Lofton more than a pretty shot

Photo by AP Photo / Butch Dill

Tennessee basketball player Chris Lofton speaks to media during the Southeastern Conference Basketball Media Day at the Birmingham Marriott in Birmingham, Ala. on Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2007.

Tennessee senior shooting guard Chris Lofton broke out a new blue suit while appearing at the SEC basketball media days in Birmingham, Ala., this week.

“I told Chris, ‘You’re an All-American, you’ve got to look the part,’ ” UT men’s coach Bruce Pearl said. “When that NBA team drafts him, they’re not just going to be drafting that jump shot, they’re drafting the whole package.’’

Lofton’s game, which will be on display when the Vols open their exhibition season at 7:30 p.m. Friday against California-Pennsylvania University at Thompson-Boling Arena, hardly needs any dressing up.

Florida coach Billy Donovan explained why.

“There were some NBA teams that called me about him (Lofton),’’ Donovan said. “I told them I think he has a special quality. The shooting part is one thing, but I always talk to people about ‘It.’

“It’s hard to describe ‘It’ but when a guy has got ‘It’ they affect winning, they make winning plays, they can put a team on their back, they change the whole complexion of the way a team looks. They change the whole mentality of a team.

“Lofton has got that ‘It’ factor. I don’t care where he’s playing: high school, college or the NBA, he’s going to make an impact.’’

Donovan and the Florida Gators should know. They have not beat a Tennessee team with Lofton on the floor since Buzz Peterson was the Vols coach three years ago. Lofton was out with an ankle injury when the Gators beat UT last season in Gainesville.

Georgia coach Dennis Felton is 0-6 against UT the past three seasons, and he has no problem explaining it, or, should we say, ‘It.’

“The biggest reason we’ve lost games to Tennessee is Chris Lofton,’’ Felton said. “He’s turned games and made miracle shots that made the difference.

“You can do everything even better than perfect and force him into a difficult shot that should be unmakeable, and he’ll make it,’’ Felton said. “For us, it has come down to Lofton. He’s been the dagger.’’

Lofton smiled and laughed when he heard how the SEC coaches talked about him.

“Nooooooo!’’ he said. “We win because we’re a team. I’m no superstar.’’

LSU wing Tasmin Mitchell begs to differ.

“You have to shut down Chris Lofton to beat Tennessee, because he’s the key to Bruce Pearl’s offense,’’ Mitchell said. “If Chris isn’t on a roll, it’s hard for their team to get on a roll, just like Miami wouldn’t have won the NBA Championship without Shaq.

“Tyler Smith is a great player, but Chris Lofton is the heart and soul; he’s the leader.’’

It didn’t take long for Arkansas’ Patrick Beverley, last year’s SEC Freshman of the Year and one of five SEC players on this year’s preseason Wooden Award watch list, to draw the same conclusion.

“When you say Tennessee,’’ Beverley said, “I think Chris Lofton.’’

LSU’s Garrett Temple, a lanky 6-foot-5 defensive stopper, has had as much success guarding Lofton as anyone. But Temple is quick to say it gets harder each season.

“The first answer for what Tennessee does is to limit Chris Lofton’s touches,’’ Temple said. “If he touches it, you need to have great help-side defense because he can shoot it from anywhere.

“He fades on his shot and he’s deceptively quick. He has a stutter step and a great hesitation move.’’

Temple said there’s more.

“Chris can score in so many ways, but people don’t realize he’s up there in steals, too,’’ Temple said. “And he doesn’t turn the ball over.’’

Florida’s Walter Hodge said the Gators come in knowing what to expect from Lofton.

“The thing about him is, he’s so smart and he just knows when to shoot,’’ Hodge said. “He practices his shot so much, it always goes in.’’

Even if it’s not what some would consider a high-percentage shot.

“He’s the best bad-shot maker I’ve ever seen in my life,’’ Donovan said. “He takes bad shots and he makes them; it’s an unbelievable talent that he has that he can make those type of shots. He’s the best I’ve ever seen doing that.’’

Lofton just smiled.

“Well, I guess I don’t consider them bad shots,’’ Lofton said. “If two guys are on me, I’ll try to find the open man.

“But when you make two or three in a row, you do want that next one. I guess I don’t really think about it.’’

Indeed, UT senior Jordan Howell said Lofton is the most humble superstar he’s ever run across.

“It’s funny, he’ll call me three or four times a week and tell me he’s a bum and he needs to work on this or that,’’ Howell said. “Chris just won’t accept how good he is.’’

No matter who is making what comparisons or handing out accolades.

“He reminds me of Chuck Hayes at Kentucky,’’ Donovan said. “He had an unbelievable ‘It’ factor the way he played at Kentucky.

“Lofton has that same ability to put Tennessee on his back, and not always through scoring, but through other things. He has such a good vision of the game.’’

Everyone, but Lofton it seems, can see “It.”