Tennessee coaches want Jahmai Mashack to 'play aggressive and attack' on offense

Illinois coach Brad Underwood made his defensive game plan clear during his postgame press conference on December 14, after then-No. 1 Tennessee beat his Illini 66-64 at State Farm Arena. 

Illinois wasn’t going to do much to defend Jahmai Mashack. Instead, they were going to back off of the senior guard and focus their efforts on the other four Tennessee players on the court.

“Mashack,” Underwood said, “he’s only had three games in his career where he’s taken over six shots. I was hoping he would take 26, because we weren’t going to guard him, then clog all the other stuff up.”

Mashack had six points on 3-for-7 shooting at Illinois, the most shots he’s taken in a game this season.

Underwood’s number was exaggerated —  Mashack has shot six or more times 21 times in his 115-game career at Tennessee, including a career-high 12 as a sophomore and eight more in two games last season — but the point stands.

Opposing defenses are making a habit of playing off of Mashack — he’s known for his defense, as one of the best perimeter defenders in college basketball — while trying to slow down the Vols in other areas. 

Up Next: No. 6 Tennessee vs. No. 23 Georgia, Wednesday, 8 p.m. ET, SEC Network

It happened twice last week. Mashack went 0-for-3 from the field in 25 scoreless minutes in the 73-43 loss at Florida, then 3-for-6 with six points in 20 minutes in the 74-70 win at Texas.

“(Texas) chose to really back off Jahmai Mashack,” head coach Rick Barnes said after the game, “which then distorts your spacing on offense. Early in the game he was doing what we wanted him to do. 

“We love his defense,” Barnes added. “Whoever is guarding him (is) sort of a one-man zone. We’ve dealt with it before.”

Mashack is averaging 5.4 points in 27.8 minutes per game this season, taking 3.9 shots per game while shooting 44.4% from the floor. He’s shooting 28.0% from the 3-point line, down from a career-best 35.9% from three last season. 

He has spent the last three weeks playing with two fingers on his left hand taped together, after injuring his pinky while chasing a loose ball on the floor against Middle Tennessee State on December 23.

“(He’s) still dealing with his hand,” Barnes said, “which I think has affected him some.”

‘You can’t be a non-offensive player when you’re out there’

The emphasis from Tennessee’s coaching staff is that Mashack can’t let how he’s being defended affect how plays on the offensive end.

“You can’t be a non-offensive player when you’re out there,” Tennessee assistant coach Lucas Campbell said on Tuesday, “and just concede to what the defense is giving you. So we want him to play aggressive and attack and get a piece of the paint.”

All three of his field goals were in the paint at Texas, with Mashack scoring on three layups. It matched his season high for the most made shots in a game and was the highest total since Illinois.

Campbell said Mashack turning paint touches into shots is a good outcome, but not the only outcome. 

“I think he got Jordan (Gainey) a three in the Texas game,” Campbell said. “That’s the type of shots we need, inside-out, bang a three. Those are how he can impact the game.”

What he can’t do is let how other teams defend him — or don’t defend him — impact his play on offense.

“He can’t just be complacent,” Campbell said, “and accept the fact that … ‘Oh, they’re not guarding me. I’m just going to stand around.’”