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Tennessee basketball defeats Wake Forest: 5 takeaways from Vols’ win

By Caleb Calhoun

NASHVILLE, TN - MARCH 10: Rick Barnes the head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers gives instructions to his team during the 67-65 win over the Vanderbilt Commodores during the second round of the SEC Basketball Tournament at Bridgestone Arena on March 10, 2016 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TN - MARCH 10: Rick Barnes the head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers gives instructions to his team during the 67-65 win over the Vanderbilt Commodores during the second round of the SEC Basketball Tournament at Bridgestone Arena on March 10, 2016 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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Tennessee basketball beat the Wake Forest Demon Deacons on the road Saturday 79-60. Here are five takeaways from the Volunteers’ victory.

In their final game before the start of SEC play in a week, Tennessee basketball moved to 9-2 on the year with a huge ACC road win. Despite struggling in the first half, he Vols defeated the Wake Forest Demon Deacons on the road 79-60.

The win dropped Wake to 7-5. It’s Tennessee’s fourth win against a Power Five school, all of which were away from home, and their third win against an ACC school. It’s also their second road win.

After struggling to put away the Furman Paladins and a heartbreaking loss to the North Carolina Tar Heels last Sunday, this was a great response from Rick Barnes’s team. Their only two losses remain to UNC and the Villanova Wildcats.

Ranked No. 21 in the country, the Vols can enjoy Christmas with what was a very successful non-conference season leading into SEC play. Here are five takeaways from Tennessee basketball’s win.

1. Tennessee again proved it can finish.

Again, this was the stupidest narrative to begin with. The Vols lost one game this year in the final minute, and it was to UNC. Yes, the way they closed that game was an issue. But it was false to say they couldn’t finish.

In this game, Tennessee basketball finished with a 13-0 run. A 79-60 score makes this game look like a blowout. But it was a close game, 66-60, with four and a half minutes to go. So Barnes’s team finished incredibly strong, putting an end to that ridiculous narrative. Part of the reason they finished is due to something that didn’t happen against UNC. And that leads to our next takeaway.

2. Offense learned to beat different defensive looks.

Tennessee basketball had assists on 70 percent of its baskets. On top of that, the Vols were highly efficient in the second half. This came despite the fact that Wake threw two different zone defenses at them, put on a press at run point, and also ran standard man-to-man.

Danny Manning kept his team in the game with multiple defensive looks. But Tennessee eventually figured each one out. And unlike on Sunday, they were able to beat the surprise presses. That is why they won. Some hot shooting helped.

3. Rick Barnes was validated about Jordan Bowden’s aggression.

Earlier in the week, rather than praise Jordan Bowden for his hot shooting, Rick Barnes criticized him for not being aggressive enough and taking advantage of his hot shooting. Well, he was validated on Saturday.

Bowden finished with 17 points. He went 2-for-2 from the free throw line, but the real story was going 5-for-5 from three-point range. Bowden’s hot shooting continued, and all of his three-pointers were at key times. That was a reason the Vols beat the different defensive looks. His lack of aggression from three against UNC contributed to the loss. He needs to get more aggressive until he gets into a shooting slump.

4. Tennessee basketball’s defense was very aggressive. 

Another big part of the game was the Vols’ defense. Wake Forest out-rebounded Tennessee basketball, neutralizing one of their strengths. They also won the offensive rebound battle 12 to 6. However, Tennessee was aggressive enough on defense to limit the Wake Forest offense.

The Vols forced 20 turnovers and held Wake Forest to under 40 percent shooting. That aggressive defense was huge for them in this game. It kept them in control, and it was a huge reason they pulled away in the end, as Wake didn’t score in the final four and a half minutes. But one of the reasons they finished so strong is the depth mattered more in this game.

5. The Vols withstood early foul trouble and showed their depth. 

Tennessee got in foul trouble immediately. The refs called numerous ticky-tack fouls both ways, and it started with a foul on Grant Williams on the tipoff. Williams and Admiral Schofield both had to go to the bench early. As a result, the backups had to carry the team in the first half.

And they carried Tennessee basketball to a first-half lead. Wake kept it close until the final five minutes as a result of that foul trouble. But the backups remained competent enough to keep the starters very fresh at that points. And they were able to dominate then. All five starters still scored double-figures. So once again, Tennessee basketball’s depth was the difference.

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