In front of a sold-out Food City Center, Tennessee basketball delivered yet another outstanding effort on Saturday, defeating Alabama 91-71.
Dalton Knecht, who is still tearing up conference play, delivered 25 points for No. 6 Tennessee (14-4, 4-1 SEC) against the Tide (12-6, 4-1). Knecht’s offensive running partner once again was Jonas Aidoo, who ended with 19 blocks overall.
The top offensive team in the nation was the opponent Tennessee faced today, according to head coach Rick Barnes. Their plans are brilliant, and they are very challenging to stop. We did a great job sharing the ball, and I’m proud of our players on defense.
Following the Vols’ thrilling victory, consider these three key lessons.
Offense played with purpose
Alabama possessed the top-ranked offense in the nation going into the game according to KenPom. However, on Saturday, Tennessee’s offensive emerged victorious. Three games in a row, the Vols have scored 85 points or more. Against the Tide, they had 50 points in the first half.
Jordan Gainey scored 15 points and drained three 3-pointers in an excellent outing coming off the bench. Despite playing just 15 minutes for the Vols, his total would have been sufficient to rank as Alabama’s second-leading scorer.
Gainey remarked, “It felt amazing to finally see one go through after a little slump.” “My ability to depend on my work and practice enables me to maintain my achievement.”
The Tide only made four 3-pointers compared to the Vols’ ten. Additionally, Tennessee had four players in double figures while Alabama had just one.
Tide’s offense held in check
From the beginning, Tennessee’s defense was oppressive. Every time the Tide attempted to build up an offensive play, the Vols were all over them, forcing 22 turnovers. Mark Sears of Alabama committed a season-high seven of such errors while being largely contained throughout the game’s most important moments.
Barnes stated, “When you look at his numbers up to this point, Sears has played terrific basketball.” “We approach defense as a team in whatever we do. A group of players that we have take great satisfaction in one-on-one ball defending. With a player like Mark, it takes a team to stop a team.
When the Vols are playing as well as they did against the Tide, there are few teams who can beat them. They held Alabama to a season-low 71 points and made sure they could not get close enough to threaten a comeback.
Duo of Knecht and Aidoo shines again
On Saturday, Knecht’s scorching form continued as he made history by being the first Tennessee player to score 20 points or more in four straight games since Kevin Punter Jr. did so in 2015. Before letting up on his offensive game in the second half as Tennessee’s lead extended, he had 17 points at the break.
“Dalton was well-managed by them,” Barnes remarked following the match. He will occasionally need to let go of the ball and allow other players to grab the advantage. As he encounters more and more defenses, he will gain stronger. As he is spending more time outside during transition, guys are beginning to search for him.
Aidoo was among Tennessee’s finest players on the court, as he has been throughout the season. Similar to his performance against Florida, Aidoo scored 19 points once more and frequently got to his left hand for his signature hook shot.
Regarding Aidoo, Barnes remarked, “He is really working hard at attempting to score before he gets the ball.” “However, I was always telling him that he needed to occasionally go the other way with the hook since I knew he could handle it when he first arrived.”
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