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NCAA Tournament 2021: Tennessee basketball’s five keys

By Caleb Calhoun

Mar 12, 2021; Nashville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Rick Barnes talks in a huddle during the first half against the Florida Gators at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 12, 2021; Nashville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Rick Barnes talks in a huddle during the first half against the Florida Gators at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports /
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Tennessee forward Uros Plavsic (33) reacts with guard Yves Pons (35) after defeating Florida in a SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament game at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, March 12, 2021.Ut Fla Sec 031221 An 041
Tennessee forward Uros Plavsic (33) reacts with guard Yves Pons (35) after defeating Florida in a SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament game at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, March 12, 2021.Ut Fla Sec 031221 An 041 /

4. Attack the glass

One advantage Tennessee basketball has in the NCAA Tournament when everybody is healthy is its ability to win in any aspect of the game. Although they only have one seven-footer, Uros Plavsic, and he doesn’t play much, the Vols often time win games by outrebounding and outhustling their opponents underneath the basket.

Yves Pons leads the way for that, but he often has help from unlikely sources in two guards, Keon Johnson and Josiah-Jordan James. If UT is going to avoid an early loss in the NCAA Tournament, it needs all of those players to step up when it comes to the boards.

In each of the Vols’ last two losses, to the Auburn Tigers and Alabama Crimson Tide, they surrendered 16 offensive rebounds. Despite being two teams that play up-tempo and like to rely on the perimeter, they both won the rebounding edge in general.

Most of the time, UT has been losing games due to its inability to handle pressure defense on the perimeter and other teams getting red-hot from three. The Vols actually have great perimeter defense, though, so the way to maintain their advantage is to win down low. If they’re not dominant on that front, they’ll be in trouble.

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