Posted by givim6 on January 27, 2008 at 11:26 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Teamwork, thats what I'm talking about.

Go Bkb Vols

Posted by bshone on January 27, 2008 at 11:44 p.m. (Suggest removal)

So am I the only one who is confused by this article? Is the author attempting to cause controversy over nothing here? It seems that way to me, because everytime I've looked out on the court Jordan Howell has been a team player - just like the rest of the Vols.

Posted by Hacksaw57 on January 27, 2008 at 11:53 p.m. (Suggest removal)

THIS is an element of this team that is SO much different than any other team with the FORTUNATE problem of having several "stars" on one team. ANY of the members of THIS Vol team would most likely be starting on any other school's squad. So far, and I hope it is permanent, every player has one goal - and that is to win basketball games. It doesn’t matter who starts or comes off the bench as long as it is a unanimous effort in contributing to a common goal of winning the game. I know, the old saying is “Winning Breeds Success” and some may say that if we had more losses than wins it would be a different story and attitude. I do not think so. The attitude of our Vols is predicated on the Head Man. Bruce Pearl would not stand for a selfish and contemptuous attitude by his players. Our success starts at the top and Coach Pearl is the top “Smokey”!

Posted by Hacksaw57 on January 27, 2008 at 11:59 p.m. (Suggest removal)

bshone-
I hope that what I read from the article was the fact I posted above, that there are no selfish players on this team even though the article didn't specifically come right out and say it in plain words. Sometimes writers beat about the bush so to seak just to get a point across instead of coming right out and saying what they REALLY meant to say in LESS fewer words.

Posted by mparker on January 28, 2008 at 12:33 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I think the players are in and out and get minutes and are all made to feel important. If you have a hot hand, you play more.

I still hope Josh hangs in, he's been the odd man out this year.

Posted by msdyb on January 28, 2008 at 12:46 a.m. (Suggest removal)

mparker12-
I think you are dead on with your assesment.
Coach Pearl subs in and out and,like you say, whoever has the hot hand stays on the floor and gets more PT.

Posted by alfrizzle097 on January 28, 2008 at 5:09 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Um... duh!!

Posted by Vol_In_Ohio on January 28, 2008 at 7:54 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I'm not sure I like Chism launching those 3's either, but what a difference it makes in the games when he hits. You have to come out and cover him, and look what Ramar, Tyler, and JP do with their penetration. Also, don't forget it was Childress knocking in four bombs against OSU in the tourney last year that put us in a position to win.

Not saying I don't get frustrated when Lofton hasn't touched it on a possession and one of the bigs airball it, but I think I see why BP allows it.

Posted by 55Vol on January 28, 2008 at 7:58 a.m. (Suggest removal)

TouchdownTN...who is the better coach, Pearl or Mears?

Posted by reg_mza on January 28, 2008 at 8:19 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I like Chism shooting 3s if and only if there is a big dominant center that is defensively assigned to him.

It cause that dominant big man, like Hibbert of Georgetown, Love of UCLA, Beasley of KState, etc, to have to leave the middle of the lane and from underneath the basket in order to guard what could be a 3 pointer in the waiting. Take that risk and he hits that shot, then the big man down low would have to guard him more strict which opens up passing lanes, cutting lanes, and abilities to drive to the basket for other players. Less chance for blocks, more chances for others to make big plays. When he jacks up those 3s then, the other 4 players on that team need to crash the boards the way Summitt always teaches.

If he does not have that big man assigned to him, then he needs to be more of a dominant presence down low and stop trying to make something when there is a better chance of him scoring in the low post.

Posted by LocaSmash on January 28, 2008 at 8:31 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Wayne hits more 3s than Ramar Smith

Posted by marc_ash on January 28, 2008 at 8:47 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Players like Chism are given the green light to shoot the 3 at times if he is open. This tends to be a game by game determination depending on the match-up.

Remember, if a player shows they can knock down the outside shot, that extends the D. Especially if Chism is being guarded by a bigger and/or slower defender (usually a center). If the defender has to come out to guard the outside shot, it opens up the middle SO much.

There is a reason Chism is shooting 20% from outside and STILL given the green light to pull the trigger. There is more method to the madness folks, its the game of basketball.

Posted by dirtdobber1 on January 28, 2008 at 9:53 a.m. (Suggest removal)

all you people complaining about Chism shooting 3's...

17-2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by AlpharettaVol on January 28, 2008 at 9:57 a.m. (Suggest removal)

R. Smith, T. Smith, Prince need to take the ball to the hoop everytime they get the chance. If they do that, it will open up many more threes for whoever else is on the court at the time.

Posted by TurboFan on January 28, 2008 at 9:59 a.m. (Suggest removal)

If I'm the opposing coach and I "KNOW" that Wayne only hits 20% of his trey shots, I wouldn't send my big out to guard him even if he hit three in a row because I "KNOW" he will miss the next 12. But, I am not the opposing coach.

Trying to think of the times Pearl put the ball in Ramar's hands with the game on the line. The two OSU games come to mind and both times Ramar was way off the shot.

Posted by bleed_orange on January 28, 2008 at 10:34 a.m. (Suggest removal)

marc_ash, I agree. It seems like Pearl likes for Wayne to shoot the 3 in the first couple of minutes in a game. In the last 5 minutes of a half, I'm sure Coach would rather see Chris, Jajuan, or Jordan shoot the 3. Ramar, J.P., Wayne, Ryan, Brian are not good 3 point shooters (Coach knows that). I don't think I have ever seen Duke shoot the 3. That's probally a good thing. Now, Josh or Cameron can shoot the 3. Of course, I don't think you'll see Cameron out there the rest of the year. The simple fact is that TN is now up-tempo, full court trapping, fast breaking, shoot the 3, and play in-your-face half court defense. Play 9-11 players and wear you out beat you at the end style. BEAT BAMA! GO VOLS!

Posted by mj54 on January 28, 2008 at 10:36 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Right the only negative I see on this team is poor FT shooting. I'm afraid that might cost us in advancing far in the NCAA tourney.

Right now I'm just enjoying a very very good season for UT basketball and hopefully it gets better.

Would love nothing more than for Lofton to get hot and somehow get to JJ Reddick's NCAA record for 3pt'rs.

Posted by parottthead on January 28, 2008 at 10:37 a.m. (Suggest removal)

"Ramar Smith forges lineup"
To whom did he give the forged lineup? Or did the writer mean to say he forged into the lineup?

It is sad when journalism majors can't write coherent sentences.

Posted by splinterdand on January 28, 2008 at 10:42 a.m. (Suggest removal)

No question that Ramar's speed and quickness allow him to perhaps be more creative than Jordan, but he earned that starting time. He takes much better care of the ball in the half court than does Ramar. Look at the turnover totals. He gives you an additional 3-ball threat as well. I like Ramar, but flashiness is not always better. For example, Bobby Hurley is the best collegiate pure point guard I've ever watched (2 championships). And, no I haven't forgotten about Magic Johnson. MParker, I like Josh Tabb a lot as well.

Posted by bleed_orange on January 28, 2008 at 10:43 a.m. (Suggest removal)

It seems like Wayne and Ramar have been practicing foul shots. However, J.P., Brian, Ryan and Duke need to practice more. Now, we have 3 go-to guys at the end of the game - Chris (for a 3 or dribble drive), Tyler (taking strong to the hole), or Ramar either taking it all the way to the basket for 2 or dishing it off to some one under the basket (Wayne, Ryan, Brian, Duke, J.P. or Jajuan-probally not Ryan or Brian with the game on-the-line). Chris, Jajuan, Josh, or Jordan can it that dagger 3 to put the game out of reach at the end (probally Chris or Jajuan). GO VOLS!
JDS

Posted by redneckerson on January 28, 2008 at 10:45 a.m. (Suggest removal)

parrothead, forge is a verb meaning to give form or shape to, especially by means of careful effort. Maybe a little careful effort on your part would make you somewhat coherent.

Posted by bleed_orange on January 28, 2008 at 10:50 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Did anyone see MSU hand it to Ole Miss. They're better than first thought. I still think we can beat them at their place with our A to A+ game. TN will probally go 13-3 in the SEC. Losing to at KY, at MSU, & at FL. I really hope we can go to Memphis with our A++ game and knock them down a notch or two. GO VOLS!
JDS

Posted by johnlg00 on January 28, 2008 at 10:54 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I'm not totally against Chism shooting 3's, but I would limit it mainly to two situations: 1) Wide open on the wing on the secondary break and 2) With less than 10 seconds left on the shot clock. He should never take the shot when he is at all contested and he should always let the offense work in the half-court to see if anyone else can get a better shot. Percentage-wise, almost every other shot we ever take is better than his 3-pointer. I almost hate to see him hit his first one because others are sure to follow, whether or not they are in the context of the offense. Got to give him props, however, for much better rebounding and defense lately.

Posted by icecream on January 28, 2008 at 10:59 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Pearl does a good job of creating competetion among the players. They all need to be pushed.

Posted by bleed_orange on January 28, 2008 at 11:14 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Johnlg00, I also it would be OK for Wayne to shoot the 3 when we are 15+ points ahead in the game. At one time, I thought Wayne might do better on his foul shots if he stepped back and shot it at the top of the key. However, he is showing improvement on the foul shot. So, keep practing those Free Throws Wayne. I hope Brian doesn't start shooting as many 3's as Wayne is. Tyler take it to the hole. J.P. is much better at the Mid-Range jumper too. Duke, Ryan and Brian need to stay inside the paint. I like to see it when Jauan and Chris drives because they are 80%+. Sometimes you have to play the Percentages. I would like to see 10-15 minutes for Josh. He is a great Defensive stopper and has a pretty good shot. One game at a time though. GO VOLS AND BEAT BAMA!
JDS

Posted by bigorangedude on January 28, 2008 at 11:19 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Ramar should be starting, he is a better player than Howell, however Howell has improved a lot and will be a true asset to the team this year

Posted by TurboFan on January 28, 2008 at 11:43 a.m. (Suggest removal)

bleed_orange, I've wondered why bad FT shooters don't step back and shoot it like a jump shot. The only rules (that I know of) are they have to shoot from inside the semi-circle and can't break the FT line plane until the ball hits the rim. Why does everybody stand flat footed toeing the line?

Redneck, how does Ramar "forge" (make, form, shape) the lineup. He can "make" (be included) in the lineup but only Pearl will forge it.

Posted by redneckerson on January 28, 2008 at 12:01 p.m. (Suggest removal)

wd - heck, I don't know. I just get tired of the grammaticians. Pearl is doing a fine job of forging it though, ain't he?

Posted by ggriggs939 on January 28, 2008 at 12:14 p.m. (Suggest removal)

They need Billy Justice to teach them how to shoot free throws. He hit 27 out of 28 in the NIT a few weeks back ( a few hundred, anyway).

Posted by bleed_orange on January 28, 2008 at 12:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)

FT Shooting- Chris 83.1%, Jajuan 78.4%, Jordan 78.3%, Tyler 69.3%, Ryan 61.1%, Duke 60.7%, Ramar 60.5%(is shooting better now), J.P. 50%, Wyane 48.7%(is shooting better), Brian 45%, Josh has not shot any this year. 3-P Shooting- ESPN has Brian at 50 (but we know he hasn't shot to many), Jordan 42.7%, Josh 36.4%, Chris 36.3%, Jajuan 35.3%, Tyler 35%, Wyane 27.7%, Ramar 23.5%, J.P. 20%, Ryan 20%, and Duke has not shot any 3-pointers. FG%- Brian 60.5%, J.P. 55.8%, Tyler 55.2%, Duke 53.7%, Ramar 50.8%, Josh 50%, Jajuan 44.5%, Wayne 44.2%(way too low for a center), Jordan 44%, Ryan 37.3 (too many 3's), and Chris 36.9% (needs to drive to the basket more). Pts- Chris 14.5, Jajuan 13.9, Tyler 13.1, JP 10.1, Ramar 8.9 (needs to be 1 or 2 points higher), Wayne 8.9 (about right), Duke 6.8 (needs to be 1-3 points higher), Jordan 6.5 (about right), Brian (needs 1 or 2 more PTS),Ryan 3.4 and Josh 2.2 (needs more playing time). Rebounding has gotten better lately. GO VOLS!
JDS

Posted by yabadabadoo1026 on January 28, 2008 at 12:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)

lets not slander Chism with non-factual information to make a point-----he's shooting 28% on 3's

Posted by bshone on January 28, 2008 at 1:01 p.m. (Suggest removal)

This article has no value unless the author gets off on confusing readers with verbs ("forges") that have two meanings and supplements this confusion with a quote out of context from Pearl ("I talked to Jordan, and he said, 'Coach, if you didn't do it, I was going to come to you,'" said Pearl who moved Smith back into the starting lineup for UT's 85-69 victory over Georgia Saturday night. "Ro (Smith) hasn't said a word."). Next time write an article that is either informative or opinionated - not in between - or you'll leave your readers confused.

Posted by jcvet on January 28, 2008 at 1:13 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Pearl was the better coach. Mears would never run a man to man defense even if he was getting killed from the baseline outside. It was always only a 1-3-1 zone. Lost alot of games because of that. Same thing with DeVoe, except he only ran a man to man. Also even though his bench was thin he only played 6 players the whole game.

Posted by 2kevin on January 28, 2008 at 1:34 p.m. (Suggest removal)

please guys lets be real we have no player taller than six foot eight. wayne is 6-8 maybe. childress is 6-8 duke is six foot six and half inches at best we have no player taller than six foot eight. no true center with experience than brian williams who is six nine but very inexperienced and limited athletically .and we have no true point guard so as long as we play hard we need to let the chips fall where they may . and find a true point guard and a center. thru recruiting we hope to get better .at these positions

Posted by navyvolinva on January 28, 2008 at 2:08 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Chism should take it more to the rim! Most of the guys checking him are not fast enough to keep up with him. A nice head fake and to the cup!

Posted by redneckerson on January 28, 2008 at 3:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)

bshone, kinda hard to eliminate all the verbs that can have dual meanings. Sometimes it's ok to expect that the reader can garner meaning from context. And what was out of context with the quote? Seemed fully in context to me. Can't somebody point all these grammaticians and writing critics to a site where they can discuss the nuances of the English language amongst themselves - please???

Posted by johnlg00 on January 28, 2008 at 3:56 p.m. (Suggest removal)

bleed_orange, I pretty much agree with everything you said, except I really can't remember J.P. even taking a mid-range (10'-15') shot all season. His problem, to me, is that he DOESN'T take any mid-range shots--everything is straight to the hoop--which is fine except that he isn't strong enough to finish in traffic and can't make free throws when he is fouled.
Glad to see Ramar being rewarded for his improved play. His free-throw shooting has really picked up and he has been much more careful with the ball. He has always been strong on the defense.
navyvolinva, good suggestion, but Wayne doesn't, IMHO, have the footwork to take it to the hoop from the 3-pt line. His strides are too long, so he can't change direction quickly to get around a weak-side defender. He would be an offensive foul waiting to happen. A better option for him, and for several of the others, is to head/ball-fake, make one power dribble to an open spot about 16' to 18' range and go up with the jumper. If he sees a lane from there, and has kept his dribble alive, one or two more dribbles gets him to the hoop, with less chance of running over somebody.

Posted by bshone on January 28, 2008 at 5:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)

redneckerson, i understand what you're saying and i realize that the first time i read the article i read it incorrectly. however, i get the feeling mike griffith is trying to make jordan howell look like he's upset by the move when we all know jordan knows his role on this team (if you recall the same thing happened last year and jordan was content being a part of the team off the bench). when i first read the article i thought ramar smith actually pulled out a pencil, erased howell's name and put his own, resulting in jordan howell approaching the coach and basically saying "did you do this or did ramar, cause i'm only okay with it if you did". bottom line, i'll admit that i read it one way, which apparently wasn't "correct" - but i believe it was written that way on purpose. a good reporter would have gotten a quote from jordan howell himself if he wanted to illustrate to the fans that jordan howell was okay with the change in the lineup. instead, griffith gave us a quote from coach pearl that made it sound like jordan went to the coach upset asking who made the change. in reality i'll bet jordan was not phased at all.