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Tennessee basketball: Three takeaways from Vols 73-48 win vs. Ole Miss

By Caleb Calhoun

KNOXVILLE, TN - JANUARY 14: Tennessee Volunteers fans cheer during the game against the Kentucky Wildcats at Thompson-Boling Arena on January 14, 2012 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Kentucky defeated Tennessee 65-62. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - JANUARY 14: Tennessee Volunteers fans cheer during the game against the Kentucky Wildcats at Thompson-Boling Arena on January 14, 2012 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Kentucky defeated Tennessee 65-62. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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In another blowout, Tennessee basketball destroyed the Ole Miss Rebels. Here are three things we learned from the Volunteers’ victory.

Rick Barnes secured his 100th win as head coach of Tennessee basketball, and the Vols won their second straight game with Uros Plavsic in the rotation. UT returned home to Knoxville and beat the Ole Miss Rebels 73-48.

Up 10-9, Rocky Top used an 11-0 run to take control of the game early in the first half. After that, they just consistently built on their lead the rest of the way, going into halftime ahead 42-23 before continuing their dominance in the second half.

With the win, UT improved to 12-6 overall and 4-2 in the SEC ahead of their matchup with the No. 3 ranked Kansas Jayhawks in the Big 12/SEC showdown Saturday. Ole Miss, meanwhile, fell to 9-9 and 0-5 in the SEC after losing its sixth straight. Here are three takeaways from Tennessee basketball’s win.

1. Power forwards dominate.

Although Uros Plavsic’s return has been the story over the past week, other members of the Vols inside game were the story in this win. John Fulkerson was the dominant player of the night, securing a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds.

Meanwhile, Olivier Nkamhoua had a breakout game off the bench, scoring 10 points while picking up two blocks and three rebounds. Nkamhoua and Fulkerson combined to go 10-of-11 from the field, and they were the dominant force for the Vols in this game.

2. Freshman guards are improving their efficiency.

Josiah-Jordan James had 11 points and only shot three-of-10. Santiago Vescovi only shot one-for-five. However, the story is what they did for Tennessee basketball as the two combo guards for the team.

James had six assists and a steal, and Vescovi had four assists and two steals. On top of that, James had no turnovers, while Vescovi had two. That’s a drastic improvement over where these guys have been, so we have to give their development credit, even if their shooting had a drop-off.

3. Defense continues its dominance.

Rick Barnes was highly critical of his team’s defense in their loss at the Georgia Bulldogs last week. They have responded. Holding the Vanderbilt Commodores to 0-for-25 from three-point range is amazing enough.

In this game, though, they held the Rebels to 30 percent shooting from the field. It is now two straight games in which the Vols have held opponents to under 50 points. That’s a big deal. They still shot under 30 percent from three, but when their shots don’t fall, defense can lead the way.

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