Just five days after a double-overtime thriller against Texas A&M, Tennessee hosted a Kentucky squad missing multiple key players, and it completely fell apart. The Vols had built a 17-point lead, but Rick Barnes’ team let it slip away in what felt like a death by a million cuts. Kentucky even took its first lead with just 34 seconds left, leaving Tennessee stunned.
Let's take a look at three key takeaways from the insane loss to Kentucky.
1. Jaylen Carey had a mixed bag as a starter
All night, Tennessee was feeding the ball into the low post with no issues, but they weren't always capitalizing. Carey struggled shooting the ball down low on the block. He finished with six points on 3/12 shooting.
Carey did, however, dominate on the glass with seven boards, including six offensive rebounds. Carey didn't play bad, but I'm sure Rick Barnes did expect more from him in his debut in the starting lineup.
2. Ja'Kobi Gillespie played well but Tennessee needed more
Gillespie had 14 points and four assists in the first half. This also included three 3-pointers, which were a major reason the Vols got off to a big lead. It was his eighth time this year scoring 20 or more points, showing that he is a consistent force.
That being said, in the second half, Gillespie felt non-existent. He missed some key free throws, and he had a big turnover that gave Kentucky the lead. He still is a great player, but Rick Barnes needed him to step up in the big moment.
3. Unbelievable Collapse
Tennessee came out swinging in the first half, absolutely dominating the floor. The Vols played elite defense, forcing Kentucky into mistakes and staying locked in on ball pressure. On top of that, Tennessee’s execution on ball screens was sharp, creating communication breakdowns for the Wildcats and keeping them on their heels the entire half.
Then all of a sudden the switch flipped. Kentucky hit a few threes at the end of the first half, and they carried that momentum into the second. Kentucky dominated the second half with Denzel Aberdeen having an unbelievable night. Blowing a 17-point lead is inexcusable.
Rick Barnes needs to take a look in the mirror and have an honest conversation with himself about how he's coaching this team.