NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Dalton Knecht launched a 3-pointer from the suitable wing as he is achieved so many instances for Tennessee this season, and the stress rose inside Bridgestone Area, which was stuffed with orange-clad followers able to erupt throughout the Volunteers’ recreation vs. Mississippi State within the SEC Event Quarterfinals on Friday.
Buzz had been constructing because the Volunteers mounted a 10-0 run late within the second half, and a make from the SEC Participant of the 12 months would have introduced the SEC Event’s No. 1 seed inside single digits for the primary time for the reason that first half.
It wasn’t meant to be.
The shot got here up brief, and because the rebound trickled away, Knecht and teammate Josiah-Jordan James almost collided whereas making an attempt to put it aside from going out of bounds. Neither reached it in time. It was Mississippi State’s ball and Mississippi State’s day because the Bulldogs promptly prolonged the lead as soon as once more on their method to thrashing Tennessee 73-56.
Knecht collected the ball after the whistle blew and slammed it on the bottom in frustration. The sound resonated as an enviornment stuffed largely with Tennessee followers fell silent. They’d been hoping their workforce’s postseason journey would start in a a lot completely different trend.
“We do not need this sense ever once more,” Knecht mentioned later.
After a Friday clunker towards the Bulldogs and an 85-81 loss to Kentucky on Senior Day to conclude the common season final Saturday, Tennessee is heading to Choice Sunday on its first two-game shedding streak since November. Projected to land as a No. 1 seed for the primary time in program historical past when the day started, the Vols are in peril of slipping to a No. 2 seed, in accordance with CBS Sports activities Bracketology Knowledgeable Jerry Palm.
“They seem to be a bodily workforce and so they introduced quite a lot of vitality at the moment,” Knecht mentioned of the Bulldogs, who at the moment are 2-0 towards the Volunteers on the season and on the suitable facet of the bubble after one other Quad 1 victory. “We did not carry sufficient vitality. So we all know we have to exit and be the extra bodily workforce and be the aggressors.”
That is what Tennessee has been for a lot of Rick Barnes’ nine-year teaching tenure: the extra bodily workforce and the aggressors. The philosophy has carried this system to perennial contender standing within the SEC and a spot within the final 5 NCAA Tournaments, together with a pair of Candy 16s.
However there was hope that with Knecht including a wanted dose of offensive punch, this iteration of the Volunteers may very well be one thing much more. Tennessee has by no means made a Remaining 4 however seemed like a Remaining 4-caliber workforce on its method to profitable the SEC common season title.
Now, it should discover its method as soon as once more because the jubilation of an outright convention title has rapidly devolved into frustration for a program and coach recognized for struggling to win within the Massive Dance.
“We do not need to find yourself once more feeling this manner,” mentioned fifth-year guard Santiago Vescovi. “We have simply acquired to show round our mindset and know what we’re enjoying for.”
The Volunteers modernized their fashion of play this season, quickening their offensive tempo and sometimes enjoying versatile wing Josiah-Jordan James at energy ahead as an alternative of enjoying two conventional bigs collectively.
It is a shift that has achieved wonders for Tennessee offensively and opened house for gamers like Knecht and shifty level guard Zakai Zeigler to thrive. It has been the prescription this system wanted, but it surely’s include an occasional facet impact that confirmed itself once more within the SEC Event.
Mississippi State outscored Tennessee by a shocking 42-14 within the paint because the Bulldogs did what Purdue, Kansas and North Carolina had been capable of do in November and bullied the Vols inside.
“We felt like we had slightly little bit of a weight benefit,” Mississippi State coach Chris Jans mentioned. “Attempt to get our back-down recreation, get Jimmy (Bell) and Tolu (Smith) going, get to the free-throw line whilst you’re making an attempt to pound the ball inside.”
Has a Tennessee workforce that was disparaged by some for its overtly bodily play in a second spherical NCAA Event win over Duke final season gone gentle? That is a stretch, contemplating the Vols nonetheless entered Friday ranked No. 3 in defensive effectivity at KenPom.com. However it’s obvious that the Vols have misplaced a contact of their bodily edge in alternate for the sake of offensive enchancment.
When that offensive enchancment is nowhere to be discovered — as was the case on Friday when Vols shot a season-worst 30.6% from the ground — the outcomes might be alarming.
“We didn’t do an excellent job one-on-one protection,” Barnes mentioned. “However there’s different groups which have performed us the way in which they performed us. They made up their thoughts they will drive the ball at us. We have seen that each one yr with groups doing that. “Once more, we simply acquired actually spaced out. Why? I can not inform you. We harped on it a lot. Each loss we have had this yr, that is been the case, the place we have now gotten away from our defensive ideas and allowed groups to do what they wished to do. We did not have a solution for it.”
There’s nonetheless an opportunity for Tennessee to put in writing a unique ending to this story. Two years in the past, it received the SEC Event however was eradicated within the second spherical of the Massive Dance. What occurs within the NCAA Event is not all the time foreshadowed by what occurs within the convention match.
The one instances Barnes made a Remaining 4 beforehand was in 2003 with Texas. That squad misplaced its Massive 12 Event opener by 11 factors to a Texas Tech squad that wound up within the NIT.
However the warning indicators are flashing, and the status is established. The Vols and Barnes aren’t recognized for profitable large this time of yr, and there may be work to be achieved if that is going to alter this season.
“It begins with the seniors, with me and Zakai, the blokes which were in that match,” junior guard Jamai Mashack mentioned. “There is no second probabilities from there. No matter we have to repair, we’ll get it fastened. We will go from there and have ourselves an important March Insanity.”