NCAA Tournament 2021: Tennessee basketball’s five keys
2. Don’t take difficult two-point shots
A hallmark of Tennessee basketball under Rick Barnes is to be able to score in all three areas of the game. Barnes is still a big believer in the mid-range, even as the analytics suggest that it’s a dying aspect. If the Vols are shooting the ball well from that area, to be fair, then they can be unstoppable. However, that’s always in doubt.
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Often times, this team has had a bad habit of forcing tough mid-range shots rather than feeding John Fulkerson down low or taking a three-point shot. This resulted in games like the Auburn Tigers, where they were 11-of-28 from the three-point line, or 39.3 percent, but were still only 41.3 percent from the field in general.
Jaden Springer and Victor Bailey Jr. are scoring threats from anywhere on the court. Santiago Vescovi is a three-point specialist. Keon Johnson and Josiah-Jordan James are best in transition and attacking the basket when it comes to scoring.
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All five of those guards have to know their roles in that regard and make sure they take the right shot. Springer and Bailey probably have more of a green light and more responsibility, but NCAA Tournament upsets happen all the time due to poor shot selection. They have the most pressure to take the right shot.