Tennessee Men's Basketball
ATLANTA - A month ago, Tennessee poured in 93 points against Arkansas - and won in a breeze by 22.
Saturday night in the SEC tournament semifinals, 93 would have been just enough. But 91 wasn't.
Arkansas' 92-91 upset victory at Alexander Memorial Coliseum victory was a testament to how much better the Razorbacks' offense was in the rematch.
Or, was it how much worse Tennessee's defense was?
In UT's 93-71 romp in Knoxville on Feb. 13, the Vols held Arkansas to 39 percent shooting and won the boards, 38-36.
Saturday, it was a different story, or stories.
A potent Tennessee offense wasn't enough to overcome a bend-and-also-break defense.
Arkansas scored on 14 of its final 15 possessions Saturday night. Let that sink in.
As a result Tennessee will watch the championship game today on TV from Knoxville.
As the score indicates, both teams were adept at putting the ball in the basket.
"I thought the players stepped up and made big plays,'' said UT coach Bruce Pearl.
"For us, mostly on the offensive end.''
Both the Vols and Razorbacks shot right at 55 percent from the field. Both shot right at 45 percent on 3-point tries. Both hit 20 of 29 free throws.
So much for the similarities. Arkansas ruled the boards, 34-22, UT's biggest deficit since Xavier in December.
Furthermore, Arkansas dominated the area around its offensive basket.
Forward Charles Thomas got his 24 points on 8-of-13 shooting. Center Darian Townes added 16. Forward Vincent Hunter hit his only two shots.
Last but certainly not least, 7-footer Steven Hill flipped in the game-winning basket, his only field goal of the night.
"But it was the same kind of basket they beat us on all night,'' said Pearl.
With just under nine minutes to play, his Arkansas team wilting under a Tennessee run, coach John Pelphrey called timeout and delivered a message:
"I told them, 'If we don't start stopping (Tennessee), it doesn't matter how many points you score.' ''
Tennessee could have profited from the same message. The game would tilt on who could get a defensive stop down the stretch.
Arkansas got a couple, the Vols didn't. Thus, it didn't matter how many points Tennessee scored. It wasn't enough.
The Arkansas big men repeatedly used their physical advantage, backing Tennessee defenders down and often shooting at point-blank range.
"We were supposed to front the post,'' said UT forward Tyler Smith. "We didn't do what Coach had designed to do.''
And Pearl was clearly upset about it.
"We tried to front the post in the first game,'' he said. "That was a big staple in the first game.
"(Saturday) They got it and backed us down and scored or we were called for fouls.''
Pelphrey's pivotal timeout came with UT up 73-64 at the 8:50 mark. From that point, Arkansas scored on all but one of its final 15 possessions.
During that stretch the Razorbacks hit 11 of 13 free throws.
Townes, a 6-foot-10 senior, hit six of seven free throws to cut into UT's lead then converted a three-point play to make it a 76-74 game.
Thomas, a stocky 6-8 forward, tipped in a Townes miss to put Arkansas up 90-89 with 46 seconds to play.
JaJuan Smith's layup gave Tennessee one last lead, but Arkansas had time for one more possession. When UT most needed a stop, it couldn't get one.
That the Vols forced Arkansas to get the ball to the unlikely target, Hill, was good defense. But not good enough.
By that point, it shouldn't have been a surprise that Hill made the shot.
"We were behind the post,'' said Pearl, "like we were all night.''
Mike Strange may be reached at 865-342-6276 or strange2@knews.com.
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Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
Comments » 17
eb502us#225637 writes:
Worst defensive performance I've ever seen from any Vols team and I go back over 30 years. I don't know if anybody taped the game, but I would love to know how many layups or putbacks around the basket Arkansas had. The number had to be 25 or more. This was the kind of defensive performance that no matter how good on offense you are, it will get you beat even in the first round of the NCAA's every time. Also, BP needs to shorten the lineup and allow Ramar and Howell only very limited minutes. Neither of these guys have a game that deserves extended playing time. Guard play is key to moving on in the tournament and while we have Chris and Jajuan, it's no secret that our point guards are the worst in the SEC. We need to live and die with our best.
TheVolMan writes:
Man, put down the crack pipe. I've watched Vol teams for 40 years--your take is ridiculous.
beachvol1 writes:
Comes down to making free throws and playing a little defense and neither was present during this game...better get their act together or it will be a short NCAA trip....
THE_VOL writes:
I knew if I looked long enough I'd find the resident MORON EB spewing his garbage somewhere on here. I guess your now ready to put BP in that category with your favorite OTHER BP!! You have no clue about this game, this team or anything else remotely relevent to civilization you tired old fair weather freak! So please SHUT THE HELL UP!
RJ_Vol writes:
Ok, I'm posting here because I don't want to post on the other writers. I want to bring in a little baseball, if indeed it's possible. I grew up a Boston Red Sox fan(apologies in advance to all Yankees' fans who will see this differently). If ever a team could "choke" it's that one...until recently. Now, UT is due to pull something good off soon and I'm reminded a few years back when the Red Sox went down 0-3 to the Yankees. ALL of Boston went, "It's happening again". But, it didn't. After two memorable late inning(and I mean late)victories, the BoSox went on to claim the ALCS amd then the World Series. My point is the cliche...It's darkest before it dawns. As poorly as UT played against Arkansas defensively in the SEC tournament, it's over and behind us. Now we are in the tournament that matters, the NCAA.
The NCAA tournament is a weird place where the unusual is the norm. This team has shown it can make long runs of W's. We have strong leadership and solid guard play. The press and traps will be more effective against teams that don't play us. Nobody expects us to win now much like the Red Sox. People say(myselve included at times), "It's just the same ol' Vols." But one of these years, they won't be the same ol' Vols. They'll be a team that folks will tell their grandkids about. They'll be a team that reaches past expectations and does something magnificent. Like the Red Sox a few years back, we are "due". And maybe, just maybe, this is our time. Go Big Orange!
vols99#639914 writes:
Howell has not made a shot since the stone age. If Pearl must let him play, he needs to tell him never shoot the ball. Take the shots Howell shot yesterday and let any other player on the team shoot and we would have won the game. Mark that loss up to Howell and not the team.
tennisvol writes:
Same strategy, get it down low to the post. Time and time again. Will Howell ever make another 3?
tennisvol writes:
Same strategy, get it down low to the post. Time and time again. Will Howell ever make another 3?
eb502us#225637 writes:
I guess the VolMan the THE_VOL are all the sudden basketball experts? Why don't both you guys tell us what great defense we played last evening. While your at it, please tell us what our point guards have brought to the table the last 10 games. Howell has only scored in one game dating back to the Auburn game ( 8 games ago), and Ramar is a turnover waiting to happen lately. But you guys wouldn't have a clue because you obviously never watch the games.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
Well, I can't claim the level of expert knowledge of the game that TheVolMan and THE_VOL apparently do, but CBP said essentially the same things that eb502us said about the game last night, except for the part about not letting Howell shoot. Our post defense was terrible. Our post guys didn't defend the way CBP told them to, and we paid dearly. Our point guards have regressed in the last third of the season. Again, this is not just my opinion, it is CBP's as well. If we don't tighten up in these areas, we will have a short stay in the tournament, no matter what seed we get.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
Sorry, it was vols99 who said that Howell shouldn't be allowed to shoot, but I think I agree at this point. Right now, I think I would like to see how Tabb or even Prince might do with more minutes at point. Jordan and Ramar are killing us lately.
redneckerson writes:
eb, I'd rather take a beating than agree with thevol but he has you pegged. Point guard play may be an issue but it is not the issue and you sure ain't gonna see long stretches with both Ramar and Howell on the bench. Rebounding and defense are legitimate issues that CBP will address. Tyler Smith is the de facto point on this team anyway.
98reax writes:
29-4! Are you kidding? I knew we were anemic but I had no idea the difference was so lopsided. What about the stats on NCAA games? Do you have those handy, dash? I'm not gonna like 'em.
edhooper#315661 writes:
When Pearl is lucky enough to recruit a good 7 footer, the Vols will be hard to handle. Todays college BB requires a tall and tough inside player if you expect to go to the final four. I believe Pearl will accomplish this in the not too distant future at UT. Look at the turn around he has engineered in the short time he has been here. Good job!!!
johnlg00#206211 writes:
You are probably right, redneckerson, that we won't see long stretches with both Ramar and Jordan on the bench, but that will only be because we don't really have any other good options. CBP himself has said several times that he is not satisfied with the play of the point guards, especially lately. Rebounding and defense are continuing problems, but, despite regressing in the SEC tournament, those areas were getting better. By contrast, the point guard play has been substandard for at least the last month. Ramar has had maybe one double-figure scoring game in that time and poor Jordan can't throw a tennis ball in the ocean from the end of a pier right now. Both have struggled on defense against the better guards in the league. Again, this is not just me and other posters saying this, this is CBP saying this, and I for one have come to trust his judgment on these things.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
BTW, dash727, CBP addressed the late time-out issue on the postgame radio show. He said that his philosophy is that, with so little time remaining, he trusts the players to get a decent shot in a broken-court situation, whereas a time-out would give the opponents a chance to set up their defense, thus giving us even less time to get a good look. You might have made a different choice, but that was the one he made and he was willing to live with the result. We could have avoided the whole question by playing better post defense all game and by making some key free throws late. This loss was not a disaster, though it may have cost us a #1 seed, but the guys had better step up in several areas if we are not to be an early flame-out in the NCAAs.
newtonrail writes:
I have to mostly agree with EB for a change, and I've disagreed with him a lot over the years. But this gutter name calling a couple of you are aiming in his direction serves no constructive purpose. I do wish we had the West kid already down here, but we don't. We are using two 2 guards as point guards, and neither is doing that well.
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