Tennessee Basketball: Defense helps Vols, Santiago Vescovi find flow in win over Butler

Jahmai Mashack delivered the spark in the first half — the one the sophomore wing has delivered a couple times already early this season — with a few important, productive possessions that helped No. 22 Tennessee shake off a slow start against Butler in the first round of the Battle 4 Atlantis Wednesday night.

Zakai Zeigler hit a deep three as the halftime horn sounded — the big shot in the big moment that the sophomore point guard became known for during his breakout freshman season — helping the Vols lead by five at the break after trailing for 17 of the first 20 minutes.

But Santiago Vescovi — the Vescovi Tennessee relied on so heavily last season, who hit one big three after another — had yet to show up. He was scoreless for the first 27 minutes inside Imperial Arena at Atlantis.

Looking back during his postgame press conference, head coach Rick Barnes didn’t sound concerned with his senior shooting guard.

“Santi,” Barnes said, “he’s been around.”

Vescovi showed his stripes with three made three-pointers over the course of just 66 seconds in the second half as No. 22 Tennessee got rolling. He ended the night with a team-high 13 points, all scored in the second half, as the Vols were working on both ends of the floor in a 71-45 win.

3 triples. 1:06 of game time.

hace calor pic.twitter.com/ygyg0v9rAN

— Tennessee Basketball (@Vol_Hoops) November 24, 2022

“When he gets going,” Barnes said, “I don’t think there’s any question (about his offense).”

Tennessee (3-1) now advances to face USC (4-1) in Thursday’s semifinal round, a 1 p.m. Eastern Time start on ESPN2.

Vescovi entered the game with 27 points over the first three games of the season, but he needed 26 shots to get there. He had nine points in the season-opening win over Tennessee Tech, going 3-for-8 from the field, and scored 11 in the loss against Colorado in Nashville on November 13, but went just 2-for-13 from the floor. 

He had eight points last week against Florida Gulf Coast on 3-for-5 shooting.

“Santi doesn’t get many (open shots),” Barnes said. “He’s guarded so differently than most guys, they don’t want to leave him, so he has to work not only what he’s doing on the defensive end, but what he does on the offensive end as well just trying to get open.”

Up Next: Vols vs. USC, Thursday, 1:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2

Vescovi finished 5-for-9 from the field against Butler, going 5-for-7 in the second half, including 3-for-5 from the 3-point line. Afterward, he deflected any credit away from himself after the game.

“I think what got me going was my teammates, no doubt,” he said. “I think the energy that they brought on the defensive end, I think it’s just something contagious, that gets everybody going. Then knowing that coaches and also my teammates trust me shooting the ball. I think everybody on my team was the main reason for me getting it going.”

Tennessee outscored Butler by 21 points in the second half, after scoring 10 straight over the final 3:31 of the first half. The Vols scored 18 points off 23 Butler turnovers. 

Vescovi’s first three, with 13:01 left, was part of a 17-1 run that put the Vols fully in control. He hit again with 11:30 left, then his third at the 9:15 mark, forcing a Butler timeout.

It was a much-needed offensive flow that had too often been missing early this season.

“I do think we’re a good offensive team,” Barnes said, “but we’ve had no rhythm to our season so far. Play a game, off a week — we haven’t played in a week until tonight and knowing that you’re coming here to play three games, it’s not like we’re able to do what we normally would like to do once we get a routine down.”

Tennessee beat Florida Gulf Coast 81-50 last Wednesday in Knoxville. The same FGCU team went to Southern Cal and won 74-61 to open the season on November 7.

If the Vols are going to advance to Friday night’s Battle 4 Atlantis championship game, Vescovi said it starts with the team’s defense, not his offense.

“Defense is really important for us as a program,” Vescovi said, “and I think more in the second half it was more of a mentality thing. I think in the second half too we got the rhythm and I think the most important thing we have to do is let the defense dictate our offense. 

“I think that’s what happened in the second half (against Butler). I think we got the rhythm on defense and that’s what got us going on offense.”

It’s the same message his head coach was preaching from the next seat over.

“We just think that if we do what we do, practice the way we practice, believe in what we’re doing,” Barnes said, “that we’ll find a way to generate enough offense to win it if we can defend consistently like we’re capable of.”