Home › Columns
Strange: All eyes again focus on No. 5
Boxes and Scores
STORY TOOLS
RELATED STORIES
- Adams: Butler can fire 3-pointers with the best
- Pearl shakes up guards in win over American
- Vols escape valiant American effort, 72-57
More Columns
- Julian: Aquatic center was UT's start
- Mattingly: Auburn proved up to task of hosting Vols
- Mattingly: Vols, Bruins produced a classic in '65
Share and Enjoy [?]
Get Reprints
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - When his team needed a lift, No. 5 delivered those patented, long-range arcs that dive-bomb through the net and excite the crowd.
"He was just spectacular,'' Tennessee men's coach Bruce Pearl said of No. 5.
An assistant coach on the opposing bench said this about the game plan for guarding No. 5:
"We wanted to be there on the catch because he has unlimited range and he's got the green light to shoot.''
Yep, Garrison Carr had the green light to shoot Friday. He shot 21 times. He scored 26 points. He hit six 3-pointers.
Carr had the stats. Another No. 5 got the win.
Chris Lofton rarely takes a back seat to another shooter, especially one sharing the No. 5. Friday at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex was such a day.
Lofton suffered through an awful day on the offensive end. But Tennessee survived, 72-57 over American University, and advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament on Sunday against Butler.
Lofton was 1-of-7 shooting, his only basket a 15-footer with 8:45 to play in the first half.
"The fact he only got seven shots up is pretty remarkable,'' said American coach Jeff Jones.
Lofton was 0-of-5 beyond the 3-point arc, which is also pretty remarkable considering he's the greatest 3-point shooter in SEC history.
"I didn't play good tonight,'' UT's senior star said, "but like I've said before when I've had other bad games, I've got teammates and they picked me up.''
And that's the defining difference between Tennessee and American.
Carr had to have a big night to give the Eagles a chance to make a game of it. Lofton didn't.
Carr, one of the nation's top 3-point shooters at 45 percent, delivered - for 34 minutes.
While he was repeatedly sinking big shots the upstart Eagles hung tough. His final 3-pointer, at the 5:56 mark, cut UT's lead to 50-49.
But he made only one of five shots (a layup) after that, wilting under Tennessee's relentless defensive pressure down the stretch.
UT ran a rotation of defenders at Carr. Lofton was one of them. With Ramar Smith benched in the first half, Pearl didn't have the luxury of giving Lofton a cushy defensive assignment.
"I got wore out the first half,'' conceded Lofton. "It seemed like he was coming off eight or nine screens.''
Josh Tabb took a turn.
"It was tough,'' said Tabb, "but I'm kind of used to it. I guard Chris in practice. It was just like a little Chris, chasing him off all those screens.''
Lofton can have a bad game every now and then and someone else picks up the baton and runs with it.
This was his fourth game this year without a 3-point basket. In the others, UT beat Temple by 17, Arkansas by 22 and No. 1 Memphis by four.
"We're at our best when everybody contributes,'' Lofton said. "That team, they're best when (Carr) gets 30 or 35.''
The Eagles' game plan was to play Lofton differently than the other Vols and take their chances. Whoever was guarding Lofton couldn't help on anyone else under any circumstances.
"You saw the drawback to that,'' said Jones. "He set back screens. Their first two baskets were (American's) Cornelio (Guibunda) getting back-screened by Lofton.''
The Vols also looked inside more because they liked the match-ups with Wayne Chism and Tyler Smith against smaller defenders.
"It's a system where we share,'' Pearl said. "Carr and (Derrick) Mercer take more than half of the shots on their team.
"If Chris took 26 of our 45 shots, I think his teammates would kill him.''
No, they wouldn't. But they don't mind picking up his slack every now and then.
They know he will pay them back.
"Chris can get going anytime,'' said Ramar Smith. "By us winning, he's got another chance to show what he can do.''
On Sunday, the difference between UT and Butler won't be so obvious.
Tennessee's No. 5 better take advantage of his chance to show what he can do.
Mike Strange may be reached at 865-342-6276 or strange2@knews.com.
© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
- Fulmer gets raise to $2.4 million; Pearl to $1.6 million
- Messages in Fulmer's new deal
- Pigram's big game plays big in Rocky Top title game
- Georgia DE Lemon charged with felony
- UT assistants' pay pool greener
- Hopson vs. Smith made Rocky royal
- UT's 'Solution' is a-Maze-ing ... but for real
- Berry, McCoy, Foster, Crompton on watch lists
- Garciaparra not regretting minor move over Vols
- Georgia suspends defensive end charged with felony
Posted by cdonsbach on March 21, 2008 at 8:55 p.m. (Suggest removal)
GO VOLS!
I think Chris will come up huge for us against Butler.
Posted by peerlessvolfan on March 21, 2008 at 9:52 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Yay! Vandy lost--not even close!
Posted by VolsAllways on March 21, 2008 at 10:09 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Ok Mike, you got me. I read the first 2 and 1/2 paragraphs before I scrolled up to check the date. I knew you couldn't be talking about OUR #5, not today. This is just good news for Sunday, Chris will be overdue and when he breaks out, he will light it up and I think we will need that to beat Butler.
Posted by globadoc on March 21, 2008 at 10:25 p.m. (Suggest removal)
peerlessvolfan -
No way I'm cheering for Vandy to lose. Conference was hoping that all the SEC teams could win until they played the Big Orange. Of course, if we can't get 3s from people other than Chism or Jajuan, we may be out of this thing by this Sunday.
Posted by rabidvolfan on March 21, 2008 at 11:05 p.m. (Suggest removal)
30 wins. Congrats on a record breaking year. Funny how we don't have to settle for mediocrity.
Posted by LargeOrange on March 21, 2008 at 11:13 p.m. (Suggest removal)
What is scary is that this article is about Garrison Carr and his 6 3's and 26 points, but Pete Campbell hit 8 three's and also had 26 points. We had better be able to get a hand or two in these two guys faces on Sunday.
Posted by IPOrange on March 21, 2008 at 11:35 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Affirmative, LargeOrange. We better be firing on all cylinders Sunday.
Posted by yabadabadoo1026 on March 22, 2008 at 12:45 a.m. (Suggest removal)
peerlessvolfan thats taking your hate too far wanting any SEC team to lose in post season---are u not smart enough to realize that weaker the SEC looks the less significant our accomplished of winning the conference becomes---what the hell is wrong with you?
Posted by JohnnyU on March 22, 2008 at 9:42 a.m. (Suggest removal)
It seems like a strange kind of attitude has enveloped the team since the Memphis game. Its kind of a rationalization of losses or close wins against teams they would drill earlier. Unsettling. Anybody get the same feeling?
Posted by DSaVol on March 22, 2008 at 10:34 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Screw the rest of the SEC! We already beat them and with the exception of Arky knockin' off NC there's nothing they can do to help us get 6 wins at this point. Do you REALLY believe that ANY of those schools are rooting for US to win??????
JohnnyU..you are correct. This team has lost it's edge since Memphis. Too much individualism has crept back in. They apparently feel slighted yet don't understand that respect is not earned, it's taken at this time of year. That performance yesterday compared to most other top 8-10 seeds has people saying "told ya so" rather than "wow, they are pissed." Since Memphis we've played like we're hoping to win and like we've already achieved something. That Memphis game toughness needs to reappear - and quickly. The general hoops world has labeled us a finesse team when in fact IMO we're much better in a physical knock-down, drag-out type game. We get too bogged down offensively and lose our aggressiveness on d trying to finesse teams. It's time to punch somebody in the mouth!
Posted by BigOrangeInCarolina on March 22, 2008 at 12:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I hope Arkansas gives it to North Carolina. Smack that mongoloid Hansbrough in the side of the head, and maybe he'll lose that "I'm on a meth binge and I'm proud" look he always has. Talk about home cooking!!!! How nice it would be for Arky to win, the Vols take care of business tomorrow, then get some revenge next week. We gotta concentrate on Butler for now. They are a worthy opponent.
Posted by johnlg00 on March 22, 2008 at 2:39 p.m. (Suggest removal)
BOIC, there is a reason why they call Hansbrough "Psycho-T"! I too am currently exiled in NC, so I have had a mega-dose of Hansbrough for the past four years. However, to give the devil his due, his competitive fire and energy makes the whole team better. As long as the refs let him continue to just barge head-long into opponents, and call all the fouls on them, UNC is nearly unbeatable. Still, Arky can give them a game if they take care of the ball and don't give the 'Heels too many run-out baskets. The 'Heels have had several close calls this year already, and Arky is structured like several of the teams that gave them those close calls.
(Requires free registration.)
Comments are the sole responsibility of the person posting them. You agree not to post comments that are off topic, defamatory, obscene, abusive, threatening or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be banned. Click here for our full user agreement.