Can this incarnation of the Tennessee men’s basketball team play defense?
That will be the pressing question heading into a meat-grinder of a pre-Southeastern Conference schedule.
Sunday night’s exhibition loss to No. 6 Duke, 83-76, proved the No. 18 Volunteers can score. Freshman phenom Nate Ament is comfortable with the ball in his hands. The slender 6-foot-10 rookie scored 14 points. He wasn’t shy about pulling up for the mid-range jumper or letting a 3-pointer fly.
Or, for that matter, making a power move and slamming a dunk.
Ament struggled, hitting just 5 of 19, but they’re going to fall. He had 10 rebounds to go with it.
The problem was that the Volunteers got beat off the dribble too many times. Maybe it was just a Duke thing. The Blue Devils are very good. But, if this Tennessee team is going to be able to compete regularly against the likes of No. 2 Houston, No. 11 Louisville and No. 17 Illinois before the SEC slate begins, defense will need to be a priority.
While Ament has the big name, the freshman that could make a significant impact is 6-9 forward DeWayne Brown II. He had all 10 of his points by halftime (Tennessee led 43-37)
Duke struggled and shot just 35% (13 of 37) in the first half and it finished at 34%. The Blue Devils had a 10-2 run out of halftime and took control of the tempo.
That’s usually where the Tennessee defense stops the bleeding and changes momentum. It didn’t happen.
Coach Rick Barnes was forced to remake this team. Three starters —Jacobi Gillespie (Maryland), Jaylen Carey (Vanderbilt) and Felix Okpara (Ohio State two years ago) — arrived via the transfer portal.
Without Zakai Zeigler, the heart and soul of the Vols the past couple years, finding a fit at the point guard is essential. Gillespie (19 points, 8 assists) and Ethan Burg (6 points, 1 assist), who came to Rocky Top via Israel, are battling for the spot. Both seem competent. But, Barnes wants great. It may take a while to discover greatness.
Besides proving capable as a ball handler and distributor, bringing the energy and lock down defense is a work in progress.
One of the more encouraging signs of the night came from 6-11 redshirt sophomore J.P. Estrella. Injured three games into last season, Estrella spent most of the campaign riding a scooter without putting weight on his foot. Early in Sunday’s game, he got himself open and drilled a 3-pointer from the top of the key.
Sunday’s game that didn’t count was probably the best game fans will see at home until conference play. Unless Louisville lives up to its hype, November and December home games are pretty bland.