Kentucky exposed No. 5 Tennessee's rebounding problem in 63-56 loss

The numbers show rebounding as one of this Tennessee basketball team’s strengths. The Vols, after their first 15 games, were second in the SEC on the glass, averaging 41.1 per game. 

The numbers in the three losses this season, including Kentucky’s 63-56 upset of No. 5 Tennessee Saturday afternoon at Thompson-Boling Arena, show rebounding as the glaring weakness.

The Vols lost the battle on the boards 43-23 in the loss. The 23 total rebounds and four offensive rebounds for Tennessee were both season worsts. Kentucky scored 12 second-chance points and finished the game with 13 offensive rebounds.

“The difference in the game was the rebounding,” Rick Barnes said. “I mean, they did whatever they wanted to do on the boards.”

Vols outrebounded for third time in three losses this season

It’s been the difference in each loss this season. The Vols are 14-0 when they outrebound their opponents. They’re 0-3 when they don’t.

At Bridgestone Arena in November, Colorado had 47 rebounds to Tennessee’s 38, wining 78-66. At Arizona last month, the Wildcats had 38 rebounds to 30 for the Vols. In the win over Kansas in the Battle 4 Atlantis championship game in November, the biggest win of the season so far, Tennessee had 45 rebounds to just 27 for Kansas. 

“It goes back to what I said to you guys before,” Barnes said. “We still have too many guys that think offense, as opposed to understanding the role they have on the team. 

“Give (Kentucky) credit. They came in and that was obviously a big part of their game plan. They look at those numbers just like everybody. They’re going to say we’re not going to get beat on the boards. And they thoroughly beat us on the backboard.”

Later in his postgame press conference Barnes went down the boxscore one by one. 

Uros Plavsic scored 19 points to lead Tennessee (14-3, 4-1 SEC), going 9-for-11 from the field, but had just three rebounds before fouling out. Olivier Nkamhoua had two rebounds. Freshman wing Julian Phillips had three.

Tyreke Key, Santiago Vescovi, Zakai Zeigler, Tobe Awaka and Jahmai Mashack, a group that came into Saturday averaging a combined 16.3 rebounds per game, totaled just four against Kentucky. 

Five from senior wing Josiah-Jordan James was a team high. Kentucky forwards Oscar Tshiebwe and Jacob Toppin combined for 21 rebounds for Kentucky.

James said he wasn’t trying to be rude with his response when asked about the rebounding numbers after the game, but it comes down to nothing more than focus. That’s the only way he could explain it.

“Do your job,” he said. “In the three losses that we’ve had, and especially today, we didn’t do that. We didn’t crash the glass offensively. I didn’t crash the glass. We just have to box out. That’s what championship teams do night in and night out.”

Tennessee has to get more physical, too. Plavsic said the Vols lost that battle as well.

“I just think it was the team effort that they put in,” he said, “was better than the team effort that we put in.”

Up Next: No. 5 Tennessee at Mississippi State, Tuesday, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2

Tennessee shot 40.4 percent from the field but just 14.3 percent from the 3-point line, going 3-for-21. The Vols missed 10 of 21 layups according to game stats. 

Barnes said correcting the rebounding issues starts with the correct mindset, regardless of anything else going on in the game. 

“Guys understanding what their job is,” he said, “going into games with the right mindset. Not letting the fact that you missed a shot or you charge, doing something you shouldn’t do. You’ve got to do your job.

“We have to get out frontline guys doing their job on the glass. That is not just four and fives. That is the wings, too. I think defensively, we have to get all five guys involved and we weren’t very good at that tonight.”