The Tennessee men's basketball team appeared to hit stride with back-to-back double-digit wins over Georgia and Vanderbilt this past week.
It's the first time the Vols have won consecutive games by 10 points or more since they left the Old Spice Classic in Orlando, Fla., in November.
But coach Bruce Pearl's still sweating things out as UT ventures out on the road this week for two key games.
"So much is made of our home record, and that's great because of our fans and I want them going home happy,'' Pearl said. "But I'm proud of our road record. . . . that's something I pride myself on.
"We'll get a chance this week to see what we can do.''
Tennessee (16-8, 7-3 SEC) plays at Ole Miss (13-11, 4-6) at 8 p.m. Wednesday before facing off with Kentucky (18-7, 7-3) in Rupp Arena at 1 p.m. Saturday.
The Vols bring a 4-3 road mark (3-1 SEC) into Wednesday's contest with the Rebels, who are 10-2 at home (3-1 SEC).
"Can we get our second wind?'' said Pearl, whose team is in a three-way tie atop the SEC East with the Wildcats and South Carolina. "That's what we're going to try to do right now.''
UT captain Tyler Smith looked on top of his game in Saturday's 69-50 win over Vanderbilt. Smith scored a career-high 30 points on 10-of-13 shooting.
Fellow junior J.P. Prince also is playing his best ball of the season. Prince had eight points, 10 rebounds and seven assists, with many of his passes going to Smith.
"Me and J.P. have been hanging out a lot more off the court and talking a lot more,'' Smith said. "I think that's carrying over onto the court.''
Smith and Prince were the only two Vols to play more than 30 minutes against Vanderbilt; Smith played 36, Prince 34.
Pearl said now that UT isn't pressing as much, players can get more minutes and still go all-out.
"I've got Tyler and J.P. playing a lot, but I have to make sure when they're on the floor they don't let up,'' Pearl said. "I'd like to keep leaving them out there that long, but only if they don't take possessions off. All it takes is one drive-by, and then it gets contagious on the team.''
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Comments » 66
mocsandvolsfan writes:
Let's see some of that unselfish play wed. night! Maze, Chism, all around. Hopson's due a great game too.
b16VOLster writes:
Would love to see 2 W's this week, 1 most likely, 0 wouldnt surprise me, we've seen enough of this team this year to not get our hopes up. It would be a pleasant surprise to see the end of the 08-09 Bball Vols Rollercoaster.
graphpro#231211 writes:
Have we seen the best of Bruce Pearl? Was it last year?
Can a team win the big games without a good center?
Watch Bryan Williams box out... he doesn't
Watch J.P. Prince back off his man...
Hopson, Tatum... play very little defense. Tatum had a hussle play against Vandy.. Props for that.
Does anyone else see prima donna's that are too good to play defense these days? How many of our players have dove for loose balls this year? I loved the effort of Bruce's teams over the past few years. Lets get that back... PLAY WITH HEART ON EVERY POSESSION!
Bruce... don't let the program slip like Phil did.
Go Vols!
Down_The_Field writes:
this ole miss game is huge for this team.
ZR writes:
Brian Williams is a backup. Wayne Chism, the starter at center who plays 30+ minutes a game, will be the 1st team All-SEC Center.
dlobh writes:
Don't totally agree. Williams and Chism have combined to shut down Ogilvy twice this year. Williams is a pretty good option for a 2nd team center, considering he's still only been playing organized b-ball for 3 or 4 years now. The team seems to be getting better. The biggest question I have is why do we have to take so many offensive possessions down to the last few seconds before getting in hurry up mode to get off a shot? Why can't we get the ball inside to Chism and/or Williams? I noticed once Saturday that Chism was wide open with his arms up under the basket and nobody even bothered to look that way. Just kept passing around the perimeter.
jhayes0926#638474 writes:
Wish I could say we'll have a cakewalk, but I think you guys win regardless. It will be close without Patterson and it will probably be a 10 point blowout if Patterson plays.
UT goes 3-3 the rest of the way with a NCAA seed of 8
jhayes0926#638474 writes:
I'm beginning to think Hopson doesn't particularly care about giving it to Chism. If you notice, when Chism is wide open, many times the guard with the ball is Hopson. He just won't pound it in to him.
I still think we should go to a 7 or 8 man rotation and leave Williams and Tatum on the bench more. Would rather see Negedu in more, leave Woolridge out.
WeLoveTennesseeVols writes:
Let's beat Ole Miss, Kentucky is not afraid of us! So we can stick it to them openly, and we will love to see it done!
FortyNinerVol writes:
Really an 8 seed, come on this team can easily pull off a 6 seed and with a strong finish a 5 seed is very achievable. As of today Lunardi had us as a 6 seed playing in the midwest bracket and right now we have a RPI of 19.
newtonrail writes:
Since the first few games, everyone has played a zone against them except Florida. They play a match up zone usually. Of course the zone is because of our inconsistent outside shooters, but it is also tougher to get the ball inside through zone. That's why opponents play it so they can collapse to the basket. I know you'll see someone flash open and call for the ball, but depends on what else is going on whether he's seen. As you've astutely pointed out, it usually takes 25 seconds off the clock to break down the defense enough to get it inside. And if we didn't have Smith and Chism, it wouldn't work as well as it does.
allvol11 writes:
In all seriousness, why does Brian Williams continue to play so many big minutes. He has terrible hands is a liability defensely and hardly ever rebounds on a consistent basis. Why we do not see more of Negadu or give hard working, hard nosed senior Ryan Childress a chance is beyond me. Go back and look at all those old dvd's of the last three seasons and it is amazing how much Chilly played in those tapes and he produced. It almost sounded like Pearl was trying to convince us Chilly cannot play anymore. With his comments after the game the other night when he had 2 points and 3 boards in just 2 1/2 minutes. He said " He just can't move the same can he, you could see it out there could'nt you, he can't move like he used to." No actually Bruce he looked fine to me and he certainly moved a lot better than lazy Brian Williams.
gruntworks writes:
This packing for a two-game road trip will be a great experience and really helpful for the Dols in March. After all, that's all the games they're gonna get in the NCAA tourney - if they even make it!
Volinsider writes:
Young players, after a big win usually go flat, and lose their energy and focus. PLEASE prove me wrong in Oxford! GO VOLS!
teedub writes:
Freethrows will win or lose these next two games!!! BeeDub and JP have got to step up their ft shooting.
westtnvolfan51 writes:
Allvol you are an idioit. You know nothing about basketball
MidTennVol writes:
Keys to the stretch and start of the tourney have names:
Hopson
Woolridge
Tatum
Negedu
Those four guys have to show up and show us the money. We need REBOUNDS, defensive STOPS, and POINTS.
Cam: you are far too athletic to just keep launching 3s with every touch. TAKE IT TO THE HOLE.
GreerVol22 writes:
It's all about focus at this point. Its not about being tired, or classes, or pace or anything else. A really good Clemson team played at really aweful Virginia last night and got beat because they did not focus on their opponent. They were looking ahead to FSU......don't make the same mistake with Ole Miss.
LifetimeVolFan98 writes:
In all seriousness??? What the phooey have you been smokin'??? Williams is a very solid backup C. Has soft hands, getting better with his feet and is definitely a big body in the middle when Chism needs a breather. he's only played organized ball for a little over 4 years...give this guy and the team a break. They are getting more and more comfortable with their roles - they will be fine. I'm shocked that so many people actually thought this team could win a championship. They are a brand new team with 3 new guards (2 Frosh & the absence of Daniel West hurts) and are having to learn to play w/o the uptemp pressure that Pearl likes to use - they are simply too big and too long for that. They will end up with 9 or 10 total losses and get to the sweet 16 again before falling.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
Although I don't agree with it, what you describe seems to be the way CBP wants it for the most part. I think the idea is that since we don't play as much of a full-court game as in the past, he wants the other team to play defense for at least 20 seconds on each possession to wear them down a little. Or it could be that, when a team has to play defense for a long time on a possession, especially if they are NOT having to move around a lot, they may be a little slower off the mark to run the ball themselves when they get possession. That said, I would rather have us a little more alert to possibilities such as you described.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
It could be something as simple as Scotty not being used to playing with a big man as good offensively as Wayne is. Therefore, he isn't as experienced at recognizing when a big man is open and knowing when to deliver the ball. It may also be the offensive philosophy another poster described above. Of course, it could also be that Scotty is selfish and immature(;-P)! I agree with all your recommendations about the rotation.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
Good points. I would say only that I would rather see us PROBE zones more with the dribble and use cutters through the zone a little more. This could be mixed in with the round-the-horn passing that seems to be almost our sole tactic against zones right now. As other posters have suggested, I don't think we are as alert as we could be to take advantage of such early openings as we would find if we were looking for them.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
Yep, that's my biggest worry, too. Young players often tend to think, "Yeah, yeah, yeah, okay, I GOT it now, already!" before the right things they did truly become second nature. A great coach once said, "A good player practices until he gets it right; a great player practices until he can't get it wrong." We may have learned by now how to do it right, but we are not nearly to the stage where we can't do it wrong.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
I hope you're wrong, too, but I agree that these guys will have to PROVE us wrong. Not that they owe to it US, but that they owe it to themselves.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
Temple and Auburn should have proved that this team can't overlook ANYBODY.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
Ole Miss didn't have Warren when they beat UK in Rupp Arena THIS season. That should be all we need to know about Ole Miss to know we have to bring our A game to the Tad Pad Wednesday night. THEN we can worry about the 'Cats.
Vol_Jokes writes:
So we have to wait until Sat. to have ourself reassured the vols are not good. About time you finally play a decent team. Kind of like early in the season when you played all those bad teams and thought you were good. Lately it's the same thing. Welcome back to reality Sat.
richvol writes:
Thank you...I see exactly the same thing.
If Negedu had been playing the amount of minutes that Hopson has played this year several things would have happened...he would be averaging at least 8 or 9 rebounds per game,our defense would have been much better,we would have many more hustle plays,he would be a consistent scoring threat inside and we would have made more freethrows. Aside from all that then by all means keep playing Williams and Hopson and Woolridge and Pearl and whoever else.
shoalcreekvol writes:
I'm making the 2-hour trip to Oxford for the game. I am going fully expecting us to win, but I know the Rebs have been playing well and they'll be fired up for us.
Go Vols.
richvol writes:
Clarification...Hopson is improving. He has gotten better but for several games he was a terrible liability. I believe he will be a very good player for us one day.
Negedu has been productive from the minute he stepped on the floor and he outhustles everyone. Pearl has got to get him in the game on a regular basis...he's too good to sit. Brian has improved too but he is not the player Negedu is.
iowavol writes:
Everone on the team is improving. All phases are improving. Remember, we have a lot of young and first time playing together players. The defense, our weakest link for 2 months, we have seen the last 3 of 4 games has been awesome. Defense will when 4 of the next 6 games. Bring it all night long.
SFOrange writes:
3-3 rest of reg season = 19-11/10-6
1-1 SEC tourney = 20-12/11-7
0-1 NCAA tourney = 20-13 disappointment
allvol11 writes:
Great point on the free throws richvol, Williams has about the same chance of making 2 in a row as he does playing consistent for a couple games in row. Other than two career double doubles aganist smaller teams. I know it was Western Kentucky last year and one opponent this year he has showed nothing at any consistent basis. Again Chilly may have missed both three point attempts but he made both free throws and had 3 boards, it usually takes Williams about 40 minutes of PT to get 3 boards. I just think Chilly deserves a CHANCE!!!
pax_americana writes:
Dude,
Tennessee's strength of schedule, according to the rpi, is #3. It is further projected to remain at #3 through the end of the season.
Perhaps you missed the non-conference schedule which included games against Siena (rpi #29); Georgetown (rpi #37); Gonzaga (twice) (rpi #30); Marquette (rpi #24); Kansas (rpi #12); Memphis (rpi #8); and Temple (rpi #36).
I'm not sure which loser team you're a fan of, but unless it's Georgetown (#1 SOS, projected #2) or Virginia (#2 SOS, projected #1), then you should seriously consider how much of an idiot you sound like when posting nonsensical diatribes with no connection to reality whatsoever outside of your own daydreams.
Later loser.
volmattna writes:
I agree totally with what you say. Except i think i would play Woolridge instead of Tatum. I think Woolridge has more upside. Tatum just isnt playing good at all and has no confidence right now
Vol_Jokes writes:
If i'm a loser then you are an idiot. You just proved my point in trying to disagree with me. You just went a bit further in naming the teams I mentioned that you lost too. Of those good teams you named in your post you lost to 75% of them. As I said, you beat the easy teams and lost to the good teams. Marquette has proven to be your only quality win. I'll even give you georgetown. The others you lost. While you're naming siena why not throw in knoxville school for the blind. You'll lose Sat. because Kentucky is not bad and you have to play an away game. Vols playing a good team + not playing at home = loss.
Later idiot.
UTvols12342000 writes:
and you are smacked the f@ck down.
nice post pax-am
mocsandvolsfan writes:
With the exception of Williams I think you'll see less bench Saturday...may depend on how the bench does Wed. night.
mocsandvolsfan writes:
Very good analysis. Are you a coach? Doesn't matter.However I'm not sure it will work against Ky. We need to score every chance and play great defense on the road. We've got to keep Meeks out of the lane. Our guards need to overplay every pass. I'd like to see some steals by Maze and Hopson Sat....w/o fouling, Chism needs to draw the charge and rebound, Prince needs to help out on Meeks.
Which team will show up?
I'm nervous a little about Ole Miss. 'Hope we don't underestimate them.
steelers6rings writes:
Wow ! A home win over Georgia and a home win over Vanderbilt.. Wow ! Those two are well below average teams in a very MEDIOCRE conference. Ole Miss beats UT by 8... Kentucky beats UT by 17.... High hopes in the beginning... NIT bound in the end...
mocsandvolsfan writes:
Boring...UMEMPH (UM is in Missouri) Same old sameole.
What is Tiger dust anyway? I know I've never eaten any. "Jokester" and "IT is I"
Aren't you guys bored with your verbage on here? I know you're putting everyone else to sleep if they actually take the time to read your Boring post. Give up and write some real basketball post that aren't trying to build your own egos.
BORING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
mocsandvolsfan writes:
"you may be right...I may be crazy"
UKblue02 writes:
I see it like this, if we beat vandy, and i say if, and Tenn beats ole Miss, and i say if, then it will be a heck of a game Saturday. If one team wins this week and one loses then the loser will certainly have the most pressure on them to win, same thing if both teams lose this week, so lets hope for 2 winnners this week and a knock down drag out fight like old times between UK and Tenn. Saturday.
Vol_Jokes writes:
I've heard that cbs is having to redo their opening for the game Sat. with Tenn. You know how it usually opens and says "the road to the final 4". They've made a new one for that game and it says "the road to the nit".
UKblue02 writes:
Wow, you just caused me to get strangled on my Coke and spew it all over my computer when i read your post, what a horrible thought. LOL
johnlg00#206211 writes:
He's a PROFESSIONAL idiot. Just stand by and watch a master at work(;-P)!
givehim6 writes:
3 things: Old Miss end the loseing streak. UK shut down Meeks, the kittens got us at our house, return the favore. UF keep the swamp lizzards it there cage. GO VOLS!
johnlg00#206211 writes:
I've coached a bit. Mostly I've been addicted to bball for about 55 years now as a player, coach, and fan. It would be hard to BOTH keep Meeks out of the lane AND overplay the passes to the wings. Part of the problem with trying to deny on the wings is that, ironically, our length works against us. When our guys lean out to deny, they find it hard to recover if their man goes back-door; an example of that is the way JP leaps into three-point shooters--he takes off from 10 feet away and continues to drift on his leap. That wouldn't be SO bad if our help-side defense was better. The question about which team will show up is THE question for this whole season.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
No, it's progress(;-P)!
1974Vol writes:
This Vol team can play with anyone left on the regular season schedule if they bring their defensive intensity. That said I don't think they have anyone who can match up with Meeks. Hope CBP has something up his sleeve. Only idea I have is alternate Tabb and Prince chasing him around and let closest other defender help. Hold him to 30 and try to win a close one.
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