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UT's half-court defense full load of trouble for Vandy

By John Adams (Contact)
Originally published 11:49 p.m., January 17, 2008
Updated 11:49 p.m., January 17, 2008

Tennessee didn't have to extend its defense the length of the court to beat Vanderbilt on Thursday night. It only had to extend its effort in the half court.

The Vols' half-court defense rarely has been more effective than in the 80-60 victory over the 16th-ranked Commodores at Thompson-Boling Arena.

"I thought they would be great in their full-court defense," Vanderbilt freshman center A.J. Ogilvy said. "They were definitely a lot better than I thought in the half court."

Ogilvy, the SEC's third-leading scorer, finished with 12 points, seven below his average. He only had two points in the first half when UT took a 13-point lead.

Wayne Chism, who had 18 points and 18 rebounds for the Vols, established his superiority early against Ogilvy at both ends of the floor. Chism's teammates followed his lead.

UT's half-court defense was as disruptive on the perimeter as it was inside against the Commodores' 6-foot-11, 250-pound Australian center.

"It looked like a game from last year when we had no inside presence," Vanderbilt coach Kevin Stallings said. "The thing we've had going for us this year is an inside presence. Then, the defense is forced to collapse a little bit, and we've got some guys that can make them (from the perimeter).

"We didn't get a great game from our post offense. And that made it a lot harder for us on the perimeter."

Vanderbilt, which leads the nation in 3-point shooting percentage, made only three of 21 3-point tries and didn't hit its first 3 until the 9:24 mark of the second half.

"They caused us to take tough shots," Stallings said. "They were up on us, and we weren't making them pay. We didn't have anything going inside to make them pay.

"Their half-court defense was and is very good."

Shan Foster, the SEC's leading scorer, wasn't any more efficient than Ogilvy. Foster, who averages 20.6 points per game, went 1-for-11 from 3-point range and scored 14 points.

"They did a lot of different things (defensively)," Foster said. "They tried to make things uncomfortable for us."

And they succeeded.

"We've got key guys who have to perform well for us to have a chance in an environment like this," Stallings said. "Some of our better guys weren't having their better nights.

"So it's pretty predictable it could be this kind of result. And that had something to do with them. They did things defensively that were problems."

Not all of Vanderbilt's problems were UT-induced. As in their loss to Kentucky last Saturday, the Commodores committed way too many turnovers.

Their 22 turnovers against UT had as much to do with the Commodores' carelessness as the Vols' pressure.

"We're not playing very well," Stallings said after his team's second consecutive loss, following 16 straight wins to open the season. "I'm certainly concerned and disappointed.

"To me, turnovers and shot selection are two things that when I watch a team play basketball, I attribute that to the coach.

"I think when a team takes care of the ball, it's probably because the coach demands it. We're certainly not taking care of the ball.

"So what does that say for me?"

Sports editor John Adams may be reached at 865-342-6284 or adamsj@knews.com.

© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.

       25 Comments

Posted by Kwitcherbellyachin on January 18, 2008 at 12:30 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Humility is a wonderful thing, eh, Coach Stallings?

Posted by alfrizzle097 on January 18, 2008 at 6:44 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Don't get to cocky until we beat them in their place....

Posted by why36knot on January 18, 2008 at 7:14 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Why can't Adams write like this when he is writing about football? No unnecessary criticism..no "dog the coaches" comments...no silly sarcasm. I may have to start taking the KNS again.

Posted by Ironcity on January 18, 2008 at 8:50 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Our half court dee is night and day better then it was last year. I attribute that to players such as T Smith and Prince. Its the difference between this years Vols and last years. Its a tribute to the good coaching Pearl brings that this team continues to improve in areas it showed weaknesses in earlier in the season and last year. It also allows us to win even when we don't shot the ball well.

Posted by pms151 on January 18, 2008 at 10:42 a.m. (Suggest removal)

That was by far the best perimeter defense UT has played. And we can thank Wayne Chism for it.

Posted by murrayvol on January 18, 2008 at 11:02 a.m. (Suggest removal)

This team is very close to where Pearl wants them to be and that's a good thing. Can they actually make a run to the Final Four? I don't think waltzing through this year's SEC schedule will tell us much.

Beating Memphis (or even taking them to the wire) at their place will speak volumes. Go Vols!

Posted by CJVolNMemphis on January 18, 2008 at 11:22 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Waltzing through the SEC schedule will help us get a good seed though. It's important to have an "easier road" if it even exists in the tourney. I'd like to see us play the 1st and 2nd round games in Birmingham so we can have some fans.

Posted by dfreeman on January 18, 2008 at 11:29 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Anyone remember AIRFORCEONE?? He's a Kentucky fan that has come here to talk trash!! Here is where you can find him and his band of idiots!!

http://forums.kentucky.com/n/mb/messa...

He even commented on us there as well!!

Posted by ssukonic on January 18, 2008 at 11:35 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Yeah, the bottom line last night was really the defense. I don't think anyone has mentioned how well Jordan Howell has played, hit the three when open, and made really good decisions. Certainly, it's how you want your point guard to play. I wonder what his percentage is from 3 land. As caught up as we all are in Lofton and his three shooting woes, Howell has really stepped up when open. I almost wrote called upon, but I don't think he's really called upon to shoot it with the weapons we have. But he's done a heck of a job shooting and pretty much everywhere else. I like his hawking defense. It's obvious the whole team has bought into Pearl's defensive philosophy.

Posted by pms151 on January 18, 2008 at 11:42 a.m. (Suggest removal)

ssukonic
As the ESPN guys said last night Pearl gives all five guys the green light when open. Jordan took it and it worked.

Posted by johnlg00 on January 18, 2008 at 11:44 a.m. (Suggest removal)

The Vols aren't cocky, they are confident and GOOD at what they do. Even when Vandy cut the lead to eight in the second half, I was sure we would put on another spurt to win going away. When the Vols get a good lead, the opponents have to expend a lot of energy to catch up. Our depth then gives us the "second wind" to run out on them again. Our style does give the opponents a chance to catch up if we hit an offensive lull, but we still make them work hard to score. It reminds me of Ali's "rope-a-dope"; the opponents punch themselves out and then we knock them out! It's great to be a Vol fan!

Posted by pms151 on January 18, 2008 at 11:44 a.m. (Suggest removal)

dfreeman
PLEASE.. Don't give that guy a challenge to come back in here.

Posted by ssukonic on January 18, 2008 at 11:48 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Who's the guy they were talking about on the Kentucky board---Aaron Boyd? I don't remember hearing his name at all.

Posted by pms151 on January 18, 2008 at 11:53 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Looks to me his best offer is Arkansas. We don't appear to be after him.

Posted by mparker on January 18, 2008 at 12:01 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I thought part of the second half got a little ugly for us...shot selection and turnovers. We tend to do that quite often.

the espn color guy was correct, CP has to get the tema to 'grind out' from the 6 or 7 minute mark to close out the game.

CP is smart enough to know that will be big come tournament time.

Posted by dfreeman on January 18, 2008 at 12:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)

pms151 - didn't plan to, just wanted everyone to know where he comes from!!

Posted by Orange4life on January 18, 2008 at 12:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)

WELL , we can grind it out, but we need our all american to be an all american, stop settling for 3's and get that mid range and shoot or dish going. Hes to predictable. Wayne plays good, inside! "Good for 1 3pointer a game, that don't mean take 8 lol. I think Tab can play as well, Prince needs to step up as well, he looked like he wants the rock but be smart with it. We got holes, but defence can make up for alot of loose ends, so going to be a wild ride!

Go Big Orange!

Posted by pms151 on January 18, 2008 at 12:41 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Orange4life.
Our "All American" is showing the NBA he can play defense. Fortunate for us he's also showing the college world the same.

Posted by TommyJack on January 18, 2008 at 12:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)

The "all american" will be there in the end. Depend on it.

Posted by jawbreaker on January 18, 2008 at 1:13 p.m. (Suggest removal)

It is soooo wonderful to see the man to whom Stallings referred last year as an A-hole (none other than the illustrious Vol coach, Bruce Pearl) stick it to the aforementioned Coach Stallings and his ill-fated Commodores.

Posted by Colliervol on January 18, 2008 at 1:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)

dfreeman, good find on our buddy AirForceOneTooth. His being a Kentucky football fan tells me all I need to know. I'd be bitter too if I hadn't beaten a team in 23 tries.

I feel sort of bad for them. At least one more time before they all kick the bucket, maybe they'll see the Cats beat the Vols. But I wouldn't hold my breath.

Posted by murrayvol on January 18, 2008 at 3:44 p.m. (Suggest removal)

dfreeman:
Thanks a lot! I'd just about purged that jackass from my memory banks and here you come with a link. Do us all a favor and don't go looking for 12Times.

Can anyone imagine what it must be like to be a Cat football fan?? 23 more years is all I ask.

Posted by OhioVol13 on January 18, 2008 at 3:58 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Hopefully the same half-court defense will be displayed Saturday against Ohio State. As an "Ohio-born" Vols fan I can think of nothing better than to watch the Buckeyes GO DOWN!!

Posted by bshell12 on January 18, 2008 at 4:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Has anyone else noticed how j.P. Prince seems to play selfish at times, and always seems to get lost on defense, especially in a transition situation. Last night on 2 straight possessions he lost Shan Foster which help contribute to the Vandy run in the second half.

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