WATCH: Kermit Davis goes crazy as Tennessee beats Ole Miss in controversial fashion
The No. 7 Tennessee Volunteers were in the No. 1 spot in the AP Poll just a couple of short weeks ago, but things have changed.
Losses at Kentucky and at LSU were not bad, per se, as both were top-15 teams at the time. However, the Vols managed to get back in the win column on Wednesday night at Ole Miss — a team that has been playing well lately.
That win came in controversial fashion, though, as the Vols clinched the victory on a shot by star F Grant Williams that Ole Miss coach Kermit Davis clearly thought was a travel. He then took issue with a charging foul called on Ole Miss’s final shot. As you can see below, Davis was not happy with the call, earning a technical foul for throwing his suit jacket:
Kermit Davis got full value out of this technical foul pic.twitter.com/Ule3EwnQY1
— Eric Fawcett (@Efawcett7) February 28, 2019
Here’s the play from Williams that clinched the win:
BIG. GRANT. WILLIAMS.
AND BIG. ADMIRAL. SCHOFIELD. pic.twitter.com/8uogJ5lT3H
— Rocky Top Insider (@rockytopinsider) February 28, 2019
The Vols held on for the win and stay tied with LSU and Kentucky atop the SEC regular-season standings with three games remaining.
Meanwhile, the Rebels can still earn a top-four seed in the SEC Tournament if they take care of business moving forward.
It was a hard fought game on both sides. It was going to be tough for anyone to lose. the real play was one of their top free throw shooters missing the front end of a 1 and 1….opening the door for Tennessee’s Grant Williams to make the winning play.
Dear Bob Kesling and Bert Bertlekamp…it is Ole Miss, not OLD Miss. So painful listening to you butcher it 3, 873 times during the game.
Both calls were correct.
Both teams wanted that win and both teams are obviously good. It was actually a well called game. Of course the officials are human and make wrong calls occasionally, but the officiating most certainly did not favor one team or the other. The charge call could have gone either way. It is a judgement call as to when the defensive player is set. I think that Kermit was just frustrated because they had the game won with seconds left. It is ironic that one of the best free throw shooting teams around is perfect on the night from the line and just need to convert a 1 and 1 to win the game with their best free throw shooter at the line with seconds left and he misses the first shot. That is what cost them the game. None of the other stuff would have happened in those last seconds if he had done like he’s done all season and converted those free throws. It happens. That’s basketball.
No travel and it looked like the guy had his feet set. Why does Kermit Davis always look like he is on the verge of tears?
Not a good look for Kermit.
ALL coaches of today would do well to research, study and model John Wooden. That’s how it’s done!
What controversy? Other than Ole Miss let one get away at home and it hurts. The Vol was there and easily established his defensive position. It was up to the shooter to get under control. Which he did not. End of story.