Tennessee junior post Wayne Chism has something in common with referees, defensive backs and goalies: He only gets noticed when he does something wrong.
The old Chism - which is to say, the young Chism who played for the Vols the past two years - didn't seem to mind so much.
But this year's version of Wayne Chism is ready to make a statement with his game, and snubs no longer sit well with him.
Chism was somewhat annoyed at SEC basketball media days in Birmingham last month that he was not chosen by the league's coaches for the preseason All-SEC team.
The latest snub came in Sports Illustrated, where Chism was listed as UT's sixth man while senior Ryan Childress, who has been out with a knee injury since the spring, was projected as the starter at center.
Saturday night, it was Chism's teammates overshadowing him with high-flying accolades in the Vols' 114-75 victory over Chattanooga in the season opener.
While Tyler Smith (21 points), Cameron Tatum (19 points) and Scotty Hopson (17 points) were dunking and 3-point bombing their way into highlights, Chism was slugging it out in the paint.
Chism scored 14 points on 5-of-10 shooting (0-for-4 beyond the 3-point arc) and pulled down a game-high 13 rebounds against a Mocs' team that out-rebounded the Vols 46-31 last season.
"Wayne did a good job just knowing it (rebounding) is an area he needs to improve on and focus on,'' UT coach Bruce Pearl said. "When Wayne plays the five (post), he's closer to the basket and it's easier for him to rebound.''
Chism was just relieved not to get pulled out of the game early on account of foul trouble, as was so often the case last season.
"I felt pretty good I wasn't in foul trouble, because that's the first game in a long time I wasn't on the bench with fouls,'' said Chism, who committed two fouls against Chattanooga.
"They started out the game physical, so I said 'I'm going to continue to be physical with them, too,' " Chism said. "I just took it upon myself that we needed to rebound better, and I'm being more consistent scoring inside. . . . I feel like I'm so much better in that area than I was my first two years here.''
UP Next: The Vols play host to UT Martin, an instate opponent they have not played since defeating the Skyhawks 77-50 in 2002.
Tennessee can break the school record for most consecutive home victories with a win; the Vols' streak of 33 in a row matches the mark set between Jan. 2, 1966 and Feb. 24, 1968.
Pearl is 46-2 at Thompson-Boling Arena, his last home loss coming on March 1, 2006, in the Vols' last home game of Pearl's inaugural season as head coach.
Tabb Return: UT junior wing Josh Tabb is expected to return for the UT Martin game. Tabb has been serving an academic suspension and didn't play in either exhibition game or Saturday night's home opener.
No TV: The only Vols' game not to be televised the Dec. 29 home game against Louisiana-Lafayette.
Oregon sends Lady Vols home from…
Cordarrelle Patterson drafted by the…
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
Comments » 47
eduardo writes:
just win baby!
volsboy1983 writes:
keep doin it man keep it up go vols
jfg1980 writes:
Chism stop shooting three's.
FeelVol writes:
Loved the rebounding and play around the basket by big Wayne continue that and people will take notice.
blitzshoot writes:
Do it VOLS! Us folk in Cent. FL can't wait to see you on Thanksgiving.
utfan15govols writes:
well, i noticed Chism more this time than ever. He is a blue chip player, those to me are better. But i agree with jfg1980, just stop shooting the 3's for now.
JBruce writes:
Bottom line, this team needs Chism to bring his best every game. He needs to play every game with a mean "pissed off" attitude and prove all of the doubters wrong.
Chism not being selected All-Sec could be the best thing to ever happen to this team!
We believe in you Wayne!!
murrayvol writes:
Wayne Chism is a key to the success of this team. If he shows up every night and plays this way, he'll have plenty of accolades at seasons end. And he'll be thanking SI for the boost.
murrayvol writes:
When Bruce wants Chism to stop launching 3's, he'll let him know.
voloffaith writes:
I'm sure glad that ewe haven't changed your tune even though you had to change your poster name. Your RACIAL slant is as shameful as in the past! Why don't ewe just say that you don't like white folk? On topic the article is about a brother so be happy and try to be objective and stop slamming all the white dudes. People have said if you want to be taken seriously be objective and accurate in your post and not racially obnoxious. I mean do you hate whites or just white athletes?
Try and have a blessed day loving instead of hating? From a colorblind white poster to ya......
Chism will be fine if he stays to the task Coach Pearl puts b4 him. Rebound and give inside production. 3's now and then ok ,but stay inside for the most part.
threehundredbowler writes:
If it were not for LAME players,there would not be a team at all.As for Bradshaw and Howell,big boy let me explain to you.Without those two,the team would not have won some of the games they did.You sir know very little about basketball or anything else for that matter.You keep looking too much at skin color.You need to grow up and do so in a hurry.For your information,there are more skin colors in this world than Black and I believe God made us all in his likeness.God looks at the inner man,not the outer man.You should do likewise.
I_Sweat_Orange writes:
Wayne looks great and so do the rest of the team......woohoo !!!!!!!! Go Vols !!!!!!!!!
cdonsbach writes:
Wayne looked great on Saturday night, it seems as though he's much more smooth when driving the lane than the was in previous seasons.
GO VOLS!
Colliervol writes:
Great start to the season. If they look like that starting out, wait till they play together for awhile. This might get interesting if they play with that type of energy every night. The depth is staggering. And man, does a real point guard make a difference or what?
One note on UTM. They've got a guy named Lester Hudson who is the real deal. Laid 35 each on Memphis and Vandy last year. If he was a little taller he'd be a definite NBA prospect as a shooting guard.
timbojoe writes:
Who cares about football...It's Basketball Time in Tennessee! GO VOLS!
rusty_shackleford writes:
Wayne, Wayne, Wayne. Who cares who disses you? The only one of us you have to please is Brucie, so rebound, defend, hoist a banner, earn a ring! Everything else is like a fart in a whirlwind.
Colliervol writes:
And I wouldn't pay much attention to anything written in Sports Illustrated. That magazine doesn't carry near the significance that it used to. It pales in comparison to what it used to be.
xvolx writes:
I like his attitude. keep fireing. It will come. good release and touch.
miatatom writes:
Don't worry about the snubs, Wayne. They'll regret it later. Saturday night, you owned the boards. Go get 14 on Tuesday!
newtonrail writes:
Naffy, there you go again with your racist remarks. You call Bradshaw lame? The player Pearl is quoted in Sporting News as having the Biggest impact on his teams? He does say Tyler Smith is getting close. Your blatant reverse racism should be banned from site. I am sick of it.
DandyVol writes:
There is a hidden message in the 100 best players poster which was handed out at the last game. Of the 100 players listed on the poster, only 8 made it to the NBA. Of the 8 players who did make it, 7 of them played all 4 years at UT. Only one player made it playing fewer years (3). Granted, this poster is only for UT players, but there still may be a pattern here. This should probably be called to the players attention so that they know that an early exit to an NBA draft does not come with a guarrentee. It's probably selfish on my part, but I would love to see these guys play all 4 years at UT. They're great.
bhjohnso#207063 writes:
how uneducated is it for SI to project Childress as the starter? Nothing against the guy, but whoever wrote that apparently didn't do ANY homework.
Timed_vol (Inactive) writes:
what a low-blow title to this article. makes it sound like Chism has a legal problem or school problem.
As for his 3-shooting...as one blogger said, Wayne will stop shooting them when Burce says to do so.
Did you stop and think:
-Wayne has hit big 3's for us in the past
-Opponents have to honor him outside, not sag off, wich opens it up for Tyler and JP
Why harp on things like his 3-point shooting when the shots serve a valid reason in the game??
johnlg00 writes:
If that is what it takes to get him playing with energy and focus, so be it. Perceived lack of respect is a motivator for many athletes, indeed for many people in general. Otherwise, the phrase "bulletin-board material" would be meaningless. Better a hacked-off guy playing to prove critics wrong than a self-centered "super-star" who would rather read his press-clippings than do all the high-energy dirty work it takes to win! For that matter, if it improves his confidence in his overall game, he can hoist all the threes he wants. As someone else said, if CBP doesn't want Wayne to shoot threes, he will let him know.
johnlg00 writes:
Or for that matter, what Alan Houston could have done if he had played with Bradshaw's energy and determination!
Volgrad777 writes:
*For gods sakes no dont stop shooting 3's. When we get into conference play we will need those shots from him , id rather him miss a few now to find his stroke. Hes always hit timely threes. The thing is , hes a matchup nightmare for other teams. If hes at the 4 he can bang inside on guys and step out and hit shots. When hes at the 5 hes a freakin terror to guard , he forces big guys to step out and guard him around the perimeter and HE CAN hit those shots , i think thats evident from last year. Granted hes not gonna shoot 45 percent from 3 but he hits enough to force those guys out of the paint to guard him. Wayne is terribly underrated. When we get in SEC play his ability to draw guys out to guard him will come into play on a significant role. Watch film from last year , youll see it happeneing all day long. He can kill big guys off the dribble and with the jumper and can house smaller 4's on the block.
b_neas writes:
Wow Dane was a practice team plyer?? If i remember corretly he had very very clutch plays in big big games, not to mention the leadership he showed on and off the court. If you can not appreciate what Dane did for UT while he played you my friend are a doofus.
THE_VOL writes:
Wayne shooting 3s is NOT the problem. The TIMING of WHEN Wayne shoots 3s sometimes is. The arc being moved back a foot will effect Wayne more than anybody else on the team. He's NOT a pure shooter or even a good one for that matter and that additional foot will certainly impact him. Wayne and the team would be much better served if he never strayed more than 10 ft from the hoop and developed a 8-10 ft jumper that was reliable. It was encouraging to see his rebounding # go up but I'm not sure UTC is the best measure of improvement in that regard. They had NO inside players and essentially gave up by halftime. The true test for Wayne will come in Florida at T'giving.
SemperVol writes:
46-2 at home...
Beeeeyootifull.
bhjohnso#207063 writes:
I also like it when Wayne steps out and shoots the ball. Maybe 4 in a half is too many, but it really will open things up inside if you can draw out a 4 or 5 man. With guys like Maze, Tatum, Tyler, and Hopson taking it to the basket, Wayne's ability to hit that outside shot can get a shot blocker out of the paint. I think he needs to keep himself established as a threat out there. I guarantee you that's why he has Bruce's blessing to take that shot, and I also guarantee you Bruce lets him know when he takes a bad one.
bhjohnso#207063 writes:
and i wish some of y'all would realize that dvolfan wins the fight when you respond. ignore and it won't be any fun any more for him and he'll stop.
richvol writes:
Wayne had a good game...I certainly noticed his effort. He has no business shooting threes however with the players we have on the team.
Alabaster_Jones writes:
The problem I have whith this whole thing is he seems to be trying to put himself before the team. Wanting his name in lights and in SI.
Basketball is a team game, so what if your teammate scores 25 and you score 12, did you win? If the answer is yes, then who cares. If you lost then maybe there needs to be a reevalution on shot distribution.
As far as the Howell / Bradshaw comparison, I think Dane was a player that was always in the righ place at the right time. He wasn't my favorite player but he was important. I think Jordan was really out of his league in the SEC. He was a mid major player. He wasn't that quick, played decent defense and wasn't a very good shooter. Either way there both gone now and those days are behind us. Lets focus on this team and ot last years
johnlg00 writes:
Some good points there. I agree that too many of Wayne's 3-pointers are of the "Oh, what the heck" variety rather than rhythm shots off of a good pass. However, I am not sure that I agree with you about UTC not being much of a rebounding challenge. As I recall, they out-rebounded us by 15 last year. Of course, there are lots of factors involved in that, but after all it was Wayne against all the same guys they had last year. True, they didn't have much fight after half-time, but Wayne already had about eight of his rebounds in the first half.
johnlg00 writes:
I CERTAINLY agree with THE_VOL that Wayne will face MUCH more challenging opposition as the season goes on and that he will have to rebound well in nearly EVERY game for this team to be as successful as it could be.
volcycle writes:
Shows you what ESPN knows (or doesn't). If you're not from the ACC or Big East, they don't pay attention to you.
Just keep doing your thing Chism and they will wonder why you're holding the Championship trophy.
jasonn1970 writes:
Hopefully he can make the adjustment to the new 3 point line. His taking those shots really opens up the inside for the rest of the team if he can just hit 25% or more of them.
And I'm sticking to what I said a couple of weeks ago after what I saw Saturday night. Carolina is the only team in the country more talented than the Vols. And that's just because Hansborough is all but unstoppable.
askUncleMaze writes:
W.Chism had a great game and all he has to do is average Double Doubles. If Wayne keeps working hard he will get the credit he deserves...
I'm still trying to find a # 3 B.Maze jersey.........
holleyab writes:
he needs to keep shooting them, he is a much harder player to defend wen he is firing threes. You just don't expect a bigman to pull up and shoot. he doesn't shoot a bad percentage either. mark my words he will change some games this year with his three
johnlg00 writes:
I would never deny that Tyler Hansbrough is a great player. However, living here in NC, I have seen him play dozens of times. He is "unstoppable" in large part because ACC refs let him scatter bodies at will in his head-long assaults on the basket without calling him for offensive fouls. On the other hand, if anyone actually stands up to him, they are almost always called for the defensive foul. He is a relentless player, but the opponents he can't wear out are eventually removed by the refs. That is the main reason, IMHO, why some observers do not project him to be a sure-fire star in the NBA. Without him, resting a "stress-reaction" in his lower leg, the 'Heels beat an only fair Penn team at home by 15, despite having nearly everyone else besides Hansbrough back from last year's 36-win team. If everyone stays healthy and the team chemistry continues to develop, I would like UT's chances against them in the NCAAs--unless of course UNC is playing on one of their "home courts" in ACC country, as is usually the case.
shoalcreekvol writes:
Would that be the same "practice player" Bradshaw whose on- and off-the-court leadership inspired his coach to endow a scholarship in his name?
johnlg00 writes:
I have a feeling that, if he continues to have games like he did Saturday, you will see them everywhere you look in a few weeks! I do remember that you told us months ago that B.Maze was the real deal and from what I have seen so far--he IS!
shoalcreekvol writes:
1) As said earlier, if Coach Pearl wants him to stop he'll let him know, and
2) Chism's 3-point attempts are less about making the shot and more about drawing the shot blockers out of the paint and forcing mis-matches for the other team. I think everybody wants to see more of the high-flying action that went on around the rim Saturday night, and it isn't going to happen if WC just posts up down low and hangs out there.
overatedvols writes:
Boys and girls, it's good to see the Vols won against Chattanoga and next you'll be taking on mighty UT Martin.
Can you say cupcake city?
Meanwhile, Memphis returned to action for the first time since playing in the ..national championship game...
We'll definitely miss Dorsey, Rose and CDR but the team did ok for their first game. They'll get better as they play more games. Tonight Memphis will take on UMass at 11pm as part of espn's 24 hours of basketball coverage. Actually espn choose memphis to kick off it's basketball coverage for the year. After the UMass game tonight we'll be heading to Puerto Rico to play in that tournament. First game is cupcake Chattanooga. I guess the same team Tenn. played. I'll definitely count on Memphis winning big even on a neutral court considering UT beat them. Let's see, Tigers next game UMass. Vols next game UT Martin. After cupcake chattanooga we'll be playing the winner of Seaton Hall, USC (southern cal). The vols will take on Middle Tenn. Impressive early season schedule for you guys. Wonder how you'll do when you play a real team? There is one good thing to this win. I was wondering when you would ever come out of the Memphis game fog from last year. Maybe it's finally over.
NO_DIGGITY writes:
We really don't have a tough game until January 31 when we play Flordia. We play in a couple of tourneys, a couple of easy SEC games, then Memphis on 1/24. So, Florida will be our fisrt tough game. Hope the Kittens can get by Seton Hall (is Andrew Gaze still on that team) and USC. Then I know you have to go through the tough CUSA with UAB and other schools that go by initials. Good luck with all that.
mat2430 writes:
Yeah we only play 6 top 25 teams before (18)Florida on Jan. 31. That is assuming we win the the first two games in the Old Spice Classic.
(22)Georgetown
(5)Michigan State or (9)Gonzaga
(15)Marquette
(24)Kansas
(9)Gonzaga
(13)Memphis
Bringing up schedules when comparing Memphis and UT is laughable. Once again we have the hardest schedule in the country...
trollhunter writes:
Listen you ignorant troll,
your comments are not welcome here so why don't you get lost and cry back to your mommy at the CA.
Do I need to translate that in espanol?
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