Tobe Awaka says Tennessee takes 'great pride' in lockdown defense

Tennessee extended its current winning streak to three games on Wednesday night, doing so with an absolutely dominant 70-41 win over Georgia. Lockdown defense was the theme.

Georgia scored only 41 points in the game and finished just 16-of-55 (29.1%) from the floor and 4-of-22 (18.2%) from 3-point range. Tennessee’s defense was absolutely stifling.

“We take great pride in it,” forward Tobe Awaka said after the game. “We actually, we call this a sack, holding a team scoreless for three straight possessions. So we’re definitely counting those things and it just makes up a great part of who we are as a team.”

Tennessee’s defensive ability has been borne out on paper. Each of the last thre opponents were kept to fewer than 60 points.

But Awaka and other Volunteers still feel there’s room for improvement as lockdown defense becomes an even bigger priority in the heart of conference play.

“I think coach Barnes is just trying to hold us to a high championship standard,” Awaka said. “He’ll raise the goal and we’ll exceed it and he’ll keep pushing it just so we can get better. He hates complacency, and that’s something I definitely respect about him, him always wanting us to get better, him always challenging us. That’s what makes him a great coach and that’s what’s making us a great basketball team right now.”

Lockdown defense fueling confidence for Vols

When No. 4 Tennessee gets rolling, it can feel like an avalanche on their opposition. The Volunteers’ defense is already top-notch, but, when you add in some offensive success? They become a massive load to handle. After Georgia was the latest team to find this out for themselves, sophomore guard Zakai Zeigler agreed that these performances only make him and his teammates more confident.

During postgame after defeating the Bulldogs 70-41, Zeigler spoke about Tennessee’s ability to be able to put it on teams in this way. He said building a lead on the back of their defense gives them the confidence to keep their run going, specifically by giving them more spirit on the offensive end.

“Honestly, I feel like that’s the whole point,” Zeigler said. “When we see a team get down, it just boosts our confidence on (defense). Then that makes us get even more confident on the offensive end.”

Tennessee will return to action Saturday against No. 10 Texas. The game will tip off at 6 p.m. ET with a broadcast on ESPN.