Tennessee Men's Basketball
NASHVILLE - The Sommet Center was Brian "Big Baby'' Williams' crib on Saturday night.
Tennessee's 6-foot-10, 270-pound freshman scored 16 and pulled down 14 rebounds to lead the No. 12 Vols to an 88-82 victory over Western Kentucky.
"How about Brian Williams?" said UT coach Bruce Pearl. "He was everything we thought he could be and then some."
Williams scored three consecutive baskets over the final three minutes after the Hilltoppers rallied from a 12-point second-half deficit to pull to 79-78 with 3:28 left.
"Since last week, coach has been putting me back in the rotation in practice,'' Williams said. "I told my teammates whenever they get in trouble, get the ball to me in the middle.''
JaJuan Smith scored a team-high 19 points and had a key steal with 33 seconds remaining and the Vols (9-1) up 85-82. A Jordan Howell free throw ensued, and Tyler Smith added a pair for the final margin. Tyler Smith had 16 points thanks in large part to 10-of-13 shooting from the free throw line.
Courtney Lee led Western Kentucky (7-3) with 23 points and Tyrone Brazelton and Ty Rogers added 16 apiece.
A Sommet Center regular season record crowd of 18,701 was treated to a fast-paced, high-energy contest between the Sun Belt and SEC favorites. Half the crowd was clad in orange while Western Kentucky sold 4,000 tickets.
Any advantage the Vols might have had was cancelled by a large throng of Memphis fans who stayed after the Tigers' 65-41 win over Middle Tennessee State in the first game of the Sun Belt Classic.
UT held a 78-68 lead with 6:47 left on a Tyler Smith dunk, but the Hilltoppers went on a 10-1 run to make it 79-78 on a Steffphon Pettigrew basket with 3:28 remaining.
UT emerged from a closely contested first half with a 44-38 lead as sophomore transfer J.P. Prince scored all eight of his points in the first half. Prince, making his first appearance for the Vols, finished with a career-high seven rebounds.
"All of us were exciting for him," Pearl said. "He's been on the shelf for a while.
"I knew he would help us, I just didn't know how quickly. We're going to get a lot better with him in the rotation."
Both teams enjoyed 8-0 runs in the first half in a sign of things to come as both teams enjoyed success in the transition game.
The Vols broke out to an 18-9 lead when Ryan Childress capped their 8-0 run with a dunk.
The Hilltoppers answered with an 8-0 run of their own, with Lee scoring half the points on a dunk and a drive.
The Vols scored just one basket during a 7 1/2-minute stretch that saw them shoot 1-for-9 from the field late in the first half.
Tennessee, however, maintained its lead by forcing four Western Kentucky free throws and sinking 10 of 12 during that stretch.
The Vols return to action at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday against UNC Asheville at Thompson-Boling Arena, where they have the fifth-longest home court win streak in the nation at 22.
Honoring Duke: The Vols honored sophomore center Duke Crews with various messages written on their tennis shoes. Crews, who is eligible for a redshirt, was diagnosed with a heart condition that will sideline him indefinitely.
Old school: Archived photos of UT…
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Comments » 45
hdhurst writes:
I agree tnmantravel: Perhaps our the 6-8 Prince could eventually give us a spark in that dept. Really enjoyed seeing B.W. take off. Hopefully, Pearl and teammates will continue to help build his confidence by getting him the ball. GO VOLS!!
ZacharyUTK writes:
Hate that I missed it. Let's go Volunteers.
KnoxVol_in_TX writes:
Great game. Poor officiating. Disappointing performance by my man Lofton.
Not to beat the horse, but is it possible that Lofton's preseason hype has completely psyched him out for the season.
Truly, how does one lose such a beautiful shot in a matter of a couple months?
fullbackless writes:
Lofton will get on track. Dont worry about him. The ones to worry about if you ask me are Chism and Ramar. I like Ramar, but he is not playing up to par right now. Chism is a whole different story. I think for some reason he believes he is another guard or wing player, which is hurting us more than anything. Finally we get a guy in there who wants the ball down low and wants to get rebounds. See the difference. Williams is exactly what we need. But I would rather Chism be out than Crews.
Dont get me wrong Chism is a great part of this team. But I think pearl needs to put an end to him coming out of the paint. He needs to work the boards and the block if he wants to help the team win.
MiserableFloridaVol writes:
This guy has a chance to be a premier center in the league! What a find by Pearl. He played a great game and sent Chism to the forward position. Get that guy minutes.
wisonsinvol writes:
Based on what I heard (where the hell is ESPNU), Chism better get his game in gear - we are going to need him. Agree that Lofton hype has him spooked, but he will come around when needed - he did it last night. Somebody, somebody, please get a message to Bertlekamp (sp?). His exclamations are as lame as anything you hear in color commentary. Lofton goes 0-6 and then hits a 3 and here's Bertlekamp screaming MONEY as if the guy has made every shot. Please. BW looks like the real deal - love the 14 rebounds.
alfrizzle097 writes:
Couldn't have been worse officiating than the Georgia and LSU games last year in TBA. The fact of the matter is that sometimes you get refs with a bias. Maybe they get annoyed by the UT fans booing the good calls and maybe its just a subconcious notion of which team should win. Last year's Georgia game there was a call of out of bounds on Tennessee when no Tennessee player touched the ball, and it went off of the hands of one Georgia player before landing on the chest of another that was laying on the out of bounds line.
I don't agree with the officiating less than some, but the SEC should be able to get better. The job is hard, but then again so are other jobs. We expect more of others.
james#216392 writes:
Good win. Better get it up a notch to beat Xaxier next week. Message to ESPN- If you want to keep your fan base, put the volley ball game on U or the rodeo on U and show us the college games. Your management sucks.
THE_VOL writes:
Solid ballgame by the Vols I thought. WKY will be a very dangerous 1st round opponent for somebody. Couple things stand out to me though:
1. Shot distribution/selection was much better and weighted heavily to those that should be taking shots. 44 of 62 taken by Tyler, JuJuan, CLo and Williams. Better yet all of Tyler and BW's were in the paint and all but 3 treys were taken by JuJuan, Chris and Jordan. Prince will get more than 5 as his minutes increase but bottom line is we don't need Ramar/Chism shooting at all (neither can even make lay-ups) and damn sure don't need Chism/Childress shooting 3s.
2. Free throw shooting much better. Yeah I know we missed a couple late BUT one step at a time here. Reality is that 8 of our 15 misses were by Prince and Williams who I'll give a pass to for now as this was really their first big action. Without their 8 misses we shot 79% as a team. JP just getting to the line for 8 FTs in 19 minutes will help open things up for the outside shooters if it continues.
3. Don't know what folks want from CLo. All this talk about poor shooting mystifies me. Yeah he was pretty bad early on but here again the reality is that he is only 4 made 3s from being at 40% for the year and only 8 makes from being at 45%! That's less than 1 more made shot per game and the guy would be shooting 45% from the arc! The ONLY real difference in his game from last year is that he's not driving the ball hardly at all which means no easy buckets or free throws (last yr 60% of total shots were 3s - this year 78%). THAT is what is costing him about 6 ppg BUT other guys are now getting those points so why does everybody act like this kid has gone in the tank???? He's averaging a full assist more per game, rebounds and steals are up and turnovers down. He's doing what this team needs him to do - at both ends! But I guess being a PART of a team effort is a lost art in some circles.
Take care of business on Wednesday and then go get a couple of resume wins for the holidays!
tigervol9802 writes:
LOL
And the Pearlites are out in full force. Did you guys learn your lines from the Fulmerons? I'm sorry, it's just funny to me.
"Tweaking the rotation" is to Pearl as "stay the course" is to Fulmer.
daddyaxe writes:
great game...come on guys it is december let up we will be there in march and better we will be this team will eventually gel then look out
johnlg00 writes:
Tigervol, dare I suggest your screen name shows you to be a Memphis fan? How else to take your comment? This was a hard-fought win over a quality opponent, with big contributions from a guy who hasn't played a real game in two years and a guy who has only been playing AT ALL for two years and with a key inside contributor sidelined the day before the game. What the heck more could you want? There is room for improvement, sure, some guys with talent not in synch yet, but this team has sky-high potential. I'm proud to be a "Pearlite" and the whole country will see why as the season unfolds.
CoverOrange writes:
"A couple of times I've felt like I had the hot hand, and I was thinking I needed the next shot," Chism said. "But I don't need to be thinking selfish about my shooting. That thought just doesn't need to be there."
Williams said. "I told my teammates whenever they get in trouble, get the ball to me in the middle."
What a difference in attitude. Big time players demand the ball with confidence.
Oenoboy writes:
So tell us tigervol9802. Is there a coach you do approve of or do they have to be with another school before they are worthy? Why does it bother you so much that fans happen to support the coaches? Lastly, what the hell are you even referring to? Your statement has no relevance to anything in this article or in these posts.
There is not one mention of "Tweaking the rotation" in the article or posts and only two mentions of Pearl in the posts. One is a criticism and the other simply said Pearl made a good find with Williams. Do you want to try and dispute that?
Have you looked at the number of starting line-ups we've had so far this year? Is there a possibility that Pearl is having to do a lot of tweaking and is simply being straight forward?
Just because you choose to reside in a world of negativity is no reason to try and bring everyone else into your sad existence.
Ironcity writes:
The_Vol I understand your thought on Lofton but he is shooting less then 35% on the season and that has to be a concern when he shot close to 50% the last two years. I do expect him to come aroound because good players always come around (except Tony Harris). I think some of our players have fallen in love with the 3 ball and its affecting there games. Chism is playing like he's 6ft 3in instead of 6ft 9in. At the end of the game we just needed to make WKU defend and JaJuan is jacking up off balence three's. We need teams to respect the drive to the basket and honor the 10 ft turn arounds. I understand that an open three is a good shot but that may not be the case late in the game when you are protecting a lead. I really think Ramar will get it going soon but I am concerned about Chism. One last thought, Lofton has forgone taking the ball to the basket so far this year. I wonder if coach asked him to skip that part of his game until the SEC starts to protect himself against injury. Just a thought.
tigervol9802 writes:
My reference is merely this.
This team is not playing well. Don't give me the phooey about how good of an oppoent WKU was and all of that. They are good, but not a team that the #11 ranked team should have to hit free throws at the end of the game to win. That is now WVU, UTC, and WKU that we have struggled with and I don't consider any of the three great teams. The press is not as effective thusfar in years past, and the half court defense and rebounding are still atrocious.
The "tweak the rotation" comment comes from every single article I read about UT basketball on this website, there is some mention of the rotation of players. I know it's important, but never in my life have I heard or read of such an emphasis on the rotation of players.
It's as simple as this. If this was the football team right now squeaking by these teams, the same people praising Pearl would be bashing Fulmer and if anyone merely suggests this team has shown red flags that they may not live to their potential, they are ridiculed. It's just fun to call out the same people and watch them get mad.
And as always, when you disagree, be sure to call out the person at the end as being a loser for expressing an opinion. If you can throw a few profanities in the post to make yourself look cooler, then all the better.
hueypilot writes:
Not to worry folks. We are in the doggie stage of the season. You know, mostly a lot of sniffing and smelling around but not much action. The conference wars will determine what kind of basketball team we have. The loss of Crews, a mainstay in the rotation will require some adjustments. I see there are almost as many experts about Pearl's basketball team as there are about Fulmer's football teams. Honestly it'd be interesting to know how many posters played any organized sport past the age of eleven or coached anything ever.
mattlock writes:
tigervol, you show how little you know about college basketball by your comments. Its not unusual for a top 10 team to get tested and even beaten by a good, yet unranked team. Oregon lost yesterday, so did Xavier, but to unranked teams. In fact, Oregon lost to a Nebraska team that WKU beat. WKU also lost to Gonzaga by 2 or 3 points. If you want to complain and second guess, that's fine, but don't claim that you know what you're talking about when you do.
gohawks1 writes:
What james said... all I got was the volleyball game. Who at ESPN dropped the ball on that one? Whoever it was probably stayed up late the night before kissing on his Tim Tebow life sized blow up doll, and was just distracted at work the next day.
tigervol9802 writes:
Yes mattlock, they did.
And in each case, it was an exception to the rule, not the norm. Upsets and close games do happen. Oregon and Xavier have also been rolling this year before a hiccup yesterday. That's three close calls in a month for UT. Just merely stating my concerns.
Who knows? They may get it together and go 16-0 in conference. I'm just not impressed with their play through 10 games. They have Final Four talent, I just hope they make the most of it.
UTByrd writes:
My biggest disappointment is that I haven't been getting hardly any games on T.V. and I live in Milan, TENNESSEE. I got to watch the Memphis game and then was relegated to watching volleyball, which I did not do. Hey ESPN, I wonder how many viewers you lost last night and also wonder what your advertisers think. The only respect UT gets from the national media is for our ladie's hoops. The Vol Nation should rise up and boycott any station that doesn't air UT men's basketball games. What a shame!
Timed_vol (Inactive) writes:
Hey guys, couple of commetns. Note, it's hard to comment on actaul 'play' when you are tracking the game on yahoo....geez why can't we get free-streamed video of the games....
any way, WKU is a vERY good tema and program. Both teams had over 20 foul calls, so makes the think the game was really disjointed. It's goog to be able to win those types of games.
As for Chris?? He's really humble, and it's almost like all the hype has worked in reverse to take away his desire to shoot. He's wanting the team to do well, and I think he'd like to see more pub for JaJUan. Now, I know it's kind of silly to think he's missing shots for those reasons, but maybe he's not taking them as freely as he used to do???
Don't worry too much anout Ramar, Josh, Wayhne...sophomore slumps. Eveyone has a scouting report on them, so the kids have to work harder on the technical parts of the game. Coach P will get them turned around when it counts.
bleed_orange writes:
A good win. WKY will be in the NCAA tournament at probally a 12 or 13 seed. They will be a tough out for some one 1st round. Brian and J.P. looked good. Duke your in my prayers. Stay positive and keep the faith. Maybe, TN can red shirt Duke? Wayne get back inside where you belong. He made one key block toward the end of the game. That's what TN needs more from you instead of 3 point shots. Chris drive to the basket more. You get fouled about 90% of the time. J.P. may work his way into the starting line-up or he might end up being the best 6th man in the SEC this year. Ramar needs to play alittle more under control or he will lose more minutes to J.P.. It's good when you have a off night shooting and still win. They will keep getting better. Here comes UNC-Ash, Xavier, & Gonzaga. GO VOLS!
JDS
lnbadger320 writes:
tigervol9802 you're an idiot. no clue about basketball.
creepykev#228270 writes:
I agree about Chism being too far out and jacking threes way too often. If he hangs closer to the basket like Williams is doing he gets more garbage points and rebounds.
tigervol9802 writes:
Why thanks Inbadger!
If a guy on a message board tells me I know nothing about bball, that always reassures me I am right.
threehundredbowler writes:
tiger9802,you are right on with your comparisson of the football and basketball team.This basketball team is heading nowhere fast if Pearl dosen't get more control over this shoot it from the parking lot offense.Too many players trying to impress the scouts it seems.Come on all you bashers.Bash me for having my opinion,after all you guys are the only ones that know anything.
Oenoboy writes:
Posted by tigervol9802 on December 16, 2007 at 10:23 a.m. (Suggest removal)
And as always, when you disagree, be sure to call out the person at the end as being a loser for expressing an opinion. If you can throw a few profanities in the post to make yourself look cooler, then all the better.
____________________________________
Right, expressing an opinion. That’s a good one. Let’s take a look at that post and see if we can find an “opinion”.
____________________________________
Posted by tigervol9802 on December 16, 2007 at 8:59 a.m. (Suggest removal)
LOL
And the Pearlites are out in full force. Did you guys learn your lines from the Fulmerons? I'm sorry, it's just funny to me.
"Tweaking the rotation" is to Pearl as "stay the course" is to Fulmer.
__________________________________
Does anyone see any opinions or do you see someone basically calling others loser for simply pulling for the coach of their team? I called you out because you were insulting people for actions they weren't even guilty of. You however did earn my statements towards you which did not include the word loser. You tagged yourself with that one.
Maybe the “Tweaking the rotation” statement is an opinion? It sure reads like you feel Pearl is making excuses. What does he have to make excuses for? A 9-1 record? A top 20 ranking? A 10 player deep rotation? How can us Pearl fans be so blind? Thank you for pointing out the fact he is hiding his ineptitude with the phrase “tweaking the rotation”. If you’ve been paying attention, HE HAS BEEN TWEAKING THE ROTATION!! It’s a good thing. UT before Pearl has never had enough depth of talent for that to be an option. Get used to it.
GoVol writes:
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
Oenoboy writes:
Ok seven_pin, I'll bite.
You have an opinion that our coach does not have control of his three-point shooters and it is a problem. How does that opinion account for the fact we are averaging 88.6 points per game and tied with Oregon at number 4 in the country in that category?
As for the bashing. What's your preference? Insults, whips, chains, or all?
wisonsinvol writes:
Damn, I can't believe anybody has the cahones to female dog about Pearl. Good grief, he's one of the best coaches in the land and this tigerdude is suggesting what??? Get rid of Pearl??? Hey, I got a better idea, censor these posts for a minimum IQ level and that will weed out the tiger waste. Oenoboy, to add to your comment, if we were doing even a little bit better at the line (confidence) and Lofton (confidence) was doing a little better, we'd be close to if not the highest scoring offense in the country (and unbeaten). Sorry folks, my money is on Pearl. He can tweak the rotation all he wants and get a raise doing it.
Southland writes:
Officiating??? Western folks are whining about the same thing. Bad calls went both ways. UT shot way more foul shots than WKU did. It was a fun fun game. But, yes we need to worry about Lofton. I don't see his shot coming so I think some others had better be stepping it up. Tyler Smith took the leadership role last night. Wish his dad could have seen him play
Oenoboy writes:
mcbrim1998...you know, they say it is best not to use your birth year for passwords or monikers. Since this is a basketball post. What's your "I'm out, no wait I'm back" coach's record against Pearl? 1 and 3 I believe?
calivol writes:
Dr. GoVol, since apparently you're a medical expert, can you tell us exactly how weed causes a heart condition? If not, keep your stupidity to yourself next time.
creepykev#228270 writes:
I thought we played pretty good last night. We aren't as good as I thought we would be, but we are still good. I can't be critical of Pearl, I got his and Lofton's autograph and pictures with my kids the other night. Made my week.
cdldoc#211897 writes:
Td is right about Lofton not driving to the basket this year. It is so obvious that you have to wonder if Pearle is holding some things back for the "regular season"? Why has he not said a thing about it like he did last year?
THE_VOL writes:
Nice copy and paste there marcy - trouble is YOU nor BLEED had the guts to take the bet! Now IF I am mistaken on this cowardly act, PLEASE practice your copy and paste again and POST YOUR ACCEPTANCE! You also failed to copy and paste (a) the original post which stated "barring unforeseen circumstances" - I do believe Duke's situation qualified, and, (b) my post approximately 5 hrs before tip that stated the situation did in fact change BP's decision and that he was sticking with the normal line-up. So once again you are proving your moronic capabilities.
kevinc0465 writes:
I was also dissapointed to find that the game wasnt on tv. I guess being a UT fan I should be used to this. But anyway, all I know about the game is what I have read in the articles and on here. I dont see how we are ALL UT fans. Everyone bashing each other for having pretty good opinions. I for one am glad we are 9-1. Also, I am a big Lofton fan and his shooting trouble actually started this summer when he didnt make the first cut on the, I believe Pan-Am team. I do think he will hit his groove. I know everytime I see him take a 3 I am already yelling "Its good" no matter where he shoots it from. After last years Texas game I will have no problem with him being the player to take the big shot. As for "tweaking the rotation", I am glad we have this problem for the first time since I can remember if not ever we have too many good players. I think Ramar will lose mins unless he learns how to control his play and just calm down. Plus, thank you B. Williams. Isnt he our first double digit rebounder this year?
martinvolfan writes:
Williams was very impressive. Perhaps we've found a starter at center? I think we should ride the big baby train until it breaks! Prince added some valuable minutes and will gel with time. Is it me or does Ramar Smith look out of control most of the time? What's your take Orange Nation?
martinvolfan writes:
Kevin0465: I agree with your post. The game was televised on ESPNU.
martinvolfan writes:
Marc_ash: I agree 200%. Our ft shooting is miserable. If the players don't get that fixed it will cost us a few ballgames especially in SEC play. Williams for sure is motivated to work and I like it. He's not a star, but he could develop into one with more playing time. Maybe Chism will wake up and start playing like he's on the "team."
johnlg00 writes:
Williams started losing the weight before he came to UT. He still has a little more to lose and some more general conditioning before he can fulfill all of his potential, but another year in the weight room and another year maturing should make a difference. What impresses me the most are his competitiveness, his court awareness, and his hands. Those are things he brought here with him, since they either can't be taught at all or can only be taught over a longer period than he has been playing organized ball.
As for some of the undisciplined shooting, CP has always said he wants players to shoot confidently rather than questioning themselves every time they put one up. He thinks players shoot better relaxed than they do looking over their shoulder at the coach. If CP is not satisfied with the shots some guys are taking, he can always sit them down. I often cringe at some of the shots JaJuan takes, but he does make a lot of them. I think Ramar just needs to settle down; he's not getting as many minutes now, so he tries to do everything at once when he gets in. I think Brian's emergence and the loss of Duke will be a real wake-up call for Wayne. Chris does need to drive a little more, but he is still feeling his way along with the new guys and trying to help them fit in; he's just that kind of unselfish guy. He will come around when the conference season starts. The preseason is the time to figure all this out. As some others have said, it is wonderful to have all these problems of lots of talent.
murrayvol writes:
Good post johnlg00:
Williams has all the tools you can't teach and he's quickly picking up those you can. He doesn't make stupid fouls. He does take up space in the paint, alter shots, and has a knack for being in the right place at the right time. It's going to be fun to watch this kid become a great player with double/double potential every time out. All he needs is a few less pounds and a little more time.
He should also inspire Chism to ramp up his game and if he doesn't his minutes will dwindle to a precious few.
bleed_orange writes:
As long as Brian doesn't start to think he can shoot the 3 like Wayne and Ryan. There is a time and place for everything. We need Brian inside rebounding, blocking shots, altering shots, passing the ball inside/out, taking it strong to the rim and picking up garbage offensive put backs. I think he could average 6-8 points, 8-10 rebounds, 1 or 2 blocks and a couple of assists a game. Brian & J.P. are the final pieces to the puzzle. Tyler looks like he could be 1 of the go-to guys in the final minute of games if Chris or Jajuan cann't get open. Plus, Brian will be there for a missed shot. As of now, TN plays 4 ranked teams on the road ahead(Xavier, Gonzaga,Memphis & Vandy). At home they play 1 in Vanderbilt. Of course, anyone could beat you in the SEC on the road or at home. We of course play FL, Vandy,KY, GA, & S.C twice (home/away). We also play OSU at home and MSU, AL, and LSU on the road. LSU & AL will be tough inside teams. The SEC is probally in a down year but everybody is still dangerous. There will be some surpises in the SEC. GO VOLS!
JDS
bleed_orange writes:
Marc_ash, I agree with you. I think Brian deserves to start Wednesday. He would be playing some against a 7-6 360lbs guy for UNC-ASH. Wayne has lost his starting job (I think he has any way). You also were right about comming a big impact for UT this year. I was also impressed with Prince. He will be a good addition to the team. GO VOLS!
JDS
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