No. 9 Tennessee cruised to victory on Monday night in Knoxville, defeating Tennessee Tech by a score of 80-42 in the season opening game.
The Vols took a minute to find their offensive rhythm at the beginning of the game but found their stride soon after. Tennessee ended the game shooting 46 percent from the floor and 40 percent from three-point range.
Dalton Knecht and Jordan Gainey, Tennessee’s two transfer portal pickups this season, finished the game as two of Tennessee’s three double-digit scorers along with Josiah-Jordan James. Knecht led the team with 17 followed by Gainey with 14 and James with 12.
After the conclusion of the game on Monday night, Tennessee Tech head coach John Pelphrey and Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes both met with the media individually. Pelphrey spoke about what makes Tennessee so challenging to face, how he thinks Tennessee is different than previous seasons, and how the crowd at Food City Center impacted the game for his younger players.
Barnes, on the other hand, gave his perspective of the game and shared his thoughts on how he felt his team played. Barnes spoke about Zakai Zeigler’s return to the court, what he thought of Tennessee’s freshmen and newcomers, emptying out the bench late in the game, and much more.
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Check out the interviews from both Tennessee Tech head coach John Pelphrey and Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes from Monday night in Knoxville below.
Tennessee Head Coach Rick Barnes
Tennessee Tech Head Coach John Pelphrey
