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Tennessee basketball: 5 keys for Vols to navigate brutal part of their schedule

By Billy Williford

PHOENIX, ARIZONA - DECEMBER 09: The Tennessee Volunteers stand attended for the national anthem before the game against the Gonzaga Bulldogs at Talking Stick Resort Arena on December 9, 2018 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Volunteers defeated the Bulldogs 76-73. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - DECEMBER 09: The Tennessee Volunteers stand attended for the national anthem before the game against the Gonzaga Bulldogs at Talking Stick Resort Arena on December 9, 2018 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Volunteers defeated the Bulldogs 76-73. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
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KNOXVILLE, TN – DECEMBER 2: Admiral Schofield #5 of the Tennessee Volunteers defends during the second half of the game against the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders at Thompson-Boling Arena on December 2, 2018, in Knoxville, Tennessee. Tennessee won the game 79-51. (Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images) /

1. Limiting big games from the stars

The Vols are about to run into some absolute studs. Each of the next six opponents (Kentucky twice) have players who can take over games.

Starting with the Wildcats, P.J. Washington has been on a tear recently. In the past seven games, the SEC Player of the Year candidate has averaged 20.7 points per game, while shooting 52.5 percent from the floor. He also accounted for three double-doubles during that span of games.

Like Jordan Bone, LSU’s sophomore guard Tremont Waters is one of the best point guards in the nation. He can get to the rim better than anyone in the league, and once he gets going, he’s hard to stop. A few games ago against Texas A&M, Waters scored a season-high 36 points on 11-for-18 from the floor, including 6-for-10 from the three-point line.

Then there is Ole Miss and Auburn who have two dynamic guards that can hurt you on the offensive end. Breein Tyree and Terence Davis are a big reason why the Rebels are having success this season sitting at 7-4 in conference play. They account for 34.5 points per game and both shoot around 40 percent from the three-point line.

Finally, Jared Harper and Bryce Brown are getting it done down on the Plains despite Auburn not living up to expectations. Both guys are accounting for 30-plus points per game combined and are deadly from beyond the arc.

Tennessee hasn’t been great at limiting opposing stars. Most recently South Carolina’s Chris Silva notched his second double-double on the season against the Vols. In the first matchup, Silva scored 28 points and pulled down ten boards. On Wednesday night, he scored in double figures again with 17 points and grabbed 15 rebounds.

dark. Next. Vols top 30 players since 1998 national championship

Again, Tennessee keeps winning, but there is a lot of star power in the upcoming games. If they want to be the best in the league, they have to prove it by containing the stars of the SEC.

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