'We've got to prove we can do it': Tennessee's bigs aren't coming up big on defense
STARKVILLE — What keeps happening over and over is exactly what Rick Barnes said has to stop happening over and over. No. 5 Tennessee has to learn how to guard talented forwards. The Vols can’t keep letting opposing big men to go off.
It happened in the 77-72 loss at Mississippi State Wednesday night. And at North Carolina in November. And against Kansas and Purdue in the Maui Invitational.
“It’s frustrating,” Barnes said during his postgame press conference at Humphrey Coliseum, “because we think our guys can do it. And, again, we love them to help us score and do that, but we’ve got to be able to guard other people’s post players.
“We’ve got to do that, and I know we’re more than capable of doing it, but we’ve got to prove we can do it.”
Rick Barnes: ‘Tolu Smith had his way with our post guys’
Tolu Smith, Mississippi State’s 6-foot-11, 245-pound sixth-year senior, scored 23 points and made the game-winning shot at the rim with 14.7 seconds left to sink Tennessee after the Vols had rallied from a 15-point deficit in the first half.
“Tolu Smith had his way with our post guys,” Barnes said. “Got his position where he wanted it and just did what he wanted to do.”
Tennessee junior center Jonas Aidoo had nine points and five rebounds before fouling out with 4:55 left. Junior forward Tobe Awaka had four points and six rebounds and fouled out when Smith scored with 14 seconds left.
When Barnes asked if he was surprised to see both Aidoo and Awaka struggle to stop Smith, he answered quickly, saying “absolutely.”
“I would’ve thought that both of those guys, I mean, we know (Smith) is certainly an outstanding offensive player,” he continued. “But he just took it where he wanted to go. Those guys can’t allow him to do that. And he put fouls on us.”
Opposing bigs doing what they want has been the common thread in Tennessee’s four losses.
Purdue’s Zach Edey had 23 points and 10 rebounds in the Maui Invitational, a day before Hunter Dickinson had 17 points and 20 rebounds and KJ Adams went for 13 more for Kansas.
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At North Carolina, in Tennessee’s last true road game, Armando Bacot had 20 points.
Guards have become a problem while the bigs are going off, too.
Mississippi State freshman Josh Hubbard scored 25 points Wednesday night, going 5-for-10 from the 3-point line. Purdue guard Fletcher Loyer scored 27, Kevin McCullar scored 14 for Kansas and RJ Davis had 27 for North Carolina.
Up Next: No. 5 Tennessee at Georgia, Saturday, Noon ET, ESPN2
On Wednesday Tennessee’s defense was forced to collapse on the post, causing problems by leaving openings on the perimeter.
“When a guy gets it deep in the lane now,” Barnes said, “it’s a long way to come down and it’s a longer way to get back out. Puts us into a really tough rotation where it really becomes a three-man rotation.
“But again, it’s all about space. Fighting for your space on the floor, getting the ball where you want it.”
And it’s all about using an arm bar to defend that space. According to Barnes, that’s the answer moving forward. That’s where Aidoo and Awaka have to be ready.
“I think if you’re allowed to arm bar, nobody should be able to back you down,” Barnes said. “And I really believe that. But it is leverage. It’s getting down low and holding your ground. And if you do that, we can come and help, we can do that.”
