Chism wants out of shadows

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Tennessee junior center Wayne Chism sat alone for a period of time in the interview room Wednesday afternoon at SEC basketball media days.

To Chism's right, more than 20 reporters surrounded UT coach Bruce Pearl as he talked about how last season's team would beat the 2008-09 edition if the game were played now.

To Chism's left, junior Tyler Smith talked to a dozen or so reporters about wanting to leave a mark at UT and lead the Vols past the Sweet 16 for the first time in school history.

"I'm the last conversation for a lot of people,'' said Chism when asked about the lack of attention. "I've been in a lot of shadows since I've been playing.''

So much so that Chism's name was nowhere to be found when the preseason All-SEC first and second teams were announced Monday.

"We're picked to win the league, and as I said they got Tyler Smith right when they named him preseason SEC player of the Year," Pearl said. "But I don't see Chris Lofton or JaJuan Smith on this team, so when are Wayne Chism and J.P. Prince going to get their names in the top 10?"

Prince, at least, was honored as the SEC's sixth man of the year last season.

Chism, however, remains largely a curiosity: a big man who can shoot outside on an uptempo team.

This, even though he came up big against first-team All-SEC selection AJ Oglivy of Vanderbilt, out-scoring him a cumulative 22-16 in two head-to-head meetings and out-rebounding Oglivy 22-8.

Chism came up big in a win over then-No. 1 Memphis, too. He scored 13 points on 5-of-11 shooting and pulled down seven rebounds while Tigers' big men Robert Dozier and Joey Dorsey combined for 9 points and 10 rebounds.

"All week leading up to that game people asked what we were going to do against Dozier and Dorsey inside and were talking about Tennessee being soft,'' Chism said. "I guess after the game they didn't notice how we out-rebounded them (50-34).''

Chism acts more amused than bothered by his relative anonymity, though Smith said the preseason SEC snub has lit a fire.

"Wayne can play with any big man out there, and he takes it as motivation,'' Smith said. "When it's all said and done, they'll know who Wayne Chism is.''

Chism said he's putting it on himself to prove critics wrong.

"What I have to do is dominate,'' Chism said. "I haven't been consistent enough since I've been here.

"But there have been a lot of changes this summer.''

Chism said his focus is the biggest difference.

"When I first came here, I didn't care if I started or how much playing time I got," he said. "I just wanted to get better, because I knew I had all of my freshman year ahead, and then I knew I had my sophomore year ahead.

"But now, I want more. I want a lot more by the end of this season."