Rick Barnes’ Tennessee team is known as one of the toughest defensive groups in the country, holding opponents to just 28% shooting from 3-point range. But in two regular-season meetings with Kentucky this year, the Volunteers had no answer as the Wildcats combined to shoot 24-for-48 from downtown in the two victories.
“I think you’ve got to be on edge obviously,” Barnes said Thursday when asked about meeting their SEC rival for a third time this season. “I attribute their success to some of the actions they run, and we didn’t defend it. You can guard them, but when you let a team get confident, get a rhythm, it’s even harder to break it.”
The stress that the Volunteers were feeling entering the game translated into a furious start on the hardwood in Friday’s regional semifinal, bringing a reversal to the regular-season script with a 78-65 victory to end Mark Pope’s first season at the helm. On this night, it was Kentucky who was on its heels, as Tennessee swarmed the ball from the start. The Vols opened the game on a 17-7 run behind stout defense, rebounding, and the three-headed monster of Zakai Zeigler, Chaz Lanier and Jordan Gainey, who combined for 51 points.
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Tennessee imposed its grind-you-down style from the jump, holding the Wildcats to just seven points in the opening eight minutes of the game. The Vols were glued on Kentucky leading scorer Otega Oweh, holding him to just 11 points, while one of the best shooters in America, Koby Brea, was silent in Indianapolis, finishing 1-of-7 from the floor.
For a Kentucky team that loves to let it fly from downtown, averaging 26 attempts per game, Tennessee turned the water off, holding the Wildcats to 6-of-15 from downtown. Combine that with a +10 advantage on the glass and a 19-5 edge in second-chance points, and it spelled doom for the Cats.
The turning point for Tennessee came with 6:25 left in the first half when Kentucky had cut the lead to 31-20. The Vols proceeded to hold the Wildcats without a made field goal for the next five minutes, going on an 8-1 run to push the advantage to 18.
Zeigler continued his legendary career with 18 points and 10 assists – matching Kentucky’s total for the game – while Chaz Lanier broke out from his 8-of-27 regular-season slump against Kentucky. The North Florida transfer delivered 17 points on 7-of-16 shooting from the floor.
For the Volunteers, it’s a return to the Elite Eight for the second consecutive season after having only one previous regional final appearance in program history, which came under Bruce Pearl back in 2010. Barnes’ team will now set aim on history against either Houston or Purdue. Tennessee has never been to a Final Four, but with the way the Vols rocked Kentucky on Friday night, they showed why history could be made later this weekend.
Year 1 of the Mark Pope era can be viewed as a success in Lexington, with the program reaching the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2019. Expectations will only elevate for Pope to build on this tone-setting season as he constructs his second roster.
John Fanta is a national college basketball broadcaster and writer for FOX Sports. He covers the sport in a variety of capacities, from calling games on FS1 to serving as lead host on the BIG EAST Digital Network to providing commentary on The Field of 68 Media Network. Follow him at @John_Fanta.
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