1. A thorough beatdown of Wake Forest tonight. It was never close and Tennessee absolutely shut them down in the second half. After the first game debacle, it was nice to see two convincing victories over two power conference teams. That was one of the five best played games for Tennessee since Cuonzo Martin took over.
2. When Jordan McRae scores 10 points, usually that spells disaster for Tennessee. Yet, it actually worked out perfectly. Wake Forest over compensated trying to stop McRae and it opened up the floor for Tennessee in the paint.
3. I have no earthly idea who did what, but his offense really, really improved in just two days. They moved with purpose, always in control, and the side screens really opened up the floor. It gave driving lanes for the wings, and Stokes looked really comfortable with it.
4. #FreeArmaniMoore
5. I thought the team defense did a really good job with the pack line defense. A pack line defense is where you keep all five defenders inside the perimeter (three point line), forcing teams to shoot outside and protecting the paint. Tennessee has a lot of length to close out on shooters, and Wake Forest has decent size. This allowed Tennessee to play more aggressive passing lanes also.
6. A.J. Davis didn't do much in the box score, but I just loved how he played today. He tipped a few passes, extended a couple of possessions with his hustle, and played his best game defensively. You can tell he has so much talent. He seems to be grasping the nuances of the game and has earned his playing time.
7. Bernard King Player of the Game: Jarnell Stokes. His best back to back performances. He is flat out dominating in the post. He had a bounce on his step that I haven't seen in awhile. He finished really well (despite that dumb "I have to take a dribble first" move), but I loved his aggressiveness and his defense was active today.
8. I'm trying to contain my enthusiasm, but Jeronne Maymon just looked like himself the last two games. I hope, hope, hope he's turned a corner. I really like when he's the only big man and Tennessee spreads the floor with the four guard. He looks more engaged, and UT looks to get him the ball.
9. Be excited folks. Tennessee has its point guard of the future in Darius Thompson. He is going to be a really good one.
10. No complaints today other than Josh Richardson's silly foul at the end of the half, which ended up not mattering. The offense was incredibly crisp, the defense was highly active, and Tennessee, despite the nightmare that was UTEP, can take some positives away from this tournament. Maybe it was a wake up call. Either way, UT got two wins. It was not the preferred method, but two wins is still something you can be positive about, especially with the way the team played the last two games. Hopefully it's a sign of things to come.
