Tennessee Basketball Shocks No. 4 Kentucky Wildcats: 5 Takeaways from Vols Win

Tennessee basketball got its biggest win in the Rick Barnes era over the No. 4 ranked Wildcats 82-80. Here are five takeaways from the Volunteers’ victory.

Rick Barnes’s young Tennessee basketball team finally broke through with a signature win after a brutal schedule. And it came in the toughest game of the year.

The Vols shocked the No. 4 ranked Kentucky Wildcats 82-80 at Thompson-Boling Arena to hand John Calipari’s team their first SEC loss.

Coming into the game, Kentucky had only allowed two SEC games to stay within single digits. But in this one, the Vols were the ones who controlled it from start to finish.

Behind 25 points from Robert Hubbs III, Tennessee never trailed in the second half and built a lead as large as 11 points.

Every time Kentucky would cut it close, the Vols would respond. As a result, they have their biggest victory since Barnes has taken over the program.

Here are five takeaways from Tennessee basketball’s huge victory.

1. The Vols’ forwards all came through.

This is a huge part of what Tennessee basketball needs if they are going to continue to play this well. Sure, the three-point shooting was nice. But it was the play of Grant Williams, Admiral Schofield, and Lew Evans that made this game happen. Their play was the key to the Vols having 18 assists to only 10 turnovers because Barnes relies on them to make lots of smart passes.

Williams and Schofield both scored in double-figures, 13 and 15 respectively, and Evans came close with 8 points. Williams added six rebounds, six assists, and four blocks, while Schofield added seven rebounds. While Williams and Schofield were the star forwards, Evans was key. He alone is our next point.

2. Lew Evans and Lamonte Turner did what they were recruited to do.

When Rick Barnes brought in Lew Evans as a fifth-year senior, he wanted a veteran big man that could make key plays for Tennessee basketball. That was huge against the inexperienced Kentucky Wildcats Tuesday. Sure, he only had 8 points, and he was a bit clumsy with three turnovers. But he came through with three assists and had a key steal on a Kentucky fast-break to keep the Vols in control in the second half.

Meanwhile, Lamonte Turner was hurt last year, and Barnes wanted him to step in and fill the role of Kevin Punter. Despite coming off the bench and struggling early, he’s starting to do that. Turner finished the game with 10 points, three assists, and seven rebounds off the bench. He nailed two three-pointers and gave the Vols a huge spark. Turner and Evans together are doing exactly what the Vols need to make a run at the NCAA Tournament. But they weren’t the superstars of the night. That’s our next guy.

3. Robert Hubbs III was the superstar on the floor.

Like always, the Kentucky Wildcats are loaded with five-star recruits this year. But Robert Hubbs III made a point to remind the world that he was once a five-star as well. And despite taking a while to live up to that hype, his experience and hustle allowed him to do that Tuesday.

Hubbs finished with 25 points on 9-of-14 shooting, and he added seven rebounds. He also made the clutch shot to put the Vols in control at the end. After Kentucky cut it to three, Rick Barnes trusted Hubbs out of a timeout with a minute left to put the Vols back in control. And he nailed a post-up fadeaway against a double-team. Hubbs has become an elite scorer inside the arc, he also demonstrated the clutch gene with that shot. And that clutch gene takes us to our next point.

4. This young team doesn’t panic. 

Tennessee basketball may have trouble dealing with success and feeling itself too much, but Rick Barnes’s team clearly doesn’t panic when things go wrong. These Vols are extremely young just like Kentucky, but every time Kentucky cut it close in the second half, they re-extended the lead. That’s a huge deal.

When the Wildcats cut it from 11 to 3, the Vols could have folded. But they never had trouble getting the game back under their control. And while the offense matters, it was clutch defensive plays that kept the Vols in control. That’s our final point.

5. Tennessee’s defense was perfect.

And this is what made it a perfect game for Tennessee basketball. The Vols had great passing, clutch plays, and won every hustle ball. But the defense is what sealed it. It’s not like free throws were the key, as the Vols shot fewer free throws and a lower percentage, while they shoot a higher percentage than the Wildcats on average. So it was all-around elite defense.

Kentucky’s shooting percentage and three-point percentage dropped 10 points in this game, and they also had 14 turnovers as opposed to their usual 11 turnovers. Tennessee rattled Isaiah Briscoe to the point that he missed an easy layup, and there was also a missed dunk in the game. This was the difference in the game. The Vols did not allow the Wildcats to run Calipari’s transition offense, and their forwards stopped the dribble-drive, which also takes us back to our first point. Kentucky had to work for its 80 points, and Tennessee gave them hell all night. That’s why they won.