Vols must handle style of play better

NASHVILLE — After playing at a Final Four level in a regional championship type game on Saturday, Tennessee squandered an opportunity to win its first SEC tournament Championship in 40 years on Sunday in an 84-64 loss to Auburn.

The Tigers, playing their fourth game in four days, completely disrupted Tennessee’s offense with their ball pressure defense, and after an 8:15 scoring drought in the first half, the game was effectively over for the Vols.

Auburn got all the 50-50 balls. They were quicker and beat the Vols every way possible.

Obviously, there is great disappointment in the loss, but the concern moving forward is Tennessee’s struggles against that style of play: A guard oriented team that “let’s it fly” from anywhere on the floor. A style of great defensive ball pressure that forces turnovers and makes you play fast.

A week after playing that style at Auburn, the Vols again had no answer again on Sunday.

In 80 minutes of basketball against the Tigers, Tennessee has 30 turnovers. To put that in context in three games against Kentucky this season, the Vols had 20 turnovers.

“They play solid defense. It’s not like they are this amazing defensive team. We were careless with the ball. We beat ourselves on the offensive end,” Jordan Bone said.

“We watched film after the first time we played them and we were taking tough shots. We just weren’t ourselves. I’m not really sure what the answer is. We have to continue to learn from this.

“It’s tough that we didn’t learn from the first loss. We weren’t ourselves today. You hate saying that after a game. We just have to move on from it.”

Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl said you if you let a Rick Barnes team catch the ball where they want it then they will wear you out. Tennessee obviously struggled to play where they wanted to play on the offensive end of the floor Sunday.

In the first half, Tennessee’s eight-minute scoreless stretch included seven straight possessions with a turnover. That stretch was one more turnover than the Vols had yesterday against Kentucky. In the first half, Grant Williams and Admiral Schofield went 2-8, with Williams getting only three attempts. Williams finished with nine attempts and 13 points, but it wasn’t until the game was out of reach that he got the ball where he wanted it.

“They front the post. They try and force everything to the middle so when you do drive it they have help there,” Williams said. “

They play the passing lanes. They do a good job forcing turnovers. We didn’t do a good job moving. We didn’t consecutively do what we practice and preach everyday. It’s no on anyone’s shoulders. It’s on our team in not understanding what we were trying to execute.”

With a championship opportunity wasted, Tennessee now preps for the NCAA Tournament and any possible opponent. And that prep must begin on the defensive end.

In their last four games, the Vols have given up 76 points or more. For the Vols, one of the concerns all year has been length, but as win or go home play starts this week, the biggest concern has to be a guard-heavy team.

Finding teams that shoot the 3 ball as much as Auburn does might be hard, but there’s certainly the possibility of playing a guard-heavy team that clearly can cause Tennessee problems.

“It’s hard to defend because we are a big defensive help team,” Lamonte Turner said. “It kind of makes you sketchy on whether you want to help or shouldn’t because they have so many shooters. They were getting downhill on our guards. Me too. They were driving to the rim and kicking it out. It’s hard to play against teams like that who drive the ball.”

Added Admiral Schofield, “They shoot a lot of threes, which is hard to guard. When everyone on the team can shoot whatever shot they want its hard to guard. It’s very hard to guard. We are pretty structured. We play inside out. They just play ball. It’s hard to guard the three-point line like that. I bet that’s how a lot of NBA teams feel trying to guard the Warriors. It’s hard to guard the three-point line.”

In a few hours, Tennessee learns their bracket fate. A No. 1 seed appears off the table as the Vols likely played themselves in a two-seed with Sunday's performance.

But tournament play is about matc-ups. For the Vols, quick, perimeter oriented teams are their most difficult matchup.

On Sunday, Tennessee laid an egg, but they got beat by a unique style that clearly is a bad matchup.

With season judgement now on the line, how will the Vols respond?

“We have more to play for now,” Schofield said. “It’s not like this depended on our post-season. You want to win this, but now you just have to refocus, analyze everything, and what will get you in the losses.

“We will be fine. Turnovers really beat us”