Photo by Associated Press
Kansas' Sherron Collins (4) gets past Tennessee's Scotty Hopson, left, and Tyler Smith, right, to put up a shot during the first half of the Jayhawks' 92-85 win Saturday in Lawrence, Kan.
A question of team toughness has been a recent hot topic among casual observers of Tennessee men's basketball.
Head coach Bruce Pearl is no casual observer - and he has the same question.
Pearl was asked at his Monday media luncheon if he was worried about the "toughness" of his 15th-ranked Vols.
"Yeah, absolutely," he said. "I've been worried about my team's toughness all season.
"It's certainly going to be tested and is being tested."
The latest test came Saturday at one of the toughest environments in the country to play - Phog Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kan.
Tennessee (9-3) responded by digging itself a huge hole early and then falling short in a late comeback attempt in a 92-85 loss to Kansas.
The slow starts have become a troublesome pattern. Toughness, especially in the area of making key defensive stops, is another.
"This team has been very, very accountable," Pearl said. "I think they realize that's an area we're being challenged in.
"Our lack of toughness has been exposed so obviously we're trying to step up. We're not denying it and we're not hiding behind it. We're clearly working on it."
So the Vols - owners of a 37-game home winning streak and defending SEC regular-season champions - aren't tough enough?
It seems strange since UT's only losses have come to then No. 9-ranked Gonzaga (83-74 on Nov. 30), at Temple (88-72 on Dec. 13) and to defending national champion Kansas.
Now, here comes the rematch with Gonzaga (8-4 with a three-game losing streak) at 9 p.m. Wednesday at Thompson-Boling Arena (TV: ESPN2).
Pearl wanted to make sure if fans are in the mood to start laying blame for any deficiencies or recent hardships, they stay away from placing it on UT's freshmen: Scotty Hopson, Renaldo Woodridge, Cameron Tatum and Emmanuel Negedu.
"If we're going to say, 'What's wrong? Why isn't it where it ought to be?' I would leave the freshmen out of it," Pearl said. "I think they've been about what we thought they would be.
"If you ask our team, it's about our returning guys. It's about their coach who has to step up."
In a way, Pearl may have created his own monster with high expectations, highly regarded recruiting classes and a Tennessee fan base hungry for more after back-to-back Sweet 16 berths.
"If you want to point fingers - and I'm willing to take the hit - point at me," he said. "And point at the guys coming back. I've been saying that all along."
Being back at sold-out Thompson-Boling Arena could be a cure to anything ailing the Vols.
Tennessee is 28-0 at home in non-conference games under Pearl.
"The crowd isn't going to defend for us or make shots for us, or show discipline at both ends of the floor, but it certainly can help," he said.
"I know on Wednesday night we're going to have a great homecourt advantage because this team needs it."
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Comments » 52
Cherokee writes:
Interesting. I would hope that Chism and Tyler could really help instill some toughness in this team. Brian Williams seems to play soft still, and the freshmen are fairly tentative IMO. JP Prince needs to get and stay healthy for this team to go very far in March.
cainclifton23 writes:
Helllz yea.
BRUUUUUCCEEE
Time to turn it around.
rbhobbs73#226545 writes:
Bruce can say not to blame it on the Freshmen, but if they are going to play the large amounts of minutes that they are playing...then they are subject to criticism if they play bad.
Now, I understand that Pearl wants us to understand that they are freshmen and I do, but their defense is horrible.
As for the returning players....Williams needs to get much more consistent, Prince needs to play better defense and stop shooting 3s until he can make them more conistently and Josh Tabb needs to spend more time on the bench, but unfortunately we are thin at guard. Negedu needs to play more minutes, even at someone else's expense if need be...Just my opinion.
I believe in CBP and I believe we will get this corrected!!!
CoverOrange writes:
Agree with hobbs73. Tyler is about where he was last year and Chism is trying much harder than last year. Asking Tatum and Hopson to replace Lofton and Jujuan was a bit much to expect. Maze has been better than Ramar was but not amazingly so.
We've gone from small and quick to long and slow.
vtvol#210290 writes:
Saturday's game at Kansas looked too much like "street thug-ball" instead of the "controlled-chaos" BasketVols we all remember from a year ago. Instead of passing the ball out from under goal when well guarded, the Vols threw up some of the worst shots to date (the ones that weren't blocked on the way up, that is). They stood in awe as they watched Kansas ballers slash from the top of the key to easy slams and lay-ups. In additon, nobody exhibited the strength to hold onto passes or rebounds, offensive or defensive. These are all correctable mistakes but Pearl needs to instill the discipline the made last year's team SEC champs.
Orangeblood13 writes:
less Hopson, more Woolridge
Less Williams more Negadu
Maze needs to look to drive and no parkinlot 3's from Chism
Tatum needs more plays and everyone needs to D up not down
guard Pargo and go Vols!
volwalk writes:
Pearl, we love you but say what you will--unless our freshman wings/guards don't d it up and stop turning it over after we cause a turnover, this team will continue to struggle. With that said, I like the stance of Pearl protecting his freshman and believe that he is giving them all they can handle in practice. Bruce and staff will fix it and this team will be ready come tournament time.
GO VOLS!
CoverOrange writes:
At least they don't spend any time on their hair like Calathes.
ncvol writes:
Hope our men are playing their best and give UT a win against Gonzaga. Can we get a little more defense? Go Vols!
LiveFaith writes:
Very good perspective on a youthful 9-3 team. They about exactly where Pearl described b4 the season. Expectations of some here are outlandish. Rank this team at NCAA tourney time and not until.
blitzshoot writes:
no
wyomingvol writes:
Just don't win 20+ for 12 years and then have 2 sub /500 seasons in your final last 4 years.
GR82BAVOL writes:
You hit the nail on the head vtvol!
I think this team has to be more structured until they learn "controlled chaos", then he can cut em loose. That dange "hybrid" press is killing them to. They either need to committ to it or get back on D.
I admire Pearl for including himself in the problem. We've lost to some good teams, but I think he knows they're better than they've showed in those losses, and even in a few of the wins.
I didn't put alot of stock in this years team...they're awfully young, but I can see where other fans have higher expectations because at times they show signs of greatness.
BigOrangeVol writes:
If we can't out-talent our opponent we won't win, period. No decent shooters on the perimeter, no Defense at all and I'm sorry but Prince is a waste on the floor.
The #4 Point Guard in the nation coming out of White Station? REALLY??? Gee I wonder why he only averaged 12 minutes for Lute at 'zona? BMaze, Tatum and Hops are much more productive.
J.P. had his normal 20 minutes Saturday: Fouled-out; had 2 turnovers; scored 5 points; grabbed 6 boards; 3 assists and 2 steals.
Last years his average was 19 minutes; 2 turnovers; 8 points; 3 rebounds; 2 assists and 1 steal per game.
At AZ he averaged 12 minutes; 1 turnover; 2 points; 2 rebounds; 2 assists and less than one steal a game.
Let the Freshmen have his minutes to improve their games if he can't improve his.
BigOrangeVol writes:
And the excuse for the last two years is....???
I'm not talking season totals. These are averages for minutes played.
If I ever see him have good games back to back rather than one per month, which has been his career M.O., then I'll cut him some slack.
I like J.P. and I want him to succeed but it just ain't happnin' and I've been told that his work ethic in practice and in rehab is "lacking". If that is true then it explains everything.
chrisw2967 writes:
you have it all figured out huh ? pearl needs to consult with you ?
NOT
harvo12#250673 writes:
No kidding. It's not easy to fight through injuries the whole time you're in school. This of course, coming from someone who did it himself. JP is a stud, and I can't wait to get the guy healthy. BP said that JP wasn't 100%, but if Bruce think that he can still contribute, I'm not gonna question his judgement. He knows what he's doing.
87UTVOL writes:
JP is fine with me. A lot of players didn't have a good game last Saturday. Chism is more on than off. Smith is pretty consistent, but can't carry the lack of strong guard play.
Speaking of guard play, seems to me Tatum makes more outside shots than his counterparts, yet gets far less minutes.
volnknox writes:
I went to the ut vs. florida game two seasons ago, when florida was ranked #1, it was at thompson boling the crowd was electric. We cheered and yelled the whole game and the outcome we won- so those of you attending wed. night lets give the team what they need the whole game!!!!!! make it a electric
RCanaMoonPie writes:
You know, there is always a silver lining....
With the way we are playing this year, Bruce Pearl will no longer be a hot item and we won't have to worry about him jumping ship.
You know UT-Battelle's motto: We're all in one ship and we shoot deserters.
pupvol writes:
I think these players feel they are talented enough to just out score everybody and they"re not. coach Pearl has always had teams that knew they had to work hard to win and they did. maybe you have to coach talented players different, I don"t know, just a thought.
jimr07 writes:
you should know what a dork looks like. look in the mirror.
jimr07 writes:
wow, another coach. have you told bruce what to do?
Ironcity writes:
I love JP's game. The only things I see that he needs to improve on would be his finish in traffic (and that could be said for everyone on this team) and his decision making. JP sometimes traps himself.
I agree with others when they mention the injuries really holding JP back. He and Tyler right now are the only two guys willing to take their defender off the dribble.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
Good points, especially about getting Negedu more minutes. I'm really pulling for BW, but if he can't understand yet how much more we need from him, maybe he should sit for awhile. At least we know that the E-Man will scrap all the time and he may well be our best free-throw shooter right now.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
Definitely agree that defending Pargo will be a key in the game Wednesday. He didn't really go off on us in Orlando, but he will probably try to pick it up now that they are struggling. Worse still, our perimeter guys can't expect a whole lot of help with Pargo with all the power the Zags have inside. It will take the best game we have played all year to keep that nice home-court winning streak alive.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
Thank you! I have been saying that all year. Good defenders don't just react, they dictate! They shape the floor by always shading toward the spots on the floor the offensive players want to get to. Constantly show yourself in the gaps and you automatically cut down on penetration. And for goodness sakes, KEEP YOUR HANDS UP AND MOVING!!! I can't STAND the way so many players these days think they are playing defense when their hands are always at their knees!
Surfingvol writes:
You are an absolute tool, and the reason why EVERYONE outside of Gainsville hates the gators, and why there is an actual anti-gator website. Is your life that sad that you have nothing to do but browse rival teams web sites. Get a life, and speaking of dorky have you ever seen Nick Calathes?
johnlg00#206211 writes:
But you aren't saying defense ISN'T about anticipation, you are saying to anticipate intelligently. It is precisely that lack of true knowledge about how to play defense that Banned was talking about. Besides, jumping in front of a player driving down the lane is, IMHO, infinitely preferable to standing by and watching him go--or worse yet, not seeming to realize he is going until he is slamming it--which is what we have been doing way too much of!
alwaysorange81 writes:
I keep hearing "get it fixed" or "Bruce can fix it" and I ask. Fix What!? Its already been fixed. Or do some of us not remember the long hard slog through Feb. and March with nothing to watch but the N.I.T. The lady's were exciting but expected. BB recruiting was only news so you could get a laugh in about the new 6'1" power foward coming to UT. There hadnt been a reason to watch mens BB for decades until Bruce walked in with his players through the crowd to beat Kentucky and Florida and actually go to the NCAA tourney. So we start 3 Frosh, they're a little weak, and Scotty H isnt one n done like he thought he was. But this program has been RESURRECTED and I for one am loving every heart pumping, nail biting, slam dunking second of it.
mloaks#222092 writes:
they will be fine. SEC is weak, but this is a rebuilding year; if Tyler had jumped, it'd be more so. they aint playin patsies!
bhjohnso#207063 writes:
I'd say Joakim Noah played alright. He definitely looked like a dork. Maybe that's why CJ Watson did some free dental work on him.
Volumni writes:
My sons and I went to Cameron Indoor to see Duke and Va Tech play Sunday. After watching Tennessee mail it in against Kansas, it was amazing watching Duke, which had a rep for being soft in recent years, play the most physical game I've seen all year. Va Tech is all big strong athletes, no finesse in the playbook. Duke gave them their own game in spades. They contested every shot, looked for the open man, made very few mistakes, and just played very smart, physical basketball.
Tennessee is better athletically than Duke. My sons both thought coming in that we would say "Duke couldn't hang with the Vols". We didn't. We all agreed that Duke plays several levels higher than the Vols, mostly from an effort standpoint. We also agreed that VA Tech, with the thug mentality, and jacking up shots indiscriminantly, resembled Tennessee more.
I think Pearl can turn us around, but we are seriously lacking in leadership and simple, blue collar, hard work. It isn't toughness, it's effort. We have a lazy team, and we need to temper our expectations for this season. We will be a .500 team on the road. I would love to see more Negadu, who obviously wants to play inside, Tatum, and Woolridge, who seems more mature than Maze and Hopson.
richvol writes:
If coach recognizes the lack of toughness,and I'm sure he does more than we do,then play Negedu. He is the strongest and most physical player we have had in a long time. If you play him with Tyler and Chism then we have three guys on the floor that will fight for rebounds and can dictate.
Intensity is what is lacking and if Chism is playing well then those three could really change the toughness of this team. There is no doubt that Hopson,Woolridge and Tatum have talent...that was never the issue. It's about being willing to look a like you are having to work your butt off to get the job done and I don't see that from these guys.
I admire coach for shouldering the blame...at least pubicly but those guys play too passively and should ride the pine until they show some real hustle. That's got nothing to do with being a freshman.
Put Negedu in and let him get better...
Volumni writes:
Agreed! Freshman need to play hard too!
askUncleMaze writes:
Hello....
Did you see the last game? Pargo did not score until the 2nd half... I think B.Maze should get the same amount of time as T.Smith... You can lead the team from the Bench....
THE_VOL writes:
Just waiting for MARCY_ASH to come back on here and tell us what an IMPACT player B.Williams is. LMFAO!!!!
It's real simple. You can talk about toughness, experience, or any other cliche excuse you want. But the bottom line is - and I've been preaching it since PRE-season and gotten alot of BS for it - until guys DECIDE to play solid individual and team defense like their life depends on it, this group will struggle. Can't talk about it. Can't hope for it. Can't even pray for it. Just gotta go out and DO IT!!! The Rocky Top League is over fellas.
overatedvols writes:
While the vols will be playing a struggling 3 straight loss, fallen from the top 25, Gonzaga team, Memphis will open conference play tommorrow night against the mighty thundering herd of Marshall. Going to be a grueling conference schedule this year but I believe Memphis will survive it. Wish we had a slumping Gonzaga at home next but we get them a bit later when i'm sure they are playing well again and we play them at their place. In the meantime we'll take on a very tough Marshall team. I'm confident the vols won't let a team beat them 2 times within a month when that team has lost it's last 3. Not with that long home winning streak at risk.
alwaysorange81 writes:
Off topic but Ive seen it posted several times and just have to ask. Why is it if you have tattoos and dark skin and like to celebrate and chest bump your a thug? I dislike "thug life" as a lifestyle as much as the next guy but these kids are college students. It says more about the University that admits "thugs" than it does the kids. Sorry they're not "blue collar" (more code words) enough. But if they go deep in the NCAA will they still be "lazy" disinterested "thugs"? No then they'll be UT boys.
rbhobbs73#226545 writes:
Uncle Maze,
I believe that Pearl is resting Bobby Maze on purpose during the pre-conference schedule in order to save his legs for the conference schedule and post season. He has done this in the past. Chris Lofton started every game and exited almost every game at about the 16 minute mark for a peiod of several minutes. So, not arguing with you, just explaining.
CBP knows that he has NO point guard depth behind Maze and he knows he will need every ounce of energy Bobby will be able to muster during the conference season.
I believe that we will see the bench shortened and Bobby's minutes rise dramatically in the coming week or 2.
I remember in CBP's first year at UT, he had no point guard depth and CJ Watson would play 38 minutes per game during the conference part of the schedule.
I could be wrong, but I think you will see his minutes increase naturally. I think Pearl expects a lot out of Maze and is simply pushing him. Like QBs...they get most of the credit with wins and most of the criticism with the losses, it is part of being a PG. I believe Bobby will be fine and play well.
Vol_Stuck_in_Florida writes:
Shot selection! Shot selection! Shot selection! It is fine to jack 25 3's a game if you are going to make 10 of them, like it was with Lofton and JuJuan, but that is just not the case this year. Make more passes and take better shots boys!
jasonn1970 writes:
TBA and a better defensive effort will cure the Vols woes. Gonzaga will be #38.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
Well said! If that is what CBP is doing, it is excellent strategy BOTH to save his energy for the rest of the season AND to prod greater productivity out of him when he IS on the floor. We will only reach our full potential as a team if we tighten up our defense and get more consistency in our offense. Both of those start with the PG and B.Maze is THE GUY right now. He calls himself "The Solution"; I surely hope he is.
Govols2012 writes:
Has any one of you looked at the top 25, i think thats messed up ESPN obviously hates us no matter what here. Heck we could beat Duke at Durham and we'd possibly move up two positions thats it in the ESPN, AP we'd move up 5-10 though.
This week's ranks
ESPN~ 25th
AP~ 15th
johnlg00#206211 writes:
The ESPN poll is a coaches' poll. We already know that lots of coaches don't like CBP, in part because of his tactics in combating what he thought was sleazy recruiting at the U. of Illinois while he was an assistant at Iowa and in part because he resurrected a moribund UT program virtually overnight. Good thing basketball championships are decided on the floor and not by polls.
murrayvol writes:
pearlsvols
I sometimes have issues w/ESPN & their poll but I honestly don't believe we're the 15th best team in the country right now. Hopefully by March I'll be singing a different tune.
Our shortcomings have been stated at length by previous posters. Pearl's task is to fix or at least mitigate them and it won't be easy. I wish him luck.
crappieking writes:
The 10 spot difference is the stupid head bands that the coaches/espn poll can't stand. I agree, they look really bad. That's why Lofton never wore one.
BigOrangeVol writes:
"Going to be a grueling conference schedule this year but I believe Memphis will survive it."
Bwahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah!!!
I swear I almost had a coronary from laughing so hard when I read that!
bleed_orange writes:
Tyler, Wayne, JP, Josh, Brian and even Cameron have been around long enough to know what kind of effort on defense CBP wants and should lead by example for the Freshman. Wayne & Brian both needs to get at least 10pt & 5 RB (if not more)each in every game. Josh needs to be more like at least 5pt,2 or 3 ast and 1 or 2 stl every game. Cameron also needs to be scoring more as well. Bobby & Scotty should be looking for their shots as well. However, I believe if everybody turns up the heat on D the points will come on offensive side. The big thing that I have seen is that they do not play hard on every play. This is a must in SEC play. I feel like TN might really have problems on the road if they do not play hard for 40 minutes. So, we the fans have to turn out big at least for the home games and make alot of noise. I'LL BE THERE TOMORROW. BEAT THE ZAGS! GO VOLS!
samjrr writes:
Negedu is the toughest on the team. He needs more minutes.
He also can hit the free ones.
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