by Camden Gober
No. 2 seed Tennessee pulled away from No. 15 seed Wofford down the stretch in route to a 77-62 win for the Vols. Tennessee handled business in familiar territory, inside of Rupp Arena, but not without a fight from a pesky Wofford squad. Here are my takeaways from the Vols first round win:
Unfazed Lanier
Chaz Lanier spent his first four years of his collegiate career at North Florida, where he never got the opportunity to play in the NCAA tournament. You never really know what to expect from guys who have never been able to experience playing in the tournament. Chaz Lanier, however, showed no signs of nerves on Thursday night. The senior guard finished with a game-high 29 points, going 11 for 22 from the field, and 6 for 13 from three. Lanier did not just get his feet wet in his March Madness debut, he finished with the third most points ever scored by a Tennessee player in a NCAA tournament game.
Capitalizing on mistakes
Wofford plays at one of the slowest paces in college basketball, so the Vols knew that they needed to find a way to speed the Terriers up. Anytime Tennessee got a chance to set up their press and try to speed up the pace of the game, that’s exactly what they did. The Vols defense was once again stifling, forcing Wofford into 11 turnovers on the night. Tennessee forcing double digits turnovers is not abnormal in any way, but the Vols cashing in those turnovers for points was a huge story in the game. Tennessee scored 14 points off the Terriers turnovers, while the Vols held Wofford to zero points off their own turnovers. Holding Wofford to zero points off turnovers is extremely impressive transition defense by the Vols.
Superior Shot Selection
Tennessee shot 50% (13 for 26) from the field as a team on the night, and that has a lot to do with the Vols’ shot selection. The reason why Chaz Lanier had such a good game has a lot to do with him getting wide open looks. The Vols got shooters open all night, resulting in a very efficient night from the floor. Tennessee’s offensive sets kept Wofford’s defense on their toes all night long. Any time the Vols ran their offensive sets, it seemed like it would result in either a wide open three, or an easy bucket at the rim.
Up Next for Tennessee
No. 2 seed Tennessee advances to the second round of the NCAA tournament for the fourth straight season, and the Vols will take on the winner of 7-seed UCLA or 10-seed Utah State in Rupp Arena on Saturday.