Despite the distraction of Bruce Pearl’s eight-game suspension by the SEC, the 24th-ranked Tennessee Volunteers (5-0) won the NIT Season Tip-Off, defeating No. 7 Villanova (5-1) 78-68 at Madison Square Garden on Friday.
Junior guard Scotty Hopson led Tennessee with 18 points and was named the tournament’s most valuable player.
“I think Scotty stayed patient,” Pearl said. “He is our leading scorer and go-to guy, but he didn’t force it. He only got 11 shots. I like seeing him getting to the rim, and he had some beautiful passes out there as well. He is not hesitating and is comfortable.”
Freshman forward Tobias Harris added 15 points and nine rebounds, while senior center Brian Williams had 12 points and seven rebounds. Junior guard Cameron Tatum scored 17 points that included three baskets from beyond the arc.
“Tobias is so versatile,” Pearl said. “We really needed Tobias to handle the ball a lot to break the press. He was solid and didn’t turn it over. At times, he has the ability to take things over.”
Senior point guard Melvin Goins had nine points and four steals, but seven points and two steals came in the game’s final minutes.
“I think they list Goins at 180 (pounds),” Villanova coach Jay Wright said. “He looked like a defensive back of a football team to me. He is broad-shouldered. He is strong and gets real low. He was very, very physical. The bigs help. Very good defensive team. They didn’t give Fish (a Villanova guard) many one-on-one opportunities. Early he got some looks. He got good looks and missed them.”
The Big Orange’s defense held the Wildcats to 34.5-percent shooting as Villanova was able to shoot just 4-of-21 from three-point range.
“They played great defense,” Wright said. “Obviously, the best defensive team we have played against so far. We couldn’t get any easy baskets.
“Sometimes when you play against a team like that with good halfcourt defense, I think they’re great in their half-court defense. You can create turnovers with the press or get out on a break and get easy baskets. We didn’t get any of those. They played a great game.”
The path to the championship included a 77-72 win over Virginia Commonwealth on Tuesday.
Hopson had 18 points and 11 rebounds against VCU and Williams led the team with 13 rebounds.
VCU (4-1) attempted 31 3-pointers for the game, and Tennessee’s defense was able to hold it to a 35.5 percentage from the perimeter.
“We’re in the season right now,” Pearl said. “And I think the focus should be shifted to our season and where we’re at. Obviously I’m happy for the guys. We’ve handled some adversity. Now we have to handle some success. That will be the next step for this basketball team.”
The Volunteers will play Middle Tennessee State in Thompson-Boling Arena on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.
