Tennessee has amazed the Southeastern Conference in the early goings of league play. Cuonzo Martin has really stepped up the performance of his squad lately and that is clear after witnessing the Volunteers defeated both Florida and Connecticut. And their play against Kentucky was quite impressive too. Tennessee has come a long way since losing to Austin Peay earlier in the season, and they are sure to give us a much better game than we expected coming into the season. Jarnell Stokes, along with some improved play across the board, is the big reason for that. While their loss to Georgia was extremely unimpressive, improvement in the play of the Vols is still clear. I was interested in seeing just how much better this team is than that it was in December.

Jarnell Stokes caught my eyes really early. Not just because he was one of the best prospects in the nation, but also because his massively scary frame sticks out quite a bit on the court. He is freaking huge and already has a body ready for the professional game, even though he is basically a senior in high school (and it is really weird to think that this guy is barely older than me). Stokes, in case you do not know the story, was unable to play basketball this high school season because he transferred and apparently misread the rules on basketball in this state. So when he graduated early this December, he was not interested in sitting around. And because basically every school had their scholarships filled, he would have to become a walk-on player at the majority of universities he was interested in. Cuonzo Martin had plenty of open scholarships though, and was able to sell his program and brought Stokes in for this season. So, we will probably be dealing with this guy for a year and a half before he leaves for the NBA.

Anyways, he really is, for lack of a better word, a beast. His strength allows him to finish plays through contact and attract multiple defenders the majority of the time. He is a double-double machine and his point and rebound numbers have gone up every game he has played (along with his minutes, as he is already starting three games into his college career). Not only does he have the same kind of instinct Arnett Moultrie has to go after the boards, but his build allows him to just be a space eater in the paint. He does need to get a little more creative on the offensive end though, and learn a few more post moves before he become dominant. Also, while it is clear he is not afraid to take a mid-range jumper, he struggles to knock it down for some reason. I really think he spends a little too much time away from the basket in his time on the court. Other than that, his weaknesses that have caught my eye so far are his poor free throw shooting abilities and his tendency to give up an easy move in the post. However, this does not mean is a terrible defender all around, as he can be known to send a few shots into the stands if opposing guards want to attack the basket. Just remember though, this analysis is suspect to flaw because, after all, the guy has only played three games of college ball. And, just so you know, those rhymes were an accident.

Trae Golden is the next guy to breakdown. He has really improved this year as opposed to the last and has actually become the leading scorer for the Volunteers. Golden is playing with a very high level of confidence right now, and I have seen him hit some very difficult shots from all over the floor this season. His assist numbers are really something to marvel at as well, as he leads all point guards in the conference at that stat. He is without a doubt the most improved player in the SEC, too bad that is not an award we give out. Golden does a lot of his best work inside the perimeter, as he is really quite inconsistent with the deep ball. He could have a real solid game from outside, or he could really go overboard with the his shooting. He has shot more threes than anyone on the team, even one more than specialist Skylar McBee, but they just are not falling at an efficient rate (not due to percentage, but due to being very streaky). His other problem is turning the ball over. He tries to do so much that he mishandles the ball at times, and has some really silly turnovers. As a team, the Volunteers turn it over almost as much as we do. And that is terrible.

Cameron Tatum, who has been playing ball at Tennessee for a good 87 years now, is critical to the team due to his very high amount of playing time. He, like a few other guys, has nights were he is either on his game or off his game. Tatum has a terrible field goal percentage and really should be providing more consistency given the fact that, you know, he is an eighty-seventh year senior. His three point percentage is actually good though, and the rate at which he knocks them down is second only to Skylar McBee. His defense is solid and his contributions are seen in many areas across the board. Where he really struggles is his decision making. Much like a lot of his teammates, he makes stupid mistakes. And while I have not mentioned this yet, is should be clear that the Vols do not have good transition defense at all. Considering their turnovers, that is a huge game-changer for this team. I hope we see our guys take advantage of that.

Jeronne Maymon has been a pleasant addition to the team this season. His is, of course, a transfer player from Marquette and has become one of the most efficient players on the team this season. His field goal percentage is outstanding and his abilities around the basket are very clear to me.  He is also a strong rebounder, which leads to a deadly combination when is playing with Jarnell Stokes. He is not a strong free throw shooter though, and is known to get in early foul trouble if opposing teams attack him. All in all though, he is certainly one of the more crucial players on the team. He is probably a little better than he is given credit for.

Josh Richardson is the final starter to be named, but his impact is felt more off the stat sheet. Richardson does not shoot it very well not shoot it particularly well and is not going to be the type of guy who lights us up. Still, he is a great defender and contributes greatly to the much improved defensive play of the Volunteers. He recently gained the starting job over Jordan McRae and is simply a big part of the Cuonzo Martin defensive plan.

Tennessee has four significant players on the bench right now. Jordan McRae is a former starting guard, and his minutes are dwindling but he still deserves some respect off the bench given how big of a scorer he was earlier in the season. His defense is very susceptible though, and we should attack him offensively when he gets in the game. Kenny Hall has stepped up this season but still does not have a very complete game. His field goal percentage is good because he does not step outside, but he does have nice rebounding skill and has greatly improved his free throw shooting from last season. Chances are he will not be a huge factor on the game as a whole, but his time on the court is well spent. Skylar McBee is a huge three-point specialist who I worry about the most off the bench. He is deadly from beyond the arch and nothing in the game of basketball resurrects a team like a three point shot, so we have to keep an eye on him when he steps on the court. You know what his real weapon is though? His mustache. Who wants to guard that thing? Anyways, Renaldo Woolridge is another former starter who has taken a huge hit in minutes, but still has to be mentioned. Cuonzo Martin likes to occasionally put this 6’9″ forward at the three spot when he plays tall, and Woolridge actually fits in quite well with his unique play style and ability to hit deeper shots than most guys his height.

All in all, this is a game that worries me. Mostly because of the high emotions after the weekend, and there is really no telling how it will affect our game. I think getting in the head of Cuonzo Martin will be a big factor though. It will be his first game in Memorial, and the conditions could have him making decisions he would not normally go with. Such as if we jump out to an early lead, and he decides to go with offensive firepower over the defense of his starting five. And that is how we can blow this game up. I do worry about Skylar McBee more than anything though. Not because he is just a breathtaking scorer, but more because we played idiotic perimeter defense against Mississippi State last week and I know McBee will torch us if we want to do that again. I hope Stallings chewed the guys out, and we can get back to playing the defense that started our winstreak.

We will kill them if they play anything like they did against Georgia (seriously, it was that awful). I would not expect that though. I think they will come out a little more prepared tomorrow, and the game should be close for a while unless Cuonzo just makes a foolish mistake. Festus Ezeli looked much better in our last game and I think he is ready to show his dominance again. We will need all we can get from him against the Volunteer rebounding efforts, but I do think he has the edge against their questionable post defense. He should be able to get things going early. And then when the bench backcourt comes in for Tennessee, it will be time for the Jenkins and Taylor show. And fastbreak points could be critical as well, given the fact that Tennessee turns the ball over quite often and is not the best team at getting back on defense.

Vanderbilt wins this game from balanced scoring efforts, much improved perimeter defense, and a rebirth of Memorial Magic.

Go ‘Dores!