UT’s Maze cut out for fresh start

Bobby Maze raps that he “Puts on for Tennessee,’’ but this offseason the UT point guard has had hair taken off to honor his grandfather.

“It’s a new beginning and a new start for me,’’ said Maze, who struggled at times last season. “My grandfather passed away this spring, and I had to miss the team banquet.

“He told me from heaven to play well and cut my hair.’’

Maze has done both.

The tatooed-up but clean-cut Maze has led his First Tennessee team to a 2-0 start in the Pilot Rocky Top League with smooth ball-handling, heady distribution and smothering defense.

“Coach (Bruce Pearl) said we needed to work on our defense,’’ Maze said. “A lot of people say our team underachieved, and we’re all working really hard.’’

Maze said the fact that this is his senior year provides him all the motivation he needs.

“I’m going to lay it all on the line,’’ Maze said. “I know I have to step up. I see our young guys stepping up, Scotty (Hopson), Renaldo (Woolridge) and E-Man (Emmanuel Negedu) all realize what it takes.

“We all know we didn’t meet the expectations.’’

Maze said he doesn’t feel threatened that the Vols signed junior college point guard Melvin Goins.

“Not at all, I’m happy he’s coming,’’ Maze said. “It’s good to have another guy in here to compete with. It’s another good JUCO guy and that will help the team.’’

Goins’ arrival will free up senior Josh Tabb to move back to shooting guard and small forward, where he has proven himself as a defensive stopper.

Maze said he’s hoping his teammates’ hunger and the arrival of Goins allows UT to get back to its pressing, up-tempo ways.

“I like up-tempo basketball,’’ Maze said. “We didn’t play as fast as coach (Pearl) wanted last season.

“I like to get up and down the court and make quick shots.’’

The Veteran: Former UT player C.J. Black sat on the “Locker Room” show set last basketball season telling MyVLT2 viewers that he could teach UT’s young guys a thing or to.

Indeed, the 31-year-old has done just that, holding Negedu to 14 points and Brian Williams to 17 points in the Rocky Top League last week.

“I’d heard about how hard he played at UT and all the defense and blocked shots he showed,’’ Williams said. “He’s got that Old Man strength, man, he gets low, and he gets leverage in there.’’

Black said he has to rely on his strength: “I can’t jump or run anymore,’’ he joked.

“It’s a lot of technique, really,’’ Black said. “You have to recognize all their counter-moves, and then you have to put forth a lot of effort.’’

Black said he has been impressed by Hopson.

“I like his game a lot,’’ he said. “He’s so good, he makes it all look so easy.’’

Forty-nine: Former Bearden and Hiwassee standout Michael Blue stands only 6-foot-2, but he remains a crowd pleaser with his sky-scraping dunks off rebounds and alley-oops.

Blue’s secret?

“My vertical (jump) was mea sured at 49 inches,’’ he said.

It might sound like an exaggeration, but those who search Blue out on YouTube can see for themselves.

Leaders: Hopson leads the league in scoring through two games, averaging 46.5 points. UT’s Cameron Tatum is second at 36.5 followed by NBA player C.J. Watson and Maze, each at 31, and then former Eastern Michigan and NBDL player Boo Jackson with a 27 points-per-game scoring average.

Schedule: The News Sentinel (2-0) plays Richardson Construction (1-1) at 6 today, followed by HT Group (1-1) vs. ChoiceSpine (0-2) and Ray’s ESG (0-2) against First Tennessee (2-0).