It’s easy to say expectations have never been bigger for the Tennessee men’s basketball team.
The Vols are a consensus pick to win the SEC East Division, and 28 of the 30 regional and national media members voting in the preseason poll Tuesday picked UT to win the SEC championship.
“I’m not going to shy away from the expectations, but time will tell,’’ said UT coach Bruce Pearl, who enters his third year with the Vols in the wake of a Sweet 16 appearance. “I really do like my team, my roster and our depth.’’
So do the Tennessee fans. The athletic department announced it has sold out men’s basketball season tickets for the first time in school history.
Single-game tickets for matchups against Kentucky, Florida and Ohio State have also sold out.
“Our basketball program continues to set records both on and off the court,’’ UT athletic director Mike Hamilton said in a release. “With the sale of 16,000 (season) tickets, the electricity in the building will be incredible.’’
The previous record for season tickets sold was 13,929, set the first season Thompson-Boling Arena was open in 1987.
That’s about the same time UT’s returning SEC Player of the Year, Chris Lofton, was born.
Lofton garnered 27 of 30 media votes for preseason SEC Men’s Basketball Player of the Year while incoming sophomore transfer Tyler Smith was a second team All-SEC preseason pick. Mississippi State’s Jamont Gordon received two votes for player of the year and Tyler Smith received one.
Pearl, Lofton and senior JaJuan Smith will appear in Birmingham, Ala., today for the SEC’s preseason media days.
Pearl said he would just as soon be practicing — which he will tonight in a closed session at Pratt Pavilion — but that the Birmingham appearance is a good opportunity for the program to get more exposure.
“Right now, it’s just a speech,’’ Pearl said. “It’s like someone interrupting class, and I don’t want our class to be interrupted. I want to be back here (Knoxville) teaching, practicing and preparing.’’
The Vols open their exhibition season against California University of Pennsylvania on Nov. 2., and then play Lincoln Memorial on Nov. 5.
Tennessee opens the regular season Nov. 9 against Temple. Few single-game tickets remain available for the season opener as well as other SEC contests.
“I remember a conversation I had with (SEC commissioner) Mike Slive a couple of years ago,’’ Pearl said. “My point then was that for this to be a great basketball conference, you had to mirror the ACC in this sense: You ask, ‘Who’s the best team in the ACC?’ You get more than one answer.
“You ask that question in the SEC, and now there’s a lot of different answers, too.’’
Arkansas, returning all five of its starters, was the preseason media pick to win the SEC West Division with 18 first-place votes. Mississippi State was projected to finish second in the West with 10 first-place votes. The Bulldogs received the two first-place SEC championship votes that Tennessee did not.
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Comments » 28
DooleyNoted writes:
Unlike Fulmer who received #3 preseason ranking and tanked in '05, I guarantee Pearl will live up to his expectations and coach up his players.
SFOrange writes:
UT is a basketball school.
vol4good#206163 writes:
Who would have Thunk it. I have been a TN fan for 39 yrs and I have never been this excited about Basketball in October! Punish all foes fellas. GO VOLS!
jweaver3#395614 writes:
Tyler Smith 2nd team without every playing a minute in the SEC. I really look forward to seeing this kid light it up with C-Lo.
Let's start basketball season NOW
GO VOLS!!!
TXVOLSFAN
DooleyNoted writes:
Does anyone know Crews status and when he might be back with the team?
Ironcity writes:
We all knew UT would be the preseason pick. I think its reasonable to expect us to be a top 10 team however I am still concerned with our foul shooting. I see at least two-three losses from the foul line with this group. Even when games have been meaningless (summer league, Europe) we have hit just under 60% The conference average will be 70%. If someone steps up other then Lofton then we can probably nail them down, but if its like what we saw this summer and last season, I may have to leave the room every time we have a short lead. Go Vols!
threehundredbowler writes:
If crvol said it,then you can bet the farm.Smartest fan I have ever read a post from.I really believe he is right.This should be a very special year for the BIG ORANGE.
DenmarkVol_aka_Mbumburu writes:
Let's run! Like you said, Marc Ash, it's all gonna come down to how they play defense -- how fiercely and how often (every possession).
Our chances for greatness lie on our defense, as I see it.
murrayvol writes:
CR, you can rest assured that Vegas knows who's coaching at Temple and every other wide spot in the D-I road.
jclowers writes:
JaJuan Smith STILL recieves no love from the media or coaches in the SEC. He was the best 6th man two years ago and missed out (even though the person who won that award actually started whereas Smith was always the 6th man into Tennessee games) last year even though he had an All-SEC caliber year he got no respect. If Chris Lofton was not at Tennessee JaJuan Smith would be getting all the love that Lofton gets. I hope that he plays this year with a chip on his shoulder and proves that he belongs right up there with Lofton and Tyler Smith on the All-SEC team.
ULTIMATEVOLUNTEER writes:
can't wait to hear....Lofton for three...MONAAAYYYY!!!!!!
chrisw2967 writes:
I cant believe that JaJuan didnt at least make 2nd team , he is a better player than Gordon is and Smith is so underrated. As far as Tyler Smith goes , he hasnt even played a min in the SEC yet and for him to make 2nd team says there is something special about this kid.
DenmarkVol_aka_Mbumburu writes:
IronCity, you read my mind. We are awful at the stripe -- seems like everyone except Lofton gets Shaquille-itis at the free throw line.
We averaged 65.3 percent from the line last season -- which left us ranked 272 nationally out of 325 teams (Div.I-III) traacked by the NCAA.
Best team in the country at free throws last year was Villanova, at 78.1 percent.
See http://web1.ncaa.org/stats/StatsSrv/r... for stats.
Don't know how you improve it. Ask 20 successful NBA and college coaches and you'll get 25 different answers. Hope this ain't our Achilles Heel.
But you know what? I trust Bruce Pearl.
cdldoc#211897 writes:
JaJuan was screwed. As usual. So he will just have to embarrass some of those guys.
99gator writes:
pearl will win continue to win at tenn. donovan will continue to win at florida. gillespie will win at kentucky. you can only have 12 players on a team. it is hard to dominate in basketball compared to football. too much talent can be spread around.
Colliervol writes:
CR, after that post, I finally figured out why you hate Fulmer so much. He didn't cover the spread often enough for you. Go ahead. You can admit it now. Too many field goals, sitting on leads and prevent defenses.
route33 writes:
Im sure Excited about Basketball starting up during football season, we will have something to get Excited about...GO BIG ORANGE!
Southland writes:
uh, since we have so much talent on the basketball team do you think they could let some of the guys play in a few football games and let Pearl and Trooper coach the football team
VolSwaff writes:
i agree, chris lofton would be a great wedge buster on the kick off team. josh tabb- cover corner.
vol4jesus writes:
Free throws man, were talking about free throws man. Yeah I know man ,but were talking about free throws man. Elusive rim cost us big last year and I haven't heard if our players have improved. Shooting 100-200 a day to get better. Somebody charting(ha ha) that for the coach? Chemistry/unity is what a talented team needs to maintain at expense of personal numbers etc. to be where they are charted to be.
King30 writes:
Just cause it's fun...
Center: Brian Williams (big body in the middle)
QB: Ryan Childress (can see over the defense and I hear he has a rocket arm
RB: Ramar Smith (scatback set for some big plays in the running game)
RB: Lofton (hey, we gotta get the ball in his hands at least 30 times a game)
WRs: JaJuan Smith and Josh Tabb (who will also be the only "two way" players doubling in the defensive secondary)
Slot Rec: Jordan Howell (Brandon Stokely comes to mind)
TE: Duke Crews (just get him the ball and he'll do the rest)
OL: Tyler Smith, Wayne Chism, Cameron Tatum, JP Prince (Okay, I know Tatum and Prince are a stretch on the O-line, but they're too talented not to have on the field. And we've got Steven Pearl ready to come in and spell anyone at any position should they tire out. Besides as underclassmen, they'll get their chances at skill positions next year)
beachdvs#623175 writes:
I love it. Most of you posters are probably genuine Big Orange fans, rain or shine. However, I can't wait to read the comments of the rest of you fair weather fans and alleged Vol faithful if SuperBruce and the roundball Vols become mediocre in a few years. OK, I have my catcher's mitt now.
King30 writes:
That's the first time I've ever seen a Pearl reference and "mediocrity" in the same sentence.
Ain't gonna happen.
mloaks#222092 writes:
Make free throws! Go to class!
The Gators will reload. Urban Donovan will insure that...
Timed_vol (Inactive) writes:
--The only way Burce turns sour is if he loses interest and doesn't recruit. His style of play really appeals to players (on offense, any way). Lots of shooting!!!!
-the boys WILL go through a tough stretch at some point; an injury, bad calls, good teams, whatever. That will be there test.
-I wouldn't be crowing too much about Florida. Billy D is good, and they have good players still on the bench. They will be tougher than you think. Remember Bruce's first year? UT had an 'empy cupboard' (in media-speak).
-Vandy and UK will tough again. They are talented, and they are just eating up all the press about UT.
To sum up, it should be a fun season, I just hope the average UT fan can handle a setback or 2 along the way.
DSaVol writes:
Everybody talking about JaJuan being left off but nobody saying who he would replace on the 1st or 2nd team. Someone said he's better than Jamont Gordon - 'fraid not. I love him but he will have to prove All-Sec level with performance on the court.
marc_ash - just which one is supposed to be the sniper that replaces Lofton? Woolridge or Jurick? Hope you revise your post and say neither cause NEITHER is a sniper. Also how do you say in one post that Williams will fall shorts or expectations and in the next call him a dark horse that may get some quality minutes? Williams will not play (barring injuries) any quality minutes once the "real" games start and there are no real expectations for him this year other than to learn and get better. He's 2 years from being a contributor. Stop smokin that stuff and get real.
NCCOLTSFAN writes:
No worries!
Here is what coach said about the SC game.
"Both of us are in the mix for the Eastern Division championship, so you have a game that is crucial, both schools coming off tough losses," Fulmer told the Vols' official Web site. "We want to get back on the right track."
Hmmmmmmmm.
Can you say "dumbbbbbbbbbb?"
Last time this team was on track was in Atlanta in 2001.For one half anyway!
vol4jesus writes:
The meds wore off NCCOLTSFAN. Your response to a basketball article was to post 100% football. OOPs there goes another...oops there goes another....
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