NCAAM 2/21 Recap: Texas Tech (-480) Wins But Fails To Cover Vs. Oklahoma
Tennessee’s talented freshmen class has had flashes this season. Kennedy Chandler and Zakai Zeigler are two of the team’s most important players, but Jahmai Mashack, Brandon Huntley-Hatfield and Jonas Aidoo have been on the outskirts of the rotation — or entirely out of it in Aidoo’s case — this season.
The freshmen class has had its moments, but rarely have three or more shined in the same game. That changed Tuesday night in Columbia as a foursome of Tennessee freshmen shined in the Vols’, 80-61, win at Missouri.
Zakai Zeigler’s six points and two assists marked a humble performance for the three-star freshman. Zeigler had scored in double-digits in eight consecutive games and has been arguably the Vols’ best player the last month.
Despite the light showing, the point guard made a big impact in the game early. Checking in with Tennessee trailing, 8-4, the Vols’ immediately unleashed an 8-0 run to take the lead. Zeigler had six straight points in the run and Tennessee would trail for just 30 seconds the rest of the game.
Aidoo’s transition from complete non-factor to reliable rotation piece continued in Columbia as the 6-foot-11 freshman’s 23 minutes were the most of any big man.
The North Carolina native blocked three shots and was fantastic on the defensive end in the win.
“Jonas, he’s been doing incredible,” Kennedy Chandler said. “Jonas had three huge blocks. … He’s so long. We needed somebody there just like O(liver) who was a shot blocker. Somebody to step up. Jonas has been doing that and creating for himself on the offensive end as well. Even though he didn’t have a good shooting night he still played great. Made some free throws.”
It was not a good shooting night for Aidoo. The freshman made just one-of-eight attempts from the field, finishing with five points thanks to three free throws. Still, Aidoo gave the Vols what they needed on the defensive end and on the glass, posting the second highest plus/minus on the team.
Tennessee got what they’ve been looking for from Huntley-Hatfield all season against the Tigers. That’s physicality.
“I thought tonight he was a force with his strength,” Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes said. “We’ve said all along. He’s athletic, he’s got terrific hands, he knows how to move and can play in tight spaces. I thought he was really doing a good job of getting himself in position to affect the game in a lot of different ways. Not just thinking I have to have the ball to do something. His effort that he made on the rebounds. … We’re just really proud of his effort and the fact that he was locked in scouting report wise, his voice out on the court you could hear it. He gave us a good game.”
The 6-foot-10, 246 pound power forward played like it, grabbing four offensive rebounds and throwing down a pair of thunderous slams.
Brandon Huntley-Hatfield high-points the rebound and slams it home. #NBADraft #Vols pic.twitter.com/J74pHLXNNF
— Caleb (@VolsAndDraft) February 23, 2022
Huntley-Hatfield’s six rebounds were his most and his six points were his second most in SEC play.
While Zeigler’s spark, Aidoo’s continued progression and Huntley-Hatfield’s physicality were important parts of Tennessee’s victory, Mizzou Arena belonged to Kennedy Chandler Tuesday evening.
Chandler scored two points in his first stint, but it wasn’t until the point guard checked back in with just under 15 minutes left in the first half that he took over.
Missouri simply couldn’t stay in front of the five-star freshman as Chandler torched the Tigers with his speed and crafty finishing. Chandler took four threes, but rarely settled for those jump shots attacking the basket with the ferocity of Wile E. Coyote chasing Road Runner.
Unlike the cartoon wolf, Chandler found the basket often. The Memphis native made nine-of-10 shots at the rim on his way to a game high 23 points.
“That’s just coach Barnes talking to me and my coaches as well,” Chandler said. “Even though I’m open, don’t settle. Knowing coach Barnes has talked to me about knowing where my hotspots are outside on the perimeter so I know where my hotspot is. Just me attacking, that’s the best part of my game. Just me attacking and finding my teammates open. I wasn’t trying to settle today. My first three I settled for that, coach Barnes told me and ever since that three I wanted to continue to attack.”
However, it wasn’t just Chandler’s scoring that shined at Missouri. Chandler played his most complete game in the orange-and-white talling six assists to zero turnovers, eight rebounds and two steals.
Chandler was in complete control of the game. Against a team with poor point guard play, that made all the difference.
“I do think Kennedy was spot on with the balance in the game we need him to have,” Barnes said.
Consistency has been hard to come by for any of Tennessee’s frontcourt players, so there’s no guaranteeing Aidoo and Huntley-Hatfield will replicate their performances, but the showing at Missouri was the best collective play from the Vols’ freshman class all season.
“That’s exciting,” Chandler said. “You don’t see four freshmen, at least as long as I’ve been here, four freshmen on the court together. That’s just us playing together.”
The freshmen have high ceilings. If you keep seeing them on the floor together, that likely means Tennessee is starting to reach its potential.
