Everything No. 5 Tennessee Basketball Said After Losing at The Hump

The Volunteers' conference road opener didn't go as expected as Mississippi State pulled out the 77-72 home victory.

The No. 5 Tennessee basketball team stormed back from a 15-point deficit, including a 14-point margin with under 17 minutes to go, to tie the score three times down the stretch Wednesday night at Mississippi State, but the Bulldogs pulled out the 77-72 victory. 

Tennessee (11-4, 1-1 SEC) got 26-plus points from both fifth-year guard Dalton Knecht and junior guard Zakai Zeigler at Humphrey Coliseum.

Here's what head coach Rick Barnes had to say in the postgame press conference, followed by guard Zakai Ziegler.

Q: How frustrating was the first half? 

“The most disappointing thing is we were so inconsistent. You think you are getting there. You take a couple steps forward and now we took a step backwards. I do not want to take anything away from Mississippi State. Coach Jans had his guys ready to play. Early in the first half we had some good looks at [the basket] and did not make them. We started taking some shots where our feet weren’t set, ‘hope shots,’ are what I call them. Second half we really fought hard to get back in the game. We all appreciate that effort. We had a big turnover in the end. A couple of turnovers really. [We allowed] an offensive rebound at the other end when we had a chance to really come down and maybe get a lead. Our full court pressure was good. Obviously, Zakai [Zeigler] and Dalton [Knecht] got it going. Zakai continues to do an incredible job with what we need him to do. Overall, we have to have more team consistency. Tolu Smith had his way with our post guys. He got his position where he wanted it and did what he wanted to do. We did not make enough winning plays at the end. They deserve all the credit for this win.” 

Q: Did it surprise you how Tolu Smith was able to succeed as well as he did? 

RB: “Absolutely. I would have thought that [Jonas Aidoo and Tobe Awaka] could [limit Tolu Smith]. We know [Smith] is an outstanding offensive player. He just took it where he wanted to go. Those guys can’t allow him to do that. He put fouls on us. They did a good job of getting to the foul line. With the arm bar and the rules today, nobody should be backed down the way he backed us down. It shouldn’t happen. From the end of the first half we started having to go off and try help [defense]. After we would fire down to help, they would kick out. The kick outs didn’t really hurt us that much. He did a great job of facing the basket. He either scored or got fouled every time he faced the basket. We just gave up our defensive positioning. ” 

Q: How concerning is it that opponents with good post players have been successful. 

RB: “It is frustrating. We think our guys can do it. We love to help and score. We have got to guard other teams’ post players. We are more than capable of doing it. We have to prove we can do it.” 

Q: What needs to change in how you defend the post? 

RB: “Understanding that you are allowed to armbar for one. If you are allowed to arm bar, nobody should be able to back you down. I really believe that. It’s leverage. It’s getting down low and holding your ground. If you do that, we can come and help. When a guy gets it deep in the lane, it is a long way to come down and longer way to get back out. It puts us into a really tough rotation. It becomes a three-man rotation. It is all about space. Fighting for your space on the floor and getting the ball where you want it . [Tolu Smith] as good a job as anybody that we play.” 

Q: Was this game as physical as you expected it? 

RB: “No doubt. We expected that. That’s fine. Again, we got guys who can shoot the ball. We have got to do that. Tonight, defensively is what [hurt us]. We fouled a three-point shooter early in the game. We can’t do that. In the second half they outrebounded us by nine. Those plays hurt. We did a great job of getting ourselves back in it. It was a regular game in what you expect in terms of how much time and where the score was. We didn’t make enough winning plays at the end.” 

Q: How hard is it to win on the road in the SEC with what you got from Josiah‐Jordan James and Santiago Vescovi? 

RB: “It is really hard. We expect so much out of those guys. Defensively they do a really good job. They have in a lot of big games. We believe in them with our whole heart. It is down to consistency. We have to know what we are going to get.”

Guard Zakai Ziegler 

Q: What does the team have to do to start better on the road? 

ZZ: “We can’t come out like we did in the first half. Shots didn’t drop, but we can’t let them play like that. If shots are not falling, we have to pick up our defense like we did in the second half to get us back in the game. We have to keep taking open shots. We cannot have another first half like we did.” 

Q: What did you see from Dalton Knecht in the second half? 

ZZ: “He finally clicked. I feel he was taking the same shots he did in the first half. The difference was they dropped [in the second half]. He was doing the exact same thing he was doing in the first half. Shots just started falling for him.” 

Q: How frustrating was it to lose after digging yourselves out of a hole? 

ZZ: “It is tough. Losses like this don’t break us, they make us. We have to learn from our mistakes.” Q: What did you see from Tolu Smith? ZZ: “He just had a good day. I have my trust in Jonas [Aidoo] and Tobe [Awaka] no matter what. Tolu had a good game. Jonas and Tobe know what they have to get better at.” 

Q: What made the full court press so effective? 

ZZ: “We were being active. We weren’t playing wild. We knew what the scheme was and what we were trying to get out of it. We were not trying to get steals. We were trying to play solid defense. That just helped us to come back in the second half.” not just from those two guys, but everybody on our team.” 

Q: What woke up Dalton Knecht in the second half? 

RB: “He got some looks. The more we play, the more he understands what is going on. He is going to get a feel for it. I thought he adjusted well. I thought [Zakai Zeigler] helped him do some things. Once he got going, we have seen him do that. He got a little anxious. He took one that he didn’t get a great look. He wasn’t set the way he needed to be. When you turn down a ball screen like he did going to his left, you set yourself up for a rearview contest with a guy that is as big as you. That was a big play that block. I thought he should have kept going there. He is going to keep getting better every game. He is trying to make more of an effort to guard consistently for longer periods of time. He will do that. He can build on this.”

Transcript courtesy of Mississippi State athletics 

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