KNOXVILLE - For the Tennessee men's basketball team to be able to make a deep run this postseason, it's going to need more - and less.
Meaning more from its bench, less from its starters.
At some point the amount of work for the top six assuredly will take its toll on the Volunteers (23-2, 11-1 Southeastern Conference), who fell from No. 1 to No. 5 in the latest Associated Press and coaches' polls after the 86-69 loss to now fourth-ranked Kentucky on Saturday at Rupp Arena.
Tennessee hosts Vanderbilt (9-16, 0-12) Tuesday night in Southeastern Conference play but has its final five regular-season games against prospective NCAA tournament teams.
The minutes being logged by its six primary players have been heavy during SEC play, especially as of late as coach Rick Barnes has chosen to shorten his rotation. Point guard Jordan Bone has played at least 30 minutes in every conference game, while forward Grant Williams has topped that number in 10 of the last 11 outings. If it weren't for first-half foul trouble against Texas A&M on Feb. 2, Admiral Schofield would have nine straight games with at least 30 minutes, while Lamonte Turner had played 30 in eight of the last nine.
The team's fifth starter, forward Kyle Alexander, has battled foul trouble a lot recently and has played 20 minutes or less in five of the last seven.
Beyond Jordan Bowden, who averages 14.5 points per game in 27.6 minutes, the production off the bench has been poor. Forward John Fulkerson - typically the first big off the bench - is averaging under 10 minutes in league play and is averaging 3.7 points for the season. Yves Pons, who started 13 consecutive games, hasn't played more than 10 minutes in the last six.
Against the Wildcats on Saturday, Fulkerson, Pons, sophomore guard Jalen Johnson and sophomore forward Derrick Walker combined to play 19 minutes.
"We need those guys, and those guys need to understand that they are needed, but they also need to understand that when they come in the game they can't have any negative stuff, they can't come in the game and give up two or three quick baskets, because if they do then they can't stay in the game," Barnes said Monday.
"They need to come in and understand those minutes are really important, and we need it probably more in the first half. So it's important, but they have to embrace that role, and we've still got to get back where we were. Kyle Alexander hasn't been a factor in three weeks, he has to go back and do his job. He just simply hasn't done the job he is capable of doing, but we need those guys and it's up to me to get them in the game."
Getting more out of Alexander would help greatly. The 6-foot-11 senior has 12 double-digit scoring games this season, but only four have come in SEC play and only one - a 10-point performance against South Carolina on Feb. 13 - has come in the past nine games. His lack of production has required the Vols to lean more on the scoring of Williams, Schofield, Bone, Turner and Bowden. Although the first three combined to score 52 against the Wildcats, Turner and Bowden combined to shoot 3-for-18 in the game while Alexander had four points and three rebounds before fouling out in 18 minutes.
"I don't know if I have the answer for why he is struggling. I wish I did, because he has just got to get back," Barnes said. "He had two games where he was terrific, and then from then on it's been a slow decline. Where he just isn't playing with the same energy and effort, and I think some of it is that he went through a period where he was getting some tough calls against him .. and then I think he goes into the game thinking, 'I can't be as aggressive early in the game,' and if you don't start off with the right mindset you won't end with the right mindset.
"I think he has let some of those games where he got in foul trouble affect him where he needs to just go play, and again have confidence in his teammates. If you get in foul trouble you have to believe that these guys can come off the bench and do the job for us, and we are going to have our bench for the reason to motivate guys to play hard."
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreeepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenley3 or at Facebook.com/VolsUpdate.