‘I’ve said it all year’ — Rick Barnes puts Tennessee starter on the spot after Kentucky loss with crucial change he has to make
The Vols need one of their most important players to adapt his offensive skill set.
The Tennessee Volunteers collapsed during the second half in a 74-71 loss to the Kentucky Wildcats. The Vols held a 47-33 halftime lead but would squander it in historic fashion with a punchless second half, particularly on the offensive end of the floor.
While there were plenty of reasons the Vols lost — from eight missed free throws to getting physically outplayed in the paint — Tennessee didn’t get enough from its stars in the second half to win. Nate Ament was on fire in the first half, with 19 points. He totaled 10 in the second half and drew extra attention from Kentucky’s defenders.
But it was a rough half — and by his standards, a rough game — for Tennessee’s other primary scorer, Ja’Kobi Gillespie. He finished with 15 points but made only 5-15 shots and went 4-11 from three.
After the game, Rick Barnes specifically mentioned a key part of his game that Gillespie has needed to use more often and needs to feature more going forward — a mid-range jumper.
Rick Barnes says Ja’Kobi Gillespie has to use his midrange jumper more after Kentucky loss
“You’ve got to be better, and that’s one of the things I told him at halftime,” Barnes said during his postgame press conference. “He plays hard, and we need him to — I’ll say it, and I’ve said it all year — he’s got to learn to shoot a mid-range jump shot. And he’s got a good one. He’s got as good of one as anybody in the country. And he’s got to learn to do that when he’s open, and again, it’ll open up so much more for so many other things.”
Gillespie has made a large impact this season with his shot beyond the three-point line. He leads Tennessee by a mile in three-point attempts (187) and three-point makes (67). Nate Ament is a distant second in both categories (96, 32).
But sometimes personnel matchups or defensive schemes dictate changes, and Gillespie has to adapt his game when circumstances require it. As Barnes noted, his ability to use his midrange game more effectively will force teams to respect it and open up the offense.
There’s still time to change that, with a full month left in the regular season. And Tennessee will need him to do so if they hope to have a chance to have an extended postseason run.
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