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Is there such a thing as a slump in the midst of a 14 game win streak? If there is such a thing, Tennessee is in one. The No. 1 team in the country hasn’t looked the part in several stretches over the last couple of weeks, perhaps outside of the final 30 minutes against West Virginia.
Still, they haven’t lost either, and there’s something to be said for that. I’m definitely nitpicking here, but this group spoiled us with their incredible hot start in SEC play.
Part of their “slump” has been the actual legitimate shooting slump of Admiral Schofield, who is just 11-42 (26%) from the field (2-15 from three-point) in his last three games. Without the consistency of their second leading scorer, Tennessee has leaned on Grant Williams, who obviously has been able to keep the Vols afloat.
Until Schofield finds his jumper again, Tennessee is likely in for a few more dogfights.
Anyways, I don’t want to be too negative. Just an observation. Tennessee is 18-1 and the No. 1 team in the country. Life is good on Rocky Top right now. Let’s look at what we’ve got this week.
The week ahead
At South Carolina (10-9, 5-1)
Speaking of dogfights, Tennessee is probably in for one on Tuesday. Frank Martin’s South Carolina team has figured some things out since conference play began, sitting at 5-1 in the SEC. Their lone loss came to a pretty talented LSU team on the road. They’ve already beaten Florida, Mississippi State and Auburn.
Tennessee will make the trip to Columbia on Tuesday, looking to stay perfect in league play. They’ll have to deal with forward Chris Silva and guard A.J. Lawson, who have been playing at a high level as of late. Anytime you play a Frank Martin-coached team, you better be ready for a fight.
At Texas A&M (8-10, 1-5)
Tennessee will hit the road again this coming weekend, heading down to Texas to face the Aggies. Texas A&M has had a rough start to their 2018-19 season, currently with just eight wins and one conference win. The Aggies were able to snap a three game losing streak on Saturday, upsetting Kansas State in College Station. They’ve got a tough week ahead, welcoming both LSU and Tennessee to town.