How Tennessee basketball freshmen pleased Rick Barnes in Vanderbilt blowout

Cam Carr has never seen a shot he does not like.

The Tennessee basketball freshman said so himself Saturday. He is a shooter that visibly does not lack confidence.

“I think he is probably leading the nation in shots per minute,” Vols coach Rick Barnes quipped Saturday.

Carr is also a shooter learning to play the college game and to do it for Barnes. That is the other side of the coin for Carr and his fellow Vols freshmen. None have major roles. All have notable abilities that will be significant in the future but also mean they can help now.

That is becoming more clear lately to Barnes as the youngsters are starting to stack up with the veterans − and three of them showed it in Tennessee's 88-53 win against Vanderbilt at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center.

“All the coaches, we talk about how that gap was wide and it is starting to close up from them learning how hard to play,” Barnes said.

What Rick Barnes liked from Tennessee basketball freshmen against Vanderbilt

Carr checked in with 13:20 to play in the second half. Freddie Dilione V followed at 10:02. Cade Phillips joined at the 7:39 mark. They played the rest of the game together as No. 9 Tennessee (19-6, 9-3 SEC) finished off Vanderbilt (7-18, 2-10).

“Really pleased with the young guys trying to play the game the right way at the end,” Barnes said. “They respected the game in terms of trying to play it the right way.”

Forward J.P. Estrella was unavailable against the Commodores due to a left leg injury. He had the largest role of the four players before his injury.

For the three that did play, Barnes saw a similar approach. He saw players who have gotten better through the season by going against Tennessee’s talented older group. He watched a group that have learned how to be more locked in every day.

He also witnessed the trio playing hard for long stretches, approaching late-game minutes in a blowout as valuable.

“What they are learning is it is a game of trust,” Barnes said. "If they want us to trust them as a coaching staff, it starts in practice but when you get minutes in a game, you are not out there trying to show things you can’t do. You are trying to show things you can do.”

How Cade Phillips has re-entered the Vols rotation

Phillips was the most-used freshman for the Vols early in the season but had played one minute in SEC play before this week. The 6-foot-9 forward played six at Arkansas and 10 against Vanderbilt. Barnes said Phillips “kind of lost the edge he had” for a stretch. But he found it in the past two weeks.

“He got back to doing what we want him to do and play the role that he needed to play,” Barnes said. “He has got the trust back that needs from all of us — not just the coaching staff, but his teammates knowing that if he comes out there he can impact the game.”

Phillips had three rebounds and two assists against Vanderbilt. He had two rebounds against Arkansas.

Freddie Dilione V made the right plays

Zakai Zeigler pointed to Dilione standing open in the corner in front of the Vanderbilt bench. He got an open 3-pointer but missed.

Dilione, a redshirt freshman who enrolled early in Jan. 2023, had two assists and two points in 13 minutes. He had a dunk, but did a solid job of making the right play and being attentive.

“They are doing a great job of letting the offense get to them, playing the right way and staying engaged on defense,” senior Santiago Vescovi said of the young group.

Cam Carr could exhale against Vanderbilt

Carr missed his first 3-pointer Saturday. He hit his next one and let out “a big sigh of relief.”

To Barnes’ point, Carr is comfortable shooting. He took seven shots in a season-high 13. He has taken 24 shots in 52 minutes. He had a career-high eight points, doubling his career total.

“I am glad to see it go in for him because he is a guy that can get buckets quick," Barnes said. “It is when he relaxes.”

Barnes also was pleased with Carr’s defense and how he used his large wingspan. That was as important as seeing shots go down. But that doesn’t mean the confident shooter has a green light yet. There's another step first.

“Stop airballing,” Carr said.

Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and follow him on Twitter @ByMikeWilson. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Why Rick Barnes was pleased with Tennessee basketball freshmen vs. Vanderbilt