NASHVILLE - Tennessee men's basketball coach Bruce Pearl gets credit for his Xs and Os, marketing skills, and recruiting abilities, but what about Pearl the psychologist?
Pearl shrugged when it was suggested that Tuesday night's 80-68 Tennessee victory over Marquette was a result of pushing the right buttons on junior Wayne Chism.
"I don't know about that,'' Pearl said with a smile, "but I know Wayne played great and we needed that.''
Chism scored a career-high 26 points and pulled down 11 rebounds to lead the 16th-ranked Vols (7-2) to the win over the 24th-ranked Golden Eagles (8-2) at the Sommet Center.
"Coach Pearl challenged me,'' Chism said, "and I needed that.''
Indeed, Chism hadn't started the past two games after Pearl became disappointed with Chism's lack of consistency this season.
"I've been on Wayne as much as anybody because he is capable of this,'' said Pearl, who has started six different lineups in nine games. "Will this be a breakout game for Wayne? I don't know, but we all know he has the ability.''
Chism knows it, too, and that led to some of his early season frustrations as he tried to figure out how he fits into the Vols' new offensive attack.
Chism said he didn't think about the situation against Marquette - as much as he reacted.
"There has been a lot of talk lately that we're soft, and I had to do something about that,'' Chism said. "I had to let some of the emotion out and play with it.''
Chism had an issue with his temper early in his high school career, and to counter it, he developed a strategy of smiling and displaying a nonchalant appearance when his insides are churning.
But that has led some to misinterpret that as a lack of competitiveness.
Against Marquette, Chism said he knew the team needed something different from him with captain Tyler Smith struggling and Pearl re-inserting him in the starting lineup.
"That meant a lot to me to start again,'' Chism said. "I had to step it up for coach. Tyler just kind of had his head down early, and he's picked me up before, so I had to be there for him.''
As for whether or not it was a breakout game, Chism said he believes so.
"I feel like I got over the hump,'' he said. "Coach Pearl has really helped me out.''
Tabb For Three: Pearl said one of the biggest moments of the win came when Josh Tabb came out of a timeout to hit a 3-pointer with 2:04 left and boost the Vols' lead to 73-68.
"When they went to that 1-3-1 zone, it bothered us a little bit,'' Pearl said. "But then Josh Tabb makes that big 3 against the 1-3-1. He's not thinking he's not a great 3-point shooter, he knows he's got to take that shot.''
Tabb, who entered the game a career 31-percent 3-point shooter, said as much.
"I was just triggering; I was wide open,'' Tabb said. "I've been here three years, I've needed to step up.''
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Comments » 51
hotrodvol writes:
This team will be a roller coaster ride, all season long. I think Pearl likes the challenge though.
milchkine writes:
Great win!
jfg1980 writes:
Were gonna be ok come March.
iowavol writes:
great, gutty win. What I like is how much everyone is in to this team - the announcers, ESPN, everybody of course except for the DA Adams - he will of course find a way to denegrate the Vols. Great game.
floridavolsfan writes:
I wonder if Bruce Pearl, M.D. will be counciling Phil Fulmer---you know that patient down in Maraville--Blount County....The six million dollar man!!!!
rthestar#368358 writes:
TOO bad you folks in floida and florida fans elsewhere don't have a team you can spend your time on .But we understand your search for quality has led you north to our Vols.. enjoy & come back any time but you might want to get with current events next time so we won't know for sure where you came from !!
eb502us#225637 writes:
"Coach Pearl challenged me,'' Chism said, "and I needed that."
Uh Wayne, your a Jr. not a Freshman!!! Playing soft and disappearing 80% of the time has been your MO. And yet you need the coach to tell you that?
Vawlfanpreandpost writes:
When Chism plays consistently there is no doubt in my mind that he is the best player on this team. To me at this point he is more well rounded than Tyler. How many clutch threes has Tyler hit? Now I am not down on Tyler or trying to create a rift, but Wayne can step out and hit the three (something the NBA loves out of a big man). I think Chism's defense is better at this stage than Tyler's as well. Maybe it's just because I'm a Chism fan?
johnlg00#206211 writes:
I think most of us are Chism fans. We are just somewhat mystified why he doesn't seem to bring his A-game more often. I hope he's right about getting over the hump. We will only get as far against the quality opponents as his inside play and some improvement from Brian Williams can take us. Oh, and the rest of the guys sticking a three more than every once in a while.
GR82BAVOL writes:
YEAH!!! That's the spirit!
You can't possibly be a Tennessee fan loser.
gnm53108 writes:
We need him in congress.
gnm53108 writes:
Can't he do both?
jesseejames57 writes:
Whizzy comes through when needed. This guy's got it all. Heknows down deep he must be a 18-10 player to make this team sucessful. Pearl knows how to push buttons when he needs to, he just don't have time to keep all the buttons pushed. Chism has to become that second warrior for this team to be sucessful in the big dance.
volmattna writes:
Chism, needs to continue to play smart and aggressive!! And he could do this more often!! GO VOLS!!!
PumpUptheVOLume writes:
What about Hopson's hand or wrist?
Volumni writes:
I know that Pearl likes to run and gun, but with Chism jacking up three's (assuming he comes to play that night), why can't we go with Williams AND Chism inside? With Chism as our only big man (meaning Williams subs), it's going to be tough, as Gonzaga and even Georgetown showed. I think a lineup of Maze, Hopson, Tyler, Chism, and Brian Williams, with Prince, Tatum, and Woolridge off the bench, would be tough to deal with inside and out. When Maze goes out, we don't have a ballhandler other than Prince. Tyler can handle, but only to drive and shoot. I say go Big on people, coach!
GreeneVol writes:
Encouraging to see. This team is still in incubation with the potent alchemist hard at work in the lab. Signs of life are GOOOOODEH (think John Ward call)!
drum45 writes:
"TALK TO ME WAYNE!!!!"
b_neas writes:
I strongly disagree. Part of being an all around player is doing it every night, Chism still has not proven he can do that yet. #2 he can not go on the perimeter and take a guy off the dribble. #3 Tyler's floor vision and passing is as good as a PG. I am not bashing Chism I guess i just realize how talented Tyler is.
bfrank78 writes:
Chism is streaky at best, he'll shy away from better competition. Why didn't the master psychologist tell him this before the Temple blowout???
richvol writes:
At least he was candid about his up to now performance. Talking and doing are two different things though. I say show me the money. Will Wayne bring it every game and really take a leadership role on this team? He is without a doubt the key to this team's success this year. If he dissappears or gets dominated in a game we get beat.
You can see the potential in Hopson but if he doesn't do more than what he's doing now then there are others on the team that should be playing. He is not scoring,rebounding,boxing out or scrambling for loose balls. He is not aggressive at all. I know he's a freshman but come on...carry your load or sit.
Colliervol writes:
You mean like when he neutralized Greg Oden on more than one occasion?
Better focus on Syracuse Saturday there my friend. Your only chance to get a top 25 win this year.
bfrank78 writes:
One half way decent game against a freshman doesn't prove much to me. Do it more consistently!
We're trying to get ready for the orange on sat. And I'm sure the Zags will be ranked in the top 10 when we play them.
THE_VOL writes:
BP better put some brake lights on his arse or some of you are going to break your noses when he stops! As for Chism, why don't we withhold judgment on his new-found interest until he does it, oh say, TWO games in a row???? or maybe until we see what happens against Aldrich and Heytveldt. For the record, Oden is this generation's Sam Bowie so I'm not real sure "neutralizing" him is such a big deal.
Overall, the upcoming break will be huge for this group. There are 3 or 4 guys who REALLY need to take the break time to stop and ponder a bit and decide if they're here for themselves or their team. The chemistry still isn't right and it won't be until those 3 or 4 decide to MAKE it right.
Colliervol writes:
You think that Memphis has a chance to beat Gonzaga out there? Not unless the Tigers find a point guard and a consistent inside presence. Good luck on that one.
As far as Chism goes, yes, he is an enigma but he certainly has the talent to play with anybody. Pearl worked him over after the Temple game and, whatever he said, it worked. We would like him to be more consistent for sure but you can't make the blanket statement that he can't perform against top competition. He's an equal opportunity slacker. He can be good or bad and it really doesn't matter who he's up against.
bfrank78 writes:
Gonzaga is tough but they can be beat, just ask Arizona. We don't play them until Feb so who knows what may happen.
"Equal opportunity slacker" I like that one. I never questioned Chism's talent, but consistency is what breeds success and that's something this guy hasn't shown since he arrived on campus.
He should start by wearing his head-band like a decent ball player, that's the dumbest looking thing I've ever seen.
Colliervol writes:
Nah, he's just trying to keep the top of his head dry. Besides, if you ever saw the show "In Living Color", he sort of looks like Damon Wayans in the "Men on Film" skits with those little hats on top of his head. Makes me laugh every time I see it.
One note: Memphis has it's own version of Wayne Chism. I'm thinking that Robert Dozier could be nominated for that E.O.S. award too.
bfrank78 writes:
LMAO... Your wrong for the "Men On Film" comparison. In Living Color was genious, the poor man's SNL.
Ohhh and please dont get me started on Dozier.......
Colliervol writes:
Two snaps up...in a circle.
WeLoveTennesseeVols writes:
Tell me, now, what 10 teams will not be on a roller coaster ride this season? If it makes your head swim, just go back into the kitchen with the women.
Basketball_Jones writes:
Amen EB....I mean the guy has what 2 good games a year and feels he needs to be challenged? Gimme a break Wayne, Average 20 and 10 or shut the heck up
overatedvols writes:
Attention: Univ of Memphis basketball team has been placed on a level 3 emergency alert. Last night was the poorest play of the season. Nobody came to play. They were worse than they were in the first game of the season. Senior Anderson's biggest stat was 5 turnovers. He had 0 points. They struggled against Ark. Little-Rock and finally built an 18 point lead and then Ark LR went on I believe a 15 to 1 run.They had to hit fouls shots to win this game. It was that close. Things are not looking very encouraging.
If there is no major improvements on Sat. we could be looking at a blowout loss. Of course, there is only about 1 month before they play the vols and if things don't improve drastically it's safe to assume that they could very well lose to the.....lowly vols.
bfrank78 writes:
Ohh look everybody its that LIAR marc_ash.... What lies will you be spreading today???
murrayvol writes:
And those 3 or 4 would be??
murrayvol writes:
We both know Pearl shouldn't have to "work him over" after a bad game to get him to show up for the next one.
This is a junior with NBA potential who gets you 26 & 11 one night only to put up 6 & 2 before fouling out the next. As DA_VOL said earlier, let's see it twice in a row. Then I'll believe he's had an epiphany.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
That might be worth a look. Play a "strong" team and a "quick" team. Rest both big men with a quicker, press-oriented team for a few minutes at a time. We have already seen that this team doesn't press as well on a regular basis as CBP's previous teams. Maybe it will be more effective as a change of pace. A team of, say, Tabb, Tatum, Woolridge, Prince, and Negedu would be more effective in the open court than in the structured half-court offense anyway. That unit wouldn't play so much AS a unit that they couldn't get in a few minutes as subs with the "strong" team as well. JMHO.
trollhunter writes:
ATTENTION CHICKENHIT,
AVOIDANCE WILL NOT DO YOU ANY GOOD WHEN THE CIVIL WARRANT IS POSTED IN A COUPLE OF DAYS.
SO, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO NOW? RUN TO ANOTHER THREAD?
WHERE EVER YOU GO, ME AND MY BROTHER WILL BE WAITING.
YOU CAN RUN BUT YOU CAN'T HIDE, ESPECIALLY WHEN I BECOME YOUR BOUNTY HUNTER!
GahLee writes:
This team has a lot of improvement to make, luckily the season is still early. Tyler doesn't look quite like I though that he would so far, maybe just finding his way with this team. Scotty Hopson looks scared out there, needs to just let it fly. It's obvious that Pearl is still trying different lineups to see how they play together, it would be nice to see this team start to come together. Wayne and Tyler have got to step up and be leaders, Tyler is already here but Wayne has to step up his game and become the man, I believe that Tyler works better as a complimentary player then the go to guy, he is more of a well rounded player than the man. Chism is a guy who wants to be the man, he has the skill, just needs to bring it every night. Go Vols!!!
THE_VOL writes:
LMFAO!! For the record - that would be "...lose to the....lowly vols" AGAIN!!!! But hey don't worry the Kitty Kat High can still make the tourney by winning that mid-major conference they're in. That is if they can control their resident murderer.
THE_VOL writes:
The problem is NOT with the offense. The problem is defense. This team - regardless of the combinations - can not press and can not create turnovers in the half court and in-bounds as the last few teams have. As such, they are struggling to dictate tempo, get out in the open court, score in bunches, and get stops. Pearl's philosophy is NOT to run and gun rather it's to create 20+ turnovers thus creating a huge advantage in POSSESSIONS (assuming we don't turn it over as much as we have) and score off those turnovers. Anybody remember the phrase CONTROLLED chaos????? This group isn't creating that. Result is teams's are getting worn down as much, we're not getting the easy scores, and teams are dominating us at the slower pace. Play defense the way it's supposed to be played and everything else takes care of itself in "the system."
Hopson2008 writes:
Is the Belmont game on TV? If so, what channel?
overatedvols writes:
Believe this one is on the cupcake network. WCUP
Colliervol writes:
Oh, I agree with that Murray. As noted before, "equal opportunity slacker" is a good term.
Colliervol writes:
Your cupcake train almost got derailed by a Twinkie the other night, didn't it?
At least we have two top 25 wins. How many u got? Better get that one Saturday because it's your last shot.
Colliervol writes:
I guess you are addressing this to the 2 or 3 misguided Vol fans that venture onto the Tiger sites from time to time to argue with you. You should know by now that information on Memphis is irrelevant to 99.9% of the UT fan base unless it's the day before the game. (I have to put up with more info than I care to know because I live in Shelby County. But I can assure you that the rest of the counties in Tennessee could care less about reading it. Well, maybe I'll give you a small portion of Covington and Somerville but that would be it.)
Come back in late January when you have something relevant to discuss.
overatedvols writes:
Ah, my friend Collier who has a skill for looking for any advantage the vols have and any disadvantage the Tigers have. Let's see about your questions. How many top 20 teams have the Tigers beat. At the current time none but if they can win tommorrows game against number 11 syracuse then 1. That's a big big if however. Tenn. has beat two huh. Don't look now but one of those is ranked 24 and the other 15. I guess this is impressive to this program though. How many non ranked teams have the Tigers lost to....zero. How about the vols ..one. How many times have the tigers been blown out and embarrassed on national tv this season... Tigers 0 Vols 1.
We've only lost 2 times and those 2 are ranked 7 and 15. So it's not quite as horrible as it seems. "If" we can get the team playing together and each player knowing what their role is..we could be a very good team but right now that's a big if.
Collier you know there are thousands of closet Tiger fans over here.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
I see what you're saying--CBP's preferred way to play is to get offense FROM the defense. We both agree that this year's team isn't good at doing that. Therefore, it seems to me and some others on here that the team needs to get better at playing half-court offense, especially against zones, since we are not getting a lot of run-outs off the pressure defense. The combo that has the best chance of playing good half-court offense may not be the one that might be better playing pressure D. What I was suggesting is not so outlandish--UNC did it for years under Dean Smith with his "White-team-Blue-team" concept. The White team was the starters who got most of the minutes. The Blue team was basically the end-of-the-benchers who would come in as a team to disrupt the other team with various pressure defenses, while the UNC starters rested as a group, and the opponents were forced to pick up their own pace and not have the luxury of resting their own starters. I'm not saying that this is the only approach to the problem of our inability to be productive with the pressure defense, but it is something to consider. I'm just sayin'....
Colliervol writes:
As usual, wrong again. All I stated was that we have two top 25 wins and you don't. And that Syracuse is your last chance to get one (because barring changes, you aren't beating Gonzaga or UT on the road). Simple as that. Nobody is arguing that UT may or may not be all that hot. Just like Memphis, we are growing and will find out at a later date just how good they are.
Last time. Not concerned about anything Memphis is doing until the day before we play. Anything else needs to stay in Shelby County because that is your boundary of interest. If you aren't in the SEC, then you have no more importance to us than Temple, Marquette, Gonzaga or MTSU.
trollhunter writes:
I smell chicken.
THE VOL: I got an opportunity for you.
THE_VOL writes:
It would probably be wise if you just stuck to your dumbas$ games with overrated and CatScratch.
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