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Tennessee Basketball: Three Takeaways from Vols Shocking Upset Over No. 20 Ranked Kentucky Wildcats

By Caleb Calhoun

Feb 2, 2016; Knoxville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Rick Barnes during the first half against the Kentucky Wildcats at Thompson-Boling Arena. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 2, 2016; Knoxville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Rick Barnes during the first half against the Kentucky Wildcats at Thompson-Boling Arena. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports /
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Tennessee basketball under Rick Barnes took a huge leap with an upset over the No. 20 ranked Wildcats. Here are three takeaways from the Volunteers’ win.

This time, the comeback was on the other side. After blowing two significant leads last week to bad teams on the road, the Vols were back home in Knoxville Tuesday night and took advantage of the crowd.

Related Story: Tennessee Basketball Stuns No. 20 Ranked Kentucky in 21-Point Comeback

Tennessee overcame a 34-13 first-half deficit to shock the Kentucky Wildcats 84-77 in front of an ESPN audience on Tuesday night. The Vols with the win might have played a huge role in dropping the Wildcats out of the Top 25, where they would join the Duke Blue Devils.

Rick Barnes easily got the best of John Calipari in this game. Here are three takeaways from the Vols’ win.

1. Tennessee has a post game it can use

We know that the Vols have to rely on a lot of three-point shooting to win games this year given the fact that they are so undersized. But that lack of size might be overrated.

Tennessee beat Kentucky thanks to a surprisingly good post game. Sure, they are undersized, but Armani Moore and Admiral Schofield have a ton of heart, and that was put on full display on Tuesday. Moore had 18 points and 13 rebounds and Schofield had 11 points and 8 rebounds.

If the Vols can get that from both guys every night, three-point shooting won’t be as necessary.

2. Robert Hubbs III finally got a spark

After two atrocious games last week, Barnes made a bold move by moving Robert Hubbs III to the bench this game. The move may have paid off for the junior.

Hubbs has been a consistent under-achiever since he arrived at Tennessee who constantly teases the audience that he might live up to his five-star expectations before coming up short. But he was a spark off the bench with eight points.

And it wasn’t just the points. Hubbs took six shots and got to the line for six free throws as well, which shows solid aggression off the bench. If he can show his full-on aggression, he could be a superstar.

More volunteers: Signing Day Predictions: 5 Recruits the Vols Will Get

3. Tennessee wins by getting to the line

Relying on three-pointers is nice, and a potential post game will always help. But the Vols and Barnes need to employ more elements of Calipari’s dribble-drive offense.

With Punter and Hubbs and Detrick Mostella, this is a great free throw shooting team. The more these athletic guys drive to the basket, the more chances they get at the line. The Vols shot 34 free throws Tuesday and made 30.

This is their best way to win: going to the line. They did it Tuesday and scored a huge victory.

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