The Closing Five: Tennessee routs Oklahoma late

Written By Walker Smith

As it always is with Tennessee Basketball in 2026, Wednesday’s game against Oklahoma made fans sweat a little bit before the Vols finally put away the Sooners in the final six minutes, winning 89-66. The game ended in a blowout, but Oklahoma didn’t go away till late, leaving Vols fans with a similar feeling they’ve had in the past couple of weeks. But even though they allowed Oklahoma back in it, Tennessee still put on one of its best performances of the season overall.

1: Tennessee Won’t Put Away Teams Early

In the Vols' last three games against Mississippi State, LSU, and Oklahoma, all of which aren’t in the top 50 KenPom teams, they’ve allowed teams to hang around much longer than the game dictates. Tennessee gave up a 16-0 at the Bulldogs, kept the Tigers in the game until late, and allowed the Sooners to cut an 18-point deficit to six after allowing a 16-5 run in the second half.

It's a trend that head coach Rick Barnes has continued to preach against and is possibly the main reason Vols fans won’t buy stock in this year’s squad. However, this game showed a better response than they’d had after giving up runs in the past, and effectively slammed the door with a 15-1 run starting at the six-minute mark.

“They were just driving the ball at us and getting fouled, Barnes said. “I thought we settled back down and did a better job of staying in front of them, not fouling, not bailing them out, and we started driving the ball.”

It’s these types of stretches that can send teams home in March. While the Vols continue to give up second-half runs, their responses to them have come a long way since losing to Kansas and at home against Kentucky.

2: Nate Ament Showed his Full Arsenal

During a stretch that has put forward Nate Ament in the SEC Player of the Year conversations, his performance against Oklahoma raised the bar even more. 

The freshman phenom had 29 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists with a block and a steal on defense. He was highly efficient as well, shooting 9-17 from the field, 3-7 from three, and was a perfect 8-8 at the free-throw line. If Vols fans still had questions about Ament’s ability and price tag compared to the loaded freshman class this year, his night against the Sooners showed he has all the tools to be as good as anyone in the county.

“[Ament is] seeing the game in a totally different way than he did a month and a half ago,” Barnes said. “It started at Florida. But he is seeing the court. He’s an all-everything player, and he can play anywhere on the court.”

He’s improved everywhere since that night in Gainesville, but his passing and court awareness are what’re showing the most to Barnes, who said he is the “best passer on the team” following the victory. He’s clearly emerged as someone who can carry this team in March.

3: Clean Offense and Effective Defense

While it wasn’t a perfect game, Barnes loved most of what his guys did on the floor. He told his players that the game was “the best game we’ve played all year.” 

His biggest praise was the turnover margin. Tennessee tied a season low in giveaways with seven and forced 15 Oklahoma turnovers on the other end. The biggest catalyst for a clean game? Credit Ja’Kobi Gillespie, who set a single-game Tennessee record with eight steals and only 1 turnover. On offense, he controlled the game with 8 assists and 16 points.

“He was just mentally slowed down,” Barnes said. A lot of things slowed down for him. I’ve seen that happen with Nate over the last couple of weeks. But for Ja’Kobi seeing it, I think he’s seeing the game the way that he needs to see it. And defensively, he does have great instincts.”

The Vols also dominated the paint once again with 15 offensive board ans 17 second-chance points. They outrebounded the Sooners 36-19. Tennessee’s consistent play inside on defense has been its best quality, and it could be the foundation of another excellent defense if the Vols get consistent defending the perimeter.

4: Okpara’s Big Night

Senior center Felix Okpara has had an up-and-down season, both with injuries and a couple of subpar performances. However, he turned in one of the best games he’s had in a Vols uniform. 

He had 18 points on 7-10 shooting with 8 rebounds and 2 blocks. He was a putback machine with five offensive boards, and played excellent defense inside and outside when he was switched onto a guard. This type of game isn’t what Barnes expects every night out, but Okpara was meant to be a steady force in the middle all year. The consistency hasn’t been there, but tonight could be the turning point.

“He’s as good a lob threat as there is in the country,” Barnes said. “He rebounded… He can be that every night. He really can.”

5: Jaylen Carey Struggles

In a front court that has multiple consistency issues, forward Jaylen Carry has been one of the most frustrating. He has a night where he can score 20+, but more often has been the nights where he is inefficient at the rim and at the free-throw line.

Tonight was an example of the latter. Carey scored 7 points with 7 rebounds and shot 3-9 from the floor and was 1-6 at the charity strip. 

“Jaylen got frustrated,” Barnes said. “He wasn’t making his free throws, then he lost his way a little bit. He should have been kicking the ball out. We tell him that… Some of those shots he can’t shoot. We’re not throwing up hope shots.”

The obvious takeaway is the poor offensive play. However, he still impacts the game inside with his defense and rebounding on both ends of the floor. He will have a big opportunity this weekend against Vanderbilt, his former team.

“Jaylen has gotten so much better defensively,” Barnes said. “We want him to understand he can impact a game other ways than scori

Walker Smith
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