Tennessee basketball earned another conference road win on Saturday. The Vols dominated Oklahoma in a 70-52 win. The offense took the headlines, but the defense continues to impress, shutting down offenses across college basketball's best conference.
The SEC is the best and deepest conference in college basketball, but that hasn't scared Tennessee's elite defense throughout conference play this year.
Tennessee limited Oklahoma to only 52 points in their Saturday matchup. That is the lowest point total of the season for the Sooners. That is also a consistent trend for Tennessee basketball this season.
The Vols defense has been clicking on all cylinders in recent weeks. In their recent matchups, Tennessee has also held Florida (44 points) and Auburn (53 points) to season lows.
Rick Barnes has been known for his stout defense throughout his career, and this year is no different. Tennessee has allowed 59.6 points per game this year, which is good enough for fourth in the country.
The only teams ahead of Tennessee are North Texas, Drake, and Houston, with a nation-best 56.9 points allowed per game. Tennessee also has the best field goal percentage, holding opposing offenses to only 36.3% shooting and a nation-best 26.7% shooting from three-point range.
Tennessee has played against some of the best teams in the country. Auburn, Florida, Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi State, and Missouri will all be NCAA Tournament teams, and Tennessee has largely shut down those offenses with a couple of exceptions.
If the Vols can continue building on their offensive momentum and pairing it with strong defensive performances like they have throughout the season, they will be a dangerous team for the SEC and NCAA Tournament come March.
Tennessee has another tough week ahead as it looks to get revenge against rivals Kentucky and Vanderbilt. The Vols go to Rupp Arena on Tuesday night before hosting Vanderbilt in Knoxville on Saturday.