensively the Aggies started off slowly but have been better in conference games, led by guard/forward Savion Flagg and forward Josh Nebo, who makes 72% of his shots and averages 12.5 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.5 blocked shots per outing. The Aggies’ offense is predicated on getting the ball inside the arc, because their 26% shooting from 3-point range ranks 349th out of 353 Division I teams. Flagg appears to be the team’s only proficient 3-point shooter, making 37% of his attempts. Finding him early on the defensive end will be key for the Vols, and finding ways to attack the 6-foot-9, 245-pound Nebo, one of A&M’s better defenders, could be helpful in getting him in foul trouble and getting into the Aggies bench.
Take – and make – the open shots: It’s a simple task that shouldn’t be too hard to execute. Tennessee is good at sharing the ball (perhaps too good at times, passing up wide-open shots and turning the ball over as a result), and Texas A&M’s defensive style forces opponents to make an extra pass. Tennessee assists on 65% of its made baskets, while 64% of Aggies opponents’ made baskets coming as the result of assists. This should be a good game for the Vols to run their offensive sets, be patient and take advantage of the open shots when available.
Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes, left, hugs Kansas head coach Bill Self, right, following an NCAA college basketball game in Lawrence, Kan., Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020. Kansas defeated Tennessee 74-68. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)Attack! This kind of goes with the first point, but Tennessee coach Rick Barnes has implored his team to play fast as much as possible, getting out in transition and trying to score easy baskets when they present themselves. With a pair of freshman point guards still attempting to adjust to the college game, that hasn’t always been the case, but the Aggies don’t like to play with pace and aren’t a good rebounding team (opponents rebound 31.5% of their missed shots, which ranks 301st in the country). Playing faster wouldn’t be a bad thing for Tennessee at any point, but especially against a team that prefers to play at a slower pace. Getting easy baskets, via transition or putbacks, would be huge for the Vols Tuesday night.
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenley3 or at Facebook.com/VolsUpdate.