For a long time, Tennessee basketball has had veterans it can rely on to win close games. 

Saturday afternoon at Food City Center saw Tennessee lose a game in which it led by 17 points. A Rick Barnes-coached team allowed 49 points in the second half to Kentucky, lacking execution from some of the weathered names on the roster. The Vols knew their personnel turnover from last season would be significant, lacking the steady leadership and consistent decision-making from figures like Zakai Zeigler and Jahmai Mashack. 

As the Wildcats mounted their double-digit comeback, Barnes felt sure of one thing. 

“No doubt, those guys win these games,” Barnes said. “They’re not going to collapse on defense like that. Those guys weren’t nearly as talented as these guys are offensively, but at the end of the game, I think your defense still wins.”

Senior point guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie’s turnover in the closing seconds, Felix Okpara’s foul-filled second half and Jaylen Carey’s lackluster showing from the field all contributed to a loss that weighs on the shoulders of some of Tennessee’s most experienced. 

It’s a foreign feeling for the Vols’ locker room. Gillespie’s 24 points are somewhat overshadowed by four turnovers that loomed much larger in the grand aspect of the game. Okpara’s five-point, six-rebound outing isn’t up to standard for the 6-foot-11 big man in the eyes of his coaching staff. Another addition from the portal, Carey shot just 3-for-12 after starting his first game in over two months. 

“We expected guys that we got out of the portal to give us more here,” Barnes said. “What we expected from them was consistency, and we haven’t gotten that. Felix, we need him to get 10 rebounds a night for us because when he does, we’re really good.” 

Kentucky fought its way to 14 offensive rebounds, a number that points to a lack of effort from the team on the other side of it. Defensive breakdowns under the basket awarded the Wildcats 19 second-chance points. 

Gillespie’s veteran mindset isn’t a part of his game that has been absent in most of his games this season. He’s shown an ability to withstand a heavy workload, all while avoiding fatigue. Right now, it’s about keeping confidence to make the correct play consistently. 

“We just got to play with the same edge the whole game,” Gillespie said. “We can’t just relax when we get up 10 or 15. We just got to keep playing. It’s all mental. You just got to win way more than they want to win.” 

Senior guard Amaree Abram only saw the floor for five minutes while junior J.P. Estrella produced four points after a call from Barnes to play more physically. A shortcoming in leadership from older guys continues to be a concern as the heart of SEC play rolls around. 

“The young guys, you expect them to take a little bit longer,” Barnes said. “But we’re talking most of the time tonight, it was older guys up there in that ball screen, guys that played enough minutes to know that we need to get this done.”