Tennessee basketball: Vols loss at Auburn has same issues but is encouraging

There were recurring issues in Tennessee basketball’s loss at the No. 13 ranked Auburn Tigers Saturday. But the Volunteers also had some positives.

Yes, they blew a 15-point lead by allowing an 18-0 run in the second half. Then they collapsed in the final minute of the game for the third straight time. Those two things were key as to why Tennessee basketball lost 73-66 at the Auburn Tigers Saturday.

However, while the Vols had the same issues that have been costing them all year, they also had some promising signs as well. With four games left, those promising signs could help them steal a couple of quality wins, which is all they need to reach the NCAA Tournament bubble with what their strength of schedule will look like in the end.

Anyway, beyond the late collapse and the run, the major story of this game were the combo guards struggling to take care of the ball. Santiago Vescovi had five turnovers and only three assists, and Josiah-Jordan James had six turnovers and only one assist.

Let’s not forget, though, that both are freshmen. James has been hurt half the year, and Vescovi came in midseason having been used to playing European ball. The combination of those things was naturally going to make them struggle against a Bruce Pearl-coached team.

Everybody on Rocky Top knows first-hand how Pearl’s tempo can be frustrating. Tennessee basketball did that to other teams for six years under him. Of course he was going to attack two freshman guards who, despite raw skill, just aren’t seasoned enough yet.

Taking that into account, the Vols should just be proud of hanging around. It would be a different story of Lamonte Turner were starting. But he’s not. So there was always going to be a growing pain against an aggressive team like Auburn.

Beyond that, Jordan Bowden finding his shot was amazing. You could say his 28-point performance in which he was aggressive, hit all his free throws and hit three-of-four three-pointers was wasted. But there was development to point to with the senior as well.

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Bowden managed six assists and demonstrated an ability to distribute the ball against aggressive defenses, and that’s something Rick Barnes could turn to a bit more down the stretch if Vescovi and James still struggle. Nobody can underestimate how much of a positive sign that was for everybody on the Vols.

Meanwhile, the inside game was not as dominant as it needed to be, largely due to the 24 turnovers where James and Vescovi were the biggest culprits, but the aggression was there. Yves Pons did have 10 rebounds, and the team as a whole outrebounded Auburn 37-28 while coming up with five blocks as well.

Finally, the free throw shooting seems to have returned. This was what cost Tennessee basketball at the South Carolina Gamecocks a week ago. But in addition to Bowden hitting all of his free throw attempts, the team as a whole hit 16-of-17. That’s a great sign, as it was always supposed to be an advantage for these guys.

Remember, Auburn is undefeated at home this year. So this was probably the toughest of the final five games for the Vols, although the Kentucky Wildcats on the road will be pretty brutal as well. Either way, Barnes’ kids had to have gotten better with this experience.

If Tennessee basketball can learn to handle pressure better and not turn it over, they will be in good shape. They likely will be lucky to win just two of their remaining four games with that plan, and at 15-12 and 7-7 in the SEC, they’ll need to probably do a bit better. But they showed some things Saturday to suggest they have the potential to be a pleasant surprise down the stretch.