The wait is over. A giant sigh of relief could be heard all throughout the Food City Center as Tennessee finally snapped the three-game losing streak. The Vols completely dominated Louisville, winning 83-62. Ja'Kobi Gillespie had a huge 20-point second half, finishing with 23 on the night.
Rick Barnes made great use of the practice time he had all last week. The ESPN broadcast mentioned that Barnes used balloons in practice and popped them whenever the team had a turnover. When the balloons ran out, the team had to run.
Well, that strategy worked. The Vols were passing the ball around quickly, making sound decisions, and diagnosing plays one step ahead of Louisville's defense. The defensive communication issues were fixed entirely, too. The bigs were hedging screens, the guards had active hands. It was an all-around great team win.
Early on, the Vols got off to a big lead that was a collaborative effort from all. Nate Ament, Jaylen Carey, JP Estrella, everyone was pitching in. Tennessee was playing stifling defense, making sure not to give Louisville any easy looks. At one point, Tennessee was up 27-19, and 22 of the 27 points came in the paint. Louisville started to hit some threes and cut the lead down, but Tennessee had a dominant first half that brought them a seven-point lead.
The 2nd half was completly different
The second half was a much different story for the Vols. They came out firing from beyond the arc. Tennessee hit its first four three-point attempts and ran away with the game. The offensive execution was the best we have seen all season. Ja'Kobi Gillespie was the player the Vols needed him to be. He scored when needed and ran the offense like a floor general. He was more "point guard" like.
Oh, and the defense? It was an absolute clinic. Tennessee forced Louisville to shoot 38% from the field and 20% from beyond the arc. The Vols held one of the best offensive teams in the nation to a 62-point night
The only glaring issue that still needs to be cleaned up for Tennessee is the free-throw shooting. Tennessee shot 64% from the line, but that's a story for another day.
This was exactly what the Vols needed. An all-around effort win versus an elite team. You can’t help but feel like Tennessee basketball is back.