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Josiah-Jordan James led the way on Thursday in Nashville, and head coach Rick Barnes appreciated every minute of it.
The senior guard scored a game-high 20 points and added 7 rebounds to lead 5th-seeded Tennessee to an easy 70-55 victory over hapless Ole Miss in the 2nd round of the SEC Tournament. Fellow senior guard Santiago Vescovi added 15 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists to help the Volunteers set up a quarterfinal clash on Friday afternoon with 4th-seeded Missouri.
Vescovi made at least 3 3-pointers for the 8th time in the past 9 games.
Barnes loves winning, and he knows his veteran leadership has to be there to keep advancing in Nashville.
“They have to,” Barnes said after the victory. “I mean, Jo is right, it’s on them to do it. With all that we’ve been through this year, they’ve seen it. Different games we have the games take on different personalities. We’ve found a way to do it.”
Barnes also loved his team’s physicality, which was led, naturally, by his seniors.
“We’ve got to defend,” he said. “We did in the second half. I thought we got back to being more physical, getting out and getting through passing lanes. (Santiago), again, did a great job with what he does, just trying to disrupt offenses.
“Our seniors, this time of year, it should be their time of year.”
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
