Shorthanded Gators Clobber Number Six Vols

Tennessee went on the road ranked at number six to play a short handed Florida team. The problem was, it looked like the Vols forgot to make the trip.

The sixth-ranked Volunteers are unlikely to stay so highly ranked when the next polls come out after their second SEC loss. The Vols didn’t just stumble out of the blocks against the Gators, they fell flat on their faces. Tennessee was a big favorite to go on the road and take care of business against a Gator squad that was missing three starters, however Tennessee failed to match Florida’s intensity as the Gators handed Tennessee a nearly 26-point loss to the tune of 75-49. This was one of the most embarrassing, most disappointing losses and efforts Tennessee has put together under Rick Barnes. The Vols were demolished by the Gators. 

Tennessee came out and was stifled by the Florida defense in the first half. The Vols shot less than 28% from the field, 25% from beyond the arc, and shot 55% from the free throw line in the first half. The Tennessee offense looked passive, thrown off by the physical, aggressive Florida defense that player with the urgency and determination typically shown by Tennessee. The Gators double and triple teamed John Fulkerson whenever he touched the ball inside the arc. The absolute walling off of Fulkerson, especially in the paint, stopped the Tennessee offense cold for much of the first half. Tennessee did adjust near the end of the half to hitting trailers and cutters from Fulkerson, but much of the half Tennessee kicked out late, settling for contested jump shots or threes. The Vols weren’t able to knock down shots when they did get outside looks, and Florida contested interior shots, ending the first half with four blocks. Fulkerson led the Vols with 8 points in the half, but there were very other consistent contributors offensively.

The Vols also struggled mightily on the defensive end against the Gators in the first half. Florida worked the pick and roll well, and the Vols were regularly beat to the basket off of any situation where they were required to switch. Some of this came from Yves Pons being limited in minutes by two early fouls, but the Vols struggled to adjust and we’re victimized in the paint in the first half, resulting in a 38-27 Gator lead at the break. In addition to giving up 50% shooting to the Gators, the Vols were absolutely pounded on the glass in the first half, with the Gators grabbing offensive rebound after offensive rebound. 

Tennessee managed to start the second half with an offensive flurry, but their defense continued to struggle, giving up interior shots and open threes to the Gators, preventing them from closing the gap. Yves Pons picked up his third foul less than three minutes into the half, which didn’t help Tennessee’s defensive struggles at all. The Gators continued to extend their lead, pounding the Vols inside, while continuing to dominate the offensive glass. The simple fact was that an undermanned Florida team came out and wanted this game much more than a highly ranked Tennessee team. At the end of the night, the Gators had a dominant win over a top ten team, and the Vols got thumped. Jaden Springer didn’t play for the Vols, and his absence was felt keenly on offense and defense for the Vols, especially when Vescovi missed some minutes with what appeared to be a torso injury. That said, players missing was no excuse for the Vols, who were bullied by a Gator team missing three starters, including the SEC Player of the Year. 

The loss to Alabama was a punch in the stomach to Tennessee. The loss tonight to Florida was a punch in the mouth, followed by a hook to the jaw, a kick to the ear, and a few elbows once they were on the ground. As bad as the score was, the gap was much worse. The Vols looked awful in the first half, and they never recovered from the terrible start. Tennessee didn’t look sharp on either end of the floor all night, but their offense looked like extremely out of sorts against the Gator defense. This was more than a poor shooting night against a team that got hot, like the Alabama game, this was Tennessee getting absolutely handled. No one stepped up to support Fulkerson offensively. As hard as EJ Anosike plays, he has to start making some shots on offense, especially if Pons is in foul trouble. The Vols have to find the answers to important questions on offense if they want to avoid other teams playing them the same way the Gators did. Tennessee has to take their beating and find answers quickly, as the nineteenth ranked Missouri Tigers come calling in Knoxville on Saturday. Tipoff in Thompson Boling Arena is set for 8:30 eastern time with the game to be broadcast on SEC Network.