College Basketball
Tennessee Dominates
Easily the most anticipated game of the week in college basketball, #4 Kentucky traveled to Knoxville to take on the #7 Tennessee. The Volunteers were seeking to avenge their 17-point loss in Lexington last month.
Tennessee cruised to a 71-52 victory, moving them into a tie with Kentucky for the top spot in the SEC. From the start, Tennessee’s physicality and swarming defense seemed to overwhelm the unsuspecting Wildcats. Kentucky ended the game with a grueling 17 turnovers as compared to five for Tennessee. The defense certainly helped to keep the momentum on the home side. Also, the Volunteers defensive pressure prevented the Wildcats from establishing any sort of rhythm. Kentucky shot only 31.8% from the field, which was more than 20% worse than their performance against Tennessee the first time.
At the half, the Volunteers led by 13 and maintained a safe margin throughout the game. This win helps improve their standing in the SEC and as a potential number one seed in the NCAA tournament.
Absence of Reid Travis Felt
Perhaps the biggest storyline of this past week was Kentucky’s loss of Reid Travis. He sprained his knee on February 19th against Missouri. Travis is an integral part of the Kentucky team. Specifically on defense, where his 6’8” 238-pound frame fills up the paint.
His absence was easily seen against Tennessee via Grant Williams’ 24-point performance, which is a sharp contrast from their first meeting. In the previous matchup, Travis held Williams to just four shot attempts. Travis had been averaging over 11 points per game and almost 7 rebounds this season. More importantly, his leadership as a senior captain and status as a veteran in a very young Kentucky team are equally important.
Jordon Bone and Grant Williams Excel
The game was controlled by the duo of Jordan Bone and Naismith-hopeful Grant Williams. Both players combined to score 51 of Tennessee’s 71 points. Bone, a junior guard, known for his shooting stroke and exceptional passing, exploded for 27 points on 11-15 shooting. He also made all five of his three-point attempts. His performance doubled his points average coming into the game.
It was clear Kentucky had no way of slowing Bone down. Especially since their focus was primarily on Williams and preseason all-American Admiral Schofield. Williams continued his stellar junior campaign, scoring 24 points and adding seven rebounds to go along with it.
Looking Forward
Kentucky will look to bounce back on the road on Tuesday against 19-10 Ole Miss. Then the Wildcats will conclude their regular season next Saturday against Florida, who they handled on the road earlier in the year. Tennessee will remain home next week to play Mississippi State on Tuesday before traveling to Auburn for their finale on Saturday.
These next two games are extremely important for both teams, as they are now tied for second in the SEC behind LSU. Both teams are only a .5 game behind the Tigers for the top spot. Both teams need to finish strong in the next few weeks in order to lock up a top seed in March Madness.
Written by Andrew Mayor
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Photo Credit to @Vol_Hoops via Twitter
