Tennessee snapped the three-game losing streak to an outstanding Louisville team on Tuesday night. The Vols did everything well. They shot well, defended well, made smart decisions, ran, rebounded, etc. Everything was sound for Tennessee.
The most important part of the win was most definitely holding Louisville to 62 points. Louisville is arguably the best scoring team in the country, and Tennessee made them look like a middle school AAU team. It was that dominant. Louisville couldn't buy a bucket from beyond the arc or at the rim. Tennessee was suffocating the ball handlers and contesting shots all night long.
A big part of this defensive effort was Felix Okpara. The center had three steals and three blocks on Tuesday night. Okpara was active in the passing lanes, and he played great ball screen coverage hedging on Louisville's shooters.
After the game, Rick Barnes gave Okpara some major praise, claiming he is the best defensive player in the nation.
Rick Barnes on Vols forward Felix Okpara: We think he's the best overall defensive player in the country when he's locked in like that. He gives us something everybody would like to have.
— Ben McKee (@benmckee14) December 17, 2025
Felix Okpara could be the best defensive player in the nation
This is a bold claim from Rick Barnes, but I don't think he's too far off. Okpara is an excellent player and fits the Rick Barnes system perfectly. Okpara is a high-motor player who defends, rebounds, and runs in transition. It's no surprise they grabbed him out of the portal a couple of years ago.
In 11 games this year, Okpara is averaging 1.8 blocks and 0.5 steals. Maybe not quite the numbers for best defensive player in the nation, but still very good. Okpara also does things that don't show up on the box score, like good switches and contesting shots, making things difficult for the offense. It's not a hot take at all by Barnes, but he probably isn't the best defender in the nation.
You can’t help but feel that if Okpara keeps putting on performances like last night, he could end up being universally recognized as the best defensive player in the country. The reality is, if Okpara keeps playing like this, Tennessee will probably win the SEC. He has all the tools he just needs to build consistency.
The emergence of Okpara has been very fun to witness and he's just scratching the surface.