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Following the loss to Texas A&M Saturday, the air was thick with disbelief and anger. A cloud of angst hovered around Thompson-Boling arena, only content to dissipate with the exodus of the pissed-off patrons.
But fans shouldn’t have been surprised following the Vols crumpling up like yesterday’s aluminum foil. No, the collapse wasn’t sudden nor shocking; it didn’t just pop up out of nowhere. It was a deliberate decline, plodding along, fueled by a lack of offensive execution combined with lazy and uninspired defense. Now, in no way am I defending the result. I’m just saying you could almost feel it coming.
Two Halves Make a (w)Hole
Tennessee completely reversed the course it set in the first half, doubling back like a sailor lost at sea, blowing a 14-point lead over the final 20 minutes.
Offensively, Tennessee battled A&M’s zone and played well in the first half, especially considering Jordan McRae and Jarnell Stokes were hindered with foul trouble and sat for a significant portion of the period. Tennessee shot nearly 42 percent from the field, including 4-10 from 3-point range and 8-9 from the FT line in the first half. But the Vols hit just eight shots after halftime going 1-7 from behind the arc and 7-12 from the FT stripe.
Senior forward Jeronne Maymon said the offense was, “out of sorts,” which allowed A&M to creep back into the game.
“We couldn’t get some of the things we normally get,” Maymon said. “They were hitting some shots in the second half that obviously opened it up and made it a different ball game.”
The story was no better on defense. The Vols gave up 39 points on 53 percent shooting in the final frame after holding the Aggies to just 18 points on 25 percent shooting in the first half. UT allowed only one point in the final six minutes of the first half but gave up 14 points in the final six minutes of the second half.
“I feel as though we did, alot,” Antonio Barton said, on whether the Vols let up in the second half. “Going from the first to the second half, we were a little bit happy. We got settled and then they started making shots everywhere.”
Tennessee kept A&M out of the lane in the first half, cutting off penetration and forcing the Aggies into quick and ill-advised shots. However, the Vols looked more like a group of pinwheels spinning in the wind in the second. Burgundy-clad blurs zipped by Vol defenders resulting in layups and kick outs. Tennessee was late on switches and the Aggies drilled open looks.
“We just got in a daze and too comfortable,” Barton said. “We were thinking that team was going to lay down and they aren’t going to fight, but they did fight back.”
“I don’t think we played a bad game, I just think we didn’t get consecutive stops when we needed them,” Jeronne Maymon said.
Missing Persons Report: McRae, Jordan and Stokes, Jarnell
Neither Jarnell Stokes nor Jordan McRae played more than 25 minutes, and when they were on the floor, they were ineffective. They combined for 15 points on 4-13 shooting, six rebounds and seven turnovers.
Stokes converted two 3-point plays in the first five minutes of the game but never scored again. His six-point total is the lowest of the season since he tallied four points against Xavier in the season opener in November, and only the fourth time all year he failed to score in double digits.
He touched the ball just seven times in the second half resulting in one missed 18-footer, two turnovers and four passes. He wasn’t aggressive in his positioning, and his teammates didn’t find him the few times he was in position. A&M doubled on the catch and rendered him ineffective.
McRae never really found his rhythm tallying just nine points and tying his season-low. The reigning SEC Player of the Week made just one of his two 2-point field goal attempts on the night, setting a new season low in makes and attempts. He looked like he was pressing some in the second half, trying to make too much happen when there was nothing there. There’s a fine line between trying to make plays and forcing the action. McRae slipped into the latter against the Aggies and, Tennessee’s offense suffered.
Tennessee’s TO Problem
Tennessee’s TOs were an issue last week, so we talked about them. They were again an issue against Texas A&M, so again we’ll talk about them.
McRae had a crucial offensive foul /turnover with 27 seconds that kept the comeback-door cracked for A&M as the Vols matched their season-high of 16 TOs on Saturday.
Seven of those came on illegal screen calls, according to Coach Martin’s Monday press conference. Martin added that after reviewing the film it appeared the player called for the foul was set on five of those seven calls. Take out those five calls and you’re left with 11 giveaways. That’s still too damn many on your home court with a lineup full of juniors and seniors.
Sure, the Vols got away with that many TOs against an offensively challenged LSU squad, but if you play with fire enough, you get burned. It’s simple as that. The Aggies converted those 16 TOs into 20 points.
Several things went awry in this loss: the offense and defense was bad; Tennessee’s two best players struggled; the Vols had too many turnovers; UT’s best defender was torched for four 3-pointers and 20 points in the second half; Maymon missed two very crucial FTs; and the refs made some questionable moving screen calls. It’s hard to blame anybody when you can really just blame everybody. The game trended down for the Vols after halftime into a storybook ending for the Aggies. The Vols return to the floor Wednesday against the Auburn Tigers. This is a very critical game for Tennessee. Lose, and all remaining hell will certainly break loose.[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]