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Tennessee basketball: Three takeaways from 73-53 win at Mizzou

By Caleb Calhoun

Dec 30, 2020; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Tennessee Volunteers guard Yves Pons (35) blocks a shot by Missouri Tigers forward Jeremiah Tilmon (23) during the first half at Mizzou Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 30, 2020; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Tennessee Volunteers guard Yves Pons (35) blocks a shot by Missouri Tigers forward Jeremiah Tilmon (23) during the first half at Mizzou Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports /
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Here’s what we learned from the Tennessee basketball Volunteers’ victory at the Mizzou Tigers.

In what was by far its biggest statement win of the year, Tennessee basketball used a 15-0 run early to jump out to a 23-4 lead en route to a blowout win over the No. 12 ranked Missouri Tigers. The Vols never trailed in the game.

This was the first SEC win of the seasonfor Rick Barnes’ team, its first game on the road and Mizzou’s first loss. In the process, the Vols, who are ranked No. 7 in the AP Poll and No. 6 in the Coaches’ Poll, improved to 7-0 on the year, while former UT head coach Cuonzo Martin’s Tigers fell to 6-1 on the season.

Up next for Tennessee basketball is a Saturday matchup with the Alabama Crimson Tide, while Mizzou will face the Arkansas Razorbacks the same day. Here are three takeaways from Rocky Top’s impressive win Wednesday.

1. Yves Pons led a historic defensive effort.

Everybody on the team deserves credit for this impressive defensive performance. This has been a story surrounding the Vols all year, and it was no different in this game, as they held Mizzou to 53 points, 36.4 percent from the field and 18.8 percent from the three-point line. They also forced 21 turnovers, coming away with eight steals and blocking five shots.

Leading the way was the reigning SEC Defensive Player of the Year. Yves Pons came away with an impressive four blocks and two steals. In a full-court man-to-man defense, Pons cashed in on the Mizzou turnovers to score 13 points. Josiah-Jordan James and Jaden Springer were also stars with three steals each, and Sprinter had 13 points largely the same way, but Pons was the star.

2. When necessary, outside shooting was efficient.

Given Tennessee basketball’s up-tempo style and aggressive defense creating many easy buckets, there wasn’t a need for the Vols to have an elite shooting performance. However, they were still able to put such a night together.

UT shot 50 percent from the field. More impressively, they were 5-of-7 from the three-point line. Santiago Vescovi was the star here, going 3-of-4 from beyond the arc en route to 15 points, , but Victor Bailey Jr. and Springer both hit a three as well.

3. Free throw shooting was concerning overall.

Pons, Springer and John Fulkerson all hit 3-of-4 free throws as well, which is why they all had double figures. However, the Vols did shoot 14-of-24 overall from the foul line, good for only 58.3 percent, which is an issue. They could only keep this a blowout with that because Mizzou was 18-of-30, which was a mediocre 60 percent.

To be fair, Tennessee basketball was 2-of-6 in the final three minutes, as Davonte Gaines went 1-of-4 during that time. Uros Plavsic also missed a free throw, and Keon Johnson went 0-for-1. E.J. Anosike went 0-for-2. Overall, this is an issue that needs to improve going forward.

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