The Tennessee Volunteers have continued their undefeated run to a program-best 14-0 start, crushing the Arkansas Razorbacks on Saturday. It was a dominant win for the Vols, who looked the superior team in every facet throughout on their way to a 76-52 win.
Tennessee Dominated the Game From Inside-Out
Coach Rick Barnes will be very pleased by the way his team rebounded against a menacing Razorbacks front line. The Volunteers were plus-22 on the glass, securing a whopping 51 rebounds on the afternoon. In fact, Tennessee’s 24 offensive rebounds were almost more than Arkansas’ 29 total rebounds. Igor Miličić Jr. was absolutely unstoppable on the boards and grabbed 18 rebounds by himself. Miličić added 5 assists, which in truth were almost offset by his 4 turnovers, but it’s hard to be too critical of the Croatian big man given his herculean effort on the glass.
the best rebounding performance of the Rick Barnes era pic.twitter.com/IcMk6uHSVi
— Tennessee Basketball (@Vol_Hoops) January 4, 2025
Point guard Zakai Zeigler did his usual damage, stuffing the stat sheet with 12 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 steals. Zeigler is easily one of the top point guards in the country and continues to make winning plays at every turn. The other star for Tennessee was Chaz Lanier, who continued his scoring run with a sparkling 29 points, nailing 5 three-pointers and all of his 4 free throw attempts. Not all of Lanier’s 20 field goal attempts were necessarily advisable shots, but Barnes will still be pleased by the output from the 6′ 4″ senior.
Chaz goes back-to-back
he’s got 20
📺 ESPN
📲 https://t.co/TvbAAwUKF2 pic.twitter.com/e3VGj06K4Q— Tennessee Basketball (@Vol_Hoops) January 4, 2025
In addition to Lanier’s 5 treys, Miličić, Zeigler, and Jordan Gainey combined for 5 more deep balls to give the Vols 10 makes on the afternoon out of 26 tries. Their solid 38.5% as a team far eclipsed Arkansas’ 20.7% on just 6 three-pointers.
Tennessee Took It To Arkansas Early And Did Not Let Up
A fast start was mentioned as being key for both teams in the preview, and it was clear early on which team seemed more prepared for the game. After a back-and-forth opening stage led to a 12-12 score, Tennessee rattled off a quick 9-0 run that stretched the lead out. Tennessee proceeded to hold Arkansas at arm’s length throughout the rest of the game, as the Razorbacks were never truly regained a grasp on the game. The Vols continued to share the rock, tallying 18 assists, and make life tough for Arkansas’ electric guard duo of DJ Wagner and Boogie Fland.
Another key to the game was how well Arkansas would defend the paint. The Razorbacks racked up 10 blocked shots, as five different players stifled Volunteer field goal attempts. Despite their ability to contest drives and make Tennessee’s guards take tough shots in the paint, the offensive glass proved to be their undoing. Tennessee ultimately dominated points in the paint due to second chance points. Gainey, Jahmai Mashack, and Miličić all had key put-back layups.
Rick Barnes and John Calipari’s Thoughts on the Game
John Calipari was visibly disappointed during the postgame presser. He was complimentary of Tennessee but ultimately frustrated by his team being physically dominated.
My disappointment wasn’t in coming in to Tennessee and losing the game, it was they kind of manhandled us. I can’t remember the last time I had a team get beat by 30 rebounds.
Calipari said his team needs to “do some soul-searching” as they move forward in the SEC, which is an extremely physical league that is shaping up to be the best conference in the country by far. Getting crushed on the boards is never a recipe for success, and as Calipari pointed out, neither is having 15 turnovers or shooting 46% from the free throw line.
Conversely, Rick Barnes was very proud of his team’s effort and energy. After being outrebounded in their previous game against Norfolk State, the Volunteers responded in a big way with a monstrous rebounding margin. Barnes felt that winning the offensive glass “has got to be a part of who we are” moving forward.
Tennessee is back in action next Saturday against a tough Texas team, while Arkansas faces an Ole Miss team on Wednesday. The Rebels currently ranked #24 and coming off a win over Georgia.
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