Tennessee Men's Basketball
Memphis Tigers
Audio slide shows
As a crowd of cameras pressed closer to coach Bruce Pearl’s face in the FedEx Forum corridor, he warned the media: “Don’t get too close. It’s not pretty.”
He was kidding, of course.
In fact, Tennessee basketball has never looked better.
The Vols didn’t just beat No. 1-ranked Memphis on Saturday night. They proved they could beat anybody.
Consider what UT overcame to defeat the previously unbeaten Tigers 66-62:
n A loud, hostile arena, where the home team had won 47 consecutive games.
n UT’s leading scorer, Chris Lofton, only got one shot in the first half, and he missed that.
n JaJuan Smith, UT’s second-leading scorer, only played 11 minutes in the second half because of leg cramps.
n Memphis hit 3-pointers on its first three possessions and had eight 3s in the first half.
“They were going to blow us out of here,” was Pearl’s assessment of Memphis’ 3-point attack to open the game.
That’s why the counter 3s delivered by Smith were as crucial as any baskets the Vols made down the stretch.
Three times, in the midst of Memphis’ initial charge, Smith made long shots over outstretched arms and well beyond the 3-point arc. Those clutch shots kept the Vols within striking distance.
“If JaJuan doesn’t hit those big shots, they blow us out of here,” Pearl emphasized.
Not only had Memphis been uncharacteristically accurate from 3-point range, its tenacious half-court defense had reduced UT’s offense to only the most difficult shots.
Pearl assessed the damage at halftime and rallied the troops.
“Gosh, they make eight 3s — they (should be) up 15,” Pearl told his team. “And they’re only up one.
“I told (the team), they can’t beat us with 3s. They just can’t.”
He was right. And once the Tigers cooled on the perimeter, their offense was transformed into the two-man gang of Chris Douglas-Roberts and Derrick Rose, a couple of future NBA guards who challenged the Vols possession after possession down the stretch.
But just as the Vols withstood Memphis’ early 3-point assault, they weathered Douglas-Roberts and Rose as well. The talented twosome just didn’t have enough help.
The most stunning statistic in UT’s victory was the 50-34 rebounding advantage. That reflected how superior UT was inside. Wayne Chism, J.P Prince and Tyler Smith clearly got the better of Memphis post players Robert Dozier, Joey Dorsey and Shawn Taggart.
Here’s another head-turning stat: JaJuan Smith had 10 rebounds — four more than anybody on Memphis’ team — in 27 minutes.
“We found a way to win,” Pearl concluded.
Even if UT hadn’t won the game, it wouldn’t have lost much. Both teams looked of Final Four caliber in the nationally televised game that was hyped as one of the biggest sporting events in the city’s history.
Pearl admittedly was too immersed in the game to fully appreciate the atmosphere. But he got a flash of it.
“I did look over at (ESPN basketball analyst Dick) Vitale and think, ‘I hope he’s bringing this back to America the way I’m feeling it.’
“He would know better than me what it was like to be at other arenas. I can’t believe it could have been any more electric.
“This is it. This is as good as it gets.”
For now.
On Monday, it will only get better. The Vols surely will be ranked No. 1 in both top-25 polls. Don’t think that didn’t come up in Pearl’s pregame speech.
“I told our team, ‘I don’t know if we’re the best team in college basketball,’ ” he said. “ ‘But we’re 40 minutes away from being No. 1.’ ”
He was right again.
Sports editor John Adams may be reached at 865-342-6284 or adamsj@knews.com.
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Comments » 74
Hunter writes:
Coach, I have a feeling this is NOT as good as it gets. My buddy and I made a seemingly ridiculous bet in college that if UT ever made a Final Four, we were there - regardless. "Yeah right," we thought. "Like that will EVER happen."
I haven't bought tickets, but I have kept the first weekend in April open on my calendar.....
cdonsbach writes:
Hunter:
Go ahead and buy those tickets while they're affordable.
fulmersbelly writes:
Way to butter up the Basketball Coach (who, admittedly deserves it, as CBP is doing a fantastic job), but directly on the heels of the Fulmer article (which you haven't responded to by the way, I suppose since some self-esteem was lost).
Let's just hope the basketball team doesn't start losing, or else we won't be able to overlook any issues the basketball players might have, and we might have to fire Bruce Pearl too.
TennesseeTuxedo writes:
After witnessing tonight's titanic win and the way this team went about their business for 40 minutes, the value of Bruce Pearl can never --- never -- be overstated.
Cheers to Bruce and the all the players . . . what a great, great night for Tennessee.
From Bruce Pearl:
Quote:
"...we’re not going to shy away from the one-versus-two questions.”
12 words. It's brief, it's part of a longer thought...but the confidence and swagger that is Bruce Pearl is thorougly on display with that sentence. And it's no surprise his players act and react on the court no different than Bruce because that's what college teams are: A reflection of their coach. They play with confidence, they play with swagger, they respect their opponents. But they go out there with the expectation...the expectation...of winning.
The converse of that is Phil Fulmer. Even when the cupboard has been loaded with talent, he wants no talk whatsoever about SEC championships, the BCS, being thought of as a great team, being thought of as a favorite in any game; he is gun-shy about daring to talk great because, Heaven-forbid, his team might have to back up his belief in them if there is, in fact, belief.
Following their leader, as any college team does, the Vols on the football field act and react with timidity. They go out there with the hope...the hope...of winning.
Where the football team recites, as a matter of uniform routine, how they believe they play better as an underdog -- how they forever seem to need a chip of disrespect on their shoulders -- the basketball team has a collective "bring it on" directed at every opponent no matter who they are.
They want, they desire, they demand that they are thought of as great, as a favorite and as a team and program to be reckoned with.
- One set of Vols acts and plays like a favorite.
- Another set of Vols acts and plays like the scrappy, disrespected underdog.
The results, the attention and the level of regional and national respect afforded both teams is in direct proportion to the respective men at the top. -- Stage Vol at: http://p099.ezboard.com/foutermonvoli...
VOLorado writes:
Speaking of buying tickets... Adams should buy a one way ticket to anywhere.
Please leave, john.
Oenoboy writes:
Hey TennesseeTuxedo...we don't need your negative phooey tonight. Football season is months away. Dig deep and show a little respect for our basketball team and not make their accomplishments about anything else but them.
You post is a self serving piece of garbage littering a night of enthusiasm and celebration. GET A LIFE!!!
Oenoboy writes:
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
TennesseeTuxedo writes:
Seems that there are fans of the University of Fulmer who are jealous of the success being enjoyed by the Volunteer basketball team and Coach bruce Pearl.
There is a reason why the UT basketball program is where it is at and where the UT football program is currently at....leadership and we have a great leader in Bruce pearl.
Oenoboy writes:
TT...it could be the UT table tennis team and I'll be pulling for them. You are the one obsessed with football and Fulmer. You bringing that subject up tonight, be it negative or positive, is very disrespectful.
TennesseeTuxedo writes:
Disrespectful to whom? You maybe if you aren't a true University of Tennessee fan.
My post was celebrating and recognizing the Vols basketball program and its coach Bruce Pearl.
Comparing the directions of the two programs shows what a great job that Bruce Pearl and his men are doing and they should be congratulated for it.
Oenoboy writes:
Right. One paragraph about the basketball team and five female doging about Phil Fulmer. That's celebrating the basketball team alright.
TennesseeTuxedo writes:
The basketball team is very successful is it not?
Has Phil Fulmer and his team been as successful as the UT basketball team?
The two coaches have different approaches. Maybe Fulmer should try top adopt the approaches of a coach and team that is enjoying more success than he and his team have been?
TennesseeTuxedo writes:
Bruce Pearl let his men play all out and let them fully utilize every ounce of God-given talent tonight. He did not pull back the reigns because he was too timid to let them play hard. They may have gotten out of control here and there, but Pearl had confidence that they would be successful because he is confident in his players and they in him. They expected to win and win they did.
OuterMonVOLia
http://p099.ezboard.com/foutermonvoli...
bmaples writes:
Okay, boys, let's keep it about Coach Pearl and the men's basketball team, okay?
Thanks, John -- good column. You're right: the stats are amazing. I said more than once before the game (including on here) that I was worried about Tennessee's inside presence. To out-rebound the #1 team by double digits, at their place, is just amazing. To have Lofton shut down, and still win the game, and to do it the way we did it -- well, it certainly shows that this team can win anywhere, in many different ways.
Does that mean they will win their next 13? (Figure it out.) No, not necessarily. But this game shows that hanging four banners is certainly possible. Matchups, injuries, another team having a Seton Hall night -- all are possible, and any could derail the Vol Train. But this game shows that the possibility is there. And for someone who has followed UT ball since the late '60s, that's an amazing thing.
Thanks, team and coach, for a great win and a great season. Keep your eyes on the next game, the next scouting report, and stay dialed in, and it could be a magical spring.
bmaples writes:
And for those who didn't get the "Seton Hall night" comment, here's the link:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?s...
Guy hits 8 3-pointers and wins the game single-handedly. It was nuts. Here in The Ville, you can now use Seton Hall as a verb ("they might Seton Hall us") and people know what you mean.
zqvol writes:
Adams has no credibility!
Fire Adams!
dvol writes:
Great job Vols. Pearl had them ready and they played their hearts out. Good article John. Lets get ready for Vandy, They would like nothing better than to knock us off our high horse.
Volfan1 writes:
Adams = no credibility.
randybaseballvol writes:
Fire Adams - I won't even read another column.
winbigvols writes:
Great win, NOW FORGET IT!!!!!! Vandy will be even a bigger challenge. They haven't been beat at home. This want feel near as good as it does if we get beat by Vandy. So get back down from this high, get some rest and beat the Dores. One game at a time.
txvolsfan writes:
TT, Bruce has 15 guys to keep up with, Phil has 85-100 kids to keep up with???
Sorry this is not a football story.
Great job Bruce, your players played their hearts out!!!
Let's take #1 on the road to Nashville and slam the Dores!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GO VOLS
TXVOLSFAN
PS: Hunter better get tickets and your popcorn because the RiverWalk will be ORANGE in April.
I'll see you in my town!!!!!!!
We love the BIG ORANGE here in San Antonio!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
rootin4volz writes:
Remember John...Denial ain't just a river in Egypt. You must be working on that apology article in-between your other assignments, eh?
THE_VOL writes:
TENNESSEE TUXEDO IS REALLY ONE OF THOSE DUCKS FROM THE PEABODY INN - WONDERING ABOUT AIMLESSLY THROUGH RUNDOWN LOBBIES, BEGGING FOR FOOD, AND WISHING HE COULD SOMEHOW FIND SOME JOY IN THE CESSPOOL OTHERWISE KNOWN AS MEMPISS.
That said, I want a certain "coach" gone too but TONIGHT IS ABOUT A TEAM IN THE PROCESS OF MAKING HISTORY NEARLY EVERYTIME OUT. It's about REAL COACHES, NEVER-GIVE-UP PLAYERS and an often times overlooked and under appreciated SUPPORT STAFF that at this particular moment in time is SECOND TO NONE!!!!! ALL HAIL THE VOLS!!!! And for all those doubters in the world, remember - WE DON'T HAVE TO BE THE BEST TEAM IN THE COUNTRY, we just have to be THE BEST TEAM ON THE FLOOR 13 MORE TIMES!!!!!!!
pdhuff#552644 writes:
True tdDawson 9:01 - Vandy is in a huddle right now listening to the gameplan to derail the Vols #1 express. Think what happened to the L Vols vs LSU. Sobering.
Great game Pearl and charges, keep up the pressure. Vandy will play a half-court walk the ball hoping for in-the 60s. It could be a trap. SEC game.
MrBamSeydu writes:
It's funny how all of you are bashing Adams'..... ON HIS COLUMNS!! If you hated him so much, you wouldn't even click on the link to read his stuff!!! All these people who say "I'm cancelling my subscription to KNS!!" Yeah, but you're right here on their website reading the same articles by John Adams that you say you're boycotting. It's funny, you guys are like a flock of geese and all follow who's in front of you. BE ORIGINAL and if you really hate Adams, just don't read his stuff!?!? Didn't your parents teach you the Golden Rules? Treat your neighbor how you'd like to be treated! If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything! And lastly, just because you're angry you live in a trailor, don't take it out on John Adams.
GO VOLS!!! GREAT GAME FROM CHISM, T. SMITH, & JP.
THE_VOL writes:
Oh, and a word to JOHN ADAMS: Please forgive and forget all the negative on here directed at you. As MemPISS State found out last night, some of the blinded "true Vol fans" STILL don't accept the fact that THE TRUTH HURTS sometimes!
And for rootin4volz - you REALLY should get out of that river yourself and face THE TRUTH like a man.
MrBamSeydu writes:
PS: I bet you guys are all those kind of people who want them to take violence and sex off TV, rather than just simply changing the channel.
96VolGrad writes:
Just give it time and there will be some idiot from the paper calling for Bruce's head too. Oh wait, after he wins a National Championship. Gotta wait until after that for the shock value.
b writes:
b
b writes:
Adams is a loser!!!
Pullingguard writes:
John you have taken your hits for an inappropriate column about Fulmer, and you deserved them, however, this is good reporting and writing today, so just get off the Fulmer hatred and concentrate on supplying the readers of KNS with decent reporting as this column reflects that you can do that when you get the chips off your shoulder toward UT football and Fulmer.
TommyJack writes:
Another in a long line of decent Adams' columns.
Beward of Vandy, boys. Could be a trap.
waterskier3#226480 writes:
great game.... beat vandy and kent.... we need those two games more then the memphis game....
1 in mens and 3 in womens BB... its great to be a tn vol!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
wally4ut#210882 writes:
almost ready!!!....www.knsfirejohnadams.com
Go Vols.....Great game last night.....It could be a very fun March.
rockyknox writes:
Little Johnny must have been sent to chalk board after school and told to write this 100 times as punishment for his bad behavior;
I WILL WRITE SOMETHING NICE ABOUT TN
I WILL WRITE SOMETHING NICE ABOUT TN
I WILL WRITE SOMETHING NICE ABOUT TN
rockyknox writes:
Little Johnny must have been sent to chalk board after school and told to write this 100 times as punishment for his bad behavior;
I WILL WRITE SOMETHING NICE ABOUT TN
I WILL WRITE SOMETHING NICE ABOUT TN
I WILL WRITE SOMETHING NICE ABOUT TN
rockyknox writes:
Little Johnny must have been sent to chalk board after school and told to write this 100 times as punishment for his bad behavior;
I WILL WRITE SOMETHING NICE ABOUT TN
I WILL WRITE SOMETHING NICE ABOUT TN
I WILL WRITE SOMETHING NICE ABOUT TN
TommyJack writes:
rockyknox: Do you shave?
LiveFaith writes:
Shut up Adams. Just go away.
lfevol writes:
Please fire Adams. This guy is garbage.
THE_VOL writes:
You anti-Adams freaks are too stupid to know that your posts for his firing, hanging and general beheading only serve to prolong his employment. Media types LOVE it when half the folks agree with them and half the folks hate them - they figure that's proof they're being fair as well as right. So get over your bible-beating, self righteous selfs and face the truths that the man had the courage to print.
utahvolsfan56 writes:
The Vols can enjoy the #1 spot, but are they really #1. If you look at the easy schedule they have had this year the Vols have only played maybe 3 teams at best that are ranked in the top 25. Beating LSU 47-45. This is a high school score. Will this hurt the Vols on the road to the big dance? Look at what Summit has done with her schedule. She has one of the toughest schedules playing numerous teams in the top 25, and beating those teams. They have had to fight hard for their ranking.
Volnbama writes:
It took a game of this magnitude to make me read another one of J A*##*'s article's. He sold a lot of papers lately..what a slut.
burntorangeVOLffle writes:
TennesseeTuxedo I have to disagree with you about Fulmer. He may not be as bombastic as Bruce but he always states that the team will contend for the SEC title and if you win that the National Title should be just within reach as well. He doesn't get worked up about rankings often because he doesn't want it to be a distraction. The one time I remember him agreeing with the preseason ranking was in '05 and we know how that turned out.
Personally I think we have the best all around trinity of coaches in Fulmer, Pearl, and Summitt. They all have distinct personalities that have lead to successful careers.
Anyway, great job by the Bball team players and excellent coaching in the waning minutes to pull off this historic event in TN men's bball.
burntorangeVOLffle writes:
TennesseeTuxedo said "Has Phil Fulmer and his team been as successful as the UT basketball team?"
Actually the football team has been more successful. They've atually won SEC titles and a National Title with the current coach.
This #1 ranking is nice for bragging rights but it doesn't mean squat until late March. Here's hoping the Men's Bball team can achieve as much success as the football team has.
GO VOLS --- In all sports.
Triton1 writes:
Who cares what Adams writes, he should have been fired last week. I didn't read the article, but I agree with burntorange. What a great night for the Vols! GO VOLS!
Triton1 writes:
Are you kidding Utah, Tn has the 2nd toughest schedule in the nation, try to keep up man.
Colliervol writes:
Let me clue you guys in on something. On Ron Higgins' local talk show about an hour ago, he interviewed John Adams and he ain't apologizing for anything. And the KNS ain't firing him either. Trust me on that one.
blhvols#210231 writes:
FIRE ADAMS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Boycot the KNS until they do!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
blhvols#210231 writes:
Adams is trying to emulate Fienstein (Alabama radio host). He has no originality! Go back to your panel, at least you discovered no one cared about that phooey except you and the panel. Have you ever put in a days work outside the office?
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