Freshman forward DeWayne Brown II has simple orders for the rest of the season.
“Get your “blank” in gear,” said Tennessee basketball assistant coach Gregg Polinsky.
Rick Barnes and the Tennessee coaching staff weren’t thrilled with Brown’s energy following the Vols‘ 87-82 double-overtime win against Texas A&M at Food City Center on Jan. 13.
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Tennessee improved to 12-5 overall and 2-2 in SEC play following the victory. It hosts Kentucky (11-6, 2-2) on Jan. 17 (12 p.m., ET, ESPN) at Food City Center.
“DeWayne has done really well for a freshman,” Polinsky said. “He’s probably exceeded what we thought initially. But what I try to tell him is, if you don’t feel uncomfortable cardio-wise when you’re out there, you’re not doing your job. You got to get to a certain level of cardio toughness where your uncomfortable has to be the new comfortable.”
Brown first joined the starting lineup in Tennessee’s win over Louisville on Dec. 16, but the 6-foot-8 forward only logged five minutes against the Aggies. Brown sat early in the game and only briefly came back in for a minute in the second half.
“He’s got to be a factor because the guy is physically skilled, but he’s not going to wow you with vertical lift at the rim and all that,” Polinsky said. “He’s got to do it with great feet, great hands and great effort.
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“He’s not Secretariat. He’s not going to pass everybody down the stretch. He’s got to come out and try to win that race wire-to-wire.”
Barnes has been critical of the entire Vols’ front court, and the lack of consistency, since the start of SEC play.
“It’s tough because Coach Barnes, he expects 100% out of you every day,” said sophomore forward J.P. Estrella. “I’m kind of just trying to bring that energy every single day and learn every single day, that’s probably my biggest thing right now. Just trying to do whatever he wants me to do so we can win.”
Tennessee basketball’s close history vs Kentucky
The Vols lost twice in the regular season against Kentucky last year. They turned it around in the NCAA Tournament and beat the Wildcats, 78-65, in the Sweet 16.
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Estrella is looking forward to playing more minutes this time.
“My first year, I remember we were at Rupp (Arena) and won,” he said. “That was a great feeling. And then here, we played a couple times and beat them in the Sweet 16. I’m just excited to have a little rivalry game and have some fun.”
Kentucky began SEC play with two losses to Alabama and Missouri. It rebounded with a blowout win against Mississippi State, and recently won on a buzzer-beater at LSU on Jan. 14.
Polinsky expects another tough matchup. He hopes this one doesn’t end in extra periods.
“I think any time you find a way to win those types of games, obviously it wasn’t the most artistic, thing, although some found it entertaining,” he said about the double-overtime win. “Pretty nerve-wracking. But yeah, that was good for us.”
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Wynton Jackson covers high school sports for Knox News. Email: wynton.jackson@knoxnews.com
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee basketball needs more from DeWayne Brown II against Kentucky
