5 Takeaways: No. 6 Tennessee 87, Louisiana 65
Photo by Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics
Tennessee improved to 2-0 on the season, with their impressive 87-65 victory over Louisiana on Friday night. The Ragin’ Cajuns hung around for a few minutes, just as Lenoir Rhyne did in the season-opener, but the Vols gained momentum and were not going to be stopped. Louisiana actually held a 13-10 lead with 15:14 remaining in the first half, but Tennessee went on a 20-2 run to double Louisiana in points, 30-15 at that point. The Ragin' Cajuns would not go away easily and the Vols led 48-31 the half. The Vols' offensive firepower was just too much for Louisiana in the second half. The Rajin' Cajuns would not back down, but a Tennessee win was never in doubt.
Here are 5 takeaways from the 22-point win.
Grant Williams is Already in Midseason Form
Grant had a tremendous performance on Friday. His first double-double of the year came in a 31-point, 10-rebound effort. He went 11-15 from the field, including 3-4 from beyond the arc, while also recording 3 assists and 2 steals.
After the game, he said that Coach Barnes sat down with him and challenged him to do what he knows he needs to do for the team. He answered the call in a big way. His 31 points were a quiet 31 points. This is not a bad thing. It just speaks to the consistency of his game.
He will still throw down some dunks, as he did against Louisiana, but he is not focused on being flashy. He is all about dominating his defender every single possession. The fact that he is able to knock down 3-pointers this season is an added bonus to his game. As the reigning SEC Player of the Year, Grant should be expected to have big games on a regular basis.
Tennessee's Offense is Dominant
For the second consecutive game, each of Tennessee's starters scored in double figures and the starters combined to outscore the entire Louisiana team by 12 points. The problem for opponents is that the Vols have too many offensive weapons. Along with that, the efficiency of the Vols' offense has been terrific to start the season.
Against Louisiana, Tennessee shot 54% (34-63) from the field and connected on 9-21 of their 3-point attempts. They assisted on 27 of their 34 made shots, while making 10-12 free throws.
I am a one who likes to set goals. One of my goals is a 90-point game from the Vols. Tennessee has scored 86 and 87 in their first 2 games of the season, so I expect them to break through and score 90 soon. It would be fun to do it on Tuesday night, in matchup with an ACC team, Georgia Tech.
Defense Can Improve
I am naturally positive about every aspect of Tennessee basketball this season. Still, if there is one area that the Vols could focus on improving during the non-conference slate is their defense. They held Louisiana to 65 points, but the Vols started the game sloppily on the defensive end. Granted, the Ragin' Cajuns are very well coached and are predicted to win the Sun Belt conference. The Vols recorded 4 blocks and 3 steals in the win. There's nothing to complain about, but I've learned from Rick Barnes that improvement should never stop, no matter the success of the team.
Lamonté Turner Remains Out
Besides missing Kyle Alexander in the second round of the NCAA Tournament last season, Tennessee has avoided the injury bug lately. Lamonté Turner has missed each of the first 2 games of the season, but after speaking with him after the game on Friday, he said that he's not sure when he will return, but "it should be soon." When Lamonté returns, this team is going to get even better.
Admiral Has a New Look
On Friday, Schofield debuted a new look. He wears glasses off the court and hasn't been affected by not wearing them during games, but he decided to try them out on Friday. He said that they increased the vibrancy of everything, but a downside is that they become foggy. He may not wear them as the season progresses, but for now, Vol fans really enjoy them.
Player of the Game: Grant Williams
