Rick Barnes reveals what Tennessee needs to do to take next step on offense

Tennessee is missing a key piece on offense as it enters the NCAA Tournament. Just before March, starting point guard Zakai Zeigler suffered a torn ACL, leaving the Volunteers without their lead distributor.

Zeigler was averaging 10.7 points and 5.4 assists per game this season and leaves a big void to fill, particularly with his ability to drive to the basket. However, Tennessee coach Rick Barnes believes the Volunteers have plenty of others who can step up in Zeigler’s absence.

“We need that,” Barnes said. “We need to be able to get downhill and get (in the paint) and get fouls on people. Then the key there, too, is if we get there can we make the right plays from it? We’ve had some good drives in some of the games that we’ve been here. Offensively, I think we can do what we need to do there.”

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Tennessee is 1-2 in the games since Zeigler’s injury, including a 79-71 loss to Missouri in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals. Josiah-Jordan James has moved into the starting lineup across those three games, while guard Jahmai Mashack has also taken on a larger ball handling role.

The Volunteers have distributed scoring fairly evenly this season, with no member of the team averaging more than 13 points per game. Despite that, six players still have averages higher than eight points.

It not just on offense that Barnes hopes Tennessee can be better, however. He also wants to see improved play on defense, where the Volunteers are giving up 71 points per game (well below their season average of 58) since Zeigler got hurt.

“We can’t have a defensive lapse,” he said. “Especially late game. Even at the end of the first half, even though Jahmai made that long 3, that was a major breakdown on the front there. You can’t do that. Regardless of what the score was in the game, almost every game was a one-possession game. We’re not gonna be perfect, but there’s certain ones when you spend a lot of time talking to them, (saying) that you can’t break down. We’ve done that too much here lately.”

Tennessee earned a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament, drawing a first-round matchup against Louisiana. Tip-off for that game is set for 9:40 p.m. ET on Thursday.