Sometimes yes, Tennessee looked like the No. 1 team in the basketball country. Sometimes no, the Vols were not all that hot.
There was more than enough good in a 75-62 victory over struggling Miami in Madison Square Garden on Tuesday evening. The Vols are 9-0. The Hurricanes have lost six in a row.
Tennessee won the game in the first half. A hot streak put it ahead by 38-25 at intermission. The second half was even, 37-37. Miami reduced an 18-point deficit to seven and got Rick Barnes’ undivided attention.
“Before this we haven’t been in a situation where we had to respond,” said the coach. “And one good thing about the last part of the second half is that we did respond.”
Miami scored seven in a row to take the lead at 25-24 with about eight minutes to go in the half. The Vols answered with a 14-0 run. Miami contributed five turnovers and missed eight consecutive shots. I do believe Tennessee’s intensified defense was a factor.
Chaz Lanier and Igor Milicic scored 11 each in the first half. Chaz was not a factor for 12 minutes or so in the second half but rejoined the fray at a strategic moment. He scored another 11 in the closing push.
Milicic finished with 16 points and nine rebounds. Zakai Zeigler, a native New Yorker, celebrated “homecoming” with a strong all-around showing – 13 points, nine assists and four rebounds.
Cade Phillips scored nine, Jordan Gainey eight and Jahmai Mashack seven. Darlinstone Dubar is in concussion protocol.
Barnes has no problem with his team on top of the weekly ranking.
“We talked about it. I said, hey, you should embrace it … We moved up because the teams in front of us lost … We lose, somebody else is going to move up … I said while you’re there, you guys have a chance to play as the No. 1 team in the country … look forward to the challenge that’s coming your way.”
Ziggy says the Vols have goals for the end of the year. He also said there were smirks on players’ faces when they saw they were No. 1.
“Honestly, we just noticed that the bulls-eye on our back got bigger. The work we put in every day, we want everybody to have their A-game, play their best against us.”
The leader says the team expects to get every opponent’s best effort.
“We’re ducking no smoke, we’re ducking no competition … now it’s really on.”
Tennessee plays Saturday at Illinois. Tipoff is set for 5:30 on Fox.
Marvin West welcomes comments or questions from readers. His address is marvinwest75@gmail.com
