Tennessee basketball continues its winning ways with another win in the conference opener against Arkansas. The Vols dominated the Razorbacks with a 76-52 win at Food City Center on Saturday afternoon.
The Vols defense was dominant from the tip to the final buzzer, constricting and suffocating the Razorbacks offense throughout the game.
Rick Barnes is known for instilling his physical defense, and Tennessee instituted the classic Barnes defense against Arkansas, limiting them to their lowest point total of the season. The Razorbacks' previous season low was 67, and they barely crossed the 50-point mark.
If you could point to one statistic to show how dominant Tennessee was in this game on defense, on the boards, and physically, you should look at the rebound numbers. The Vols were relentless on the boards, outrebounding Arkansas 51 to 29.
Igor Milicic Jr led the team in rebounding with 18 boards on the day. He also scored 13 points and had five assists to cap off a dominant game around the rim.
Chaz Lanier led the game in scoring with 29 points. It is his tenth straight game with 17 or more points as he continues to shoot lights out from everywhere on the court against any opponent Tennessee faces.
The Vols physically dominated Arkansas, which hasn't been too common against John Calipari-coached basketball teams in the past. However, it was the statement Tennessee needed to make heading into conference play to set the tone as the No. 1 team in the country.
While Arkansas won't be the best or most talented team Tennessee will play this year, this month, or even next week, Tennessee made a statement about why it is the best team in the conference and the country against a formidable ranked opponent to open SEC play.
Tennessee will now turn to another ranked matchup against No. 6 Florida. The Vols will head to Gainesville as both teams opened conference play with a win. The top-ten matchup is scheduled to begin at 7:00 PM ET on ESPN2.