March Madness: 5 things we learned about Vols after the first weekend

3. The offense remains unstoppable if Grant Williams gets enough touches.

One of the ways the Vols can get their ball movement back, improve their assist totals and increase their presence at the free throw line is to give Grant Williams the ball more. It’s so obvious, but for some reason this team goes long stretches without looking his way.

Williams on average attempts 11 shots and 7 free throws a game. But in regulation the first two games of March Madness, he never had more than 10 attempts, averaging 8 overall, and he only shot 6 total free throws. Simply put, he did not get the necessary touches the first two games.

Now, finally, the Vols decided to go through him in overtime against Iowa. Williams had 6 points in that overtime, hitting 2 free throws and going 2-of-3 from the field. The focus on him allowed for him to pick up a crucial assists as well, when he kicked it out to Jordan Bone for a three-pointer to really put these guys back in control.

Simply put, the key to the offense is Williams getting his touches. He’s actually a very good passer, which is why he has 8 assists as well through two games. But Bone and Lamonte Turner have to be looking his way.

It’s almost like the offense never fails when Williams gets the ball under the basket and can either go up with it, find Admiral Schofield somewhere, or kick it out to Turner, Bone or Jordan Bowden. The Turner-Williams duo is the most dominant in maybe college basketball when Turner looks to throw it to Williams inside first on any offensive possession.