Tennessee basketball: Vols get the win but at times it was UGLY

The Tennessee basketball team improves to 3-0 on the season, but it was wasn’t pretty. Here are the takeaways from the 66-53 win.

Forget everything I said in the preview of the game. I thought this Tennessee basketball team understood they couldn’t take any team lightly but I was wrong. Chalk it up to being college kids or maybe the 9:00 pm start, but this game was as sloppy as it could get.

There were lazy closeouts by players trying to jump out of the gym to block shots. There were horrendous passes trying to fit the ball in the size of a pinhole. And, the shooting was suspect at best. However, they did win the game, due in large part because Georgia Tech had an awful night shooting.

The Yellow Jackets shot just 15.8 percent from beyond the three-point line and 28.1 percent from the field. Georgia Tech also had 13 turnovers, and their best player fouled out of the game.

At the end of the day, Rick Barnes and the Vols will take a win is a win but it was ugly. Here are a few takeaways from the game. Games like this are going to happen so I won’t be too negative.

1. Grant Williams played…GOOD…BAD…and HORRIBLE

Grant Williams played one of the best games he could play, yet it was so bad it was horrible at times. Most people will scan the box score and see Williams had 22 points on 6-of-10 shooting and think he played a good game.

Sure at times he did but don’t overlook the four turnovers. The Vols as a group committed 13 turnovers with only 12 assists. Also, don’t forget Williams missed six free throws.

He could have easily finished with another 30 point game if he would have played just a bit better. He finished with just one point shy of reaching the 1,000 point milestone.

2. Thank you, John Fulkerson

From the opening tip, John Fulkerson looked like one of the only players that cared to be on the court. In typically Fulkerson fashion, he was hustling on every play trying to create a spark for his team, but that didn’t happen.

Fulkerson ended the game with just one point, but he had two blocks, two steals, and six rebounds. His defensive pressure can’t go unnoticed and really played well for the Vols in a sluggish win.

3. Kyle Alexander is playing the best of his career

The senior big man is in the midst of the best stretch of games in his entire career. We mentioned it in the preview, with the 12 points scored in tonight’s games, Alexander has scored in double figures in three-straight games for the first time in his career.

Alexander scored 16 points against Lenoir-Rhyne, 10 against Louisiana, and 12 against Georiga Tech. He was also only one rebound shy of his first double-double of the season.

Tennessee takes a little over a week off as they travel to New York to play the Louisville Cardinals on Wednesday in the NIT Season Tipoff. With a win, the Vols could end up playing the Kansas Jayhawks in the Championship Game on Friday after Thanksgiving. However, that won’t be much of a game if they don’t play any better than they did tonight.