Kentucky was hard on Tennessee Saturday night, beating the Vols in every phase of play and scoring an impressive 86-69 basketball victory at Rupp Arena.
The Vols were just as hard on themselves afterward. Forward Grant Williams, who hit the deck several times during the physical affair, went so far as to call the Vols “phonies” afterward.
Teammate Admiral Schofield was blunt in saying, “Tonight we weren’t Tennessee tough. Kentucky was totally kicking our butt, scoring the ball, defense, everything.”
Schofield pondered another perspective regarding the success that had afforded UT a No. 1 national ranking for four consecutive weeks. In this case, he wasn’t as harsh.
“When you’re on top of the pedestal sometimes it’s easy to lose that hunger,” he said. “We haven’t lost the hunger. We just didn’t come to play tonight.”
The fallout from Saturday’s loss, as measured by the Associated Press’ weekly top 25 poll, was significant. Tennessee (23-2, 11-1 SEC) tumbled to No. 5 on Monday, one spot behind Kentucky.
LSU is ranked No. 13. After hosting Vanderbilt on Tuesday, the Vols to travel to Baton Rouge, La., for a game on Saturday.
In the meantime, Tennessee’s focus will be more narrow in scope. During his Monday press conference, coach Rick Barnes repeated the same thought he broached last week from the same podium, namely the importance of daily vigilance.
“It’s today,” he said, “you’ve got to live in the moment.”
In this case, Barnes has an ally. He asked the players if anyone felt any different after Saturday’s loss and point guard Jordan Bone said: “Yeah, I do feel different. I’m really excited about going to practice.”
“That,” Barnes said, “was one of the most mature things I’ve heard in a long, long time.”
Kentucky gave the Vols a useful example of how to handle their situation. The Wildcats regrouped following a dramatic 73-71 home loss to LSU last Tuesday with an effort that belied their youth and befit a national championship contender.
“We need to go back to what we were and sometimes you’ve got to get knocked in the head to know that,” Kentucky coach John Calipari said. “So the loss to LSU probably helped us win this game.”
Calipari made a gracious gesture on UT’s behalf when he implored the Rupp crowd to stop the derisive chants of “overrated” in the game’s waning moments. Afterward Calipari said that he knows how good Tennessee is and added that the Vols are “probably underrated.”
The Vols will have a stronger say in their ranking and how their season plays out – provided they go back to work.
“They’ve said all the right things,” Barnes said. “Now we’ll see if they go do it.”
Lady Vols Get Boost With Win
A two-point home loss to Missouri on Jan. 6 began a six-game losing streak for Tennessee. A two-point victory over the Tigers, 62-60, on Sunday in Columbia, Mo., was the best sign yet of a Lady Vols’ recovery.
“They kept saying in the huddle ‘We’ve got this. We’re going to win this game,’ ’’ UT coach Holly Warlick said of her players during Warlick’s postgame radio show. “You had to put your big-girl pants on here.”
Missouri, fresh from a 75-67 road upset of conference power Mississippi State last Thursday, pulled ahead by four points early in the fourth quarter. Tennessee didn’t buckle, however. Two free throws by Rennia Davis with 52 seconds left were the difference. The Lady Vols (17-8, 6-6 SEC) got two defensive stops thereafter to preserve their fifth victory in the past six games and end the Tigers’ 10-game home winning streak.
Charlie Crème, who projects the NCAA women’s tournament bracket for ESPN, had Tennessee as the first team out last week. Based on UT’s win over Missouri and other results, he currently projects the Lady Vols as a No. 9 seed.