Jordan Mickey scored a game-high 20, corralled 11 rebounds and finished four blocks shy of becoming the first LSU player to record a triple-double since Shaquille O’Neal.
Despite being in foul trouble for the majority of the night, Jarell Martin still managed to tally nine points and five rebounds.
Yet, when Tennessee’s first matchup with the Tigers was finished, it was LSU sophomore guard, Tim Quarterman, who caught the eye of Donnie Tyndall in Thompson-Boling Arena.
“He’s the third guy and arguably gives them another pro in their lineup,” the first-year UT head coach said. “When he gets it going and playing with confidence, he’s probably about as talented as any guard in our league. He’s 6-foot-5, he’s athletic, he has great feet, he can shoot it, he gets to the rim and he’s a good passer.”
All those intangibles were never more apparent than in LSU’s most recent contest against Ole Miss, when he recorded the coveted triple-double that Mickey could not get against Tennessee.
In 38 minutes against the Rebels, Quarterman scored 18 points on 5-of-10 shooting, dished out 10 assists and gathered 10 rebounds, composing the program’s first triple-double since March 19, 1992.
Against the Vols on Feb. 14, the sophomore guard added 13 points, six assists and six rebounds as first-person evidence of his offensive abilities.
But in his Knoxville visit, it was his ability to be a thorn in the side of Josh Richardson, who scored 15 points in the matchup but shot just 5-of-13 from the floor, that proved pivotal.
“He is probably one of the best defenders in our league,” Tyndall said. “The way he played Josh Richardson on the defensive end was a big key in the first game.”
It was not just Quarterman’s defense that frustrated the Vols in the first matchup.
As a team, LSU limited Tennessee to 36.8 percent shooting, including a 20-point first half effort that allowed the Tigers to jump out to a 27-point lead by halftime.
But the Vols are not allowing that horrendous first half to haunt them as they head into Wednesday’s matchup inside the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
“It’s a clean slate from the last game,” junior guard Kevin Punter said. “We all know the result of the last game, but for us it is a clean slate to come out there and not let that happen again.”
With their trip to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the Vols will be looking to snap a five-game losing streak.
But over the last couple of winless weeks, UT has learned to focus on things other than the win and loss columns.
“I think losing period can wear on your team a little bit,” Tyndall said. “I don’t care who you are, how strong you are, losing is not fun and it can wear on you a little bit.
“I had a reporter from Florida tell me after the game, Billy Donovan’s two years at Florida, he had losing seasons … It’s a process and at any point in time, as the coach, if I forget that or I do not understand that, then that’s when you can lose vision of what’s important, and that’s getting your players better every day.”
Tipoff between the Vols and Tigers is scheduled for 7 p.m. and can be seen on the SEC Network.
