Schofield, Vols Posting Impressive Numbers During 10-Game Winning Streak
Recently, the 6-6 guard has been on fire and has hit several clutch shots for the third-ranked Volunteers. Whether it was the career-high six 3-pointers to lift the Vols over top-ranked Gonzaga or his dagger three from the corner to silence a raucous Florida crowd, Schofield has been playing at another level lately.
Nov. 23 was the last time Tennessee didn’t come out on top, losing to then-No. 2 Kansas in the NIT Season Tip-Off championship. Since that overtime loss, the Vols have rattled off 10 consecutive wins, which is the longest streak since 2007-08. Only nine other teams in program history have ever won at least 10 straight, with only the ’07-08 Sweet Sixteen team having done it since the turn of the century. A big reason for the increased play by the Volunteers has been a result of the dominant performances by Schofield.
During this stretch, Schofield has shot above 50 percent (73-of-124; .589) from the floor in eight games, including vs. Gonzaga, at Memphis and all three of UT’s SEC games. But it’s not just easy baskets that he’s getting. Of those attempts, 37 percent has been from the 3-point range and 33 percent of his baskets have been threes.
From beyond the arc, Schofield is 24-of-46 (.522) and has eight more threes than the team’s second-leading three-point shooter during this season. For the year, he has a team-high 33 3-pointers—an area of his game that has vastly improved since his arrival on Rocky Top.
Schofield accomplished a rare feat in December, becoming the first Vol to score 25 points in back-to-back games since Kevin Punter Jr. (2016).
The Zion, Ill., native posted his first 30-point game over then-No. 1 Gonzaga on Dec. 9, 2018, finishing with 30 points—25 of which came in the second half. His NBA-range 3-pointer with 24 seconds left was the final blow, as UT earned its fifth all-time win against the nation’s top team. The performance earned him national recognition, including being named the Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week.
Schofield followed up that game with 29 points and 11 rebounds to give Tennessee the win in a hostile environment at Memphis, capping off the performance by popping out his jersey for the crowd to see who owns this state.
In the team’s first of many tough road games to come in SEC play, Schofield delivered a 3-pointer with 44 seconds remaining that erased any hopes of a comeback for the Florida Gators and gave UT its first win in Gainesville since 2012. The shot preserved Tennessee’s perfect 3-0 record to start conference play and sparked a 9-0 run in the final minute to push the Vols to an 11-point victory. It was the seventh consecutive game the Big Orange had one by double-digits.
The All-SEC honoree currently ranks second in the SEC in scoring (17.7 ppg). During the win streak, Schofield has averaged 18.9 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 2.1 apg and 1.3 spg.
Schofield has had career-high marks during the streak, including his 30 points, 12 field goals and six 3-pointers against Gonzaga and three blocks against Tennessee Tech, while tying his career high of four steals against Samford.
Tennessee has become one of the most efficient teams in college basketball on both ends of the floor, ranking third in field-goal percentage (.515) and fifth in field-goal percentage defense (.372). Only Gonzaga has been able to keep it to single-digits against the Vols during this streak.
The Vols learned a lot from their lone loss of the season against then-No. 2 Kansas. Since that game, UT has been playing on another level on the hardwood and looks like a legitimate national-title contender. But for right now, the Big Orange has other things to focus on.
Third-ranked Tennessee (14-1, 3-0 SEC) continues SEC play tonight against Arkansas (10-5, 1-2 SEC) with tip-off at 7 p.m. in Thompson-Boling Arena. Fans can tune in on ESPN2 or listen on their local Vol Network radio station.
