University of Tennessee Athletics
5 Quick Things: Nov. 29
November 29, 2016 | Men's Basketball
With the Maui Invitational now in the rearview, the Vols are back on Rocky Top and preparing to face Georgia Tech on Saturday at Thompson-Boling Arena (1 p.m. ET, SEC Network +).
The matchup with the Yellow Jackets marks Tennessee's third non-conference game against a Power Five opponent this season and kicks off a busy December for the Orange and White.
1 | PHILLIPS HUNGRY AFTER MAUI
Tennessee picked up a win and took a pair of top-25 opponents to the wire last week in Maui. While it would be easy for a young team to claim a moral victory after strong performances against experienced competition, sophomore guard Shembari Phillips said those close losses only heightened the Vols' sense of urgency to etch some tally marks in the win column: "Come Saturday we've got a team coming out of the ACC that will be a big challenge for us. We have to start peaking. It's about that time of year where SEC play is almost here so we've got to be excited to start reaching our potential and get some wins." Phillips also sang the praises of freshman forward John Fulkerson, who provided a much-needed spark for Tennessee in Maui, logging a double-double against 13th-ranked Oregon. "We found out some good things (in Maui)," Phillips said. "I love the way John Fulkerson played. I even talked to him earlier about how he played. He was just great. His effort was tremendous and that's what we need out of everybody."
2 | DEFENSIVE POTENTIAL
The Vols were able to cause some problems defensively in Maui, swiping 10.3 steals per game and forcing an average of 19.0 turnovers per game over its three-game slate. Tennessee also averaged 17.0 points per game off those 19 turnovers. While it was far from perfect, head coach Rick Barnes was encouraged by the effort he saw from his team last week and views it as a sign of things to come. "We showed signs that we can be really good (defensively)," Barnes said. "We'll continue to build on it. We spent the majority of yesterday's practice continuing to work on our defense and what we have to do. We still need to understand, at the end of the game, just how fine a line it is and believe in what we're doing defensively. We've got a long way to go, but I think that's got to be a big part of who we become moving forward."
3 | BOOST FROM THE BENCH
As head coach Rick Barnes predicted in the preseason, Tennessee's depth has proven to be a strength of this year's team. Through five contests, Tennessee's bench is averaging 32.8 points per game. The Vols' reserves are outscoring the opponents' reserves by 15.8 points per game, and the UT bench has accounted for more than 40 points twice already. Those contributions are coming from different players each game, as the Vols have utilized a different starting five in every game this season. A Vol has come off the bench to score in double figures seven times, and nine different Vols are playing more than 15 minutes per game.
4 | MOSTELLA MAXIMIZED HIS MINUTES IN MAUI
Junior guard Detrick Mostella didn't start any of Tennessee's three games at last week's Maui Invitational, but that didn't stop him from jumpstarting the Volunteers' offense. The Decatur, Alabama, native was UT's top scorer at the tournament, averaging 16.0 points while shooting 52 percent from the field, 44 percent from 3-point range and 78 percent from the free-throw line. The 6-1 Mostella also averaged 4.3 rebounds in Maui--second-most among UT's perimeter players. His best outing at the three-game tournament came in Tennessee's overtime loss to 13th-ranked Oregon, as he totaled a team-best 22 points to go along with a career-high nine rebounds.
5 | BAD NEWS FOR BONE
While visiting with reporters prior to Tuesday's practice, Vols head coach Rick Barnes announced that freshman point guard Jordan Bone is sidelined with a stress fracture in his left foot. The injury may keep Bone off the court for two to four weeks, depending on how it responds to treatment and rehabilitation. The team's assists leader (3.3 apg), Bone started both of Tennessee's games prior to the Maui Invitational. His foot began to bother him during Maui prep once the team was in Hawai'i. He was cleared to play in UT's game against Wisconsin but was limited to just seven minutes off the bench. He was then held out of Tennessee's last two games in Maui. With Bone in a walking boot, point guard minutes have been split between sophomore Shembari Phillips and freshmen Lamonté Turner and Kwe Parker. That trio has combined to average 16.0 points and 5.0 assists over the last two games.
