Facing one of the worst interior defensive teams in the SEC Wednesday night, Tennessee basketball had the opportunity to dominate the game inside against Oklahoma. But the Vols were without their best front court presence as JP Estrella was sidelined with a left foot injury.
Tennessee’s Felix Okpara, Jaylen Carey and DeWayne Brown have been, at best, inconsistent offensive players this season creating questions about how well the Vols would take advantage of the Sooners’ shortcoming.
That concern proved unfounded as Tennessee basketball scored 46 points in the paint in an 89-64 rout of the Sooners in Knoxville. It was perhaps the most unlikely source to emerge as the interior offensive threat as junior center Felix Okpara went 18 points on seven-of-10 shooting from the field.
“We told him, ‘It’s about doing your job. Simply do your job,’ and when he screens and gets behind that,” Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes said postgame. “He’s as good a lob threat as there is in the country, and if he’ll get there, those guys will do it, but he did.”
Okpara scored on multiple alley-oops but also attacked the basket with force on a number of occasions. The senior center’s offensive game has been nearly non-existent this season.
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Okpara has scored in double-digits just five times this season and over 11 points just twice. Entering the Oklahoma game, Okpara was averaging just 4.7 points per game in SEC play which was a clear step down from his 8.3 points per game in SEC play a season ago.
“It opens it (the offense) up a lot,” point guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie said of Okpara. “I feel like we were finding him more. It’s not all on him when he doesn’t score more. For us to be able to throw him those lobs and him as a dunker, it definitely opens it up.”
On top of the scoring boost, Okpara provided his usual stellar defense against Oklahoma. He blocked two shots and constantly played solid perimeter defense after getting switched onto guards. The 6-foot-11 center’s ability to stay in front of perimeter players is a main reason why Tennessee has been able to play two big men together so much this season.
“It’s really unique,” Oklahoma head coach Porter Moser said of Okpara. “And then he’s got discipline, too. When you drive and get to the basket, you shot fake, he was staying down, waiting for it, waiting for it, and then he goes. Just a phenomenal defender with that length. … Okpara’s defense just affects so much.”
Okpara finished the night with 18 points, seven rebounds, two assists and two blocks in 38 minutes of action. His best performance of the season led to a blowout victory in a spot Tennessee needed it.
