Video
Junior shooting guard, Quinn Cannington, talks about SEC basketball, his teammates and his mad Backgammon skills in this pre-season interview. Watch »
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Arkansas has brought about some of the best and worst of times during Bruce Pearl's 3 1/2-year tenure as Tennessee's coach.
Perhaps it's only fitting; Arkansas has a Jekyll-Hyde split personality like few other college basketball teams.
Tonight's game (TV: WVLT, 8 p.m.) at Bud Walton Arena has left most guessing at what might happen. Tennessee (13-7, 4-2 SEC) is a 2 1/2-point favorite over the Razorbacks (13-6, 1-5).
But which Arkansas team will the Vols see? The Razorbacks that beat Top 25 teams Texas and Oklahoma and has won 11 home games? Or the one that has lost twice at home and dropped four out of the past five contests?
Pearl said he's preparing for the Razorbacks' team that beat the Longhorns and Sooners. UT's players need only look back on last season's 92-91 loss to Arkansas in the SEC tournament to be reminded of how formidable the Razorbacks can be.
That SEC tournament loss likely cost the most accomplished UT team in history a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament, which led to the Vols getting placed into a difficult regional where they fell to a red-hot Louisville team in the Sweet 16.
But then, earlier last season, the Vols cruised to an easy 93-71 win over that same Arkansas team that beat them in Atlanta.
The year before, Pearl remembers good times in Fayetteville.
"At the end of every year, (associate head coach) Tony Jones puts together a questionnaire, and he asked what was the biggest win of that (2006-07) season,'' Pearl said. "I thought it was at Arkansas, because it was our first (SEC) road win of that year, and I thought that was a turning point for that team.''
Two years ago the Vols had five new players in their rotation - four freshmen and Jordan Howell coming off an injury - and brought a 7-6 SEC record (0-6 on the road) and 19-9 overall record into Bud Walton Arena. Chris Lofton scored 31 points as UT won, 83-72.
Two years later, UT has five new players in its rotation and is looking for another key victory as it attempts to win back national respect. For the second consecutive week, the Vols failed to garner any votes in the Associated Press Top 25 poll, an indication voters aren't sure what to think about them, either.
"Right now we're 13-7, and Arkansas is 13-6,'' Pearl said. "I know there are lots of RPIs and strength of schedules to figure in, but still there's a psychology to the numbers.''
Pearl admits he doesn't know what to expect from the Razorbacks defensively, as they play both man-to-man and zone.
What Pearl does know is junior center Wayne Chism and point guards Bobby Maze and Josh Tabb need strong performances against Arkansas big man Michael Washington and point guard Courtney Fortson.
"Those matchups will be extremely important,'' Pearl said. "Michael Washington absolutely outplayed (NCAA player of the year candidate) Blake Griffin,'' Pearl said, referring to Washington's 24 points and 11 rebounds in the 96-88 win over the No.2 Sooners (21-1). "He can do it inside and out, and Wayne and Brian Williams will have a real challenge.''
Fortson averages 14.3 points and 6.5 assists per game, and against Oklahoma, he had 12 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds.
"Fortson is a very talented point guard, a guy we tried to get and were involved (recruiting),'' Pearl said. "He'll be a challenge for Maze and Josh Tabb.
"Our guys know to expect a real challenge, and this is going to be a real tough place to play, too.''
Tennessee's signing class for 2012
National Signing Day 2010
Tennessee Lady Vols 82, Auburn Tigers 64
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
Comments » 37
martinvolfan writes:
Let's go VOLS and slaughter the hogs! Keep up the Florida game momentum. No let downs.
huntined#565710 writes:
All the games are important now..Got to win them all or you drop fast when the east is close as it is.A win will sure help us and put us in good shape// By the way has anyone heard from catscratch tonight?
lomas98 writes:
With KY losing tonight and either SC or FL going to lose as well, this game will help a lot. They should beat Ark. If we expect this team to do anything in the tourney, these are games they must win. I would think 4-1 is manageable with the next 5 conference games. It starts here.
cmaven writes:
Don't count on it, UTfan4life.
AR: 74
TN: 57
Hopson reverts back to his air-ball shooting ways.
PoochPuntOn3rdDown writes:
Woo Pigs Blew it!
Tennessee - 89
Ar"can't"sas - 74
BigOrangeVol writes:
I expect that Arkansas is going to shoot our eyes out on the perimeter just like everyone else does since we won't defend a jump shot to save our lives.
I expect Arkansas will continually run shooters off of screens, back-doors and Pick-n-Rolls because evidently we don't understand what those plays are or how to defend them.
I expect that Arkansas will drive to the rim until we learn how stop the dribble BEFORE there is only one minute left in the game.
I expect that Arkansas will dump it down into the post and pick up 15 fouls against us in the first half alone.
I expect that Rotnei Clarke, Stefan Welsh and Jason Henry will hit at least 8 and probably 12 uncontested 3's.
I expect that none of our post players will have double-digit rebounds and Michael Washington will have a double-double.
I expect that Josh Tabb will someday make a free throw but it'll probably be in Summer practice this year.
dwa7#337691 writes:
prediction ..........so sad....
Arky Hogs 74
Ut 69
oh well..........the truth hurts....we are young
volfan1985 writes:
your wrong cmaven! have some confidence in Hopson!! He will have a good game and we will pull this one out!!! it will be alot closer then 74-57 though for sure!!
mocsandvolsfan writes:
We need Maze to handle Fortson and help Smith control our offense. Maze should get as many assists as Smith (and can).
Chism and Hopson need big games to win at Ark. Our bench should outscore them 2-1.
Beat Arkansas...goooooo Vols!!!!!!!!
mocsandvolsfan writes:
No WAY!!!!!!!!
UT94 ARK88
mocsandvolsfan writes:
Hey Bob I think Pearl can afford it.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
"Defensive fakes" are EXACTLY what are needed! Good defenders don't just sit back and let the offensive player do what he wants and then try to react, they make him do SOMETHING ELSE that he hadn't planned to do. You PREEMPTIVELY take stuff away from the offense. Let me know if you hear back from CBP. I can be your demonstrator! Er, well, maybe not; I'm 62 years old with a heart condition(:-{!
JSGJWG writes:
Should be a great game. And yes, if Hopson is shooting bricks, we will lose. He must be on his A-game tonight! What, we are 1-4 against the razorbacks? By far the biggest game of the year, due to our record and home losses. Fortson, Clarke, Welsh and M.Washington, thier very good big man are the key to the razorbacks as everyone is well aware of. They can be beat if we play a good outside game to open up the inside. If Hopson, Tatum, Tyler shoot good from the three we are very hard to beat! Must be very careful with fouls on Chism trying to gaurd their big man which leaves a vunerable Williams trying to cover him. He will score at will over Williams and Williams will foul out fast. Put Negadu on thier big man and let Chism play power foward the whole game. Williams and Negadu gives us 10 fouls to try and get him in foul trouble first. This has turned into a MUST WIN game. The razorbacks are streaky, much like ourselfs in that the beat Texas(#7) and Oklahoma(#4) but yet are 1-5 in the sec???? We can WIN this game, Arkansas struggles in sec games! Again, keep Chism out of foul trouble at all costs!! If Chism would play 16 ft. & in, stays out of foul trouble, we will win.I don't even want to consider 13-8 and the ramifications that are sure to follow. We are 3.5 pt. favorites to win. I think we will win, the guys know what is at stake, B.P. does also. WE can raise our sec record to a very respectable 5-2!!
Vol_Jokes writes:
I would say a loss is in order in keeping with your target NIT destination. Of course the Tigers will kick b... in their conference game tonight. A tuneup for Saturdays game
at Gonzaga. Tigers have beaten Gonzaga 3 straight years. Twice at home and once at their place. I'm sure Gonz has had this one circled. They got their warmup games from that other team in the state a few weeks back. Two warmup games with easy victories but like they said last season, Memphis is better than the Vols.
volbballfan writes:
i "expect" that you will not watch this game or stay current on other SEC games, as you have missed the following: the last few games we have defended quite well, ARK has gotten b1tchslapped by every team they have played, Chism has DOMINATED, JT has made 3/4 ft's and has played quite well. please continue to "expect" negative so you will continue to look like a fool. i "expect" to see u on here tomorrow saying how sorry you are for having made such an idiotic post.
Vol_Jokes writes:
Vuls playing a decent to semi-decent team at their place is a receipe for disaster. Ark was terrible last year and look what they did to you.
dcap8424 writes:
they beat us by 1 in the SEC tourney. if memphis played any teams in their conference that were semi-coherent they might lose a conference game also.
according to you, the vols were terrible last year... and look what they did to you!
THE_VOL writes:
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
THE_VOL writes:
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
CLKVOL writes:
i hate ted valentine
usnavyvolfaninva_still_getting_paid writes:
dcap,
don't waste your time... talking trash over a 2-point win is quite pathetic... have to latch onto something with no NC's in any sport.
usnavyvolfaninva_still_getting_paid writes:
Let's not forget... we beat the Memphis "Pussycat Dolls" on their floor when they were #1.
eduardo writes:
Nice refereeing! You gotta love Valentine!!!!
usnavyvolfaninva_still_getting_paid writes:
Gettin' ugly late.
b_neas writes:
who is this prince guy n where has he been all year?
schymtz writes:
I thought it was just my imagination, but these refs are lewd!
PennVol writes:
I get the feeling we're going to find a way to lose this one.
b_neas writes:
wow we stole one
schymtz writes:
Drive! Good for Bobby! 74-72 3rd SEC road win = one with the home loss to LSU.
b_neas writes:
we need the game at auburn.....and ky just needs to lose a 3rd in a row at home then go to ark and lose.....life would be good
b_neas writes:
ark is very capable of being good at home....obviously they were tonight.....ut beat a team OU and texas could not......give some credit da mn!!!!
jayrokey writes:
Good to see we went down low in the 2nd half instead of relying on 3's to win. Glad we won even though Hopson's 360 pizzed off everyone in that place. Go vols!
msvolsfan writes:
We absolutely stole this one. Certainly not a very encouraging effort all around. Hopefully we see more of the team from Saturday night against Auburn or that game may get ugly.
b_neas writes:
maybe jacking the 3's in the 1st half was what opened up down low so much in the 2nd??? omg im a genius
b_neas writes:
a win on the road is a win.....hard to come by.....ut played at home saturday against a soft team in uf........road wins should be coveted......
mocsandvolsfan writes:
I'm not sure we saw the same game!?? Yes we stole it. It was very encouraging to take a win at Ark. They wanted this win and had the talent to take it if we didn't show up. WE did.
mocsandvolsfan writes:
Ha! But just in case you aren't joking he's been recovering from an injury.
Share your thoughts
Comments are the sole responsibility of the person posting them. You agree not to post comments that are off topic, defamatory, obscene, abusive, threatening or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be banned. Click here for our full user agreement.