The Tennessee Volunteers lost their defensive mojo during Saturday afternoon's 76-75 loss at Vanderbilt.
They are looking to get that back - and soon. The No. 6 Vols host No. 14 Mississippi State on Tuesday night (7 on ESPN), with the Bulldogs serving as the only Southeastern Conference opponent that Tennessee failed to defeat last season during its run to the league championship.
The Bulldogs edged Tennessee 77-72 in Starkville last January before hammering the Vols 73-56 in March during a quarterfinal upset at the SEC tournament in Nashville.
"They're really physical, and they beat us up on the backboard," Tennessee senior point guard Zakai Zeigler said Monday in a news conference. "That's something we can't let happen again."
Tennessee and Mississippi State are each 3-2 in SEC competition, with the Vols 16-2 overall and the Bulldogs 15-3.
Against the Commodores, the Vols allowed a season-high point total, with Vanderbilt shooting 46.4% from the floor and 38.1% from 3-point range. Tennessee still leads the nation defensively in 3-point percentage (25.5), but the Vols dipped from second to fourth in field-goal percentage (36.4) and from third to fifth in points allowed per game (58.8).
"It was an issue," Tennessee assistant coach Justin Gainey said, "and it was single communication, like calling the coverage soon enough to where our guards would be able to react. They did a good job of mixing up their screens, and the hesitation a little bit is what caused the slowing in the communication."
Another issue Tennessee faced in Nashville was Zeigler going to the bench with his second foul with more than seven minutes remaining before halftime after making contact with Jason Edwards on a 3-point attempt. Edwards would make all three free throws, and Jahmai Mashack fouled Tyler Nickel on a made 3-pointer in the final seconds of the half, with Nickel converting the free throw for a 41-35 lead at intermission.
Tennessee coach Rick Barnes said Saturday that fouling 3-pointers has been problematic all season, and Gainey was asked Monday about the balance of Zeigler being aggressive while avoiding fouls when foes are shooting from long range.
"It's tough, because that's what makes him great," Gainey said. "He's aggressive and really disruptive, and that's what makes him who he is and maybe the best defensive point guard in the country. You've got to be mindful when you do have one foul and you're closing out the shooter. In those situations, maybe you fly by more so than making contact high.
"Each foul has been kind of different when he picks up that second one, but it's hard to tell him not to be who he is."
Zeigler certainly knows who he wants to be, as well as the entire Tennessee defense, especially after the subpar showing in Nashville.
"We still pride ourselves as being the No. 1 defense in the country and a tough, hard-nosed team," Zeigler said.
Life on the road
Tennessee is 1-2 in SEC road games so far, with the two setbacks matching last season's total, when the Vols went 7-2 at home and 7-2 on the road to comprise their 14-4 mark that won the league.
Gainey was asked if this season's team has struggled more away from the Food City Center.
"I don't think so. It's always tough on the road," Gainey said. "You're always going to get a more juiced-up crowd and a more juiced-up team, and that's regardless of who it is coming to town in this league. For our team, it's been a great learning experience and an opportunity to reflect on where we need to be better.
"To do what we're ultimately trying to do, we're going to face some tough environments and a lot of tough situations that we've got to be better in."
Odds and ends
Tennessee leads the series with Mississippi State 90-46, which includes a 48-11 record in Knoxville. ... This is the first meeting between the two in which both teams are ranked. ... Mississippi State sophomore guard Josh Hubbard, who is averaging 16.6 points per game, scored a combined 43 points in last season's two triumphs over the Vols. ... Tennessee is averaging 5.2 dunks per game while allowing only 0.9.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com.