Kentucky starter makes honest admission about why the Wildcats lost to the Tennessee Vols in the Sweet 16
The Kentucky Wildcats won their first two matchups against the Tennessee Vols this season. But on Friday night, with the season on the line in the Sweet 16 in Indianapolis, the Wildcats came up short, falling 78-65 in a game that was thoroughly dominated by Tennessee. After the game, Kentucky guard Otega Oweh was asked […]
The Kentucky Wildcats won their first two matchups against the Tennessee Vols this season.
But on Friday night, with the season on the line in the Sweet 16 in Indianapolis, the Wildcats came up short, falling 78-65 in a game that was thoroughly dominated by Tennessee.
After the game, Kentucky guard Otega Oweh was asked by reporters what was different about playing Tennessee this time around.
Oweh admitted that Kentucky should've played with more "grit" — specifically when it came to rebounding.
"We weren't as intense on the defensive rebounding for us," said Oweh. "They got a lot of offensive boards. I think we should've played way harder and had more grit when it came to that."
The Vols out-rebounded Kentucky 34 to 24. Tennessee secured 14 offensive rebounds (compared to seven for the Wildcats). Those second chance opportunities can often be the difference in an NCAA Tournament game, and it certainly helped the Vols pull away from the Wildcats on Friday night.
(Both teams shot around 50 percent, which shows how important those offensive rebounds were for Tennessee.)
It's not a surprise that Rick Barnes' squad was the tougher and "grittier" team on Friday night. That's who this Tennessee team is. And it's why they're seemingly never out of a game.
Next up for the Vols is a matchup against the Houston Cougars in the Elite Eight on Sunday afternoon.
