Tennessee vs Missouri: 5 storylines for SEC opener between ranked foes

Best SEC defense in 2019-20

The bad news is Tennessee has no one to guard Tilmon in the paint for 25 to 30 minutes, the good news is, Tennesse had the best team defense in the SEC last season. It must be noted that Tilmon can only score if he gets the ball. This is where guards Santiago Vescovi and Victor Bailey become important, as well as 2019-2020 SEC Defensive Player of the Year Yves Pons.

In order for Tennessee to have last year’s success of holding opponents to 64.2 and conference opponents to 67.7 points per game, they will need to put previous 2020-21 success behind them. The success the Volunteers have had in six non-conference games must be put into perspective, as the 52.7  points allowed per game is No.2 in the nation, their strength of schedule ranks in at just No.167.

In their first conference game, they will have to employ the same defensive scheme they employed versus Cincinnati when they had to defend 7’1 /260, Chris Vogt for sixteen minutes. The first line of defense is not to let Tilmon touch the ball, which means the responsibility falls upon Vescovi and Bailey to not allow an entry pass from Xavier Pinson or Dru Smith.

The Volunteers will have to put pressure on guards beyond the three-point line in order to take away easy passes. For his part, Fulkerson will front Tilmon to make the pass even more difficult, which will allow Pons to come from the wing to meet the ball at Tilmon after the lob pass.

This is the essence of team defense which will also provide some evidence if Tennessee’s top thirty rankings in blocks, steals and created turnovers is a product of their great defense that we will see all season long in the SEC, or if it is a by-product of the No.167 ranked strength of schedule.