Rick Barnes raves about Felix Okpara after his standout game against Oklahoma

When Tennessee knocked off Oklahoma on Wednesday night, it was a performance defined by its stars. Nate Ament put up 29 points and proved once again that he is one of the best freshmen in the country. Ja'Kobi Gillespie scored 16 and added eight steals, which is a Tennesse single-game program record.

A key performance from a Vols starter may have gone unnoticed behind the Vols' stars. Senior center Felix Okpara had one of his best games in a Vols uniform. In 35 minutes, Okpara scored 18 points, grabbed seven rebounds, and had two blocks in the Vols' win.

Oh, and he also had a monster posturizing dunk on Wednesday.

Rick Barnes was very complimentary of Okpara postgame when he was asked if Okpara had turned the corner.

“Yeah, I mean, we told him, ‘It’s about doing your job. Simply do your job," Barnes said. "And when he screens and gets behind that. He’s as good a lob threat as there is in the country, and if he’ll get there, those guys will do it, but he did. He rebounded. He went back to doing that, and again, I wish we could keep him down there to protect the rim more. He actually had a couple of really good defensive plays. He did, where he did impact around the rim tonight. He blocked a shot, and did some good things, stayed down. And he can be that. He can be that every night. He really can. 

Felix Okpara will be needed down the stretch

Okpara might be the clearest embodiment of Tennessee’s identity. Okpara isn't the flashiest player, but he is gritty and tough as nails. He brings a relentless energy every time he steps on the floor, embodying the two traits that define this Tennessee team: elite rebounding and suffocating defense.

When he was out, Tennessee missed him badly, and now, with JP Estrella hurt, he will be needed to step up even more. In March, Tennessee is going to win games by rebounding, getting second-chance points, and stopping its opponents at the rim which is exactly where Okpara shines.

If he can build off this performance against Oklahoma and continue to do the little things, Tennessee will be in a great spot moving forward.