CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Rick Barnes thought of three paramount plays after Tennessee basketball beat Illinois on Saturday.
Jordan Gainey’s game-winning layup was an obvious choice. He picked Igor Milicic Jr.’s steal of an inbound with less than two minutes to play.
Darlinstone Dubar provided the third with a second-half floater that Barnes cherished.
“We were hemorrhaging right there,” Barnes said. “He had that little floater.”
Dubar was the unsung hero for No. 1 Tennessee, which stayed unbeaten with its 66-64 win against Illinois (7-3) at State Farm Center. He had five points and five rebounds in a season-high 16 minutes for the Vols (10-0).
How Darlinstone Dubar lifted Tennessee in win at Illinois
Three times, Illinois led by six. Dubar responded with a key shot to two of those moments.
The senior guard dribbled into the paint and hoisted a right-handed floater early in the second half. Illinois’ six-point lead seemed larger at the time. Guard Zakai Zeigler was on the bench with four fouls and Illinois was dictating the game. Then Dubar connected with 11:01 to play to trim the lead to four.
“At that point in time, we were teetering,” Barnes said.
Dubar missed UT’s 75-62 win Tuesday against Miami in New York City while in concussion protocol. He returned to practice activity Thursday, then was cleared to play Friday — and Tennessee was glad he was.
Illinois again led by six when 7-foot-1 center Tomislav Ivisic posted up on Dubar. The 6-6 Dubar blocked Ivisic’s shot and gathered the defensive rebound. He confidently shot a long 3-pointer at the other end, nailing it and getting UT within three with 9:37 to play.
Barnes clapped. Tennessee never trailed by more than three points again.
“Insane,” Milicic said. “I was on the court with him. I was screaming. I was yelling. I was so happy.”
Darlinstone Dubar shows he can give Tennessee more
Dubar averaged 10.3 minutes entering Saturday. He played 10 in the second half as an essential player for the Vols, checking in with 11:18 to play and sitting only for a 49-second stint the rest of the game.
“DStone is the definition of a hooper,” guard Jahmai Mashack said. “You put him in a game in an environment like that and give him the ball and tell him to go, he is going to go get a bucket.”
Dubar has had a delayed impact since transferring from Hofstra, where he was a high-scoring, big-time shooter. He missed four games while attending to a personal matter, in addition to missing Tuesday’s game. Saturday was his fifth game with the Vols.
The sparingly used guard showed why Barnes continues to stress that Tennessee’s depth extends to Dubar and freshman guard Bishop Boswell — who likewise was important in the second half.
Dubar showed it Saturday with a stretch of significant plays that made sure Tennessee won.
“It is something that has always been in him,” Mashack said. “It is not a surprise to me how he is hooping.”
Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and follow him on X @ByMikeWilson or Bluesky @bymikewilson.bsky.social. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it.
