By Jack Glennon
Death, taxes, and Tennessee losing because of avoidable mistakes.
Tennessee played host to its in-state rival Vanderbilt for a late-season matinee on Saturday.
Vanderbilt left Knoxville with an 86-82 victory, knocking Tennessee out of contention for a two-round bye in next week’s SEC tournament, and spoiling the Volunteers’ senior day festivities.
Final scores are often deceiving, however, and this one perhaps tells a kinder story than the Volunteers deserve.
The first half was particularly brutal, as Tennessee made just nine field goals, while turning the ball over nine times.
“We did not come out with [energy],” sophomore forward J.P. Estrella said. “That put us in [a] slump to start the game.”
Unfortunately, the Volunteers never found the energy required to jumpstart their offense.
They finished the game shooting 44% from the field, 67% from the free-throw line, and a shameful 25% from beyond the arc.
Perhaps the silver lining of today’s game for the Volunteers was the emergence of freshman guard Amari Evans, who led all Volunteers with 24 points after starting in place of the injured Nate Ament.
“He’s not afraid to compete,” Barnes said of Evans. “He’s earned [this opportunity]. He’s done a terrific job.”
Despite Evans’ strong performance, Tennessee’s offense is hopeless without its star forward.
If the Volunteer offense is anemic with Ament on the floor, Saturday’s performance without him can only be categorized as an unmitigated disaster.
Without Ament, Barnes’ offense becomes one-dimensional. Ament’s injury leaves the team with just one player averaging double-figure points per game.
And that one player, Ja’Kobi Gillespie, had a miserable day from the field.
Everyone inside of Food City Center knew exactly what Tennessee’s plan was, including Vanderbilt Head Coach Mark Byington.
Vanderbilt’s defense stifled Gillespie, holding him to 17 points on 5-22 shooting and 1-for-11 from deep. He turned the ball over five times.
“If you make a mistake [against Ja’Kobi] it is going to cost you,” Byington said. “[We] tried to get him off the three-point line… He was priority number one [defensively].”
While Ament’s return will undoubtedly open up the floor for Gillespie, today’s highly inefficient shooting splits are still concerning, especially when considering Tennessee’s complete reliance upon its two leading scorers.
Whether or not Ament is available for the Vols during the SEC tournament, Barnes must adjust the Vols’ offensive approach considerably.
“Our post guys need to touch the basketball whether they score it or not,” Barnes said. “We [want to] play inside-out.”
Further, if a similar offensive performance is displayed during the NCAA tournament, the Volunteers will be on their way to an early vacation.
While Tennessee’s offense is the clear culprit behind today’s loss, it is difficult to win games by handing your opponent points on a silver platter.
The Volunteers afforded Vanderbilt 32 opportunities from the charity stripe, an uncharacteristic display of lackluster defense.
This performance, albeit a disaster, came at a perfect time for Tennessee. Today was the regular-season finale, marking the last time this season the Volunteers will not face elimination in defeat.
Potentially the only good news for the Volunteers is that they will have the next five days to address any shortcomings before they begin SEC tournament play on Thursday, March 12.
This short break may also give Ament an opportunity to get healthy before the postseason, a question mark that could make or break Tennessee’s postseason.