The Halftime Report: Tennessee vs. South Carolina

Tennessee has jumped out to a massive lead over South Carolina in the first half, and the Volunteers continue to build momentum.

While Tennessee had an obvious talent advantage over South Carolina, they have already exceeded expectations in the first half.

The Volunteers are shooting the ball well from three, playing tight pick-and-roll defense, and staying within head coach Rick Barnes' system. Things couldn't have started better for them, but Tennessee must continue to apply pressure.

Excellent college basketball teams don't typically have one standout. Instead, they thrive on ball movement and communication, a trend that Tennessee is beginning to develop.

Guard Zakai Zeigler had a quiet statistical first half, but it's clear he powers the offense. Zeigler gets his teammates into the right looks and plays with a quick pace that the opposition must match.

He made several impressive effort plays in the first half, including a steal that led to a transition dunk from forward Olivier Nkamhoua. Barnes has spoken positively about Zeigler's passing on several occasions, and it's on full display thus far.

There aren't many significant offensive standouts on Tennessee's end. Nkamhoua leads the scoring efforts, but everyone has gotten in on the action. The group is collectively shooting well from three, forcing the Gamecocks to step up and contest.

After South Carolina recovered on the outside several times, the Volunteers decided to dump the ball into the post and make quick passes around the horn. This created even more easy opportunities for an already scorching Tennessee offense.

South Carolina star forward GG Jackson had a pedestrian first half for his standards. Tennessee has made a concerted effort to trap off ball screens where Jackson is the primary ball handler, which has frustrated him early.

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