By Lily Helton
219 days ago, Tennessee fell to Michigan in the Elite Eight. Following that game, seven players transferred out of the program. Head coach Rick Barnes had to build a team with only two young returning players.
Tonight, he proved he could do it: the Volunteers won their season opener 90-59. But as with all growth, there were pains.
Tennessee’s lackluster performance in the first half
The first-game jitters were evident for Tennessee tonight. Offensively, Tennessee was held to only 34 points in the first half and gave Wofford nine points off turnovers.
Something had to give offensively for Barnes and his new shooters. Barnes said it was about letting go and playing loose in the second half, particularly for Juke Harris, a transfer with a lot of preseason chatter surrounding him.
“Looking at him in the first half, it looked like he had the weight of the world on him,” said Barnes. “I said, Juke, you’re starting this half; I just want to see you let it go.”
And of course, the notorious Barnes defense struggled. Miscommunications, wide-open shooters at the top of the key, and only forcing five turnovers through the first half.
“We’re asking all these guys to do something at a level they’ve never done it,” said Barnes. “And that’s have a defensive mindset first.”
Second wind after halftime
Coming out of the locker room for the second half, the team had an entirely new attitude. Shooting a much improved 61.11% and an impressive 90% from the free-throw line, the team got offensive rebounds, scored in the paint, and handled the ball well.
Dwayne Brown II was a huge catalyst for Tennessee’s offensive momentum, finishing the night with 17 points and 17 rebounds, marking the first time a Tennessee player has done that since 2014.
“He deserves it,” said Barnes. “He works as hard as any player we’ve had here and we need him to do what he did.”
The defense also improved drastically. Miles Rubin got started with a few huge shot blocks; the team started getting defensive rebounds and stops, holding Wofford to only 28 points in the second half.
UP NEXT: Not all the questions were answered tonight surrounding the Volunteers.
Can this juggernaut offense play team ball? How much will the defense improve under coach Barnes’ system?
Who will emerge among the transfers as a leader on and off the court?
Only time will tell.
The Volunteers face Radford at home on Nov. 9 at 7 p.m. ET.