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How DeWayne Brown powered Tennessee basketball to improved defense vs Wofford
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- How DeWayne Brown powered Tennessee basketball to improved defense vs Wofford
Tennessee basketball coach Rick Barnes had seen starting forward DeWayne Brown II struggle during the preseason and the team suffered as a result.
But the Vols were able to wash away the sour taste of two exhibition losses with a career outing from Brown, who spearheaded a blowout 90-58 win over Wofford at Food City Center with 17 points and 17 rebounds, both career bests.
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"I just think I needed to play a little more free, a little more loose. And really that was it," Brown said. "Come in and focus on the things we really needed to do to be a good team and win."
Brown flirted with the tops of the Tennessee record books in his 17-point, 17-rebound double-double that also included a couple of blocked shots and assists for the No. 9 Vols (1-0) over Wofford (0-1).
Brown's 17 rebounds were the most by a UT player since Igor Milicic had 18 against Arkansas on Jan. 4, 2025 and tied for the second most by a Tennessee player in Barnes' 12 seasons.
Add in Brown's scoring and it's the first 15-and-15 game by a UT player since Zakai Zeigler's 17-point, 15-assist masterpiece against Middle Tennessee State on Dec. 23, 2024.
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"It is as obvious as the nose on your face: He's so physical. ... He looks like a defensive end out there," Wofford coach Kevin Giltner said. "It's like running into a brick wall. ... He's so physical in every single way. I can't stress that enough. That's what makes him good. ... He's tough and he's got a motor."
Barnes has a lot of trust in Brown. One of only two returners from last season's team, the sophomore has been trusted with a starting role for the first time in his career. And despite knowing the system, he's had to adjust to a faster pace of play and completely new teammates.
That has led to some early miscues, growing pains the rest of the team is feeling, too. But Brown was emblematic of the major improvements on the defensive end the Vols have made in between a 103-64 exhibition loss at Duke and the season opener.
Stepping into an unfamiliar rile, Brown used his voice to help the Vols get to the right spots on defense and rebounded with force. After the Vols were torched during the preseason, they allowed Wofford to shoot just 31% from the field and won rebounding 23-13 during a dominant second half.
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Barnes felt the landmark performance for Brown was rewarding. He's seen the positive things in practice despite a slow start in games. But he's trusted Brown enough to play through the mistakes and now it's paying dividends.
"He deserves it," Barnes said. "I mean, DeWayne puts in more time, works as hard as anyone we've had here. We need him to do what he did. He's not going to do that every night but I wish he would."
Stephen Thompson covers Tennessee Volunteers men's basketball. Email him at stephen.thompson@knoxnews.com and follow him on X @stephenethom.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: How DeWayne Brown powered Tennessee basketball to improved defense vs Wofford
