Tennessee’s hopes of securing a double-bye in the SEC Tournament were dashed in an 86-82 loss to Vanderbilt.
The Vols looked out of sync early, settled too often for perimeter play and could not keep Tyler Tanner from taking over late.
Here are three takeaways from Tennessee’s regular-season finale.
Energy from Evans, Boards from Okpara
In a game that lacked energy early, Amari Evans and Felix Okpara helped provide a spark for Tennessee.
Making just his second start of the season, Evans continued to make an impact defensively while also using his ability off the dribble to get Tennessee into the paint. With the Vols searching for energy in the first half, the freshman helped fuel a 7-0 run late in the half, highlighted by his steal on a Tyler Tanner pass with 3:35 remaining that he took the other way for a slam.
Evans finished with 24 points on 9-of-18 shooting. The freshman stayed aggressive, put pressure on the rim, battled on the glass and gave Tennessee a needed jolt when the offense was stuck.
Okpara was a force on the glass with 10 rebounds. On Senior Day, the senior grabbed nine rebounds in the first half, including six on the offensive end. That stretch included one possession in which he pulled down four straight offensive rebounds, helping Tennessee create extra chances even while its offense struggled to find much flow.
He was also a major presence defensively. Okpara finished with four blocks and continued to anchor Tennessee around the rim even while the Vols struggled to find much rhythm on both ends.
Inside-Out Identity Missing Early
Tennessee went away from one of its biggest strengths early, and it showed.
Despite having one of the nation’s better frontcourts, anchored by Felix Okpara, JP Estrella and Jaylen Carey, the Vols spent too many possessions swinging the ball around the perimeter instead of getting touches to their big men. That approach led to sloppy turnovers and easy transition chances for Vanderbilt, which turned Tennessee’s mistakes into 11 points off turnovers and helped build an early lead.
Ja’Kobi Gillespie, in particular, had trouble taking care of the ball. The senior committed five turnovers, with two of them leading directly to Vanderbilt fast-break points.
Rick Barnes’ offense is usually at its best when Tennessee plays inside-out. Post touches can create driving lanes for guards and open 3-point looks when defenses collapse. That balance was missing early, and the Vols looked flat because of it.
The absence of Nate Ament also played a role. His scoring and rebounding usually add another layer to Tennessee’s offense, and without him, the Vols lacked some of their usual firepower. Too often, that left Tennessee’s guards settling for deep jumpers late in the shot clock instead of playing through the frontcourt.
Tanner Torched Tennessee
Tennessee’s defense struggled to slow down Tyler Tanner, especially when Ethan Burg and Ja’Kobi Gillespie were on the floor. The two guards had trouble getting through screens and keeping Tanner from getting downhill, which allowed him to control too many key possessions.
The sophomore got to his spots in a variety of ways. He hit a jumper after Gillespie flew by on a pump fake, attacked the rim and drew fouls on Tennessee’s bigs, and knocked down a step-back 3 over Burg. When Tennessee failed to disrupt his rhythm, Tanner became the steadying force Vanderbilt needed late.
Tanner finished with 25 points on 7-of-9 shooting. Tennessee had more success when Bishop Boswell drew the assignment, but Boswell’s foul trouble forced Rick Barnes to look elsewhere for minutes. That proved costly, as Tanner continued to find openings against Tennessee’s other perimeter defenders and helped slam the door on the Vols’ double-bye hopes.
