CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Tennessee sophomore J.P. Prince wasn't ready to talk about the future in the aftermath of a 79-60 loss to Louisville Thursday night in the East Regional semifinal that ended the Vols' season.
"I don't even know where I'll be playing on this team, just wherever," said Prince, who after spending the entire season coming off the bench as a small forward started at point guard the final two games. "I'll just play wherever coach thinks is best for the team. But that ain't even on my mind right now."
Prince, many predicted, wouldn't be able to handle the rigors of the Cardinals' press.
As it turned out, the press wasn't as much of a factor as Louisville's matchup-zone defense, which forced Prince into three of his four turnovers.
"I let our seniors down," said Prince, who had two assists, two steals, two points and a rebound in 27 minutes, 12 of them at point guard. "I let Coach (Bruce) Pearl down, I let the rest of my team down and I let the city of Knoxville down."
Prince hoped he would shine under the bright lights of the Sweet 16 in Bobcats Arena, just as he had when he scored 23 points in 20 minutes against Elite Eight finalist Xavier on Dec. 22.
Or then there was the Memphis game on Feb. 23, when Prince scored 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting and hit two clutch free throws in the final seconds to seal the victory that gave the Vols (31-5) their first No. 1 ranking in the polls.
Prince said those aren't the games he'll remember.
"I'll be playing this (Louisville) game back in my mind two years from now," Prince said. "I didn't come up big or make plays for us. I just let everybody down, and I can't do that. I have to get better at everything."
Prince showed how coachable he is in at least one area: free throws.
Pearl took Prince under his wing, proclaiming himself Prince's personal free-throw coach, after the Arizona transfer hit just 1 of 5 free throws on Feb. 9 at LSU.
At the time, that left Prince 26-of-58 (.448) from the free throw line.
In the 13 games since Pearl took over as free-throw coach, Prince made 23 of 31 (.742).
UT associate head coach Tony Jones said Prince did as well as could be expected under tough conditions.
"I think J.P. played well under the circumstances," Jones said. "We asked him to come in and play a position where he didn't get enough reps. His future at UT is bright. I can see him being an All-SEC player."
Prince was the SEC's sixth man of the year this season.
Jones said he anticipates Prince will move back to his primary position at small forward.
Wayne's World: There was a time at the start of the season when UT fans groaned each time sophomore Wayne Chism went to the free throw line or hoisted a 3-point shot.
Pearl adamantly defended Chism at each turn, saying he knew what his player was capable of.
Chism rewarded the head coach at the end of the season. After hitting just .492 of his free throws through the first 29 games, Chism connected on .739 over the last seven games.
Chism also improved his 3-point shooting percentage at the end of the year. Through the first 26 games, Chism hit .307 beyond the arc, but over the final 10, starting with a 3-for-5 3-point shooting performance against Memphis, Chism hit treys at a .423 clip.
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Comments » 55
BigOrangeVol29 writes:
Hold your head up high, J.P., you and the rest of the team did a fantastic job this season. Sure, the ending was a little bittersweet but Big Orange Country is very proud of you and we look forward to your talents gracing us on the floor for the next couple of years.
doctorvol#211700 writes:
we will continue to get better. The difference between running and getting opportune shots by out-quicking and wearing opponents down and our current tendency of running wild and taking poor shots in traffic will improve with the addition of a true point guard. Tatum will help, and we really need Tyler to stay. GO VOLS!
tnlady writes:
J.P. keep your chin up! This is a team effort and no one person is to blame. I hope two years from now this is just a memory because I believe there will be many great memories to over shadow the other, best of luck to you and all the vols!
SewaneeVolFAn writes:
Very proud of these players and coaches. Nobody let anyone down, J.P., and you didn't let anybody down either, and neither did Lofton or Howell or anyone else on the team; you all did the best you could for each other, the coaches, and for UT. Louisville was just the better team on Thursday, and might well end up national champions. If the players and coaches keep on improving, everything will be fine. Feel the pain of the loss only as it helps you stay hungry for next year, but don't forget to celebrate the many wonderful accomplishments you created this year. Go Vols!
Bigger_Al writes:
Nice article - thank you for pointing out the stat differences. I could tell every game that Wayne's percentages were going up, but from 48% to 53% doesn't seem like much. The before/after is definitely a statistically significant difference!
Gigavol writes:
Wayne's 3 point percentage went up a bunch when he started using the bank shot.
DenmarkVol_aka_Mbumburu writes:
Thanks, Mike -- another great article on orange hoops. JP should hold his head high. We never would have made it this far without him. He's a Volunteer through and through and a key part of this program's future.
And thanks for pointing out how big Wayne stepped up down the stretch, Mike. Wayne became a dependable player over the last 10 games or so. I don't mind him coming out and launching threes. And I don't mind having him at the stripe with the game on the line.
Wayne and JP are two players to build around, as is Tyler.
elmovol#229864 writes:
JP has just shown a great deal of heart and class. Our of desperation he was put in a difficult position and did what all Vol fans ask for...he did his best. Just like the plaque in the locker room says JP did his best for Tennessee that night, and I look forward to two more great years from him.
dwolfcreek#397971 writes:
jp, hold your head up . you gonna be just fine .
estillspgsvol writes:
JP hold your head high, you win as a team and you lose as a team, all anyone will ever ask of you is that you give a 110% and play hard, we look forward to having you around for a couple more years. Go Vols!
eb502us#225637 writes:
The loss certainly isn't JP's fault as nobody in particular had a really good game. He was certainly playing out of position. I'm glad to see he understands the need for improvement and also see's that he's a player WITHOUT a position. Small forward is really the only option but unless he adds a mid-range jumper to his game, he should only be a spot role player next year. The small forward position must be manned by a player that that can hit a jump shot facing the basket from anywhere on the court, take a defender off the dribble for a mid-range jumper, and occasionally take it to the basket. Right now, JP is not that guy but he has the whole summer to practice and improve. Let's hope he can find a shot as the other intangible he's brings could be much needed next year.
kceltic#232917 writes:
Would have been nice if Bruce would have included Ramar in those free throw shooting lessons.Also he might also look into how to shoot a jump shot and how to play under control.
rray044#360255 writes:
UT peaked at Memphis. Lost their swagger at Vandy. And lost their 3 point shot in the SEC Tourney. That's why we're out now.
Bristol writes:
Jones said that he expects JP to move back to his primary position as small forward, does that mean he will be point guard again come next NCAA tournament? Why not leave him where he was comfortable and productive all season? What happened to Jordan? Questions, questions and hind sight.....
JP, you did all you could and we are proud of you and the rest of the team. No reason to be down. This was not your fault.
eduardo writes:
Please don't cut anymore nets down until the final game. Prefereably the NCAA championship game!
invisiblekid writes:
Hopefully, the rest of the returning players take the same attitude as Prince in understanding the need to improve their games.
No point in second-guessing the coaches decision to start prince instead of Howell at this point in time. Pearl did what he thought would give his team the best chance to advance. IMO, the Vols don't make it past Butler with Howell getting the minutes. Aside from the shooting slump, I felt Howell was being overmatched on defense as well.
Regardless of the results of the Louisville game, none of these players have any reason to hang their heads. The best season in the program's history and putting the program on firm ground for the future are strong accomplishments in their own rights.
adamsck#591720 writes:
I'm disappointed in our loss to Louisville but its not fair to blame JP. He had a whale of a year and we should all be very glad to have him. Let's face it, we were never the same after beating Memphis and there are a lot of reasons for that. I agree that thse guys should be nothing but happy about this year, but I think it speaks volumes that they had the most successful year in UT Bball history and the returning kids feel disappointed. I think we can look forward to great success in the future.
dopedawg writes:
You did well JP. Be proud to be a Vol!!! We are proud of you! You are going places, even though you may not see it now, but you will shine again soon!!
waterskier3#226480 writes:
ramar let the team down.... not everyoe else.... that guy is terrible... he just thinks of himself and is out of control in the paint.... he will never get a foul called if he is out of control...
also why do the tn players leave their feet to make a pass..... if person is covered they are in trouble... did that way to much also..
sweet 16 was expected..... win the sec conf was expected.... win the sec tourney was wanted... say season was a B+ or A-..
i've enjoyed being mentioned as contenders so much but again we fell short when it really mattered... need a PG and big man before we can advance...
GO VOLS been a great year..
tnbuco#393180 writes:
Waterskier3 - "Ramar let the team down" Come on now. If he wasn't working to improve his game in the offseason I would agree with you but if that was the case then Pearl wouldn't have him out there now would he?
No one let us down. They just got beat by the better team On Thursday. Happens everyday in sports.
For you to give a B+ or A- to the greatest season in UT men's b-ball history just shows how out of touch you really are.
If you kids got a B in school when they best they ever did before was a C+ would you tell them that you were disappointed that they didn't get an A+?
cltvol writes:
If JP can channel his frustration into the right kind of focus, he can carry this team next year or two. Work on his ball handling and shooting skills. Forget the high wire act. S. Curry @ Davidson is perfect example. His off seasons have never been AAU ball or playing pick up games. Instead its been confined to shoot, dribble, coordination, passing, ball handling. That is work and boring, but it pays off. Kind of like practicing short game in golf. Curry is best player in NCAA because he worked himself to that level. Nobody put in the hours he did (others may have been close), but, importantly, he hit the target with his time. He is best player in tourney, not because he had the skills coming out of high school, but because he developed them so much better than the Dapper Dandys.
Pullingguard writes:
Mr. Prince we all learned something in these last games, you included, you are not a point guard.. Not fast enough and don't handle the ball well enough to be at the point... Hopefully BP has learned that also. Prince can be good player at UT, just find him a normal position that he can excel at. Don't blame any player for the defeat, for Louisville was the better team talent wise, speed wise, and just more athletic, but it could have been a lot closer had BP acknowledged this and in the second half slowed the game to take away Louisville advantages and hope to win it in the latter few minutes... Lessons are learned for all, no one is really at fault, just beat by a better team.
CT_VOL writes:
Folks, let's face the fact that Tennessee peaked too early this year and had nothing left for the tournament.
Louisville went the other way.
Frank
Southland writes:
Good grief- the game was an embarrassment for UT and the SEC I love Pearl but he was so outcoached in this game... UT basketball is in good hands but Pearl isn't the magician that can solve all of our problems. Next year we will be make to a a middle of the pack team or less. Good run but surely one day we can at least make it to the final 8. Forgive me if I sound bitter. I am. I live in Kentucky and it is rough. Even on our best year we allow Uk to beat us and Louisville to destroy and Western would have beaten us if Courtney Lee hadn't thrown the ball away in the final minute and a half.
tigervol9802 writes:
Questions for thought -
I think we all agree that we peaked too early. Had the Memphis game been in December instead of late February, would it have made a difference in March? Did winning that game become too much of a season-defining victory?
Second part, does anybody think that the out of conference schedule and having to get ready for so many big games eventually catch up to us at the end mentally? Not saying I do, but not saying I don't either.
tigervol9802 writes:
Questions for thought -
I think we all agree that we peaked too early. Had the Memphis game been in December instead of late February, would it have made a difference in March? Did winning that game become too much of a season-defining victory?
Second part, does anybody think that the out of conference schedule and having to get ready for so many big games eventually catch up to us at the end mentally? Not saying I do, but not saying I don't either.
vol1994 writes:
Keep your chin up JP. Doubt you will read this but you became #1 in my book when you were warming up Easter Sunday before your game vs. Butler.
My son and I were watching you warm up and you graciously waived and pointed to him. All my 5 year old son has talked about is how JP Prince
said hello to him. My Son will always remember that day and tells everyone daily that 'JP Prince of the Vols waived to him before the game.'
Sure nobody wants to lose but there will only be one champion on the court come Tuesday morning.
You will always be a champion in my book JP, regardless of the scorebard or your performance on the floor.
Thanks for taking the
Hacksaw57 writes:
Great season - Great job Team - Great job Coach Pearl and Staff.
We learn from our mistakes and strive to do better in Preperation, Prepardness and in Performance.
This year will make us stronger - maybe not in physical ability but in CHARACTER. We got a taste of what Could Be. Lets strive to achive what is Yet To Come. Our Goal is still out there. We need to look forward with positive attitude's by Fans, Teammates and Coaches.
GREAT JOB, GUYS! GO BIG ORANGE!
johnlg00#206211 writes:
I'm glad JP takes his responsibilities seriously and feels accountable for his performance. I hope he DOESN'T just mope over this disappointment, but uses the feelings he has now as fuel to drive him to get better in a disciplined and concentrated way. At times during the season, he just seemed too overconfident, as if he didn't realize that there were major holes in his game. Now I am concerned that he thinks he doesn't have ANYTHING to contribute. He just needs to find that middle course, in which he appreciates his God-given abilities but accepts his responsibility to improve the skills to get the most out of his talent. Also, very interesting stats on Wayne's improvement in the last month or so of the season. He improved in every phase of the game. If he continues that improvement over the off-season, he should be an All-SEC-type player next year and an All-American-type the year after that. If JP and Ramar improve as much from this season to the next as Wayne did in the last month of the season, the team could be even better next year. Everybody is disappointed in how the year ended, but the team accomplished a LOT and the future is bright!
Hunter writes:
Yep.
LiveFaith writes:
Thanks for the superb entertainment JP. Yeah, the wheels came off the beautiful sports car right at the end. But, what a great season and if it's an indication of what's to come ... wow!
kceltic#232917 writes:
I love the Vols as much as anybody,but until we get a difference maker at point guard,we aren't going deep in the tournament.JP is a very talented player but not a true pg.Ramar is awful.We need a guy like Augustin from Texas or Collison from UCLA who make wise decisions with the ball and can shoot the basketball with authority.Point guard has to be accountable and these two are not.
vol1994 writes:
real quick, anyone heard news about Bruce Pearl
and the Indiana job? ESPN news just reported Indiana AD stated they will announce Indiana's new coach by Thursday.
I find it a coincidence that this is taking place about a week later after the Vols eliminated from the tourney. Pure speculation on my part. I for one hope BP stays at UT for years to come.
But I could not blame him for leaving. We all have egos and after the comment in a recent Pat Summitt
interview I wouldn't blame BP leaving if indeed the university feels men's b-ball should be 3rd behind football and Ladies B-ball.
The comment basically Summitt made was in reference of a question asked if she would be upset if UT paid BP more than her. Her answer basically was " what do you think," I have won 7 titles and he has won zero." Probably taken out of context but......
In a huge hurry so I apologize in advance if any typo errors.
dirtdobber1 writes:
Kceltic- if we cant get somebody like augustine or drew lavender, maybe we can get someone like JoJo White or Bob Coozie and while we are at it, lets get someone like Lebron James and michael Jordan!
Ramar is not awful- you are an a-hole for making that statement! Why dont you say that to his face and let him re-arrange your teeth(if you have any)
This was a great season...and Im willing to bet if we had not changed up the point rotation with ramar and jordan, we would have been playing tonight!
dirtdobber1 writes:
VOL1194- I heard that interview and it was nothing like that...she said she should be paid to what her market value with other womens basketball coaches, not the mens program. It had nothing to do with what Bruce Peal makes-
vol1994 writes:
I stand corrected in my last post listed above.
Apparently Indiana is intersted in formers NBA bulls coach, Scotty Skles. He is from Indiana so....
I have to agree with qwerty6969 - Bruce Pearl has done a great job bring fans to the seats and energizing VOL BAll. But lets not give him a life-time contract just yet.
As far as the loss goes, someone has to lose. I have been a lifetime Carolina fan- since I was 5 years old. I transferred to UT in 92 and of course UT is my first LOVE.
For the pessimists out there, Carolina is loaded year in and year out and Dean Smith only one two tiles I believe. He was criticized for years not winning the big game with all the talent he had.
Same for Roy Williams until he won the title few years ago.
kceltic#232917 writes:
Dirtdobber1:First,get a few things straight before you post.I didn't say anything about Lavender,it was Collison.Second,why don't you learn how to spell-it's Cousy not Coozie.Also, I didn't say anything about Jordan or James and if you knew anything about basketball, they're not point guards, as I mentioned.I didn't say we had to have a NBA superstar,just someone accountable.
Also,I stand by my statement about Smith.We won't win with him at the point,and I hope he wouldn't want to rearrange my teeth for me telling him that.By the way,with a name like Dirtdobber,how many teeth do you have?
Razzle writes:
Qwerty your full of it. Like the xmas turkey. What a load of bull.
brink637 writes:
JP, you didn't let me down. I'm proud of your heart and effort. You had a really solid year and you'll be even better next year. Go Vols.
budrhon writes:
I wouldn't rule JP out at point too quickly. Even Magic Johnson at 6'8" was thought of as not being a prototypical point guard. This isn't to say JP is Magic by any stretch. Just that they are around the same height. CBP didn't expect Jordan to go into a slump the way he did down the stretch. Asking JP to take on the point guard duty this late in the season is a bit questionable, but CBP is human and appears to bounce back when he makes an error. I wonder if it had been better in allowing Lofton to run the point instead. Overall the team did better than any past team in UT history. But you crawl before you walk. Dissect the Louisville game and see where your weakness are at and correct them best you can. I see this team being very strong inside next year, but struggling on the perimeter offense (3-point land) unless Josh Tabb, Cam Tatum, Ramar Smith and perhaps JP develop a consistent outside shot. The incoming Freshman will contribute, but in the long run are still Freshman trying to adapt to a new team and new system.
cpa writes:
About new Indiana Coach Fox Sports News is reporting:
Indiana offered its men's basketball coaching job to Tony Bennett one day after his Washington State team was knocked out of the NCAA tournament, a pair of sources told FOXSports.com.
davidray31#232814 writes:
JP sounds like a very stand up young man.He even mentioned the city of Knoxville not just the university.JP,you didn't let anybody down.
eswalsh1#571397 writes:
I've read a lot of blasting of the players and coach following the disappointing loss to Louisville, much of which amounts to amateur analysis of strategy, lineups, and what got inside the head of the players since they beat Memphis. Something to consider: it's one game. By way of perspective, a couple of weeks ago Pitt beat Louisville in the Big East Tournament. Where's Pitt now? Home, after losing in the second round to Michigan State, which now has been sent home by Memphis--which lost to the Vols. What happens on the court is what happens on the court in ONE GAME. I have no doubt that in a rematch, UT would beat Louisville.
schymtz writes:
FROM 1UKSPORTS: A KY FAN POSTED:
"...the buzz is that Hopson is a lock and we may have a lead on a big guy. I believe its going to come down to the final day of the signing period for Hopson just like Patterson and Morris with the same result...."
98reax writes:
eswalsh1, you are right on top of that one. One game, one shot, win or go home, that's the name of the NCAA game. One loss does not take away from the remarkable season nor the athleticism, heart and desire of the Volunteers. Those whiners should feel so blessed to have had a great team, a great season. Why they feel as though they have been cheated out of more is a mystery to me. Of course we want to win it all every year. Who doesn't? The selfish whiners who bash our Vols don't deserve to wear orange.
iowavol writes:
qwer, I agree with you. Mike Hamilton is not a basketball guru. But Bruce Pearl is and he is the second coming. YOur post is absolutely the dumbest thing I've read on this blog - and there has plenty to compare too.
3rdtenn - let me give you some advice for living in the enemy territory - hold your friggin head up. We have nothing, absolutely nothing to hang our head about. This program under Pearl has beaten the last two national champs 5 of the last 6 times they played. There's a good chance we beat this year's national champ as well. We were the only team in the sweet 16 with an .800 record against sweet 16 teams and 25% of the field. We had a bad game, that's it, period... We will be back and I for one can't wait to see the product CP puts on the floor next year.
coach75 writes:
we did not get as far as everyone wanted to. take your bracket and see how many teams tennessee played are in there. there were 10. 5 of those ten made it to the sweet sixteen. against those 5 we were 4 and 1. only loss to texas. if louisville,texas/memphis and xavier were to win then 3 of 4 teams we played would be in the final four. i think we ran into a buzzsaw against louisville and could not have won if we did have a seasoned point guard. we will be ok down the road it will take another year or two. go vols and go cards, take down the tar heels. as long as ucla or inc do not win the rest i will be happy. i would love to see memphis win it so that asterik to a perfect season will still be a loss at home to us.
straightshooter writes:
JP shouldn't get down on himself. He was asked to play at a position which he has not played at before and lacks some of the basic skills to be successful such as a solid consistent outside shot. In fact, UT's overall lack of good outside shooting down the stretch run was one of the key reasons they lost 2 of the last 4 games they played. Lofton started falling off and there was no one picking up the slack. I think UT next year if Tyler Smith returns and the new recruits coming in produce as advertised, could actually be a better team, even if there record isn't being the SEC will be overall tougher next season. UT will have better team height, better quickness, and an even stronger bench and maybe these new guards won't be as streaky shooting the 3's as the players in the past.
Madkels writes:
It's almost Sunday and I'm still peeved about the UofL loss! Watching them lose to UNC(home court advantage) helps a little.
In retrospect, I am very proud of these guys and CBP. They brought us a 30+ win season, a #1 ranking, a Memphis thriller, and a lot of entertaining basketball. They did it with good sportsmanship and stayed out of jail(football players take note). This is just the beginning of a great run of success for our program and I look forward to watching the VOLS become a power program. Thanks for a great year.
T0MMYJACK writes:
Nice post at 1252pm, qwerty6969. I believe you're correct. What's the Eagles' song? New Kid in Town?! Everybody loves you. But as soon as the chinks in the armor come, as they have this year, one by one the supporters dwindle. Better win something substantive, Bruce. 3 years. Folded at the end of season one, a little better in season two, but packed it in after the Memphis game here in season three.
Thanks to the geniuses who constantly clamor for tournaments in college sports and got their wish in b-ball, the regular season doesn't count as much as the tournaments. Pearl better realize that he can't expect to get the big checks if he can't deliver the big prizes. And I'm not saying he CAN'T. But, as of today, he HASN'T.
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