Photo by AP Photo / Brett Flashnick
Tennessee forward Tyler Smith, left, drives to the basket against South Carolina forward Dominique Archie, center, and South Carolina forward Dwane Day, right, during the first half of their basketball game Saturday, Jan. 12, 2008, in Columbia, S.C
Box score
COLUMBIA, S.C. - When it comes to SEC road trips, this is as good as it gets: great arena, not-so-great home team.
The biggest concern for No. 8 Tennessee on Saturday night at the Colonial Center: Catching what South Carolina was carrying.
The symptoms included lackadaisical defense, careless ball-handling and shoddy shooting.
South Carolina's problems were exacerbated by a Tennessee team that was intent on making up for last year's misadventure at the same venue.
It accomplished that and then some, leading by as many as 29 points in an 80-56 victory that should be its easiest conference road game of the season - or at least until it travels to Baton Rouge in early February.
UT's motivation dated back to last season when the Gamecocks knocked off the Vols 81-64 at the same arena.
"Last year when we came here, it was a pivotal point in our season," UT associate head coach Tony Jones said. "We hadn't won a road game, and South Carolina was one we thought we should get. They were in the (SEC East) basement.
"And they really handed it to us."
UT coaches didn't have to wait for the game to realize their team hadn't forgotten last year's debacle. Their players' intent was obvious before the game.
"They were more energetic than they have been all year," Jones said. "We were more business-like at Gonzaga and Xavier. This was a different type of intensity, a different type of focus.
"Players were going back and forth in pregame, screaming and hollering. They came out with enthusiasm and passion."
The enthusiasm was reflected in an 11-0 spurt to open the game and a 20-3 run in the first 5 1/2 minutes of the second half.
This wasn't all about motivation and enthusiasm. South Carolina doesn't have UT's size, quickness, depth or shooting ability.
Other than that, the Gamecocks were pretty much on equal footing with the Vols.
The same UT team that struggled for points inside against Ole Miss' big-time front line Wednesday, scored with ridiculous ease against South Carolina, particularly in the second half.
The Gamecocks defense seemed to part politely every time J.P. Prince drove to the basket.
He had 11 points and seven rebounds in only 22 minutes. UT guard JaJuan Smith had as many rebounds (eight) as anyone on South Carolina's team.
Point guard Jordan Howell scored an uncontested layup following an offensive rebound in the second half.
It was that easy.
Just about the time UT's lead hit 29, a couple of South Carolina cheerleaders held up placards instructing fans behind one goal to: "Wave Your Arms," and "Stand Up And Yell."
There were only about five takers. By then, group cheers had been replaced by individualism.
"Stop being bad," screamed one South Carolina fan.
"Fire Dave Odom," shouted another.
In fact, the atmosphere at the Colonial Center didn't seem much different from the one at Thompson-Boling Arena before coach Bruce Pearl arrived three years ago.
Like UT fans pre-Pearl, South Carolina fans are struggling to find something to get excited about.
Midway through the second half, most of them had given up the struggle.
When the Vols sent South Carolina fans home early, they also gave their own contingent of fans a greater presence.
One UT fan held up a sign that read: "Bruce Pearl is a genius."
No genius was required Saturday night. UT's talent and motivation were more than enough.
Sports editor John Adams may be reached at 865-342-6284 or adamsj@knews.com.
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Comments » 21
Hunter writes:
Anybody think this will find the visiting locker room bulletin board when USC visists TBA in March? Thanks John Adams..........
John, I'm still offering to help you move out of Knoxville. I'm great with a hand truck....
yabadabadoo1026 writes:
lighten up Hunter---Its a journalists job to report as he sees it without regard to other such considerations---if we are 24 pts better than they tonite are we will win again regardless of BB material
pdhuff#552644 writes:
Great win, Vols. Pearl, keep the ship on course. Vandy need a dose, too.
ccantrell#227456 writes:
What has happened to Josh Tabb that he has not been getting playing time? I was happy to see him get some PT. We can use his defensive intensity in the Tournament. Is the issue academics or something more serious? Just wondering....
CoverOrange writes:
ccantrell, Pearl said back in early December that he would cut the rotation down when Prince was eligible and Tabb likely would be odd man out. He was. Nothing more than that.
Keep expecting Dave Odoms to be fired every year. SC has been mediocre for years.
knoxtenor writes:
Adams, before you were a sportswriter, did you walk up and down the streets in town with a big sign saying "The End is Near"?
OK, we out-rebounded an opponent; let's make that a regular thing. You can't win if you don't have the ball. Pearl reminds me of an old band director I used to have: If you couldn't get motivated, he had plenty in reserve to give to you.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
I'm not sure the trip to LSU will be the cakewalk Adams suggests. They played Ole Miss off their feet in Oxford yesterday, despite the refs allowing the same kind of rough play the Rebs displayed against us. LSU has some pretty big boys. We might be able to rattle them with our press, but they looked pretty darn tough in the paint. I am astounded that SC didn't show up for this game, but they played Vandy tough in Nashville last Wed., so maybe that was the reason. I don't care what everybody says about the SEC being down this year, there are no free passes in this league, and everybody will be gunning for us this year!
Hunter writes:
yabadaba and TDTN - Many, many years of putting up with John Adams's trash lead to even the slightest sarcastic tones from him driving me up a wall. I will calm down.......but I still don't have to like him!
I agree with johnlg00. There are no "cake" SEC games in any year. Tennessee hasn't won a league title (regular season or tourney) in many years, so let's not crown them yet. Stay humble - keep the intensity - Go Vols!
dkerr#270212 writes:
The SEC season has just begun. Vandy, Tucky both looked pretty good yesterday. Tennessee will need to kick it up a notch to play these guys on their home courts. I think the team is still looking for a leader on the court. I think it's time for Mrs. Brown's neighbor to take the roll of team leader.
TommyJack writes:
Seems like a decent article to me. Why the constant rage against Adams? Don't get it.
2000man writes:
UT will be able to name their score when USC visits TBA. Heck, they could've beaten USC by 40 at their place if they wanted to but Bruce let off the gas.
threehundredbowler writes:
Adams is right.S.C.is worse than bad.The Lady Vols may be able to give them a good game for a short time.Unless they vastly improve before we meet them again,we will beat them a lot worse the next time.Bulletin board material means nothing this time.Good call Adams.If people would run their life the way they try to run other peoples lives,the world would be in fine shape.Those that pretend to know everything are the ones that usually know the least.I'm glad people disagree but not to the point of being disagreeable and showing no class by name calling.My opinion only and I am entitled to it just as you are entitled to yours.
snowvol writes:
From Hunter: "Anybody think this will find the visiting locker room bulletin board when USC visists TBA in March?" Players don't feed off of what columnists say. But if that's what South Carolina needs when facing UT, they'll lose even worse when they visit TBA.
For that matter, you can give the Cocks several dozen bulletin board quotes and it still won't matter when they come to Knoxville.
schymtz writes:
Silly, unnecessary article without class. Hunter is on target. What is BP's record against DO? Ask BP about DO. Tennessee has the talent and the coach to acomplish great things. GO VOLS! What I liked was that UT didn't play down to the opponent's obviously flat performance after a hard road game against Vandy.
murrayvol writes:
Lackadaisical defense, careless ball handling, and piss poor (excuse me shoddy) shooting for openers. Add to that: shorter, slower, and a shallow bench. All the above are without a doubt true.
That combination will get you beat 24 most every time out against a good team that has none of those problems. There is nothing John Adams, Bruce Pearl, or any Vol player could say that would inspire this Gamecock contingent to victory in TBA.
asleep#212036 writes:
The best thing about this win was that when you play a bad team, you need to beat them badly. We did. At no point did SC have a sniff of winning that game. If they can maintain that intensity and have Lofton get going just a little bit, this team will be hard to beat come March. Go Vols!!!
mlewishome#366649 writes:
nothing wrong with Tabb (or Tatum), he just has the bad fortune to be playing behind better players. there's only so many minutes in the game, and between Jajuan, Lofton, Howell, Prince and Ramar, there's not a lot of minutes left.
jevolball7 writes:
dkerr; "kick it up a notch" to play with those clowns???? Put down the pipe.
anthony writes:
Title could have easily read, "Revenge is easy with Tennessee just plain good!!! I mean, why wasn't it written this way??
mj54 writes:
"Anybody think this will find the visiting locker room bulletin board when USC visists TBA in March?"
Does it matter? USC sucks this year and has a worse rebounding and inside game than we do.
JHite7 writes:
Posted by anthony on January 14, 2008 at 2 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Title could have easily read, "Revenge is easy with Tennessee just plain good!!! I mean, why wasn't it written this way??
Simply because John Adams is quite possibly the worst sports writer in the area if not the nation. John Adams should be writing in the Newport Plain Talk. Very classless article. When you have a coach like BP that has exuded class since he got on campus and built this program to a top-10 team and #3 RPI in the nation, it does nothing but harm it when morons like Adams write trash like this. BP is the first to admit that Dave Odom ALWAYS prepares for TN well. Instead of focusing on how "bad" South Carolina was, maybe you should write how a focused Tennessee team went on the road in the SEC and basically put an old fashioned wood shed smackdown on SC. I don't care if it is underwater basket-weaving, ANY ROAD WIN in the SEC is big. You should be ashamed Adams...this type of phooey journalism belongs in either Lexington, or in a high school newspaper. You work for the KNS...not The State in Columbia. Joker
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