Tennessee Men's Basketball
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Tennessee basketball coach Bruce Pearl isn't concerned about getting his 400th career victory against Gonzaga today.
"I'm worried about getting number six this season, and getting in the NCAA tournament," Pearl said following the Vols' closed practice Saturday at The Milk House at Disney Wide World of Sports Complex. "This game is about NCAA seeding; being a high seed is what gives you the best chance to win.''
But the 12th-ranked Vols (5-0) can win the Old Spice Classic Tournament (TV: ESPN2, 7:30 p.m.) with a win over the ninth-ranked Bulldogs (4-0).
Gonzaga's Mark Few - the only major college coach other than North Carolina's Roy Williams with a better winning percentage than Pearl - said his team has its work cut out.
"You have to have a mature, methodical approach when playing Tennessee,'' Few said. "They make you do some crazy things. They put you in some crazy positions with ball traps at half-court.
"They put guys in positions they are not used to being put in."
Few and the Bulldogs discovered that last season, when the Vols won 82-72 in the "Battle in Seattle'' at Key Arena.
"We couldn't have played any better against them last season,'' Pearl said. "That was only (Josh) Heytvelt's second game back from an injury, and he's clearly back in form.''
Heytvelt, a 6-foot-11 senior, and sophomore Austin Daye, 6-11, make up an imposing front court, averaging nearly 30 points and 16 rebounds combined.
But Pearl said there's more to Gonzaga than just size.
Senior guard Jeremy Pargo, the West Coast Conference Player of the Year last season, has the lowest scoring average (9.5 points per game) among the Zags' starting five.
"They possess (North) Carolina-like weaponry,'' Pearl said. "Gonzaga and North Carolina look to be the two best teams in the country, offensively, and with Mark Few, Gonzaga is incredibly well coached.''
Few said he has been impressed with Pearl's achievements through the years.
"Bruce has such a positive, engaging personality, and his guys like to play for him,'' Few said. "There's not as much of a difference in them from last year as we expected, and that's a credit to Bruce.
"I thought losing JaJuan (Smith), Chris (Lofton) and others (Duke Crews, Ramar Smith and Jordan Howell), they might fall off a bit, but that's just not the case.''
The Vols reached the title game with wins over Siena (78-64) and Georgetown (90-78).
Tennessee's 90 points were the most ever scored against a team coached by John Thompson III in the 250 games he has coached.
ESPN analyst Len Elmore, an eight-year NBA veteran, is thoroughly impressed with Pearl's coaching.
"You look at how many faces are missing from their 31-win season ... and it's not a rebuilding year,'' Elmore said. "Georgetown plays tremendous defense. You drop 90 (points) on them, that's an accomplishment unto itself.
"Bruce gets the most out of his talent, and he has a formula to take advantage of his players' special skills. It's not a coincidence he has the third-highest winning percentage.''
Hidden Hero: Perhaps no player served as a better example of Pearl's ability to get the most out of his talent than Emmanuel Negadu against Georgetown.
While Cameron Tatum's hot shooting grabbed the headlines, Negadu quietly pulled down six rebounds and didn't commit any turnovers while matched up with Hoyas' 6-11 freshman center Greg Monroe, the No. 1 prospect in the country last season.
"I had played against him before, with the World Team against the U.S. Team last spring in Oregon,'' said Negadu, a 6-7 Nigerian native. "My big guys got into foul trouble, so I had to step up. When I play against the really big guys, I just try to go very hard and use all of my strength.''
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Comments » 35
b.skelton#207404 writes:
Great start to the hoops season. We have some serious but young talent on this team.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
Go basketVols! Turn the Zags into another stepping stone to the top!
xvolx writes:
if zags control boards. they win.
CoachNeyland writes:
I was there yesterday. I'm tellin' ya... they look even better in person. Negadu is a beast.
yeavols#228407 writes:
I am in Atlanta...I may have to come and see the VOLS in Knoxville..but I wished they would start a series with Georgia Tech..Last time the VOLS played in Atlanta, they won in the last few seconds of the game. That game was awesome..I can only imagine what they can do now if they played at Phillips Arena..
caskew#218608 writes:
I'm scared about this game, but I sincerely believe CBP will get his 400th win in the end.
1vavolfan writes:
Win or lose this was a great trip for UT.The last 2 holiday tournaments have been disasters.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
Not necessarily. Unless they just kill us, to the tune of 15 or so second-chance buckets, or get Wayne, Tyler, and Brian in early foul trouble, we could still be all right. If we can apply enough ball pressure, we will get as many run-outs as they get put-backs. It's more a matter of which team can impose its style on the other. Until I see evidence to the contrary, I think our quickness and depth will prevail. That's what happened at their place last year, and this year's Vols are deeper than last year's.
blitzshoot writes:
Hit the glass Vols!
Tatum...get sick boy
Hunter writes:
As a fan who always makes the SEC Tournament (when it's not in middle of nowhere Tampa), I do NOT want to see the Vols play any more than they have to in Atlanta......bad memories.....
overatedvols writes:
Congrats on running off your football coach. Let's replace a class act who won us a national championship with an unproven coach. Phil's had a couple of bad years.. he must go. We need a coach that looks like Fla, Ala, LSU, and Ga's coach. You guys may be wishing you had Fulmer back in 2 or 3 years.
overatedvols writes:
I have to think you will lose to Gonzaga. It appears Georgetown was overrated. Let's see, if you lose to Gonz. then you will be 5-1. Four of the games won't count (cupcake tour) and 1 and 1 against decent teams. I guess this is part of the tough schedule you guys were naming. So, when you were naming Georgetown and Gonzaga, you really didn't have them scheduled. You just named them cause they were in the tournament and you could meet them huh. Anyway, the super tough conference play will begin soon. The conf. that put 6 teams in the tourney and all lost quickly (SEC = Six Eliminated Conference)
Jan. 24!
johnlg00#206211 writes:
Well, now I'm confused, not that that is anything new. I have always thought the name of our freshman from Nigeria was spelled "NegEdu", but Griffith spells it "NegAdu". Which is it? BTW, if he keeps improving at the rate that he has so far, we will all be able to spell his name correctly no matter how unusual it is to us hillbillies(;-P)!
johnlg00#206211 writes:
Nice try, but we DO in fact have Gonzaga scheduled, so we will play them twice. You "have to believe [we] will lose to Gonzaga" because your limited mental universe does not contain a "good" UT team. Therefore, any team we beat just couldn't be any good. You could and did still say we weren't good even after we beat your Tiggers the last two years, even though you apparently contradict yourself, since you think your team is great! We will destroy you Jan. 24 and you are deluded to think otherwise, but then nearly everything you have posted on here has proven that already.
Rodney writes:
overatedvols you must be a Memphis fan over here crying because your team is garbage this year.
rockytop4ever writes:
Alright men its time to bring that big deodorant stick trophy home to knoxville! Go Vols!
jhayes1911 writes:
Memphis is not looking too hot...sorry but they are overated like your screen name...
alfrizzle097 writes:
So... what is Memphis against good teams? 0-1?
None of the teams we played before Georgetown were great, but they were all legitimate teams projected to either win or compete for conference championships. Its not like playing VMI....
CUSA would like to have six teams eliminated from the tournament... even two.
The Gonzaga game will be a tough win to get, but it is gettable. Just wait until the Tigers come to TBA before we start talking smack.
FLAVOLS writes:
As usual, a Memphis fan can only respond to a Football issue on a Basketball article since they have no experience on what it takes to win in Football and couldn't relate.
FLAVOLS writes:
What was the score of that Xavier Vs.Memphis score again?
I'm not sure, but oh yeah, Xavier WINS!
AirForceVol2786 writes:
So who exactly is your team?
Why don't we take a look at UT's non-conference opponents for this year.
Marquette
Gonzaga in Knoxville not the tournament
Memphis(in the ncaa title game)
Kansas(Won the National Title)
Do a little research before you attempt to bash a good program. Clearly sir, you are stupid.
dma38256#264746 writes:
John,
It all depends on whether you use the Nigerian alphabet or not.
Colliervol writes:
I needed some comic relief for Sunday morning. Overrated, please stick to basketball commentary. No Memphis fan should ever comment on football.
Colliervol writes:
It will be interesting to see how this game goes. True, Gonzaga has four guys 6-11 or over but do they have the athletes and the bench to go with UT for 40 minutes and handle the pressure?
comshirt writes:
This team is growing and maturing before your eyes. Pearl's skill of using the strength of each of his young players while shaping a team at the same time is being tested. I am impressed with how well he "sees and uses" the tools at his disposal. He is using a strong defense to allow his system to be absorbed and the chemistry of the team to develop. The play book right now is very short and very simple, the blend of egos is fragile and yet they are getting better every minute played. They look at midseason form 6 games in. Mark Few and Gonzaga are real test. Good job guys!
Oh, and if you respond to the "hater's and the simpletons who populate these boards, you just encourage them. Ignore them and they will have no reward and while they won't go away, it will be a lonely existance.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
All-around good post! I agree that we rise all too easily to the Memphis troll's bait, but sometimes it is too hard to resist.
As for the Gonzaga game, as I said on another thread, we don't have to BEAT them inside but we do have to be competitive. I agree that the game may well turn on which team's big men get in foul trouble first. In any case, this will be our biggest test yet; we just have to hope that CBP has our guys seeing this as a big opportunity to make a national statement, and that they rise to the occasion. Go BasketVols!!!
VolBall writes:
Our schedule is tougher than a night in jail, tougher than saddle leather, tougher than wiping your fanny with a corn cob, tougher than "overrated's" rotary phone!!!!!
WVVOLFAN writes:
The engine of the CUPCAKE TRAIN UT 66 MSU62 AT MEMPHIS
Razzle writes:
You memphis fans said the same thing about J. Majors. Shows what you know. BTW, liked your prediction of a Georgetown victory over Tennessee. Real sharp.
CleverUserNameVol writes:
Nice one. You think that up all by yourself?
Madkels writes:
31-35 at the half. We gotta step it up in the 2nd half. Need to get more to fall and play better D. Too many open 3's for the Zags and we let them drive down the lane twice for easy dunks. COME ON VOLS...LETS GO!!!
suPEARLman writes:
if we could make some shots we'd be up BIG....
Need another run at the end to pull this out like we had vs G'town
eduardo writes:
Too many turnovers and leaving hot shooters open. But still a good run in the tournament. Must work on our zone offense. Pay back comes Jan. 7th. I think Micah Downs may be a target of the student section.
cdonsbach writes:
Can't wait to sit behind the visitor's bench on January 7th, hope you can handle the jeers, Zags!
tripper writes:
Good run but we looked very tenative tonight against a well-coached and EXPERIENCED team. I was impressed with Gonzaga's perimeter game, but also dissppointed with our perimeter D and zone O. We can only get better playing teams of this caliper. But one things for sure, we will be seeing a myriad of zone defenses.
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