Wiedmer: If Vols don't start locking in every game, they may be locked out of March Madness

Tennessee forward John Fulkerson dunks the ball against Vanderbilt in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Jan. 18, 2020, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
Tennessee forward John Fulkerson dunks the ball against Vanderbilt in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Jan. 18, 2020, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

KNOXVILLE - Had you checked the Southeastern Conference rebounding stats for league games only prior to the start of Tuesday night's Texas A&M-Tennessee game inside Thompson-Boling Arena, you would have seen that the Aggies were being outrebounded by an average of 1.3 boards a game while the Volunteers were on the short end by 0.3.

So how in the world did A&M pull off more offensive rebounds (23) than UT had total rebounds (21) in the visitors' shocking 63-58 win? How did the Aggies win the total rebounding battle 46-21 to prevail in a game in which they shot only 30.4% from the floor and turned it over 14 times?

"We haven't been that way the entire season," A&M coach Buzz Williams said afterward. "Our defensive rebound rate has been very low throughout the season."

The Vols haven't been this way all year, either. They may not be within the same area code of the team that was ranked No. 1 in the country at this point a year ago, but they've showed noteworthy fight most every game. For tangible proof, they had won four of their last five starts in conference play before taking No. 3 Kansas to the wire in losing 74-68 on Saturday.

But something was clearly amiss against the Aggies. Leading by eight points early in each half, the Big Orange could sustain nothing, despite the presence of 17,722 highly energized fans. Nor was it just the rebounds, or lack thereof.

"I was surprised by a lot of things," said UT coach Rick Barnes. "We settled too much (for jump shots). It's tough. I thought we were making strides."

photo Tennessee men's basketball coach Rick Barnes will try to have the Vols rebound, literally and figuratively, when they visit Mississippi State on Saturday. / AP file photo by Mark Humphrey

Added UT forward John Fulkerson, whose team highs in points (15) and rebounds (7) were anything but embarrassing: "That was embarrassing. That's not who we are."

The record shows that what the Vols are now is a 12-8 team that stands 4-3 in league play with the toughest part of the schedule still to come.

Each of UT's next five games comes against a league opponent that currently stands .500 or better in conference play, beginning with Saturday's 2 p.m. game at Mississippi State, which won at Florida on Tuesday night.

"We've got to be consistent," said senior Jordan Bowden, whose 13 points were second to Fulkerson and who delivered the highlight of the night with 8:49 to go on a massive dunk. Beyond that, his 3-pointer with 1:24 to go tied the game at 53. By the time the Vols scored again, the Aggies had run off seven straight to ice the victory.

"They out-toughed us," Bowden added.

It had seemed so different at Kansas. Against a Jayhawks squad that many believe is capable of winning the national championship, the Vols nearly pulled off a monumental upset.

Against A&M, however, they often looked disinterested and discombobulated.

"In our wins we're in attack mode," Fulkerson said. "In our losses we're settling."

Nobody's good every night. Especially not this season. But neither is anybody bad every time out.

Speaking of his team's 73-62 home loss to Oklahoma State on Saturday in the Big 12/SEC Challenge, Williams said, "Our effort was our worst of the year. No effort. No spirit. No energy."

But three days later, a far different effort and spirit led to one of the more astounding stats you'll ever see - one Power Five conference team having more offensive rebounds than its Power Five conference opponent had total rebounds.

"Our spirit for sure came out on the glass," Williams said.

UT needs to find its spirit quickly, then find a way to keep it regardless of the opponent.

Or to quote Fulkerson: "We can't base our play on our opponent."

Maybe they won't. Maybe this was the last wake-up call the Vols will need to find their way to the NCAA tournament for a third straight March. Maybe they'll quit settling for jump shots when told to pound the ball into the paint. Maybe they'll be more careful with the ball, since they're currently next to last in turnover margin in SEC games. Maybe they won't wait until the final basket of the game to score their first second-chance points of the night.

"We were locked in for the Kansas game," Fulkerson said. "We should be like that every game."

At least they should be if they want to hear their name called for the NCAA tournament on Selection Sunday.

photo Mark Wiedmer

Contact Mark Wiedmer at mwiedmer@timesfreepress.com.

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