Tennessee basketball opens SEC play on Saturday afternoon as they travel to Fayetteville to face No. 18 Arkansas. The Vols enter conference play with a 10-3 record including a 3-3 record against power five competition.
Here’s four Tennessee related storylines to watch as the Vols’ begin SEC play.
More From RTI: Everything Tennessee HC Rick Barnes Said Previewing SEC Opener
Nate Ament’s Growth
No singular player affects Tennessee’s ceiling more than freshman Nate Ament. There’s been learning curves for Ament and some early struggles against top-level competition.
Rick Barnes has been adamant that Ament is going to make major strides over the course of SEC play. It’s going to be a major storyline worth following throughout conference play. Ament is a better shooter than he’s shown so I expect some positive regression there. But can he improve as a finisher at the basket? That’s one of my biggest questions.
Is The Defense Turning A Corner?
Tennessee’s defense was not up to the program’s incredibly high standards for most of non conference play. It was still solid, but not stifling like it has been in recent seasons. Though that was not a shocking development given the players Tennessee lost but it was notable.
But the defense has found its footing the last three games. Tennessee completely shut down Louisville’s high powered offense. It was the Vols’ best game of the season in adjusted defensive efficiency.
Tennessee followed it up by holding both Gardner-Webb and South Carolina State to less than 0.8 points per possession. It’s hard to glean much from that given the level of competition. But Tennessee has stacked three strong defensive performances together. Let’s see if they can keep it going in SEC play.
Amari Evans’ Emergence
Multiple Tennessee coaches said that Evans was the Vols’ most improved player over the month of December. In the first six games of the season, Evans played 5.5 minutes per game including just one game with double-digit minutes.
Over the last five games, Evans is playing 9.6 minutes per game including three games in double-digit minutes. He also played well while fouling out in seven minutes against Arkansas.
Evans’ production backs up the increase in minutes. He’s an athletic wing that’s good on the defensive end of the floor, giving Tennessee a second high-level perimeter defender along with Bishop Boswell. That’s something the Vols are going to need in certain matchups including at Arkansas. Evans also has been solid on the offensive end of the court.
Wing minutes remain the most flexible for Tennessee. Evans is pushing for more-and-more as SEC play approaches.
Turnovers, Turnovers, Turnovers
Turnovers have been an issue for Tennessee all season, periodically rearing their ugly head throughout the year. Rick Barnes has made it a major point of emphasis and the Vols have been a bit better there as of late.
The Vols posted two of their three lowest turnover rates of the season in their last two buy games. Tennessee’s win over Louisville was also one of its five best turnover games of the season.
Tennessee is an elite offensive rebounding team. If the Vols can take care of the basketball, their offense should be good just by pure shot volume.
