Tennessee set a school record with its 34th consecutive home-court victory Tuesday night, not that coach Bruce Pearl noticed or cared.
The Vols entered the game having tied the mark, set in the Stokely Athletics Center from Jan. 2, 1966, to Feb. 24, 1968. UT’s current streak stands as the third longest active streak in the nation behind BYU (48) and Notre Dame (38).
Pearl was in no mood to celebrate UT’s 91-64 victory over UT Martin in Thompson-Boling Arena, much less the record.
“Our effort was inconsistent and our execution left a lot to be desired,” Pearl said.
Sophomore post Brian Williams provided a bright spot for the 19,761 in attendance, scoring a career-high 21 points and pulling down 12 rebounds for his second career double-double.
Tyler Smith had 19 points. Wayne Chism (11 points, 10 rebounds), J.P. Prince (11) and Cameron Tatum (10) were the other UT players to score in double figures.
Still, the team looked out-of-sync at times — particularly in the second half.
The 14th-ranked Vols (2-0) connected on 2-of-17 shots from beyond the 3-point arc — the lowest total in Pearl’s run-and-gun era, and UT’s fewest since making two against Belmont in Chris Lofton’s freshman year (2004).
UT Martin (1-1) didn’t shoot much better from the perimeter, making only 9 of 36 shots beyond the arc.
Lester Hudson, the Skyhawks’ celebrated NBA draft prospect, was held in check most of the way, scoring 18 of his 20 points in the second half after the game had been decided.
Point guard Bobby Maze had as much to do with Hudson’s sub-par performance (7-of-22 shooting, four turnovers) as anyone.
Tennessee used a number of different players on Hudson at different times, but Maze was the best matchup.
“I told coach I wanted to guard him,” said Maze, who had four points, seven assists, four rebounds and three steals. “I wanted to take on the challenge.”
Maze has played a good deal of pickup against such NBA stars as Kevin Durant, Allen Iverson, Chauncey Billups and Michael Beasley, so intimidation wasn’t going to be a factor.
“The first thing you have to do is deny him the ball,’’ said Maze, who didn’t allow Hudson to score on him. “You also use your team to help you, and that’s talking on defense. It’s not just the one person on the ball; it’s team defense.”
It led to the Vols jumping out to a 14-2 lead with a 12-0 run capped by a Maze steal and layup at the 16:21 mark.
UT’s press forced 15 turnovers in the first half. Without using the press in the second half, the Vols forced only three turnovers over the final 20 minutes.
“I thought we played pretty well to start, but we couldn’t maintain that level of excellence,” Pearl said. “Our intensity was mixed, and we didn’t value the basketball. Too many ally-oops, and too many guys trying to do some things out of character.”
Scotty Hopson was the poster child for the young Vols’ inconsistency, scoring five points on 2-of-5 shooting and not getting any rebounds in his 18 minutes.
“Scotty wasn’t excited about playing,” Pearl said. “Self-admittedly, he was like `I gotta get myself ready to play.’
“Freshman are going to be inconsistent.”
And when they are, Pearl is going to be as disappointed.
Oregon sends Lady Vols home from…
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
Comments » 104
CoverOrange writes:
Skyhawks (0-2)?
I thought Skyhawks won their first game.
Haven't seen a game yet. Is Williams starting at center or is Chism?
OrangePower11 writes:
The boys seem to be really spreading the ball around, making the extra pass...Seems to get a little lax later in game, but boredom with opponent probably plays a role in that...Keep working within the system regardless of opponent, the "fun" will be here before you know it boys!!!
MANVOL writes:
Way to ball it "BIG"!!! We need him in the middle.
bobo_the_vol writes:
Big Baby goes Big!
yabadabadoo1026 writes:
compact, you're getting mouthy early-----they're playing the #1 team in country in their second game,if they lose it now its no different than losing it late--------all that matters is where you are at the end of the year not after 2 games----that smack talk is going to make you look like an idiot before the season is done
TopTenn writes:
Catscratcher getting raked over the coals at Carolina.
indianacurly writes:
winner, winner, chicken dinner!!!
yabadabadoo1026 writes:
no, the we does apply to me but lets take a look 25 games from now when it actually means something---we played UTM in our game 2 not the #1 team as they did--some of you people in your hate fail to look at anything rationally
overatedvols writes:
State of Tennessee cupcake tour rolls on.
volbballfan writes:
sure can't wait until we play the biggest cupcake of all, mempuss!!!
utchris writes:
Not a bad win considering the Vols shot 2-17 from long range.
raoucubs writes:
First!...Great news. Keep the defense up Coach Pearl. It will keep us at the level we need to be until we can get the young talent to know the offense to the fullest.
cdonsbach writes:
Chicken sandwich! [Those in attendance that stayed until the end will get this.]
eduardo writes:
first! Kenlucky lost again! hahahahhaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!
yabadabadoo1026 writes:
geezzzzzz, another 12 year old-like "first" , ---now as good as we've looked against overmatched lower tier opponents do you really think we would have beaten the #1 team in their building this early in the season with a young inexperienced group????------if so, youre smoken the same stuff compact is-----why dont we wait till we beat the cats BOTH games this year before we talk smack so early---I'll be first one laughing at you guys otherwise
VolinCalif writes:
leave the little puttycat alone Compact. we haven't played them in football yet
yabadabadoo1026 writes:
I agree possible but a lot more possible this early in the season at home rather than at their place
gnm53108 writes:
Agree,but because of Coach Pearl.We do have the talent but most of em are a little wet behind the ears.If they listen to CP,mature,and play as a team,there isnt any team in the country that they cant beat on a given night.
orangesox writes:
How is it any different from the "Conference USA cupcake tour"? The schedule for the Vols is about to pick up significantly starting next week.
MrBamSeydu writes:
Scotty Hopson is nowhere near NBA-ready. If he jumps out after 1 season, he's nuts. He needs to learn how to keep his motor going at all times and how to care as much about defense as he does offense. The kid has a high ceiling, but unfortunately I don't think he is going to reach it quite yet. He needs at least 2 seasons in college, if not 3. He could probably get drafted this year or next in the 2nd round, but it wouldn't be in his best interest because he would get owned in the NBA unless he decides to bring it like he knows he can every game, every play.
CleverUserNameVol writes:
Williams was freakin' awesome tonight...seemed like he was the only Vol rebounding in the second half. There were way too many missed 3's with no one under the basket. That being said, anybody who's been watching UT basketball for years knows they are notorious for playing down to level of lesser opponents. That annoys the heck out of me, but that's just how it's always been. At least they seem to step it up when playing better teams. A win is a win, I suppose, and a free chicken sandwich should never be scoffed at, so go Vols!
VolFish writes:
We could have hung 50 on em if we would have pressed in the second half. Pearl wants to see if these youngsters can learn to play half court D as well.
xvolx writes:
I would have to agree with coach. they played up and down. Intensity was low in second half. probably hard to intense when you're up 25 pts. young players havent learned yet that pearl doesnt give possessions off. when they did play hard, they looked good. looks like hopson is only pure shooter from three range, but he doesnt shoot well off the dribble. keep working.
Timed_vol (Inactive) writes:
overated,
it's not a bad thing to play the in-state schools. it helps the schools, and they are highlypranked in their conferences, which I believe helps UT's RPI.
If Memphis doesn't, the too shold start playing the other TN schools. It is good for the sport.
Take care, see you down the road.
chestnutglade writes:
What team is your hart with.Please tell us.U T M has won a game.1-1 now.
askUncleMaze writes:
Hello B.Maze can go to his left... Check out his handle... First yall said he wasnt a PG. Then you said he cant play no defense. He shut that guy down last night. B.Maze has 17 assists in 2 games...
VolsInYourMouth writes:
WOW!!! Win by almost 30 and Pearl isn't happy!!! That's the kind of coach we need on the gridiron!! We need someone one the football side of things like Pearl.
b_neas writes:
when you have the schedule UT has then you can talk.....until then nip it!!
usnavyvolfaninva_still_getting_paid writes:
Yup.... Yaaawwwn. Beat UTC, Beat UT-Martin, Beat Memphis (again)... man, those cupcakes are good!
volboy81 writes:
apparently youre not paying any attention to the state of basketball in the state of Tennessee.
gobigorange8464 writes:
CHIC-KEN SAND-WHICH!!!!!!
This team has a lot of talent and is only going to get better.
ballewville6 writes:
overated vol yyour wrong atleast these teams are picked to win their conference ,they will have the toughest scedual in country when feb gets arond werer flordia and other big teams are barely beatins umkc and mercer and jacksonvill state tennessee has to play some team not ranked ahead of them in november and december michigan state and maby georgetown then gonzaga ,memphis kansas and marqette not in that particular order with more on road than at home if they can be playing good enough to beat most all of them and play tough nosed ball in sec play and win 25 to 30 again .i believe if tyler would stay for his senior year i wuold bet my 2005 chevy silverado they would win ncaa championship with west back and kenny hall coming in to make a stong presence inside and tyler would then be no 1 pick overall in draft
johnlg00 writes:
Have they replaced the rims yet in the Fed-Ex Forum after that load of bricks your Tiggers dumped on them? And how is your free-throw shooting this year? Oh, that's right; Coach Cal doesn't think they are that important.
CleverUserNameVol writes:
Heck yeah he was getting in their face. I bet he's still picking pieces of Woolridge's butt out of his teeth. He really tore him a new one at one point. I used to play a UT football drinking game with some buddies and we had to take two big gulps every time Fulmer showed improper emotion after a bad play. We were plowed by halftime.
johnlg00 writes:
You are right that records don't mean much this early in the season, but UNC was playing without two starters, including their Player of the Year candidate. They will be even better later on if they don't get complacent.
johnlg00 writes:
That's pretty much how it looked to me, too. The thing is that UNC plays like the Vols do; push the tempo of the game beyond the other team's comfort zone, get them to take bad shots and hurried passes, and run out at every opportunity. UK looks like they will be hurting for a PG all year.
mattlock writes:
Yeah, and your cupcake tour starts when you enter conference play. . .what's the difference?
The_the writes:
Playing the "if" game? If Carolina could have finished some easy layups, they would have won by more. If Hansbrough and Ginyard played, they would have blown them out. If UT had played someone with a heartbeat, they would have lost. =-P
xvolx writes:
If a frog had wings, it wouldnt bump its butt on the ground.
shoalcreekvol writes:
This journalism thing must be harder than it looks:
"The 14th-ranked Vols (2-0) connected on 2-of-17 shots from beyond the 3-point arc...UT Martin (1-1) didn’t shoot much better from the perimeter, making only 9 of 36 shots beyond the arc."
UT shot 11.7% from 3, UT-Martin shot 25%. More than twice as good from a percentage standpoint. Since when is 1-out-of-4 not much better than 1-out-of-9? Since when is NINE 3-pointers not much better than TWO 3-pointers?
HamptonsVol writes:
So you admit that you are a Dancing With the Stars fan? There is no shame in that. If Warren Sapp and Emmitt Smith can like it you can to.
dobber writes:
Pearl has the most difficult schedule in the NCAA. So what if we play two or three in state puddens. It gets our team some precious minutes together before hitting the hard end of our non-confrence schedule, and gets the other in state programs some TV exposure...
TopTenn writes:
The cupcake tour continues with the tigers. Fairfield Inn, Minutemen and UTC. Let's see if the tigers margin of victory is greater against UTC.
Jeremy7679 writes:
Why does everyone feel the need to continue to take shots at Phil? It's over, have a little respect for what he did for the program ffs.
overatedvols writes:
UAB, a team from that soft conference called CUSA beat Arizona last night. Memphis beat UMass the night before.
In the meantime, in the mighty SEC (the conf. that put 6 teams in the tournament last year and 4 got beat in the first game) Kentucky 0-2, Georgia squeaks by Eastern Michigan and wins by 1 and then loses to Loyola of Chicago by 21 points. Alabama was beaten by Mercer. Good luck in the brutal SEC conf.
overatedvols writes:
Boy, is it a nice day today or what. I don't know if you Vol fans know it but Memphis landed the top.....No, i'm not going to do it. I refuse to boast. I'm not even going to say what I was going to say:
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/recrui...
Others might get on here and brag about certain things:
http://newsok.com/putnam-city-star-xa...
Not me, no sirre, i'm not even going to say what I came here to say.
http://blogs.suntimes.com/sportsprose...
I've just got too much class for that.
yabadabadoo1026 writes:
got to agree with you on that--------I'm excited and think its going to be a great year but some koolaide/bias is showing in those comparative assessments for sure
yabadabadoo1026 writes:
Plasticman would you open your mind a little bit------we won going away against UTM shooting 11%--thats not going to get it done when we get into our reg schedule
shoalcreekvol writes:
Country410, you need to join us at our next Bitter Vols Fan Anonymous meeting. You've crossed over, and it's time. This is an intervention.
CleverUserNameVol writes:
overatedvols huh? If anybody would know about being overrated it would be a Memphis fan. Are you still a little sore about our future European pros beating your future NBA stars and knocking them out of first place last year?
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