Smith (bone bruise in knee) doubtful against Georgia

Tennessee junior forward Tyler Smith is “doubtful” for Saturday’s game at Georgia, according to UT men’s basketball coach Bruce Pearl.

Smith, who is averaging 17.2 points per game, suffered a severe bone bruise in his left knee when Gonzaga’s Matt Bouldin inadvertently rolled into his leg in the final minutes of regulation in the Zags’ overtime victory late Wednesday night.

“Tyler is doubtful with his knee, so that will present us with an even greater challenge,’’ said Pearl, whose 15th-ranked Vols (9-4) have lost two straight heading into Saturday’s noon tipoff (TV: WVLT).

“We’ve gone down there and played great basketball, and each time barely got out of there with a win,’’ Pearl said. “Georgia has the deepest and biggest front line in the league.’’

Pearl said that with Smith out, he’ll start Wayne Chism at power forward and Brian Williams or Emmanuel Negedu at the post against Georgia (9-6).

It’s a bigger lineup for the Vols, but with the Bulldogs featuring 6-foot-9 Trey Thompkins at power forward, a bigger challenge.

“Thompkins was a McDonald’s All-American, and he’s a (future) pro,’’ Pearl said. “In Georgia’s last two games, they lost to Georgia Tech and Missouri, but they’ve been playing better basketball.’’

Chism, who has faced his share of big-name front line players, will most assuredly draw the defensive assignment of checking Thompkins

That leaves Williams and Negedu to battle Georgia’s physical center, 6-10 junior Albert Jackson, under the basket.

Pearl said he’s not sure how the Bulldogs will match up with the Vols.

“If Tyler was playing, I’d expect them to play zone,’’ Pearl said. “But without Tyler, they might come after us in man (-to-man defense).

Pearl said if the Vols run into foul trouble on the front line, senior Ryan Childress could see his first action of the season.

Childress suffered a knee injury last spring and didn’t get cleared to play until the Gonzaga game, though he saw no action.

Despite the losses on the court, the possible loss of Smith for this game and J.P. Prince (ankle) still less than 100 percent, Pearl said he feels good about his young team’s recent improvements.

“There are some things we can do that can be effective,’’ Pearl said. “This team has seen a lot of things already this season. Georgia plays a 1-3-1 zone, as well as the 2-3, and we’ve seen all that.

“I think we played better (against Gonzaga) and did a lot of good things.’’

UT started out as a nine-point favorite in Las Vegas, but the line has dropped to 7.5, and that was before Pearl announced Smith is doubtful for the game.

© 2009, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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