From the word go on Wednesday night, it felt like Tennessee was poised to not miss a beat in their first game without Olivier Nkamhoua. The Vols jumped out to a quick 14-2 lead against Mississippi State and held a 23-11 lead until one of the team’s patented offensive lulls struck around the midway point of the half.
The lack of Nkamhoua’s presence was going to be felt in this game as State boasts the tallest team in the SEC and look to take advantage of it each game.
“We knew they were gonna pound it inside and, you know, we fouled way too much early, but you gotta give them credit for that,” said Rick Barnes in his postgame presser.