BROOKLYN, N.Y. — No. 13 Maryland men’s basketball head coach Kevin Willard spent the week praising No. 7 Tennessee and Volunteers coach Rick Barnes ahead of the top-15 matchup.
Willard applauded the Volunteers’ defense, calling them the “best defensive team I’ve seen in a long time,” and said they don’t “blow you away” offensively but their defense is that good that they don’t have to. Willard’s analysis was spot on Sunday afternoon at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, as Tennessee’s offense was subpar, but its defense was excellent in a 56-53 win over Maryland.
Tennessee’s third-best scoring defense in the country held Maryland to 53 points, its lowest point total on the season.