Tennessee basketball's recent triumph over Oklahoma, with a decisive 89-66 victory, showcased a key area of improvement that has Coach Rick Barnes smiling: turnovers. The Vols managed a season-low of just seven turnovers, a significant shift for a team that has struggled in this department all season.
Turnovers have been a persistent thorn in Tennessee's side, often undermining their dominance on the offensive boards. The question now is, what can Tennessee's offense achieve when it pairs its rebounding prowess with careful ball handling?
Freshman wing Nate Ament summed it up postgame, saying, “Y’all saw what we could be if we take care of the ball.” And what they saw was an offensive clinic, with the Vols scoring 45 points in the first half and 44 in the second. Despite a less-than-stellar performance from beyond the arc, Tennessee's 1.413 points per possession marked their most efficient outing in SEC play.
Early in the season, Tennessee struggled with a turnover rate exceeding 18% in their first five SEC matchups, and it soared above 20% in non-conference losses to Syracuse and Illinois. These mishaps have been costly, leading to multiple defeats.
Coach Barnes attributes some of these issues to the team’s defensive intensity. “I think our guys play really hard defensively,” Barnes explained.
“You can’t play at that speed on offense... It’s like driving on the interstate versus driving in the city.”
However, the Vols are beginning to turn a corner. They’ve kept turnovers in single digits in their last two games and three of their last five, winning seven of their last eight contests. Only once in that stretch did they exceed an 18% turnover rate.
For Bishop Boswell, who has the second-highest turnover rate on the team at 24.8%, the key is slowing down offensively. Meanwhile, backup point guards Troy Henderson and Ethan Burg have stepped up, providing crucial stability.
The linchpin, though, is senior point guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie. His growth in reading defenses and organizing the team has been pivotal.
“Just slowing down,” Gillespie noted. “Trying to read the game more.
Knowing what my teammates want and what they don’t.”
Coach Barnes highlighted the importance of adapting to opponents’ defensive strategies, especially in ball screens and break situations. Gillespie’s progress in recognizing these elements has been evident. After struggling with turnovers in non-conference games, he has tightened his play, committing just five turnovers in the last five games, including an impressive eight-assist, one-turnover performance against Oklahoma.
Against the Sooners, Tennessee not only won the turnover battle 15-7 but also dominated the boards, grabbing 53.6% of their missed shots. This rebounding edge allowed them to attempt 17 more field goals than Oklahoma-a recipe for victory.
As the nation’s best offensive rebounding team, Tennessee might not always win the turnover battle by a wide margin. But if they can maintain a balance, their offense has the potential to be exceptionally efficient.