It wasn't aesthetically pleasing, but it was college basketball, and that's something the Tennessee Volunteers haven't experienced in a while.
After enduring five cancellations due to COVID-19 related issues, the 12th-ranked Vols opened their promising season Tuesday night at Thompson-Boling Arena with a 56-47 downing of Colorado in a matchup that was put together this past Saturday. Tennessee's deep roster repeatedly affected the Buffaloes, especially defensively, as the Pac-12 program coming off a 21-win season shot just 33.3% from the floor and committed 23 turnovers.
"It feels really different with the depth we have on the team right now," Vols sophomore guard Santiago Vescovi said. "You know you can go 100% on every possession on offense or defense knowing that the guy coming in for you is going to give his 100% and will play at a high level. It's really fun to play with them, because they can all score, and they can all play D. I think it all comes down to trusting each other.
"We've got a really great group this year."
Tennessee only shot 35.8%, with senior guard Yves Pons struggling through a 1-of-9 night, but the Vols held Colorado guard McKinley Wright IV to just eight points. Wright had averaged 22 points in leading the Buffaloes to a 2-0 start with wins over South Dakota and Kansas State.
The Vols countered their Pac-12 opponent with a former Pac-12 player, as Oregon transfer guard Victor Bailey made his Southeastern Conference debut with eight points that included a pair of 3-pointers in the first half. More importantly, the junior fit right in with his tenacious defense.
"We wanted to take it personal and make the matchups personal," said Bailey, who sat out last season. "We kind of knew that McKinley Wright was the head of the snake, and we wanted to kind of start with him and trickle down. I think we did a good job of handling that."
Vescovi and John Fulkerson shared team-high honors with 11 points, while Bailey and Josiah-Jordan James each added eight. Jeriah Horne led Colorado with 15.
Tennessee's triumph occurred before a socially-distanced crowd of 4,191, which is the current capacity for Thompson-Boling Arena in this landscape.
"I do think that affects the guys who have been here before and understand what Thompson-Boling Arena is like," Vols coach Rick Barnes said. "You bring a team like Colorado in, and it would have been a packed house. I appreciate the fans that were here, but it is what it is right now.
"We'll learn a lot from this, because it is definitely different. It's a much different feeling."
James was fouled while shooting a 3-pointer 36 seconds into the game and made all three free throws to give the Vols a lead they would never relinquish. The preseason pick to win the SEC shot out of the gate with a 19-4 run, but Colorado's zone defense began to give the Vols problems, which was reflected by Tennessee's 31-24 halftime lead.
Barnes said the repeated shutdowns of the program due to the coronavirus affected the team on many fronts, including offensive preparation for zone defenses.
A pair of Horne free throws with 2:06 remaining pulled Colorado within 52-47, and a missed shot by the Vols gave the Buffaloes a chance to make it a one-possession game. James forced a turnover, however, and Fulkerson and Vescovi each made two free throws in the final minute to account for the final.
Tennessee's two heralded freshman guards, Jaden Springer and Keon Johnson, had memorable entrances, with Springer connecting on two 3-pointers and Johnson providing an impressive dunk. The two combined for seven of Tennessee's 15 turnovers, though, with Johnson committing five.
"Those guys will be fine, because they're competitive, but those guys were hurt by the shutdown more than anybody," Barnes said. "I don't think any of us knew what this was going to be like. I'm just glad we're hopefully going to get some games in from here on out."
Tennessee's second contest is scheduled for Saturday afternoon against visiting Cincinnati.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.