No. 9 Tennessee (3-0) defeated Montana (2-2), 92-57, on Wednesday at Food City Center. Rankings reflect the USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll.
The Vols totaled 38 rebounds to Montana’s 17. Tennessee forward Igor Milicic Jr. led all players with 10 rebounds in the contest.
Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes met with media and discussed the Vols’ rebounding on Wednesday.
“It’s a big part of what we talk about in our program,” Barnes said. “I think, defensively, we got 45 percent of our misses, which is terrific, obviously, but it’s a major emphasis in our program, obviously, and people know that about us. It’s a compliment to the players because it’s not an easy part of the game. It’s something that takes determination to fight to do it, and knowing that the other team is trying to keep us to get to the glass. Concentration has a lot to do with it, and we believe it comes down to those one-on-one battles, but it’s important. You can’t be a great defensive team if you can’t finish it with a rebound. You don’t want to be a one-and-done offensive team if you can help.”