Tennessee basketball started fast, struggled in the middle of the game and then used a big second half run to take control and knock off No. 20 Illinois 86-79 at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center on Saturday afternoon.
The Vols got big performances from a number of players but most notably Dalton Knecht, Santiago Vescovi and Jahmai Mashack.
Here’s three quick takeaways from Tennessee’s win over Illinois.
Boom Or Bust Offensive First Half
Tennessee came out absolutely firing offensively, making eight of their first 13 shots and two of their first three three-point attempts before the game’s first media timeout.
The Vols scored 19 points in the first six minutes of the game and were moving the ball at an elite level. Tennessee’s offense didn’t stay quite that hot but kept scoring at a strong rate for the game’s first 12 minutes. Tennessee led 30-25 when Josiah-Jordan James threw down a dunk with 8:07 left in the first half.
Then Tennessee’s offense collapsed for the rest of the half. The Vols scored only four points in the final eight minutes of the half as Illinois’ strong interior defense tightened up and Tennessee struggled to get perimeter shots to go. Tennessee made only one of its final eight three-point attempts in the half and Dalton Knecht spent the final five-plus minutes of the first half on the bench with two fouls.
Illinois used the poor offense to take a 36-34 halftime lead but given the circumstances it was a win for Tennessee that they only trailed by two points at half.
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Dalton Knecht Is A Bad Man
Tennessee’s offense came out to start the second half and it continued to struggle for the first few possessions. The Vols looked a lot like last years team where when shots weren’t falling, they’d have to win with defense.
But then Dalton Knecht again showed everyone that he is a bad bad man that gives the Vols an offensive element they haven’t had since Grant Williams.
Knecht sparked Tennessee offense was a left-handed hook shot that gave him three points the old fashioned way. He proceeded to score 13 of the next 16 points for Tennessee. When his top of the key three-pointer fell through the net it capped off a 10-0 run which pulled Tennessee ahead by six points.
It was as if Knecht hitting shots just calmed everyone for Tennessee down. The Vols began playing much looser, pounded the ball inside for some big interior buckets and Santiago Vescovi showed a flare for the dramatic, hitting an insane corner three before doing his best Magic Johnson impression in transition.
Knecht didn’t do anything else offensively the rest of the way but still ended with 21 points on seven-of-14 shooting from the field. But it was how he shot Tennessee out of an offensive cold stretch that proved so critical.
Zeigler And Mashack Bring Big Contributions
While Knecht’s outburst kept Tennessee from relying on its defense to win, the Vols still brought the big time defensive intensity that helped them open up a second half lead.
And as is so often the case, Zakai Zeigler and Jahmai Mashack set the tone for the fantastic defense.
Mashack played just three first half minutes before playing 12 in the second half. The junior guard was a big piece of Tennessee holding All-American candidate Terrence Shannon Jr. to 22 points on five-of-16 shooting from the field. Those numbers are a bit skewed by some late game buckets when Tennessee was playing soft defense.
The elite defender did serious stat sheet stuffing, totaling four rebounds and three assists. He also found a way to make an impact offensively, getting to the hoop and the foul line during a nine-point performance (seven points came in the second half).
Zeigler continues to look more-and-more like himself pre injury. Giving ball handlers issues by getting under them and diving on the floor to get steals, he helped bring the house down on this sequence.
hustle plays
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📲 https://t.co/aScMs7gMTS pic.twitter.com/k147nUBzDm— Tennessee Basketball (@Vol_Hoops) December 9, 2023
Zeigler wasn’t spectacular on the offensive end by any means, but totaled 11 points and four assists while not turning it over.
But it was the intensity that Zeigler played with that we’ve become accustomed to that made a huge impact against Illinois. It’s why his teammates have called him the heart-and-soul of the team.
Final Stats
Up Next
Tennessee basketball returns to the court on Tuesday night when they host Georgia Southern at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center. Tipoff is at 7 p.m. ET and the SEC Network is broadcasting the game.
