The stat that totally changed the game for the Vols against Auburn
After the initial elation of Tennessee beating No. 3 Auburn wound down on Saturday night, I decided to take a closer look at the stats from the game. I had been nervously watching the victory and hadn't paid close attention to the stat sheet but I knew one thing… Just from watching, it felt like […]
After the initial elation of Tennessee beating No. 3 Auburn wound down on Saturday night, I decided to take a closer look at the stats from the game. I had been nervously watching the victory and hadn't paid close attention to the stat sheet but I knew one thing…
Just from watching, it felt like the Vols grabbed a TON of rebounds in that game. Turns out that my feeling was exactly right.
UT absolutely waxed the Tigers on the glass. The Big Orange pulled down 54 rebounds while Auburn was only able to grab 31. And let's not forget that AU has what is considered one of the best big men in America in Walker Kessler. (Just for reference, Kessler ended up with only 5 rebounds in the game, same as Santiago Vescovi)
But diving further into those rebounding stats shows the number that totally changed the game for Tennessee against Auburn… 21 offensive rebounds. Even more specifically, who grabbed those boards.
Freshman Brandon Huntley-Hatfield finished with 5 offensive rebounds while John Fulkerson came away with 6. The pair only scored a combined 10 points in the game but had 11 offensive rebounds (that's the same number that Auburn had as a team).
This incredible performance on the offensive glass led to 19 second-chance points for the Vols. And in a game that UT won by just 5, 19 points obviously makes a MASSIVE difference.
Rebounding hasn't really been the Vols' specialty but the late-season introduction of lengthy players like Huntley-Hatfield and Jonas Aidoo to the lineup has breathed new life into Tennessee's presence in the paint. If this type of play continues, the Big Orange could seriously ruffle some feathers in March.
Featured image via Caitie McMekin/News Sentinel/USA TODAY NETWORK
