Tennessee Men's Basketball
Tennessee's Chris Lofton fidgeted restlessly at the head of the table in a seat normally reserved for coach Bruce Pearl at Monday's media day.
With cameras zoomed in, recorders spinning and notepads opened, the modest senior was requested to attend to accept yet another honor he said he's not sure he deserves.
Lofton, the returning SEC player of the year and All-American was named SEC men's basketball player of the week for the seventh time in his career, setting him apart from any player in conference history. No other SEC player has won the award more than six times.
"It's a great accomplishment,'' said Lofton, who scored 26 points and had a season-high five steals in a 104-82 win over Florida last Tuesday and followed up with 15 points and a season-high seven rebounds in a 47-45 win at LSU on Saturday.
"But I don't know if I really deserve it,'' he said. "I'm playing a little better. Not real well, but a little better.''
Lofton has connected on 30 of 57 (.526) of his 3-point attempts over the past six games - beginning with Kentucky - and has six assists and only two turnovers during that span.
Lofton ranks seventh on the NCAA's all-time 3-point chart with 392 - 65 short of the all-time leader, former Duke standout J.J. Redick.
If Lofton averages between four and five 3-pointers made per game, it's conceivable he could break the record should the Vols advance far enough in the SEC and NCAA tournaments.
UT has eight regular-season games remaining and could play up to three more in the SEC tournament and another six in the NCAA tournament.
The Vols (21-2, 8-1 SEC), who moved up to No. 4 in the Associated Press and Coaches polls Monday, are hoping Lofton stays hot when Arkansas (17-5, 6-2) visits Thompson-Boling Arena for an 8 p.m. match Wednesday (TV: WVLT).
The game is not sold out, but Lofton said he's confident the Vols' following will provide the necessary support as UT attempts to extend its home-court win streak to 29 games.
"Our crowd has been our sixth man,'' Lofton said. "It's an X-factor knowing they are always behind you.''
Pearl said the Vols need every break they can get against a Razorbacks team that has won four in a row.
"It (win streak) started out with their win at LSU, then they had three wins at home, Mississippi State, Ole Miss and Florida,'' Pearl said. "Those are three NCAA tournament teams right there.
"I think Arkansas is playing as well as anyone in the conference right now.''
The Vols, winners of five in a row, are trying to nurse players back to health.
JaJuan Smith and Jordan Howell, both of whom were stricken with flu-like symptoms last week and missed practices in the days leading up to the LSU contest, returned to practice Monday.
Reserves Josh Tabb and Ryan Childress, however, are at less than 100 percent. Tabb has felt ill, while Childress has conjunctivitis.
The Vols as a whole looked sick at the free-throw line against LSU, making 26.7 percent (4-of-15), the lowest percentage of the Pearl era.
Pearl said that, if anything, he's put too much emphasis on free-throw shooting this season.
"I've probably crossed the line,'' he said. "I've had more phone calls, more e-mails, more people try to help me coach free throws the last week or two, and don't you think they are doing the same thing to the kids?''
Pearl said he believes that has led to a mental block of sorts.
"It's definitely in their heads, so all we'll do is continue to provide them with volume shooting and put them in competitive situations in practice,'' he said. "I think I'll try this week to do, with a couple of them, what I did with Ramar (Smith), and that is the only person they will listen to is me. We'll make a couple adjustments with their strokes.
"Sometimes so much advice crowds their minds, and they are worried about it, they care, they are conscientious.''
Pearl said missed free throws can have a snowball effect.
"You've got the 'here we go again' factor that's out there,'' he said. "As soon as we miss the first one, it's here we go again. And sometimes you shoot a good ball, and it rattles out, and you begin to struggle again.
"What happens when you miss a free throw is you start to aim it, guide it, and you don't trust it. And if you don't trust it, you don't follow through and you don't get good touch, and that's how you get those bad bounces.''
Tennessee 69, South Carolina 57 men's…
Vanderbilt 65, Tennessee 47, Jan. 24…
Signing day celebration at Neyland…
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
Comments » 25
Musicman74 writes:
Great job Chris.
Go Vols!!!
bluetick writes:
Nice job Chris! I wonder if Chris will make it to the NBA or not. Anyways, this whole thing about FREE THROWS makes me sick to my stomach! The foul line hasn't changed since it began. It's the same stroke. We were required to shoot 50-100 free throws in practice each practice in the 5th grade. I'm 41 years old and havn't played basketball in atleast 4 years now, and I am willing to bet my yearly salary that I can still hit 7 out of 10 free throws to this day. Again, it's the same stroke.
faithfulvol writes:
hey bluetick, why don't you try to "walk on", since you think you could be a %70 ft shooter? We are 22-2, we lead the conference in scoring and "this team" and "Bruce Pearl" has brought more excitement to UT than history. LOL : )
CoverOrange writes:
As bad as some are at FTs, I think Chuck Threeths still has the record for futility over a season. Something like 33%. Anybody remember the year?
UTByrd writes:
And to think UK and UL didn't recruit CL. Kudos to you, Chris, and much success to you and the VOLS for the rest of the season. As far as the FT's, blindfold them and let them visualize the shot, become one with the ball ala Caddyshack.
VolCane7979 writes:
Chevy Chase: Bananannananana!!!!
I can hit 7 of 10 (maybe) from the line at the gym. With no one around. No pressure. No 20,000 screaming fans. No game on the line. No television audience. It's easy to say what you can do and what someone else can't do from the comfort of your computer table.
Hunter writes:
I can usually hit 8-10 in an empty gym, but I freeze like a popsicle in church league. Can't imagine trying to shoot in front of 20,000. They'll turn it around sooner than later - BURCE IS ON THE JOB!!!
newtonrail writes:
I almost wish I was a betting man, and I would take Mr. bluetick up on his bet. I probably couldn't hit 1 of 10 now without a lot of practice. But back at 41, after not touching a BB for 4 years I know I couldn't hit 7 of 10. I found out I could still half way ride a bicycle the other day after 10 yrs or so. So I agree you'll remember something about Free throws after 4 yr. layoff, I just would like to see Mr. bluetick try.
volfan73120#211815 writes:
bluetick just wants to brag a little. He is harmless.
bobo_the_vol writes:
Hey .. I'm 18 and I can rarely hit 5 of 10. Alone. In my backyard. Soo .. Yeah. I'm good at taking a charge though!!
I won't complain about free throws cuz, yaknow, as mister faithfulvol mentioned .. we're 22-2 :D GO VOLS!!
glemmons writes:
Everyone Needs to keep voting for Chris in the senior class award. WWW.seniorclassaward.com. Chis is still in first but only by 2%. GO VOLS!!!!!!!!!
Razzle writes:
hmm 70% huh bluetick? how much do u make dude?
pdhuff#552644 writes:
I have it from an unimpregnable source (Dupree) that TDtn couldn't hit the backboard after 9 Jaegermeisters.
copan07#220906 writes:
Memphis had a game the Saturday before last where they missed over 20 free throws in one game. That's pretty close to norm every game for them. Please don't call Calipari for advice.
THE_VOL writes:
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
ballewville6 writes:
i agree with bluetick i played for former vol pg rodney woods and we shot alot of freethrows in practice and we had a freethrow challenge were people donated so much money for every freethrow we made out of 100 this was an 8th grade team out of 13 ten of us hit atleast 75 1 player hit 92 another 88 and three mining companies gave 4 dollars for every frethrow we mqade which paid for a second set of uniforms and practice uniforms and ball bags and sweats plus enough money that we won 36 games the state tourny and 5 other tournaments and stayed in motels during the state tourney and eat out after every game played away from our home gym and the school never paid a dime for any of it,and rodney being a former ut player after leaving powell valley he coached at wayne county were they played mason county in state finals and loften scored 40 against his team and woods called buzz peterson and told him there was a player who wasnt being recruited hardly and that he was the best shooter he had seen so the pg during the ernie and bernie show was responsible for chris loften being a vol ,i was at the kentucky game last year when kings jersey was retired and when woods came out to stand with past players ,i didnt know him at first because he was almost compleatly bald headed ,so applaud woods for showing us how to practice freethrows and for getting chris and for being all vol,and chris for making the last 4 years so memrable ,he may still end up the ncaa career they maker but if he had not got hurt against south carolina last year instead of being at 392 he would have atleast 430 and the record by end of regular season but now he needs 3 sec tourny games plus 4 or 5 ncaa tourny games ,so lets go chris,beat the razorbacks first of all then try to break the record and go big orange you got to hit the free throws and play better than the other top 10 teams cause the pollsters dont respect us or like us ucla,carolina,georgetown all lost and dropped just 2 spots in polls and kansas will only drop 2,but if we beat arkansas,georgia,auburn,and i think we match up well against memphis and i have said all year we were going to beat memphis we should be number 1 by jumping duke.GO VOLS YOUV ALWAYS BEEN NUMBER 1 IN MY BOOK SINCE I WAS 4 YEAR OLD WATCHING RODNY,ERNIE,BENARD,MIKE JACKSON AND ALL THE OTHER GREAT VOLS IN THE LAS 35 YEARLAST YEAR I WAS AT 13 TENNESSEE GAMES AND WE WON ALL IT WAS THE FIRST YEAR THAT I HADNT SEEN A TENNESSEE TEAM LOSE IN PERSON BRUCE PEARL HAS MADE UT BASKETBALL FUN AGAIN SO LETS WIN SOME BANNERS TO HANG ON THE CEILING OF THE ARENA ,GOD BLESS THE VOLS HELP THEM WIN THE SECSEASON,SEC TOURNY,AND THE NCAA TOURNY
vols50 writes:
Hunter: Who's BURCE
murrayvol writes:
pdhuff: Did you mean to say unimpeachable or unimpregnable? If unimpregnable exists it's probably only in Dupree's dictionary.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
Dang, ballewville6, didn't anyone ever teach you about sentences? I agree with all your sentiments, however.
Just registered my daily vote for Chris. He is still just two percentage points ahead of Duke's Nelson. Come on, guys, keep voting early and often! This is about as direct a way as we have to show him how much we appreciate the marvelous way he has represented us these past four years!
murrayvol writes:
Hope Lofton's got one more of these in him before year's end.
King53 writes:
nice job Chris. By the way...keep voting for Chris on the senior class award!!
CoverOrange writes:
Murray, no one would want to impregnate Dupree even if it was possible, which it ain't.
va_vol16 writes:
good job c lo you are becomeing one of my favorite vols of all time right up there with p manning and al wilson that says a lot about a basketball player in knoxville you are the man
hueypilot writes:
Maybe Bruce outght to ask the guy who recommended him for the job, Ernie Grunfeld to give a little clinic when he comes by to have his number retired. The thing I notice about a lot of these kids today is they seem to shoot ft's somewhat differently from shot to shot. Remember Grunfeld had a definite routine everytime. Kinda like Tiger Woods preshot routine on a putt. Since free throws are a repetitive stroke action, it might help. Couldn't hurt. Didn't Ernie average in the high 80's percentwise? I know he made one for Terry Crosby up in Lexington one night.
LadyVolsEighTimes writes:
Huey I agree, and at the same time maybe Niki Anosike could school the Men. She surely NAILED two big ones from the Charity Strip against Rutgers!
Share your thoughts
Comments are the sole responsibility of the person posting them. You agree not to post comments that are off topic, defamatory, obscene, abusive, threatening or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be banned. Click here for our full user agreement.