Tennessee Men's Basketball
Kentucky guard Jodie Meeks was virtually unstoppable, setting the Wildcats’ and the Thompson-Boling Arena scoring record with 54 points as the Big Blue rolled.
Kentucky (13-4, 2-0 SEC) scored a 90-72 victory over No. 24 Tennessee (10-5, 1-1) Tuesday night to claim early-season SEC East Division superiority.
Former LSU standout Chris Jackson held the previous arena record, scoring 49 points on the Vols on Feb. 10, 1990, two years after UT moved into the spacious facility. Dan Issel had the previous Kentucky scoring record with 53 points on Feb. 7, 1970, against Ole Miss.
Many of the 20,474 in attendance had filed out by the time Meeks put the finishing touches on his masterpiece.
The 6-foot-4 sharpshooter, whose previous career-high was 46 points earlier this season against Appalachian State, was 15-of-22 shooting from the field, 10-of-15 beyond the 3-point arc and a perfect 14 of 14 from the free throw line.
“After I hit four or five threes in the first half, my confidence got bigger,’’ said Meeks, who surpassed his scoring averaged of 24.2 points by halftime with 26. “I was just trying to do everything I could to help us win the game.’’
Tyler Smith led UT with 19 points, and Wayne Chism had 18 points and nine rebounds.
UT coach Bruce Pearl said he tried a variety of defenders on Meeks.
“He (Meeks) did anything he wanted to do out there,’’ Pearl said. “We wanted to deny him the ball and put so much ball pressure on him that he had to go to the rim. He did that the first play of the game, but he didn’t have to do that after that.
“Defensively we tried to guard him as a team. None of our guards could guard him.’’
UT battled back from 16 down in the second half to close to within 71-64 on Chism’s three-point play with 6:52 left.
But the Vols missed an opportunity to cut further into the lead after forcing a turnover when Chism missed a 3-pointer from the corner.
Meeks came back down court to drill a 3-pointer that made it 74-64 with 5:25 left. Then Meeks hit another 3-pointer on the Wildcats’ next possession, and then he hit three free throws the next time down, giving him 51 points and Kentucky a 80-64 lead with 4:11 left.
It’s the Vols’ first SEC home loss since Kentucky scored an 80-78 win here on March 1, 2006, and it’s the first time Pearl has lost an SEC home opener in his four years with the program.
Kentucky held a 41-37 lead at halftime, and it would have been worse had Smith not erupted for nine points in the final 2:19.
Smith, who was 5-of-14 shooting with two rebounds in the game, didn’t score until he hit a trey at the 6:20 mark to pull UT within 29-26.
Meeks answered with a trey to spark a 10-2 run that he also capped with a three-point play to give the Wildcats their largest lead of the half at 39-28.
Smith got busy with his nine-point burst while Meeks — who else — scored on a pair of free throws to finish UK’s first half scoring.
The Vols return to action at 6 p.m. Saturday when they play host to South Carolina.
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
Comments » 295
bls8617#370509 writes:
Yeah, Jodie Meeks put them on butt duty tonight.
surfmaster writes:
Dang.
Runningangry writes:
Sad.
volfan8 writes:
We look terrible....
Goals for remainder of season:
-Beat Memphis
-Not finish last in the SEC East
We do not look good
rockytop#413695 writes:
Greatest shooting performance I have ever seen! Not much we could do about that. One man beat us. If we could have defended him we would have won easily.
bmaples writes:
After this game, this team has to decide whether it wants to be a group of talented individuals, or become a team.
As I noted in an earlier comment:
This, tonight, is a crisis -- in the New Testament Greek meaning of the word: "opportunity." This team will either have a recommitment meeting, a la the Lady Vols two years ago ... or they will fade slowly to a disappointing season, albeit with some individual, random successes.
Here's hoping that there are anger and tears in the Big Orange locker room tonight. And a players-only meeting in the next few days.
Bruce in Louisville
Go4Two writes:
The game of basketball is still won by the team that scores the most points. We just don't have a shooter.
Runningangry writes:
Or a defense it seems.
BigVolinCarolina writes:
Meeks was out of this world tonight--from anywhere on the floor!
Apparently, other players have their best night against us. Tonight's game marked the 6th time this year that an opposing player has scored his career high against Tennessee.
Defense, please.
harvo12#250673 writes:
you're a moron... you coach a team that has someone score 54 and see if you win..or come close...when someone scores that much it affects the whole way the game is played. It affects the attention of the defense, the flow of the game, and definitely, the thought process on offense. When someone matches every one of your shots, it's pretty deflating. This team will be all right. I wish everyone would save their comments on how bad this team is.
bmaples writes:
I disagree. Offense sells tickets, defense wins games, stops-on-demand wins championships. (Said by Tracey Dales before the Lady Vols last NC.)
If we had stopped, or even slowed, Meeks, we would have won.
Defense is heart and hustle. You can have that any time, with or without a shooter on your team.
jhayes1911 writes:
I agree with you Rockytop, best college performance I've ever seen! The players were watching instead of playing!
cornnut311 writes:
Ha ha! Chism just said that the Vols played good defense... That should say it all.
austinvols90194 writes:
wow this team sucks
w/e scotty hopson was as a recruit take a star off how he plays defense
utfanatic813 writes:
that hurt.
Timed_vol (Inactive) writes:
Just like with the stock market: I'm coming around to the fact that it's going to be a long, bad season....
-football vols: sucked
-men's basketball: bad
-lady vols: medium bad
-Atlanta Braves: horrible
Pretty tough time to be a Vol fan....as the announcer said tonihgt, last season we had guys who HATED getting beat one-v-one. This season...it's not there.
ETNTigerFan writes:
WOW! That's all I can say! Incredible performance by Meeks tonight. Congrats TN fans, you just watched Kentucky basketball history.
chrisw2967 writes:
This team has no chemistry or hustle at all and Im not knocking Hopson or anything but we dont have to worry about him being 1 and done.there is no leaders on this team.
I know they are young but thats not an excuse anymore.
something happened to this team after they beat Georgetown.
maybe we can get an actual shooter here next year
TBone5 writes:
Guys let me tell all of you something if we do not come up with a defense it is going to be like this all year long!!! Jodie Meeks is a mediocre player that's right i said that!!!
UT has too many LAZY guys that don't want to play defense!!!! All they care about is scoring. Josh Tabb is not a point guard so quit putting him to play the Guard posistion!!!!!
utvols1 writes:
Mike speaks the truth. This team has no speed guards and no consistant 3 point shooters. Really miss Chris this year.
stevefrommemphis writes:
Before you Kentuckys start -- East Tennesseans are in no mood to listen to it today. In the last twelve hours, we've had a lying, uneducated, turncoat, so-called Republican, disgrace to East Tennessee, accept the position as puppet Speaker of the House to allow a Democrat tyrant to retain control -- and now we have to watch one Kentucky guard singlehandedly win at Knoxville. We don't want to hear it today - maybe tomorrow or next week.
jephsteph writes:
This team, if it makes the big dance, looks like a one-and-done team this year. Anything past the 2nd round would be surprising.
lastlap writes:
As bad as we looked we're still are in the game. Down 7 with the ball. Patterson with 4 fouls, and Chism bounces outside to shoot a 3. Shot clock was running down but TN should have took it to Patterson come Hell or highwater. Chism can hit a 3 every now and then but in crunch time he needs to do what he does bes. POST UP. He out played Patterson tonight but he along with a few others need to quit jacking 3's. TN also has to many soft players.
harvo12#250673 writes:
Defense is heart and hustle? this isn't a disney movie. have you ever played a sport? You have to be a smart defender along with heart and hustle. You still have to be good if you're going to play d-1. If it was all about heart and hustle then Tanner Wild would be getting minutes right now.
cobbwebb writes:
i just watched the greatest individual performance ive ever witnessed! give meeks credit, he was lights out tonight! wow! that one hurt fellas, agree with previous comments, this team better take a good long look in the mirror! i just dont see the heart from some of our players, that we have seen in the past couple years! wow!
govols26 writes:
That was pathetic. If I were a Tennessee player, I would be disgusted with myself right now. Not only did you just let one guy beat you into submission by scoring over half a century, the guy plays for kentucky! That was a truly humiliating peformance on a nationally televised stage...way to show superiority in the SEC...
VolGraduate writes:
Good coaching tonight pearl...doing less with more
ZWVol11 writes:
We seem to look dumbfounded by Zone defenses. We don't attack the weakest part of them (the middle). Also, we seem to let players go off for career highs every game. Here's a list of a few that have just torn us a new one when we've player them:
Marq. - Wesley Matthews 30 pts
Temp. - Dionte Christmas 35 pts
Kansas had 2 guys beat us Cole Aldrich has 22 and Sherron Collins had 26
It's all about defense we can't attack them or play great on the ball defense
highVOLtage writes:
Meeks just made another 3 pointer....
bobbarbilly writes:
This team may not be ready for big time basketball but they would dominate a lot of playgrounds.
wittenfaninky writes:
I don't see this thing turning around anytime soon with this group. Absolutely no threat on the inside, except for Chism. When we do get in position to attack inside the players seem too weak to get the ball to the basket.
B. Williams just isn't going to cut it. Chism has definitely improved on the inside, but he needs some help. Tyler is just wild this year. Trying to push thing too much.
Bruce better have some 6'10" or 6'11" athletic players on his recruiting list this year. Next should be a point guard that can control the floor and tempo of the game and who can hit a wide open 10-12 ft jump shot.
I think it's going to be a painfully long year, but I hope I am wrong.
harvo12#250673 writes:
Jodie Meeks is the 5th leading scorer in the nation. He hit 10 3's on TN, 9 on Appy State, 8 on Tn State. He can shoot. Mediocre is not a word for someone avg. 24 points...sorry.
Runningangry writes:
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville was founded in 1794.
University of Texas at Austin — Established: 1883
UT was established 89 years before UTexas...Need I remind you that there wouldn't even be Texas without the Tennessee Volunteers in the Spanish-American war. Please eat a bowl of stfu.
chrisw2967 writes:
you say it affects the attention of the defense?
what defense are you talking about ? they dont play defense incase you havent noticed.the reason people are posting on how bad this team is ,its because they are bad,they are not as good as they think they are or what you think they are.
TBone5 writes:
I would play the 5 guys on that team that i thought wanted to win i would start Williams,Chism,Smith,Maze,Tatum and let the othe so called "HIGH SCHOOL PHENOMS" watch and i would play all 5 of them the whole game who cares about getting tired your a damn kid for god sakes get over it!!!!!
overatedvols writes:
It hurts so bad. I know I won't sleep again tonight. I can't stop crying. Our vols are not good and I must face reality.
MrBamSeydu writes:
You can call me a fair-weather fan all you want...
This was just pathetic. If that had been Michael Jordan in his prime I might accept it, but as good as Jody Meeks is.... he isn't 54 points good on our home floor.
A team earlier this season held Stephen Curry to 0 points the entire game by doubling him every play. Davidson still won, but the game was closer than it should've been. We should've doubled Meeks after the halfcourt stripe every play and switched off screens with another player.
Brian Williams is clumsy and a foul show.
Scotty Hopson can forget the NBA for at least 3 years.
Tyler Smith isn't Tyler Smith without Lofton and J. Smith.
Cam Tatum is the most inconsistent player on the team.
Bobby Maze needs to start playing more run and shoot, we are NOT a half-court team (on either end).
Josh Tabb is playing like a true freshman.
Wayne Chism is our best player, but should limit himself to one 3/game no matter what.
Emmanuel Negedu needs more minutes.
Renaldo Woolridge needs less minutes.
JP Prince needs this coming offseason to get his bench press beyond 40lbs and to somehow TRY and correct his nasty, funky form on his free throws and 3's. It's seriously sickening to watch him shoot jumpers beyond 10 ft.
TBone5 writes:
Dude i wouldn't go that far by saying you can't stop crying!!!!! It is just a game and Tennessee just isn't showing up!!!
harvo12#250673 writes:
yeah..and that's why you sit on your couch and watch the games. They took attention off Meeks when they went on their final run to put the nail in the coffin. He did what Chris Lofton did to so many others. Those weren't bad defenders on Chris...you just can't stop a guy that shoots that well. If he comes off a ball screen and has a split second to shoot, there's not a thing in the world to do about that. you get real. You're a critique that talks behind closed curtains because you couldn't make it yourself, or something else pathetic like that. Better coaching? are you serious?
OMike writes:
Chism made some obvious bad decisions, but from what I have seen he is the only one playing with any desire. Hopson has to have the record for air-balls and SEC play just started. Where is Negedu? Did he play? I think the last 20 alley oops have been unsuccessful, I think this team still thinks it is playing in the Rocky Top League. No go to guy and why can't we post up on top of the key? Our so called slashers passed up many opportunities to drive baseline. I expected this team would need time to gel, but it is past time. Hate to admit it, but when we were playing less talented teams Bruce let this team play backyard ball instead of working on schemes and it biting him now. Maybe the headline tomorrow will read. UT men now laundry maids. Can't expect a win with Meeks shooting like that - but there is way more to this story. Oh yeah don't count McCarron out just yet.
dfreeman writes:
To the Memphis jerks suddenly coming out of the woodworks, Kentucky is not Tulsa! Enjoy that buzzer beater!
volwalk writes:
If I was Bruce, I would send the entire team over to the KY locker room and make each one of them hand wash Jodie Meek's jersey and jock. Our boys let this guy dominate them.
Its one thing, if Meeks is falling backwards and hitting shots---but no we continually allowed him to get lost in our no-defense and shoot wide open jumpers. PATHETIC, MAn I am pizzed! We got smoked at our arena---I thought those days were over
TBone5 writes:
Mr.Bam you are so right why didn't Negedu play AT ALL tonight? Can anyone answer that question for us!!!! PLEASE!!!!!
VolHooch42 writes:
Just got home from TBA...
What is wrong with these guys???
VOLKING writes:
Mempuss slaughtered Tulsa 55-54. You guys should move to an easier conference...oh, you are already in the easiest conference. Clash of the Titans when UT (since 1786, Austin, TX...sorry) meets Tiger High. What a difference a year....and no shooter and no defense....makes.
thebadsamaritan writes:
Jodie Meeks is mediocre?????
Have you lost your mind?
Did you notice all the NBA scouts at TBA tonight? Do you think they were there watching Brian Williams?
Meeks was averaging 25ppg coming in to the game. LOOK OUT!!! Meeks just hit another three from the parking lot!!
LOL!
volwalk writes:
Oh yea and If I am Mike H I make BP dump the hot blonde, because she is obviously f....ng with his mind!
jephsteph writes:
This game really shows how disappointing both Tennessee and the SEC really are this year. I mean, come on!!!! Kentucky beats us??? BY DOUBLE DIGITS????? AT HOME???????????? Kentucky RPI is almost number 100 and they lost to VMI earlier this year. This defintiely has to be the lowest moment in the Bruce Pearl era. Hopefully it's not going to get worse! The defense is really bad this year.
BigOrangeVol writes:
We just made Meeks look like the second-coming of Pistol and he made Pistol look like Doug Roth tonight. Up until tonight nobody had ever scored 50 in TBA, not even one of our guys. Chris Jackson had the record at 49. Meeks tied Jackson's record of 10 3's (10 of 15 - 67%). That's just humiliating!!!
Bird looks like the only one on the floor with a pair of nads that cares if we win or lose. This is a one-man team.
We need a team-only meeting where several players get hurt from a flying trash can or two...or three! This is totally unacceptable basketball and I could care less if we were playing all true freshmen - this is simply beyond the pale! There are NO EXCUSES for these losses (or rather the lack of pride and effort) to Gonzaga, Kansas, Temple and UK!
I support this team and Coach Pearl but this team is either not being coached or they aren't listening. Either way this falls on the head coach!!! Somebody needs to man-up and get the job done... Bruce.
bfrank78 writes:
Daaayyyummm!!! 54 pts. He had 26 in the first half was that not enough for you guys? Nope, you got 28 more in the second. WOW!
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