Pennington: Even good programs have bad seasons

Did you see what Florida coach Billy Donovan said about his program last week?

“For these guys (his current team) to win 20 games is a great accomplishment for them because the team that I inherited my first two years had two losing seasons.

“These kids have done a pretty good job, considering our program got really wiped out and decimated with (Joakim) Noah, (Al) Horford, (Corey) Brewer, (Taurean) Green, (Chris) Richard and the whole allotment leaving.”

Win a couple of back-to-back national championships and folks aren’t satisfied with 20 wins against a cake schedule or with a bid to the NIT, which the Gators settled for last year.

Fans forget where they came from, which in Donovan’s case, was two losing seasons in his first two years.

So why am I spending a couple of paragraphs talking about Florida basketball? Because, to misquote Neil Diamond, except for the names and a few other changes if you talk about Tennessee, the story’s the same one.

And that’s the first of four thoughts I have about this year’s Vol basketball team.

1. Staying on top is not a birthright.

There are people who believe Bruce Pearl can’t win without Buzz Peterson’s players. They feel that it’s evident that he can’t coach very well, after all.

Those people, frankly, are dullards . . . as I’ve written before. You don’t win nearly 80 percent of your career games at three different levels of basketball without knowing what you’re doing.

But that doesn’t mean the Vols are going to finish in the Top 10 every year, either. While it may seem that certain teams are always on top, there’s a lot more volatility than you might think.

For example, do you know how many of the current AP Top 10 teams finished in the Top 10 in 2007-2008 and 2006-2007 and 2005-2006?

North Carolina and Memphis. Not Kansas, not Duke, not UCLA. Not Florida and certainly not Kentucky.

Carolina is the premier basketball school in the country and Memphis literally plays in a one-team league.

So the lesson is this: pay attention to the ups and downs of programs across the country. If you do that, you’ll not be as angry when Tennessee suffers through a disappointing season or two. Because every program will. Even programs that win back-to-back national titles like Donovan’s.

2. This team misses Duke Crews and Ramar Smith.

Pearl has spoken of his team’s year-long lack of toughness, both physically and mentally. This collection of Vols simply can’t be counted on to fight to the death night after night.

Just when they lure you into thinking they’re toughening up, they flop at Ole Miss.

Ramar Smith and Duke Crews are to blame for part of this year’s problems. They didn’t take care of business off the court and they were booted from the squad.

While they might not have been All-America talents, they would’ve been willing to take a charge, something some of Pearl’s freshmen have tried to avoid this year.

3. The offense looks ugly, but it’s the defense that’s cost the Vols.

Let me put this in real simple terms: Pearl’s system is based off of pressure defense and stolen possessions. The more possessions, the more lay-ups and the more wild-hair shots the better. Shot selection doesn’t matter when you get 10 to 15 extra shots a game.

Without those turnovers and those extra possessions, the offense struggles. Especially with a woeful lack of outside shooters.

But while the offense has been a pain to watch at times, the fact that Pearl has had to abandon his pressure style has been the real issue with this team. With just a tad better defense, the Vols might have beaten LSU (79 points allowed) and Auburn (78 points allowed).

And everyone would have a much better feeling about this season so far.

4. This team is not too long and lean to press.

Every coach in America wants tall, muscular defenders. While Pearl has used his team’s size as an excuse, probably trying to protect his young team’s psyche, if he didn’t think tall guys could press he wouldn’t have signed so many of them.

In fact, going into the season, all prognostications centered around the Vols’ expected ability to fill up passing lanes with their height and long wingspans.

I asked Don DeVoe if a team could be too long and lean to play good defense. “If people believe that, they’re dumber than I think.”

Exactly.

This team doesn’t like to play defense. This team isn’t smart enough yet to play good defense. But too long and lean? Sorry, I’m not buying that.

You might remember a certain Arkansas team that pressed their way to a national title in 1994. Those “Forty Minutes of Hell” Hogs stood 6-foot-2, 6-4, 6-6, 6-7 and 6-9.

When Bobby Maze, Scotty Hopson, JP Prince, Tyler Smith and Wayne Chism are on the floor, the Vols’ heights are 6-2, 6-7, 6-7, 6-7 and 6-9.

Hopson is three inches taller than Clint McDaniel was for the Razorbacks. Aside from that, it’s a push.

“Heart and brain” have been the issue with UT’s defense this year, not height and muscle.

John Pennington hosts the Hall’s Salvage Sports Source on Sunday at 11 a.m. on WATE.

© 2009, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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