A year ago they were hailed as one of best recruiting classes in the history of the program.
One of my colleagues dubbed them The Fab Five, and at the time, who was to argue? Maybe they would be.
And maybe they will be fabulous yet, what’s left of them. It’s way too early to be writing an obituary.
Still, Wednesday night at Thompson-Boling Arena, Tennessee’s vaunted 2006 recruiting class was an afterthought.
The 12th-ranked Vols subdued UNC-Asheville 86-73 to improve to 10-1. They did so with little help from the erstwhile Fab Five, who have been whittled down considerably.
Five quickly became four when point guard Marques Johnson transferred to North Carolina State after one semester. He’s about to become eligible with the Wolfpack.
Four recently became three when forward Duke Crews was diagnosed with a heart defect. His future is uncertain.
Three, in effect, has become two. Josh Tabb, a reserve guard, has lost his spot in the rotation.
Tabb was averaging 17 minutes a game until J.P. Prince became eligible last week. With a fresh Prince on hand, Tabb didn’t play against Western Kentucky and got in the final 57 seconds of the first half Wednesday.
That leaves Wayne Chism and Ramar Smith, the two brightest stars in the class.
I’m at a loss to explain what’s up with those two. UT coach Bruce Pearl isn’t real sure, either.
“What it is, is what it is,’’ Pearl said. “Now why, I haven’t got that figured out yet.’’
As true freshmen, Chism and Smith were key cogs in UT’s drive to the Sweet 16 last year.
Smith, a physical, explosive guard, had a huge upside as he (theoretically) continued to acquire the art of playing the point.
Chism is a big man with an array of skills, capable of scoring inside or out. The sky was the limit.
But the story has taken an unexpected turn. Smith has lost his starting job to steady Jordan Howell. Chism is being overshadowed by Brian Williams, an unheralded freshman.
Wednesday, Chism was 1-of-6 shooting. Three rebounds. Three turnovers.
It wasn’t a fluke. His past three games he’s been 1-of-5, 1-of-7 and 1-of-6.
His production has gone backward in virtually every category since last year.
Smith, meanwhile, was 0-of-3 from the field for the second consecutive game. To his credit, he had four assists and only one turnover in 17 minutes. And he hit his two free throws.
“It’s probably time where there’s been enough contests to be able to say you’d like to see more progress,’’ Pearl said, choosing his words carefully.
“I think both are absolutely capable and will turn it on.’’
That the Vols are 10-1 with so little help from a sophomore class that was ranked in the top five nationally is attributable to two things.
One: The major contributions of the seniors, Chris Lofton, JaJuan Smith and Howell.
Two: This year’s newcomers are the real deal. In Prince and Tyler Smith, Tennessee picked up two transfers with both skill and maturity. And Williams looks like an unexpected gem.
Still, neither Prince nor Tyler Smith are taking away minutes from Chism and Ramar Smith. They play different positions.
So what gives?
“It’s probably handling the success,’’ Pearl said.
Maybe. Ramar Smith’s biggest headline this year came when he borrowed, wrecked and abandoned Chism’s car in the wee hours.
Chism’s struggles have at least been confined to the court. He carried the Vols in a 74-72 win over West Virginia last month. Lately, though, he’s been drifting through games.
A basketball season is a journey, a long and winding one at that. Momentum comes, goes and comes again.
When you’re evaluating a career and a recruiting class, you’re looking at a much bigger picture yet.
Crews might return. Tabb’s day might come. Ramar Smith and Chism might get their respective acts together and build on last year’s promise. Like Pearl said, they’re absolutely capable.
As for now, however, Tennessee’s wagon is hitched to other horses. What’s left of a stellar recruiting class is mostly along for the ride.
Who would have figured that?
Mike Strange may be reached at 865-342-6276 or strange2@knews.com.
Mike Strange may be reached at 865-342-6276 or strange2@knews.com.
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Comments » 19
DenmarkVol_aka_Mbumburu writes:
Good column for roundball-lovers, Mike. There is no doubt in my mind that both Chism and Ramar will find their groove.
And when they do, heaven help the other teams.
It just seems like they've temporarily lost their identities, places, etc. with the new competition for minutes/rols. Last year, Pearl HAD to play them -- because they earned their minutes/roles against that team's competition.
Again, they'll find their groove...and Pearl will HAVE to play them again because they will have earned it against this team's competition.
slambob2#228938 writes:
I would probably add Lofton and Jujuan Smith to the list of soft contributors this year.
If those two find some consistency, we'll be amazing.
slambob
eb502us#225637 writes:
Biggest problem for Ramar and Chism is they don't want to play their true position. Ramar hasn't adapted to the point guard role and still seems to have a shooters mentality, even though the number of shots he's taking are slowly diminishing. That's also a result of playing time. He obviously did nothing to improve over the summer. Chism is the same story, refusing to play (mix it up) under the basket as a 4 or 5 where needed. For some reason, he wants to play the 3 and launch shots from the perimeter while avoiding contact underneath. Unless both of these guys learn to play the position that suits them, they'll be seeing the bench more than the court for the rest of their careers.
knoxtenor writes:
Bravo, Bruce! You wanna play? Show me why by outdoing the competition. Show me why by listening in practice and doing what I say. Show me why by keeping your nose clean in and out of the classroom. Show me why by stepping up and taking responsibility when we're down by ten. Show me by being a class act 24-7.
Bruce has got the right attitude. These guys aren't 20-year-old starlets who have to be pampered or they'll pout in the corner, they're, in effect, employees of a company. You don't do your job, you get demoted or fired.
There used to be some guy here that would pamper his star athletes even when they were loafing on the court. Think his name was O'Neill. What ever happened to him?
johnlg00#206211 writes:
Wewhite, I'm totally with you until your last two sentences. Maybe I didn't get your joke, but one of O'Neill's "star players" told me he had never met such a relentlessly negative guy. The player said that O'Neill almost literally never complimented any player in any way at any time. If a player did well, he never heard about it--if he did poorly, he never heard the end of it. By contrast, CBP seems to know that sometimes you need to kick 'em and sometimes you need to hug 'em. He just can't seem to decide which to do when to Ramar and Wayne right now. BTW, I saw where AZ scored 52 points in a game last night. They won, but AZ ball won't be much fun to watch this year, thanks to KO.
UltraVolDavid writes:
"He would make the gym floor lean." - TDTN
Classic.
newtonrail writes:
EB and I don't always agree, but he's dead on with his assessment on this one. Chism and R. Smith either play the positions recruited for, or ride the pine.
Colliervol writes:
No doubt about that Mark. If he leaves after this year, Ramar will be playing for a C League team in Lichtenstein (or ever how that's spelled).
DSaVol writes:
The truest statement I've seen today is Pearl "What it is, is what it is." That's it. End of story. Ramar and Chism are what they are and that is apparently a couple of guys who dominated in HS, got alot of hype, had decent freshman years (with alot of hype) and haven't gotten any better as the talent around them has. Now they're both stunned and neither appears to have the mental toughness or competitive character to respond when the going gets a little tough. They're both still believing their own hype and wanting to be stars but aren't willing to do what it takes to get there. Perhaps a little less "wake and bake" and a little more "shake and bake" would help. At any rate, it IS what is and there is no reason to expect anything different on a consistent basis.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
Who knows, with Howell, Lofton, and J. Smith leaving after this year, and no top-notch guards coming in that we know about now, Ramar and Josh may find their groove again. Chism is talented enough to make a move at any time if he gets his head right. Hopefully, Crews will get his health issues behind him, at least by next year. Meanwhile, let the good times roll! These are great days for Vol BB, with more to come!
DieHardVolunteer33 writes:
I think the diminished stats by virtually every returning player (exception being Howell) is a product of the Vols being more talented than ever. Really talented teams (like Duke, Carolina, UCLA, or Florida in recent years) usually have several players averaging double figure points just like these Vols. I wouldn't worry about Chism or Ramar. They are both talented, hard working players who are having to adjust from being "go to" players as freshmen to being one of several very talented players capable of taking over a game any night. The addition of Tyler Smith, JP Prince, and Brian Williams has upped our talent level even more than most of us thought.
bernardking writes:
As far as I know, both Wayne and Ramar worked very hard this summer. Both on the court and in the weight room. So this BS some of you are spouting off about them "not doing anything to get better" is just that, bull s--t. I think they both are putting too much pressure on themselves and are in a slump. It happens. All the other speculation like "wake and bake" is ignorant. There is no place for making those type of assumptions unless you have witnessed it first hand, so STFU on that one. Fact is, it can be tough when you aren't playing all the time. It may take time for both of them to get adjusted to not playing all the time. They are going to have to learn to get into a rhythm much quicker on the court
TD TN...I have a two part question for you. Where did you letter in a sport and when did you coach? Your posts are hilarious if for nothing else, the sheer idiocy. What a tool
utalum04 writes:
I, for one, am glad TDTN on our side...he has that true Volunteer spirit and logs on everday to let is show - criticizing every move though he has no idea what he is talking about. Keep up the fantastic posts!
murrayvol writes:
"What it is, is what it is." I'm going out on a limb and guessing that Pearl knows the definition of is. What it will be by years end is anybody's guess.
I'm hoping both will get better because this team needs Ramar of the Jungle to break down opposing defenses (without getting out of control) off the dribble. Howell can't do that against top tier guards. What it doesn't need is Chism launching 3s and missing layups.
bernardking writes:
One thing I have noticed about almost everyone on this team(and Pearl doesn't seem to mind as long as they play hard on defense)..........no one(except Duke/Williams/Ramar)thinks twice about launching it from 3pt land at any time. JeJuan is the worst about it. He can be 0-9 and pull up on a 3 on 1 fast break. It is fun to watch....at times. At times it is ridiculous. Chism isn't going to stop launching threes, especially if he is open.
I am excited and ready for league play. If they can win at Xavier and Gonzaga, it will give them the confidence they need to roll through the SEC. Pearl knows what he is doing. Sit back and watch
Mygetoer writes:
This class has class?
mygetoer, Zimbabwe
johnlg00#206211 writes:
So, mcbrim, are you autistic--in which case you have my sympathy--or are you just so stupid that they won't let you post on the Gator sites anymore? Either way, stay off ours until you can at least come up with something original. Reasonable posters such as 99gator are welcome, but you....
DSaVol writes:
Dear bernardking (that screen name alone indicates your wannabe status)- as you referred to a couple of my comments please understand I DO speak from first hand knowledge.
A lot of stuff from alot of folks on here but most of it is all ifs and buts and potential phooey when it comes to Ramar and Chism. Not saying they can't/won't play better but until they prove it Pearl is right "what it is is what it is" and there is NO reason to expect anything different from either of them.
fullbackless writes:
How hard is it to see what is wrong with chism? He is trying to play like a guard. He is a big man. Maybe if he played like one he could help us some. Maybe if he was trying to get some rebounds and put them back up he wouldnt go 1-6.
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