Tennessee basketball: 5 keys for Vols to navigate brutal part of their schedule
2. Consistent play from Kyle Alexander
When Kyle Alexander plays well, so do the Vols.
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The senior rim protector has scored in double figures 12 games this season. All but one ended in a double-digit victory for Tennessee. However, that really isn’t what the Vols count on Alexander to do; scoring is just icing on the cake.
I said he was a rim protector and he’s a huge reason why Tennessee only allows opposing teams to shoot 43.8 percent from the floor, which ranks tenth best in the nation.
Georgia’s Nicolas Claxton leads the SEC with 63 blocks on the season; Alexander ranks fifth with 46, 1.9 per game.
What doesn’t show up on the stat sheet is his ability to alter shots at the rim. He may not always come up with the block, but the guards have to be aware of number 11 in orange and white.
Last season the Vols had a deep run in March on their minds. But, they ran into a Loyola-Chicago team who showed more grit by out-hustling and out-rebounding Tennessee while connecting on 50 percent of the shots inside the arc.
Why?
Because Kyle Alexander didn’t play, he is a massive piece of the puzzle moving forward and if he plays his best, so does Tennessee.