Tennessee basketball: Tide poised a tough challenge but gritty Vols survived

The No.3 Tennessee basketball team was challenged all game long, but in the end, they were able to extend their winning streak to 12 in a row.

The day started off so promising for Volnation and the Tennessee basketball team. No.2 Michigan was playing on ESPN and the entire second half there was a realistic chance Wisconsin was going to pull the upset. And, pull the upset they did.

Then in the first half, Tennessee introduced new offensive coordinator Jim Chaney and former quarterback Tee Martin to the sold-out Thompson-Boling Arena. Of course, that granted a standing ovation that led to the Vols hitting 10 of their last 12 shos to end the half.

Remember Duke lost earlier in the week to an unranked Syracuse team, which put the Vols in prime position for the top ranking in Monday’s new AP Poll.

However, getting the win didn’t happen without a fight. Avery Johnson and Alabama came into Thompson-Boling not looking to keep it close, they were looking for the upset. Despite Tennessee controlling most of the first half, the Tide were making them uncomfortable in their offensive sets and making points hard to come by.

The second half was much different, Alabama came out of the locker room on fire, especially John Petty. The former five-star recruit scored eight straight points to help Alabama go on a 13-0 run and gain the lead early in the second half.

Tennessee ended up pulling out a hard-fought 71-68 win. Here are the takeaways from the game.

1. Vols on-ball defense was trash; John Petty was Bama’s Hero

People aren’t going to like me writing this. I still think Tennessee is the best basketball team in the country. However, their on-ball defense was suspect at best. The Vols only gave up 68 points, but they didn’t have an answer for John Petty.

Petty came out of the locker room on an absolute tear. As mentioned, Bama went on a 13-0 run with eight points coming from Petty. He finished with a game-high 30 points with six made three-point shots.

Petty’s performance was a bit familiar to last Saturday when Florida shot lights out on Tennessee’s defense. This team doesn’t have many weaknesses, but guarding the three-point shot and their on-ball defense could be two of them.

Yes, I know the Vols beat both Florida and Alabama, and you don’t have to be perfect to with a National Championship, but you can’t let the opposing teams get that hot from the three-point line, especially good teams. Something I’m sure Barnes will address in practice.

2. When in doubt, go to Grant

Time after time, Grant Williams has been the go-to guy. He’s pulled the Vols out of trouble many times and had to do it again. Down the stretch, Williams found a way to score five straight points to put Tennessee up by three with less than a minute to go in the game.

He finished with a team-high 21 points on 8-of-17 shooting while grabbing two boards. This wasn’t his best performance on the year, and he fouled out of the game but credit the Tide for making every basket a tough one.

3. Vols could be No.1 in the nation come Monday

No.1 Duke went down to an unranked Syracuse team earlier in the week, and today, No.2 Michigan went down to an unranked Wisconsin team. There is a strong case to be made that the Vols should be the new team at the top of the polls.

Being ranked, No.1 sounds great, and it’s a goal for every team whether they want to admit it or not. However, a lot of pressure comes with that crown. Let all the debates begin, but if I was a betting man, Tennessee will be the new No.1 come Monday.

The Vols are back in action on Wednesday night when they travel to Nashville to take on the Vanderbilt Commodores. Remember in 2008, Tennessee had just beaten Memphis to grab the No.1 ranking and went into Nashville the very next game and lost. History does have a way of repeating itself but this year’s teams have proved they are a different bunch.