Strange: Vols, Bulldogs have recruited same ground

Barry Stewart learned to stroke the 3-pointer in Shelbyville, Tenn. Tyler Smith was almost a neighbor over in Pulaski.

Jarvis Varnado made a name for himself swatting shots at Haywood High School in Brownsville in far West Tennessee. A few of his more emphatic rejections might have landed in nearby Bolivar, where Wayne Chism was playing.

Stewart and Varnado will be wearing Mississippi State maroon tonight at Thompson-Boling Arena. Smith and Chism will be clad in Tennessee white.

So will their teammate, Scotty Hopson, who once figured to be a teammate of Stewart and Varnado.

The Vols may have lost the in-state kids to State but they won the battle for the kid from Hopkinsville, Ky.

Hopson was once committed to the Bulldogs. Tonight, he’s a Vol, trying to help Tennessee beat the Bulldogs in a game both need for NCAA tournament consideration.

“He’s a terrific talent,’’ said Mississippi State coach Rick Stansbury.

Asked to further evaluate Hopson’s freshman season, Stansbury declined:

“He’s had a good year for them, but I’m sure Bruce (Pearl) could answer that a lot better than I can.’’

Hopson and Stansbury have declared this week that no hard feelings exist from the recruitment gone sour. Good.

Hopson committed to the Bulldogs in 2007, but didn’t sign in the early period. He instead re-opened his recruitment and eventually signed with the Vols last April 24.

Meanwhile, Stewart and Varnado have done well for themselves south of the border. Pearl has said he tried to interest both in Tennessee when he first arrived but didn’t get far.

Assist-ance Needed: Bobby Maze didn’t have an assist last week in either of Tennessee’s losses at Ole Miss and Kentucky. That’s not a good stat for a point guard.

Maze has six games this season in which he’s had at least five assists and the Vols are 6-0 in those games. Four of them, however, came by mid-December, only two since.

For the sake of comparison, the maligned Ramar Smith had nine games of at least five assists last season.

J.P. Prince has been the assist originator of late and also has six games of at least five assists.

Last season, Tyler Smith had 12 games of at least five assists, validating the point-forward position. This year he has five.

No Hollow Threat: Ole Miss forward Murphy Holloway didn’t single out the Vols for abuse last week. He’s put together three consecutive double-doubles and was rewarded as SEC freshman of the week.

Holloway pounded the Vols for 18 points, 13 rebounds, then got 12/10 against Georgia. He warmed up with 13/11 against LSU on Feb. 14.

“When dealing with young guys,’’ said coach Andy Kennedy, “there’s been a couple of hurdles.

“Getting them to understand they’re going to be on the floor at crunch time and then that they’re going to have to make the plays that determine the game.

“He’s gotten much more comfortable in his role.’’

Hoops Background Helpful: But not necessary. That’s the way the classified ad apparently read for the NCAA tournament selection committee.

A topic of discussion on Monday’s SEC teleconference was that only four of the 10 Selection Committee members come from basketball backgrounds.

One of the ones who does not is the chairman, SEC commissioner Mike Slive.

None of the SEC coaches questioned Monday seemed terribly upset, although Auburn’s Jeff Lebo did say this:

“It’s vital to have coached or have played or studied the game. . . . Sometimes we just look at numbers and don’t have a good feel for having been through it.’’

Honors Watch: Paul “Lefty” Walther, recently named to UT’s All-Century team, will represent the program at the SEC tournament as Tennessee’s “Legend.” Other headliners in this year’s Chick-fil-A Legends class are Scotty Thurman of Arkansas, Louie Dampier of Kentucky and Phil Cox of Vanderbilt. . . . The Naismith Trophy’s 30-man mid-season list came out Tuesday. It includes three SEC players: Jodie Meeks of Kentucky, Devan Downey of South Carolina and Nick Calathes of Florida. . . . UT’s Smith was on the preseason Naismith watch but has dropped off. He survived the mid-season cut for the Wooden Award.

Mike Strange may be reached at 865-342-6276 or strangem@knoxnews.com.