The Tennessee Volunteers secured an 86-79 victory over Illinois in a high-stakes college basketball game. Josiah-Jordan James' four assists in the first six minutes set the tone. The Vols led 32-31 with 3:29 left in the first half and later increased their lead to 69-57 with 6:59 remaining in the second half. Zakai Zeigler and Jahmai Mashack's hustle plays turned the tide of the game. Despite the challenge posed by Illinois' size, Tennessee's defense managed to keep Shannon and Domask to a combined 4-of-22 from the floor. Tennessee had five players scoring in double figures, including Knecht with 21 points. The Vols held a lead of 81-74 with just 37.9 seconds left in the game. Illinois' coach, Brad Underwood, praised Tennessee's performance and predicted that they could be in the mix to win the SEC and are a Final Four-caliber team.
HALFTIME | In a matchup of beleaguered programs in Chicago, one team is playing like a team hungry for a victory after a very difficult stretch in program history, the other team is Louisville. DePaul up by 16 at the break https://t.co/KnJCFZI3NY
Louisville is down 38-22 at halftime to the second worst P6 team in college basketball.
Illinois coach Brad Underwood: Credit Tennessee. Good team. Picked to win the SEC for a reason. They'll be right there at the end. Final Four-caliber team.
Illinois coach Brad Underwood: Really good, high-level basketball game. It's so hard to go on the road and beat a top-10 team. It was a unique ball game. Three fouls in the first half, 426 in the second half. Give Tennessee credit. They whooped our butt in the second half.
Louisville down 10. To DePaul.
Illinois vs. @Vol_Hoops in the second half. https://t.co/cdr71QG9Fz
No. 17 Tennessee gets the tough win over No. 20 Illinois 😤 (📸 @Vol_Hoops) https://t.co/o9pdMAkkyZ
Illinois' tremendous size makes me wonder why the Illini don't full-court press more often. If you can come into this building against this good, veteran Tennessee backcourt and make it look a bit shaky against your press, you've got a great press.
B1G hoops: Tennessee takes down Illinois, 86-79, in Knoxville.
DePaul had a side out-of-bounds with less than a second on the shot clock. Lobs it in for a layup. That's pretty much how it's going in Chicago. Louisville down 17-16 early. https://t.co/skUENKg3Tw
Tennessee gets a much-needed 86-79 win over Illinois at home. Vols with 5 guys in double-figures, including Knecht with 21, but it was still the defense on Shannon and Domask when it mattered that was the difference. Domask coming off 33; held to 6 today.
Heck of a win for UT over Illinois, possibly the second-best team in the Big Ten. Might be Wisconsin. Vols beat that team on the road. Lost to the best Big Ten team, Purdue, in a great game in Maui. And beat B1G's ninth-best team, Michigan State, on the road in an exhibition.
Big-time Tennessee win over Illinois. SEC stacking good non-con Ws.
Tennessee lost three straight games, but all were away from home against Top-15 opponents. No reason to overreact. They have a win at Wisconsin and looked very impressive today vs Illinois. They'll be in the mix to win the SEC.
#Vols' Josiah-Jordan James forced a Terrence Shannon Jr. turnover. Tennessee needs to get the ball in after this timeout, break the press, make a couple free throws and this one is home and hosed. Vols 81, Illinois 74, 37.9 seconds/2ndH.
Tennessee has forced Illinois wings Terrence Shannon Jr. and Marcus Domask to shoot 4-of-22 from the floor so far today. One of the makes was that transition layup from Shannon just then.
#Vols 69, Illinois 57, 6:59/2ndH. Tennessee has made eight of its past nine shots. Another timeout, Illinois.
Two good basketball teams here today in Knoxville. Really impressed with Illinois. Illini as advertised. Good size, very physical, shooters, slashers. Not afraid to put a body on you. Good team.
#Vols 58, Illinois 52, 10:28/2ndH. Tennessee's Jahmai Mashack to the line for two after this media timeout on the floor. Barnes has gone with the two-big lineup the past couple minutes, and that's helped the physicality factor on the glass.
#Vols 50, Illinois 44, 13:39/2ndH. Tremendous hustle plays from Zakai Zeigler and Jahmai Mashack might have turned this game. Timeout, Illinois.
Illinois-Tennessee is a high-level game. Two major-conference contenders getting after it. Illini have improved a ton.
Illinois' size giving Tennessee some trouble on the glass. One-man-rebound-patch Tobe Awaka will get a lot of minutes in this second half.
#Vols 32, Illinois 31, 3:29/1stH. Zakai Zeigler forces a tieup, but since Tennessee won the opening tip, it'll be Illini ball after this media timeout on the floor.
Goal-tending call on Josiah-Jordan James reversed at the media timeout. #Vols 23, Illinois 17, 11:25/1stH.
Illinois has done a nice job screening and isolating tough matchups for Tennessee's defense, forcing rotations that leave open shooters on the perimeter. Good scouting. We'll see how #Vols respond to it.
#Vols 23, Illinois 19, 11:25/1stH. Illini ball after this media timeout on the floor.
#Vols' Josiah-Jordan James with four assists in the first six minutes of the game.
Saturday’s scene for college basketball with @Vol_Hoops! https://t.co/nA3JtXUSwm