The Tennessee Vols played their first exhibition game of the season, and it ended in a defeat to the Xavier Musketeers. The final score was ultimately 86-70 in favor of the visiting Musketeers. The Vols were playing well for most of the game, but in the late stages, they let the game slip away.
What We Learned from the Exhibition
It is important to remember that this game was an exhibition game, so the takeaway, both positive and negative, should be taken with a grain of salt. Even if the rotations are played as they will be in the regular season, the results can often be misleading. That is something that is important to keep in mind when watching exhibition games; they do not serve as an absolute indicator of the team.
Despite this, there can still be some takeaways and things that we learn about the team. This game provided us with some insight. The biggest thing that jumps out is how many offensive weapons the Vols have. Until faltering late in the game, there were many times the Vols showed promise on the offensive end. As many have projected, this team will not rely on one player for most of their offense; they have a multitude of players that can get a bucket when needed.
Against Xavier, the most reliable scorer was Terrence Hill Jr., who poured in 22 points. This was even more impressive considering he shot over 50% from the field, finishing 9/17 from the floor. Hill will be one of the more explosive scorers on the team, as shown by his quick 16 points in the first 21 minutes.
The team also seems to have many players who can get to the free-throw line. Juke Harris is expected to be the Volunteers' best player this season, and he had a solid outing. The thing that stands out, though, is his 7 free-throw attempts. As a veteran guard, it is nice to see him be able to his leverage and body to get east points at the line. This could prove massive in the postseason when guards tend to become even more valuable.
Jalen Haralson was also able to get to the line frequently, racking up an impressive 8 free-throw attempts in just 19 minutes. The big, physical sophomore showed just how valuable he can be and what impact he can have. His physicality will be a weapon as the season rolls on.
The exhibition final score should be taken with a grain of salt. Whether they win or lose ultimately does not matter; rather, look for specific takeaways. Those are the real nuggets. This season, Tennessee Basketball will look different from what most have been used to under Rick Barnes, and the Vols brought in the players to accomplish this change.
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