Johnson struggling with turnovers lately
Vols guard has given the ball up 23 times in the past five games
Keon Johnson got stuck between two Vanderbilt defenders with 6:38 to play Wednesday night.
The Tennessee basketball freshman created enough space to sneak between the duo for a near-impossible layup attempt. The ball hit the bottom of the rim and came straight down to Johnson.
Johnson tumbled to the court, sliding out of bounds with the ball in his lap for his sixth turnover in Tennessee’s 7058 win at Vanderbilt.
“I think he is trying to do too much,” Vols coach Rick Barnes said.
The 6-foot-5 Johnson has been on a turnover tear for the Vols (16-6, 9-6 SEC), who are scheduled to play at Auburn (11-13, 5-10) on Saturday (noon ET, ESPN).
Johnson had 23 turnovers in Tennessee’s past five games after having only 18 through his first 10 SEC games. He had a career-worst six Wednesday, eclipsing the five he had at LSU on Feb. 13 and again against South Carolina on Feb. 17.
“I think he has got to move the ball,” Barnes said. “I think he has got to get back to playing to his strengths. He is just trying to do too much. He has to understand where his bread is buttered.”
Johnson, who is projected as a first-round NBA Draft pick, played largely sound basketball until the past few games. He had no turnovers when he dominated at Kentucky on Feb. 6. He scored a career-high 27 points and controlled the Tennessee offense throughout the comeback 81-72 win.
That outing capped a 12-game run in which Johnson did not have more than three turnovers in a game.
On Wednesday, he sailed passes out of bounds, simply lost the ball, and traveled twice. His fifth turnover — a transition travel — cost Tennessee a layup and the chance to take a 19point lead early in the second half.
It was one of 17 Vols turnovers.
“We cut those (turnovers) in half, it maybe gives us a chance to score,” Barnes said. “That’s why we’re so inconsistent with our offense.”
As Johnson has struggled, so have the Vols. UT is averaging 14.2 turnovers in its past five games after averaging 11.5 in its first 17.
“It’s really frustrating because they’re uncalled for,” Barnes said. “I think it goes back to again being locked in. Knowing what you’re good (at), doing what you do, don’t try to do it all by yourself. Play together as a team.”
Tennessee had 17 turnovers against Georgia on Feb. 10, then its most since it had 18 in back-to-back losses to Florida and Missouri in mid-january. Johnson, Jaden Springer and Santiago Vescovi had five each against the Bulldogs.
The Vols had 10 against Kentucky on Feb. 20, their fewest since Jan. 16 in an 81-61 win against Vanderbilt. Then they had 17 on Wednesday.
“So many of those had nothing to do with (Vanderbilt),” Barnes said. “It was just us. Those are the ones, it’s one of the most frustrating things as a coach you have to deal with. Guys just don’t value the ball.”
That has been the case with Johnson lately. Barnes wants to see the freshman get back to his game both offensively and defensively.
“Defensively is where he has to get back to playing,” Barnes said. “He got blown by a couple times and that shouldn’t happen. He needs to get back to rebounding the ball. He has got to stop turning it over. That goes back to just simply trying to do too much.”