Will Vols crash at starting line?

LSU a challenging first-round opponent

By MIKE GRIFFITH, knsgriff@aol.com

Tuesday, March 6, 2007

Tennessee men's basketball coach Bruce Pearl isn't talking like he expects an early exit from the SEC tournament at the Georgia Dome.

"We know what our road is,'' Pearl said. "It starts with LSU and then goes to Ole Miss, and of course Florida is still lurking on our side of the bracket before we get to the championship game.''

Some believe the "road'' could start and end with the Tigers, who despite their 16-14 overall record and 5-11 SEC mark are considered one of the more dangerous teams in the tournament entering their 9:45 Thursday night game with No. 22 UT.

"The good news is we're fresher, we're deeper and we haven't won a championship yet, so all those things are good mindsets going into the tournament,'' Pearl said. "The negative is we're playing a team in LSU that's probably second to Florida in who you wouldn't want to match up with first.

"Why is that? They are a Final Four team that brings back everyone but two guys.''

The Vols (22-9, 10-6 SEC) beat the Tigers 70-67 in Knoxville on Feb. 6, but Pearl notes that was then, and this is now.

"They're playing better now, and they've got it going again,'' Pearl said. "They beat Florida, they coulda, shoulda beat Kentucky at Rupp Arena, and they won their last game

"Glen Davis is back and it's a tough match-up because of their size. ... Glen Davis had five points (in Knoxville); it is very unlikely that will be the case again this time.''

The Tigers also have 6-foot-5 guard Garrett Temple.

Temple, one of the best perimeter defenders in the nation, limited Chris Lofton to a 1-of-5 shooting night, eight points and one rebound in his 21 minutes in the win over LSU.

While that was Lofton's first game back from a sprained ankle, last year's result indicates it was more than just the injury.

Temple held Lofton to two points on 1-of-7 shooting and zero rebounds in an 88-74 Tigers' win in Baton Rouge.

Pearl said the Vols are plenty motivated.

"Hunger alone is not going to beat LSU,'' Pearl said. "But I promise you, LSU is not going to want to win that game more than we will.''

Honors: Lofton is one of 22 players on the official ballot for the Wooden Award All-American Team and Wooden Player of the Year award. Lofton is one of five SEC players on the ballot, joining LSU's Glen Davis and Florida's Taurean Green, Corey Brewer and Joakim Noah.

Point guard Ramar Smith was named the SEC's freshman of the week. He had 13 points, four rebounds, three assists and a steal in the Vols' 71-65 win at Georgia and had 10 points four assists and a steal in UT's win over Florida.