INDIANAPOLIS — It’s something the Tennessee basketball program never talks about, but everyone is aware: The Vols are on that list nobody wants to be on, as one of the best men’s basketball programs to never make a Final Four.
Rick Barnes, who made it in 2003 as head coach at Texas, has had several teams at Tennessee good enough to make it, but this one, with an All-America point guard, a flammable shooting guard and a defense that’s dominant just like all the rest, might finally be the team to get this proud program there.
After Friday night’s 78-65 win over Kentucky, the Vols have one more win to go.
This was the type of performance that proves why Barnes’ group has the poise and attention to detail to finally be the one. Tennessee avenged a regular-season sweep to the Wildcats with a game plan designed to take away what UK coach Mark Pope’s offense does best: shoot 3s and cut.
In each of the two regular-season meetings, the Wildcats had made 12 of 24 3s and operated with way more ease than is typical against one of the best defenses in the country.
“We had a chip on our shoulder since we stepped in the film room,” sixth man Jordan Gainey said, “and we proved it.”
The Vols saw the game as a math problem. If they could make the Wildcats try to beat them inside the arc, the game wouldn’t be played on terms with which Kentucky was comfortable.
“We honestly felt like they wouldn’t beat us off straight twos,” Tennessee assistant Rod Clark said. “Their team is predicated on making 3s. Their best games that they win, they get those shots.
In order to take them away, the Vols went against their gap help principles, instead pressing up against UK players on the perimeter. If the Cats drove, then the Vols rushed back to meet them at the rim. It worked nearly to perfection, as Kentucky wasn’t able to get many clean 3-point looks — 6 of 15 from 3, a season-low attempts total — and rarely found cutters.
The one thing that worked for Kentucky in the first half was center Amari Williams going one-on-one, where he was able to get to the rim and score, making 4 of 5 shots on his way to nine points in the first half. But Kentucky is so used to using Williams as a facilitator and chasing 3s that instead of just riding Williams, the Cats continued to try to play the way they always play. Williams took only four shots in the second half, finishing with 14 points.
Had Kentucky ridden Williams, maybe the final score would have been closer.
Tennessee, meanwhile, is more than happy to run one or two plays on repeat. The Vols had two against UK: a floppy action that set up Chaz Lanier (17 points) and Jordan Gainey (16 points) in the midrange, and a high ball screen for Zakai Zeigler, setting the screen and then resetting it by flipping the angle, which helped Zeigler get to the paint.
“When we get a little bit of rhythm with something, we’re gonna stay with it,” Clark said. “We’re gonna keep doing it. We’re going to keep doing it until we see you stop it. And we felt like we were getting really good looks and good shots. Even the shots we missed, we felt we got great looks.”
The main priority was getting to the paint, another takeaway from the second meeting of the regular season, when the Vols felt like they had success putting pressure on the rim. Picking on perimeter defenders not named Lamont Butler Jr. and Otega Oweh had become a reliable formula for taking down Kentucky all year.
While the Vols didn’t make many 3s either — they had five — they were efficient inside the arc, shooting 19 of 36 and dominating the offensive glass, getting back 14 of their misses. Zeigler made sure the Vols kept getting what they wanted and controlled the game throughout, finishing with 18 points and 10 assists.
The senior point guard also delivered the knockout blow, a steal and a 3 that pushed the lead to 17 with just over eight minutes left that followed a Felix Okpara putback dunk.
Zeigler celebrated the play by cocking his head back to stare straight up at Kentucky’s 6-foot-10 Brandon Garrison.
Anytime they could, it felt like the Vols went out of their way to let the Cats know they were going to out-tough them on this night.
One team was too strong, too quick to the ball and on a mission to get its coach back to the Final Four.
“I can definitely feel that hunger,” Lanier said. “Ever since I stepped on campus, I knew that was at stake — getting to that Final Four. And I could just feel that taste in my mouth of how hungry everybody is to get there. I know that would mean a lot to the program and a lot for the state of Tennessee.”
What a setup it will be on Sunday afternoon, too, Barnes against his old Big 12 nemesis in Sampson. Two coaches chasing the one thing left off their resumes: a national title.
And it’s a goal that, it turns out, has very much been discussed.
“That’s something that we talked about all summer,” Clark said. “It was something that we’ve been extremely intentional about talking about. Something that we’ve, I would say, (have been) willful and relentless at pursuing. Those guys want it more than anything. And then obviously, Coach wants it more than anybody.”
(Photo: Andy Lyons / Getty Images)
