Vols not sure what to expect from Razorbacks

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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.''

© 2009, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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