An agonizing two-point loss to Memphis wasn't even an hour old, but Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl seemingly was laying the groundwork for a better tomorrow as he perused the details of Saturday's defeat.
"To look at the stat sheet was difficult," Pearl said after UT's 54-52 loss at Thompson-Boling Arena.
The stats that rankled him the most were in Tyler Smith's column: 18 field-goal attempts, 13 misses and four free-throw attempts.
The numbers didn't add up in Pearl's mind.
"I will look at every one of those misses," Pearl said in a somber tone.
His tone didn't change when he was asked about the play of center Wayne Chism, who scored his team's last 11 points but played only 10 minutes in the first half because of foul trouble.
"At some point, people will recognize Wayne is a pretty good player and give him some respect," Pearl said
His assessment sailed past me initially. I actually thought he was referring to media slights. Duh?
Instead, he was continuing the theme that began with Smith. The officials, not the media, were his target. The implication: his inside guys, both established SEC players, deserved a better shake from officials.
Never mind if the overall stats didn't support his theory, or that the Memphis game was a lost cause. Maybe Pearl's cry for help will be heard in the games to come, starting with Wednesday's SEC game with LSU, which, like Memphis, doesn't lack size or athleticism.
It's understandable why Pearl would be lobbying for an inside advantage, or at least what he would perceive as a standoff. Where else will the Vols get their points?
UT's shortcomings on the perimeter have never been more apparent. It made only two of 10 3-point shots. Freshman Scotty Hopson was 0-for-6 from the field and finished with one point in 28 minutes. Hopson, Bobby Maze and Cameron Tatum were a combined 2-for-16 from the field.
There's obvious improvement on another front. In the last two games, UT has held Vanderbilt and Memphis to 34.2 percent shooting.
Want more evidence of the improvement? Memphis' entire team didn't score as many points on the Vols as Kentucky's Jodie Meeks did two weeks ago.
Although Memphis freshman star Tyreke Evans didn't "go Meeks" on the Vols, he at least provided the Tigers with an alternative on the perimeter to the tug-a-war going on near the basket. He hit one 3, a few short jumpers, and drove to the basket as well in scoring a game-high 17 points despite sitting out 13 minutes of the first half after drawing a second foul.
Fouls took a greater toll on Memphis post player Shawn Taggart, who had nine rebounds and two blocks. He was called for his third foul with 4:36 to play; then drew two more fouls in the next couple of minutes, fouling out with 2:36 to go.
Chism had no complaints about those final minutes. His 11 points included a 3-pointer and 4-for-4 shooting from the foul line.
"I finally got the ball, we were doing a good job of making shots on the inside, plus the fouls were going our way," Chism said. "When it got to the end, the shot didn't go in that Tyler shot (with six seconds to play and the Vols down by one), but it was a good shot."
Chism's only miss down the stretch also came with the best intentions. He posted up Pierre Henderson-Niles and shot over him with 56 seconds to play. The ball bounced off the rim.
Those missed shots - not missed calls - were the difference.
Sports editor John Adams may be reached at 865-342-6284 or adamsj@knoxnews.com.
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Comments » 55
budd#207344 writes:
John you are correct. I think CBP was trying to blame the officials and the problem was missed shots, especially free throws.
Pullingguard writes:
One has to wonder why a time out was not called when UT was down by 1 point with like 35 seconds remaining and with control of the ball...A definite plan was needed and there seemed to be times UT could could have been better organized in the latter part of the game..
pupvol writes:
How can you play bball all your life and now look like you are shot puting bricks at the goal? I just don"t understand how college players can look so bad shooting. Sure could use a Terrence Oglesby.
ggriggs939#223122 writes:
How was this game different regarding the officials. They always hit Chism with two or three quick fouls to limit his effrectivensee. Do they have a dislike for Wayne???
Volfan1 writes:
FREE THROWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
CBP, make them shoot a thousand every day!
THAT, my friends, was the difference.
NorthwestVol writes:
I have seen the same sort of thing out west with other teams with limited half court offense. If you do not have an outside threat, you simply have to hope for a defensive breakdown, which is most likely to happen with continuous play (vice a time out).
What I can't understand is how inept we are from outside. We have all these all-star players, but none can shoot under pressure? Why?
salocke#209467 writes:
The missed shots that made the difference happened at the free throw line..............AGAIN.
volroadwarrior writes:
Don't you have the wad out of your panties yet?
bobbarbilly writes:
Put some Raleigh's Medicated Ointment on the scratches and stop playing teams with cat's for mascots.
Diggs writes:
Posted by itsme53792 on January 24, 2009 at 10:32 p.m.
Pearl's true character is coming through; utenn (UT is in Austin) took 23 free throws (doesn't account for the misses on the front end of 1 + 1s) compared to 14 attempts for Memphis. Ergo: If anyone should be harping at the officiating, it should be Calipari.
utenn has awful guards and stellar frontcourt players...added to opportunistic (as opposed to good) coaching.
I know we shouldn't feed the trolls, but I'm getting pretty tired of your UT is in Austin c r a p. There is another UT in Austin but it's pretty obvious to most folks with more than one brain cell that the first UT was right here in Knoxville. The University of Tennessee was founded in 1794 (and became known as such in 1879). The University of Texas was founded in 1883.
OK. Since I've gotten that out of my system, back to the topic at hand. UT missed too many free throws. The refs missed calls on both sides. We should have won but once again fell apart on national TV. Let's hope they get their stuff together before GameDay gets here next weekend.
Diggs
FWBVol writes:
NOBODY, but a complete dweeb calls THE University of Tennessee, utenn, unless it's some idiot from Texas that can't spell Tennessee.
Yes, UT's (the first UT founded more than 50 years before Texas became a state) guard are bad, but that doesn't change the fact that WE ARE TENNESSEE and proud of it.
yabadabadoo1026 writes:
the competition has be tough but you just might be our #1 no-class idiot , i think u are
supersteve17 writes:
The officials were shaky from the opening tip (which had to be re-done and should have been done a third time). I have to admit that there were a couple of phantom calls on Taggart and one on Evans but there was also one each on Prince and Chism. One of the refs anticipated calls too much.
Having said all of that, we (UT) still had plenty of chances to win this game and let it slip away. Take heart, Tiger High, at this rate, you MIGHT even the series in four or five more years! Go Vols! Beat LSU -- a game that matters.
VOLKING writes:
Wow..is it me, or does Adams writing smell alot like George Carlin's later days as a comic. Just a crusty old crank with nothing good to say. There is truth in both Pearl's and Adams' assessments, but Adams inability to see more than just his side of an issue is a serious detriment to his journalistic abilities. I guess that's why he's in Knoxville and not at a big city paper. I realize its his opinion, but this isn't Fox news.
ect1983 writes:
Yes.....It's you.
TheVolMan writes:
02champs#209256, you are just wrong. And whining...
Volking, damn right it's you -- you're still mad that JA was right about your boy Failmer. Stop whining...
But, glad you both still read Adam's article.
Re: the game, the Vols have to make free-throws. Don't try to make it more complicated than that.
yabadabadoo1026 writes:
whose to say he doesnt see the other side--he can only express his side and you call them like you see them--80% of those on this board never have anything good to say
Vol_Jokes writes:
What a moron. Pearl, instead of accepting the loss is going to complain about calls? What a class act. Cal wouldn't have done such a thing. If you are a tiger fan you know that the majority of calls went in the vols favor not the tigers. Those officials were bad and they were sec officials and they called it in favor of vols. For him to get up there and say that shows what a jerk he is. He always blames everything for the losses never accepting responsibility for it himself. Cals players have a close relationship wiht him, come to his house all the time. Former players call him regularly. He has coached in the nba and he prepares them. He outcoached pearl today. If you ask me he's not a good coach. You team is going backwards. Getting worse not better. That's coaching. He never has his teams peaking at the right time. He's really done nothing. You guys were so desperate to make the program a winner and you though this was the guy that was going to do it. If you are not a vol fan and you see this guy you see him for what he is. His sorry statements after the game just shows what he is.
vols99#639914 writes:
The Vols have only two big time players Chism and Smith. The rest of the team just take up space. They are terrible shooters both at the free throw line and in their half court offense. They cqan't even hit shots right at the goal.
Pearl wants Scotty to shoot more what a joke. He is about the worst so call All American I have ever seen. So much for an SEC champonship this year.
RCanaMoonPie writes:
Looking at the situation realistically, WHAT IF the vols had won the game yesterday? SO WHAT. That had to be one of the worst Memphis teams that Calapari has ever coached. Both of these teams will fade badly down the stretch as they do not have the go to men that they did last year. Now it would be interesting to see a rematch in the NIT.
atlvol writes:
Chism is an excellent player, but he really does make a lot of bone-headed fouls. Almost seems to be a lack of concentration at times.
All_Things_Vols writes:
The shining star that is Bruce Pearl is starting to fade. He was a genious last year with great shooters, now not so much without them. This team is bad, really bad and we as fans, shouldn't expect much improvement the rest of the way. I am in no way advocating Coach Pearl should go anytime soon, but if we don't start seeing improvement within the next year or two, we will be passed by some other teams and will become an alsoran in the SEC.
pdhuff#552644 writes:
Hopson, Maze and Tatum - 2 for 16.
Enuf said.
easleychuck writes:
First, things first, UT on the govols website is and will always stand for the University of TENNESSEE. If it wasn''t for folks from the rest the US of A, there wouldn't even be an American university in the territory now referred to by the people populating the land as The Republic of Texas. So actually, UT is the daddy to the school in Texas. We will,however, allow you to call yourselves UT.Jr on this board or just plain ole Junior.
As far as yesterday's BB game goes, Coach Pearl is a basketball coach. Basketball coaches are always looking for the next call. Adams can pound sand, saw his headline, don't read his articles.
UT currently does not possess a dependable outside threat that they can depend upon. We are a litle spoiled in that we got to enjoy C.Lofton and J.Smith the past several years destroy teams with their abilities to bury threes. Even when they had an off game, the threat of the three was huge. They still both amazed me how, at their size, they could make shots with people in their shirts.
Blame Coach Pearl if it will make you feel better. UT has won a bunch of tight games in the past 3 years. Sometimes those start to even out somewhat. Maybe that is what happened yesterday. There is an Oglesby kid playing near us at Clemson who is a deadly 3 point shooter and is from the Cleveland, Tennessee area. I was told that UT offered him preferred walk-on status but Clemson gave him a scholarship. With recruiting, you never know. He is a sophomore and would have helped with the outside shooting.
Recruiting will never be an exact science. Again, blame Coach Pearl if it helps you feel better about yourselves.
If the Vols make their free throws yesterday, they win an absolutely ugly basketball game. Coaches have been making kids shoot free throws endlessly and forever in practice (along with the associated punishments for not making them being in play)....in a game, it changes for some players. Wayne Chism has improved overall this year. Could be the extra practice has paid off or maybe he is just able to block out the perceived pressure of standing at the line alone in the games and shooting an uncontested shot. Missing on the road is one thing but at home...you have to make them. We lost to Memphis yesterday in basketball...and as long as we continue to play them it will happen on occasion.
kevin151 writes:
Both teams are terrible. I figured out why JP Prince did not play at Arizona? I hope they make the dance this year, but I am starting to get nervous.
richvol writes:
Thoughts on the game and season:
This team has lacked discipline all year. They have a difficult time playing under control due to the lack of adequate point guard play.
I see so many shots taken that are ill advised(see Brian Williams two 3 pointers) with no one under the basket to rebound...ever. Why do we not crash the boards?
This every possession practice of throwing the ball back and forth 30 feet from the basket until 15 seconds are left on the shot clock is stupid...and I don't mean throwing up a three. Why are we not trying to score early in a possession? Is it unlawful to try...it sure seems like it. At the end of the game when we had the ball we wasted half of the time on the clock before we even tried to get the ball inside. The idea that we might leave too much time on the clock for them if we score is ridiculous. The idea is to get in the lead is it not?
After a steal possession is the most important thing...protect the ball,duh.
Negedu would at least rebound,fight hard,play defense and occasionally score. What has Hopson,Woolridge and Tatum done lately but waste space?
Maze is totally ineffective...he can bring the ball up the court...that's it.
panavol writes:
Agree with you 100%.
Let this guys warm the bench a while and play some of the other guys. We have a deep bench.
Keep trying VOLS!
jsm67vol writes:
You can say that again! This isn't fox news. If it were you would see all sides of the story and be expected to draw your own conclusions and make your own choices. Unfortunately, too many in this country are unable to make a decision and form an original opinion so most of the sheep look to their hollywood heros to formulate opinions that parellel what their heros think.
lomas98 writes:
I've seen numerous posts saying the same thing over the last few weeks. I don't think anyone's kids could hit a free throw with 25K watching over them in a pressure situation. I could go in my backyard right now and make 9 of 10, but run up and down for 40 minutes banging into other players and I probably hit 4 of 10. Shooting is a problem for this team but so is offensive spacing, not being able to execute a fast break, and missing too many close shots. The crowd at TB absolutely sucks as well.
Pullingguard writes:
Its all about confidence. There becomes some hesitation after bad nights or games and to overcome, the shooters must put it up to overcome..Shooters have to work for openings and team has to work to create open shots for them. Would have thought Hopson would have been much better at this stage of season..This could be long season and definitely classified as rebuilding with modest results.
yabadabadoo1026 writes:
agreed------thats brutal----add in misses from point blank range by others and its even worse
imjustafan writes:
Make half of the FTs we missed and the game is won. TN has to find a way to find some scoring other than Tyler and Chism.
Go vols!
VOLinDAWGland writes:
Can't shoot can't win. This team is some defensive discipline a bit more toughness and a legitimate shooting threat away from being great. I don't think the shooter will emerge this year so will have to get by with what we've got and improve the other areas.
invisiblekid writes:
Isn't Dupree the guy who ruined a fundraiser for the Halls Crossroads Senior Center by trying to dribble the watermelons they were selling?
invisiblekid writes:
At least they are learning to play some defense.
budd#207344 writes:
no champ you missed it. this team cannot shoot foul shoots and as long as it continues they will lose close games. We were in the spot that Tyler not getting the call hurt because we put ourselves there by missing foul shots earlier.
budd#207344 writes:
General you are correct. If the game wears them out that much then they are not in shape.
bluetiger writes:
Oh, this game didn't matter to UT? If UT had won, it would have. We Memphis fans would have been insulted big time. Actually, we're still getting insulted, and we won.
And for a game that didn't matter, there sure are a lot of Vols fans talking about it.
lomas98 writes:
I remember this one time at band camp, I mean basketball camp, someone hit 88 ft's in a row. He still brags about it to this day.
Vol_Jokes writes:
You people are saying both teams are not very good. Speak for yourselves. Your team isn't. Look at how many times they've been blow out this year and by unranked teams and beaten twice by Gonzaga. Yea, the vols are bad.
Keep Memphis out of it. We have only lost 3 adn they were all to ranked opposition and all went down to the wire.
When we started the season we were terrible. We couldn't have been much of anybody but we are getting better and better. That's how cal does it and they will continue to get better until March. That's how it's suppossed to done. Vols were better earlier in the season but as we went up you went down. We crossed and now we are better. We'll continue to get better and will a team that nobody wants to play come march. Vols, they usually are playing their worst basketball late in the season. You got taken by your coach. He sits in his multi million dollar house and he's not done anything for you and he's not done anything for anybody in a big time college/league. I don't think he will either. YOu guys better wake up and not let it hit the bottom like your football program has.
Vol_Jokes writes:
Your leader Pearl is really getting blasted over on the memphis CA site for being such a crybaby whiner. Many point out that the officials were from the SEC and the total fouls near the end were 12 for the Tigers and 8 for the vols and that's why the vols had to waste time fouling at the end because they didn't have enough to get memphis to the free throw line. There were plenty plenty of bad calls against memphis in this one. The baby gets up there and whines like a baby. He's just a loser. He should have been getting his team ready this week instead of working on his tan and taking his gf to toys-r-us and the candy store. Better watch out. He's going to bolt on you soon. He's been found out now for what he his. He's probably looking for opportunities to get out before it's too late.
jfg1980 writes:
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
newtonrail writes:
Those that go to the games, take a couple of minutes out and watch press row. Adams always sits between the Mikes, Griffith and Strange. He always looks like he's sucking on a lemon. I obviously don't watch him the whole game, but I've never seen either one of them speak to him or vice versa. And mostly I'm looking during time outs when they could. Pearl is right about not only Chism but Tyler not getting the calls. My seats are on Tenn's bench end so the 2nd half you could see the banging pretty clearly. Now did that cost us the game? Not really. Certain people have to hit foul shots better and we have to have Cam and Hopson hit threes. Otherwise it will be a short run in the Tourney.
newtonrail writes:
The guys in white suits will be coming for you very soon. If they can find your mother's basement.
WE__ARE_MEMPHIS writes:
Free throws??? Its all coaching right??? Either that or your tear drop thugs CHOKED?? Life really s*x as a vul, get used to it. it only gets worse.
ITS GOOD TO BE A MEMPHIS TIGER!
WE__ARE_MEMPHIS writes:
Nope, never lived in those hoods, but I know there is still some good people there. Then there is also the ones with the mike tyson face tattoos and tear drop thugs. Those are vul recruits. Oh, I hear they are really good free throw shooters. I would make comments about your play in a NCAA game that mattered but in the 100 plus year history of your hick school, there hasn't been one. Check the CA you tool and Cals comments. This series and your 15 minutes is over. bring on the DORES. No tear drop hommies there.
WE__ARE_MEMPHIS writes:
So you guys lost to a high school??? I knew you were down and not ranked and all but to a high school. Cal should be fired if he ever loses to a high school, we wont stand for that. maybe you should raise your expectations chewbaci. By the way, whats a western sizzler??? we dont have those. Is it like St. Elmos here???
cainclifton23 writes:
Adams is a POS
STNVol09 writes:
Genral Watermelon is right on.... these guys are not competitive at the foul line. It is hard to see why Hopson was a Mac AA. Tyreke Evans played circles around him. He is far too tentative, does not hustle on defense, shoots a terrible looking shot. Dupree could beat Hopson right now in a game of 21 by 3....GW could beat him by 15. Wake up and grow up Hopson. If he doesn't he needs to be one and done..on the bench for his remaining career.
thebadsamaritan writes:
It's not a foul if the whistle doesn't blow. Evans and Dozier were hacked hard on breakaways - no call.
Check the stats - the Tigers got called for more than the Vols. Chism took a great charge on Taggart - but the play (or two) before, he went through him like a bulldozer, but no charge call.
Even Chism said at the end of the game that the foul calls were going the Vols' way.
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