Overtime Rules the Main Headline Following Chiefs, Bills Thriller
Tennessee bounced back from a humiliating loss at Kentucky with its first 2-0 week of the season, winning at Vanderbilt before defeating LSU at home.
Meeting with the media on Monday, Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes discussed the improved play of his team and specifically its ability to bounce back on the defensive end.
“For the most part, we’ve been a sound defensive team,” Barnes said. “Overall, our defense has been good, and excited that we picked up some charges the other night. If you look around the country and the SEC, there’s a lot of teams playing great defense and if you don’t play any, then you won’t give yourself much of a chance to win. If you play defense on a night where you struggle to score which I see a lot of teams that are struggling to score, it makes for long nights.”
The Vols held LSU to its lowest total — 50 points — all season, suffocating the Tigers’ stars Darius Days and Tari Eason.
Now, Tennessee turns its attention to Wednesday night and the rivalry matchup with Florida. The Gators are 12-6 (3-3 SEC), but have won three straight games over South Carolina, Mississippi State and Vanderbilt.
“As you would expect the last two games they’ve shot a few more threes since they don’t have their post guy, they normally throw it in to,” Barnes said. “Obviously playing through their guards even more. But Mike, he does a great job, he’s taken what he’s gotten, it’s a testament to him, hasn’t complained about any of it. I do think his team has great confidence in him because they have followed his lead to the hilt and they can put numbers on you if you don’t guard them, they can turn you over if you don’t take care of the basketball.”
Tip-off from Thompson-Boling Arena Wednesday night is set for 6 p.m. ET. Tom Hart and Jimmy Dykes will call the game on ESPN2.
