Tennessee’s most recent win was defined by one thing: players stepping up when it mattered most. DeWayne Brown II rose to the occasion in Saturday night’s victory over Auburn. Brown was all over the stat sheet in the win, scoring 10 points, grabbing seven rebounds, four assists, two steals, and a block.
Rick Barnes praised Brown after the game for answering the call with Felix Okpara out, and he made the most of his opportunity, even if he's struggled with consistency as of late.
Barnes said, "But we told him (Brown), we did tell him, he's hit a plateau, and he's got to make that next move. Then you think, especially this time of year, most people think a freshman hits the wall this time of year and go backwards. And it's not that he's gone backwards. It's just that he hadn't progressed. But tonight maybe he understood what he we meant. And tonight he went out and competed at as high levels as he could be."
The head man was impressed by what he saw from the freshman forward, seizing the moment and bringing Tennessee their third straight win.
DeWayne Brown II is an X factor for Tennessee
Everybody loves a hard-working, blue-collar guy, and that’s exactly what Brown is. He may never be a 20-points-per-game scorer, but he’s a winning player and a true glue guy for Tennessee. Brown has moved in and out of the starting lineup, struggling to be consistent, a problem for most freshmen, but his performance on Saturday may have marked a turning point.
Tennessee wins more games when Brown is on his game, too. The Vols are 3-0 when Brown scores at least 10 points, has four rebounds, and adds a steal or a block. Is that stat digging into the weeds a bit? Sure. But it proves one thing, and that's that when Brown is making big plays in different ways, the Vols are winners.
If Brown continues making winning plays and playing within his role, the Vols are a much better team. Boen is just scratching the surface of what his potential is, and it will be exciting to see his future in Knoxville.