University of Tennessee Athletics
Defensive Dominance: How the Vols Built the Nation's Top Defense
February 16, 2023 | Men's Basketball
Tennessee is allowing only 58.5 points per game against ranked opponents
By Winston Roberts, UTsports.com
Inside the Tennessee basketball office suite sit four trophies that were brought home from The Bahamas in November. Only one of them – the Battle 4 Atlantis championship trophy – is technically property of the program. The other three are Santiago Vescovi and Julian Phillips' All-Tournament Team awards, along with Vescovi's Tournament MVP trophy. Individual accolades are not something this group relishes, so there the awards sit in the "team" trophy case, not in the players' dorm rooms or apartments.
The Vols (20-6, 9-4 SEC) have been a top-10 team in the country for 11 consecutive weeks, and their success is driven by a defense that is producing historic numbers. They lead the country in opponent 3-point percentage and defensive efficiency while ranking among the national leaders in opponent field-goal percentage (second) and scoring defense (third).
The numbers go on and on, and they seem to only improve as the season progresses. But what makes this team special on the defensive end doesn't always show up in a box score. What makes them the best defense in the country is their experience, versatility and commitment to the team-centric values that coach Rick Barnes and his staff have instilled.
A major component in the Vols' defensive dominance actually starts on the other end of the court. Their 37.7 percent offensive rebound rate ranks fourth in the country and plays an important role in allowing them to get their defense set.
Tob at work on the glass
— Tennessee Basketball (@Vol_Hoops) December 11, 2022
📺 FS1
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In the clip above, four of five Maryland players crash in an attempt to secure the rebound, and it still was not enough to stop Tobe Awaka – who is quietly having a stellar freshman season on the glass – from grabbing the board and putting it back up. Preventing teams from getting out in transition lets the Vols play the game at their pace.
When the defense is set, as it usually is, a staple of Barnes' defensive scheme is persistent ball pressure, often as far away as half court.
As shown above, once the opposing team advances the ball past the midline, Tennessee's personnel is right where they want to be. Guarding the ball is Naismith Defensive Player of the Year contender Zakai Zeigler, whose 2.04 steals per game rank third-best in the conference. Zeigler, along with the quartet of Vescovi, Phillips, Josiah-Jordan James and Olivier Nkamhoua, combine for 392 games and 9,803 total minutes played for the Vols. First deployed as UT's starting lineup in a 77-56 victory at LSU on Jan. 21, that lineup gives the Vols the athleticism and experience to contain any player they face.
getting it done on both ends
— Tennessee Basketball (@Vol_Hoops) January 4, 2023
📺 ESPNU
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As seen here, Tennessee switches assignments, and the 6-foot-3 Vescovi guarding Mississippi State's 6-foot-11 center appears to be a mismatch. But Vescovi, a four-year veteran who recently played his 100th career game, fights to keep himself in position to deflect anything less than a perfect entry pass, which is exactly what occurs, thanks in part to strong on-ball pressure from Nkamhoua.
"(Santi is) one of the greatest competitors that I've been around," Tennessee Associate Head Coach Justin Gainey said of Vescovi. "He knows what offenses are trying to do before they do it."
Senior Josiah-Jordan James is also approaching the 100-game mark for his career, and his return after early-season injuries gave the defense another level of malleability. His strength and athleticism guarding bigger players gives UT's smaller lineups enough size to win physical matchups in the SEC. Since returning to the starting lineup on Jan. 17, James is averaging 7.3 rebounds a game, and he is averaging at least one steal per game for the third consecutive season. He's since suffered a new injury that has sidelined him for the last two games but is steadily working toward a return.
James is far from the only defender that opposing ball handlers have to be wary of, though. Zeigler and Jahmai Mashack are two of only 19 high-major players to record a steal on at least four percent of possessions for which they're on the court this season, and Vescovi ranks 24th nationally in steal percentage (3.8), per BartTorvik.com (min. 35 percent of team minutes played). If you manage to get past them, you are likely to be met by one of these guys at the basket:
swat on one end, triple on the other
— Tennessee Basketball (@Vol_Hoops) December 1, 2022
📺 SEC Network
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"nice to meet you, college basketball"
— Tennessee Basketball (@Vol_Hoops) November 8, 2022
-Julian
📺SECN+
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Sophomore Jonas Aidoo has emerged as a daunting interior presence, averaging 1.46 blocks per conference game, tied for fifth in the SEC. His addition, coupled with Nkamhoua's return from a season-ending injury last February, provides rim protection to a backcourt that already excels at forcing tough shots. Add Senior Uros Plavsic to the equation, and you have a trio of bigs – Nkamhoua has also logged plenty of minutes at the forward spots – who provide different play styles at the base of the defense to keep offenses guessing for 40 minutes.
As talented as each defender is at their own position, the synergy that they play with collectively is what makes the product even better than the sum of its parts. While an offense might rely on its best talent to do the heavy lifting, defense requires all five guys pulling in the same direction.
A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.
For Tennessee, that chain is more of a deadbolt lock. The defensive synergy is much easier achieved with maximum commitment, and that commitment is easily apparent when everyone is playing with the same mentality: "It's not about me." From the walls of the film room to the wristbands worn by players and staff, you can't interact with Tennessee basketball without being reminded of that slogan.
In a sport where offenses are becoming increasingly efficient, what the Tennessee Volunteers have been able to do on the defensive end should not go overlooked. Their historic production is a direct byproduct of their buy-in to the program and its principles from their first days on campus. While the climb will become steeper as the regular season winds to a close, the Vols have proven that their effort and intensity will not waver.
"We require hard things from our guys," Gainey said. "What's made our defense good is they don't run from hard. They stare it in the face."
