KNOXVILLE - The Tennessee men's basketball team dropped its second consecutive game Wednesday, losing 78-66 at Cincinnati.
It's the first time the Volunteers have dropped back-to-back contests since the 2017-18 season, when they lost at Arkansas and to Auburn - their last home defeat until falling this past Saturday to Memphis to end a winning streak at Thompson-Boling Arena that had reached 31 games and was the longest active run in the nation.
The 21st-ranked Vols (7-3) return to competition when they host Jacksonville State at 1 p.m. Saturday.
Here are three observations from Wednesday's game.
1. This isn't last season: So often in 2018-19, the Vols were able to overcome some lackluster defensive performances due to their ability to overwhelm teams with offense. That team is not this team, though, and this year's Vols have to rely on defense to garner victories. They had not allowed an opponent to reach 70 points in a game this season, but that changed against the Bearcats, who shot 56% from the field. Tennessee can still be a good team, but the Vols have to realize that will be contingent on their ability to defend and manufacture offense, not vice versa.
2. Paint domination: It was no secret the Vols were going to have challenges in the interior this season. Although seven of the nine players in the rotation stand at least 6-foot-6, only junior John Fulkerson (6-9, 212 pounds) is a legitimate "big." The other six who stand at least 6-6 - juniors Jalen Johnson and Yves Pons, plus freshmen Davonte Gaines, Josiah-Jordan James, Olivier Nkamhoua and Drew Pember - are either true wings (Gaines, James, Johnson and Gaines), converted wings (Nkamhoua and Pons) or more of a stretch "4" who happens to be tall (Pember, who's 6-9, 207). The players have the size to potentially help somewhat in the interior but not the experience, which leads to Cincinnati pounding the paint for 46 points.
3. Do the Vols have a go-to guy? The most concerning thing about this team is that there is not a player on the roster who elicits fear in opposing defenses. The Vols are a collection of developmental role players who could make for a great defensive team, but they lack a player who can go create scoring opportunities. Lamonte Turner could be an option, but he has been battling lingering shoulder trouble that has him shooting career lows from the field (29%) and 3-point range (23%). Fellow senior guard Jordan Bowden has always been more of a catch-and-shoot player who relies on the presence of other scoring threats on the floor. Fulkerson and Pons have been hustle players for past Tennessee teams, with their point production more of a bonus than a necessity. Now those guys are expected to be leaders in all facets, and they're struggling in that regard. This is still a good team capable of winning a number of games, but the roles are still being defined - and the role of go-to player may never be definitive.
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenley3 or at Facebook.com/VolsUpdate.