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Tennessee basketball report card: Grading the Vols in 78-66 Cincinnati loss

By Caleb Calhoun

CINCINNATI, OH - DECEMBER 18: Yves Pons #35 of the Tennessee Volunteers tries to gather a loose ball against Keith Williams #2 and Mika Adams-Woods #3 of the Cincinnati Bearcats in the first half of the game at Fifth Third Arena on December 18, 2019 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
CINCINNATI, OH - DECEMBER 18: Yves Pons #35 of the Tennessee Volunteers tries to gather a loose ball against Keith Williams #2 and Mika Adams-Woods #3 of the Cincinnati Bearcats in the first half of the game at Fifth Third Arena on December 18, 2019 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images
Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images /

Things were not pretty for Tennessee basketball in their second straight loss on the year. Here are the Volunteers’ grades at the Cincinnati Bearcats.

Well that wasn’t pretty. After suffering a heartbreaking loss in ugly fashion to their in-state rivals, the Memphis Tigers, Tennessee basketball followed that up with a hideous loss in a different way at the Cincinnati Bearcats.

The Vols fell in their first true road game 78-66, and what made things worse was the fact that it was against a team that was 6-4 heading into the game and on a two-game losing streak under first-year head coach John Brennan. Simply put, they are not a good team yet as they adjust to life without Mick Cronin.

As a result, despite their youth, this is a game Tennessee basketball should have been able to win. Whether or not it was due to them not being used to true road games or just another off-night in different ways is up for debate.

What’s clear, though, is that the growing pains we expected with this young team are now showing. Sure, they have solid wins over the Washington Huskies and VCU Rams, both on neutral courts. But adding losses to the Florida State Seminoles, Memphis and Cincinnati makes this 7-3 team appear a bit concerning.

In our grades for Rocky Top following this game, we’ll break down just how concerning all of this is. Of course, not all of it is bad news. There are a couple of things this team well, and a few players did stand out for UT.

At the same time, though, the glaring weaknesses that stood out as concerns surrounding them before the season started began to come through. It was not pretty, and lots of work needs to be done going forward.

Our report cards will grade each individual who played and then break down the fundamentals and coaching on a final page. So let’s get started. This is our Tennessee basketball report card following the Vols’ loss at the Cincinnati Bearcats.

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