Texas and No. 21 Tennessee did not open their Southeastern Conference schedules the way they wanted to over the weekend, but another opportunity arises when they meet Tuesday night in Knoxville, Tenn.
At Arkansas in its opener and riding a three-game winning streak, the Volunteers (10-4, 0-1 SEC) led in the second half by five points before hitting a shooting slump. The Razorbacks then raced away on an 18-5 run that took nearly seven minutes off the clock before winning 86-75.
The big culprit? Free throws.
Tennessee coach Rick Barnes is not sure this is a pattern for his club, but he knows what it could become.
“If we’re going be a team all year that’s going to struggle at the free-throw line with guys that should be making shots, it’s going be one of those years like that,” Barnes said. “When you make them, you make them. (If) you don’t, it puts a lot more pressure on you.”
The Volunteers sank just 12 of 23 (52%) from the stripe. Meanwhile, the home side dazzled by swishing 29 of 33 (88%) from there.
Added Barnes, “We’ve got to get tougher. Still trying to figure out who we can count on from game to game.”
Cumulatively, Tennessee has made 214 of 312 (68.6%) free-throw attempts in 14 games.
Ethan Burg (100%), Ja’Kobi Gillespie (88.4%), Amaree Abram (81.3%), Dewayne Brown II (75.0%) and Nate Ament (73.9%) are the players shooting above 70%, but elite freshman Ament had a bad showing against the Razorbacks — 5 of 11 — in the loss.
The Longhorns (9-5, 0-1) have dropped three of their past six contests — one to then-No. 5 UConn — and could not withstand Mississippi State’s attack in Saturday’s 101-98 home overtime loss to the Bulldogs, who were picked to finish 10th in the SEC.
The visitors went on a 6-0 run in the extra time, but Texas was able to tie it in the final minute. Yet Josh Hubbard, who netted a career-high-tying 38 points, put the game away with five more points.
First-year coach Sean Miller has some concerns about his squad, especially fouling jump shooters and overall group confidence.
“We have to coach those guys better in those areas,” Miller said of fouling. “Now, if I tell you not to cross the street and I keep telling you, and I say, ‘I swear, whatever you do, do not cross the street,’ and then a bus hits you, I’m going to take responsibility as your parent. But dammit, how many times do I have to tell you not to cross the street?
“I don’t know if we’re mentally broken, but it’s never good to lose a home game.”
Junior Dailyn Swain has been the do-everything player for the Longhorns. The 6-foot-8 junior guards tops in four major categories: 16.4 points per game, 7.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.7 steals.
Texas went 0-2 against the Volunteers in its inaugural campaign in the conference last season, losing 74-70 at home on Jan. 11 and 83-72 in the SEC tournament quarterfinal on March 14 in Nashville.
