If defense is going to be Tennessee's winning edge down the SEC basketball stretch run, the Vols better strap it on this week.
On tap are the top two scorers in the conference in South Carolina's Devan Downey and LSU's Tasmin Mitchell.
Mitchell, No. 2 in the scoring race, will be a Thursday-night tune-up in Baton Rouge, La., for Downey's visit to Thompson-Boling Arena on Saturday.
"Two of my favorite players,'' UT coach Bruce Pearl said Monday. "You've got to game plan both of those guys.''
Downey, named SEC player of the week Monday, is averaging 22.9 points. In league play, he's going for an eye-popping 31.6 a game.
Mitchell is averaging 17.9 for LSU. In league play, he's good for 18.4 points and 9.7 rebounds. He has nine double-doubles and went off for 38 points on Auburn.
So about that game plan. Do you let Downey and Mitchell get theirs and stop everybody else? Or do you try to contain them and make their lesser teammates beat you?
"I've taken both approaches,'' Pearl said, without tipping his hand which way he'll lean this week.
Mitchell is a 6-foot-7, 240-pound forward, the last link to LSU's 2006 Final Four team. He's averaging 38 minutes on a bad team that has yet to win an SEC game.
"He's tough as nails,'' said Pearl.
Downey is a whole different problem at 5-9, 175.
"He's completely in a zone,'' Pearl said. "It's an amazing story what he's doing right now.
"He does whatever he wants to do on the basketball floor and no individual or team has been able to slow him down or stop him.''
Hogs Not Roasted Yet: It has been a humbling season for proud Arkansas, losing at home to Morgan State, ETSU and South Alabama. But don't stick a fork in the Razorbacks just yet.
Since point guard Courtney Fortson came back from suspension, things are looking up for coach John Pelphrey's job security.
Arkansas took down SEC West leaders Mississippi State and Ole Miss in a span of four days, after which forward Marshawn Powell was named SEC freshman of the week Monday.
The 5-11 Fortson, in a Downey-like tour de force, scored 33 of his 35 points in the second half against Mississippi State.
"I told you not to look at their record (pre-SEC) or what they've done because Fortson makes 'em a totally different team,'' said Mississippi State coach Rick Stansbury. "On a given night they can beat anybody in the league.''
Kissing Cousins: Kentucky fans would like to pucker up. Lately, big man DeMarcus Cousins has supplanted John Wall as the freshman buzz in Rupp Arena.
The 6-11, 260-pound Cousins is averaging 18.2 points and 9.8 boards in SEC play, while shooting 57.8 percent.
"It's just a combination of his skill level with his body,'' said Vanderbilt coach Kevin Stallings. "He's so big, wide and long. He's the whole package.''
Thank You, Grasshopper: For the past two years, Florida's Billy Donovan has had to face a branch of his family tree, Pelphrey at Arkansas (Donovan is 2-1). Now, it's Anthony Grant at Alabama.
Donovan hired both Pelphrey and Grant as assistants at his first head job, Marshall, and then took both to Florida.
"I was really fortunate those guys fell in my lap at a young age,'' said Donovan. "For what we built at Marshall and Florida, those guys deserve a lot of credit.''
Deeper League: John Calipari is used to getting opponents' best shot. Memphis was the marquee program in Conference USA, as is the case with Kentucky in the SEC.
So, Cal, how does it compare?
"Here (the SEC), every team has a player or two who can break you down and score. They all have that guy.
"Overall, everybody's seven or eight deep here. (In C-USA) it was always four or five, but when you got to their bench, that's where we've got you because at Memphis we had nine, 10 or 11 guys who could all play.
"We're getting ready to play Ole Miss and when Ole Miss goes to the bench, it's not like they're getting worse.''
Stat of the Week: UT's Bobby Maze ranks ninth in the nation in assist-turnover ratio with 68 assists and 23 turnovers, a 2.96 to 1 ratio.
Quote of the Week: South Carolina coach Darrin Horn on Devan Downey's late-game mindset:
"We've all been around some really good players capable of some really impressive things but they don't really relish that moment. He wants to be the guy taking that shot, making that play. Combine that with the fact that he can do it, you've got a guy capable of making a lot of plays.''
Mike Strange may be reached at strangem@knoxnews.com or 865-342-6276.
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Comments » 10
Bogytrain writes:
I was thinking they need offense more than ever now.
bmaples writes:
Listen -- Kentucky game-planned for Downey every way but physically stuff him in a straight jacket, and he STILL got 30 on them. The guy is just amazing: 5'9" and drives on guys a foot taller ... and scores. The Vols better have the Defense-O-Meter pegged on the top end to handle USC, at least when Downey is hot.
schymtz writes:
DO NOT OVERLOOK LSU. UT already took a sucker punch from GA. Mitchell is a real threat. As for Downey and USC - those initials alone do not stir positive associations with UT' loss to Kevin's bunch and the minor distraction of the Lane Kiffen elopement: South Carolina has an open date and UT is their next game. UT plays on Thursday late, and this is just the start of a tough stretch. One game at a time: BEAT LSU.
tneagle writes:
What about Brian Williams? When do we get him back? We need him in the paint.
murrayvol writes:
Tennessee tried to land him when he left Cincinnati. What a difference he would've made for the past 3 years.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
Much as I hate to say it, our best option for defending both Mitchell and Downey man-to-man is probably JP. I don't see anyone else on the roster who is both long enough and quick enough to guard either one of them. They are of course completely different types of player. We may be better off playing zone against both teams. Mitchell and Downey can both shoot the three, but they are more dangerous taking it toward the bucket. It will be easier denying the ball to Mitchell than to Downey. For Downey, the best thing may be to give him the outside shot, keep a hand up WITHOUT flying at him, and then try to surround him when he gets inside WITHOUT fouling him. Another approach would be to make both work on defense and make sure we control both boards. Of course, we could also do nothing special for them and make their other guys beat us. In the end, NOTHING may work to stop them, and we just may have to hope they can't stop US.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
I saw that game where Fortson just WENT OFF on MSU! He was just out of his head in that game. However, I have also seen him in games where he completely LOST his head, trying stuff that makes JP at his wildest look tame. The fact is that there really ARE more good players and teams in the SEC this year than there have been for several years now, and it is the Vols' misfortune to have to face all of them short-handed.
mocsandvolsfan writes:
JP on Downey and Mitchell, but he'll need both Tatum and maybe Goins to help. We definately don't need Chism fouling out trying to help them.
If we just stick to our defense and play a decent man to man we should be ok against either team...IF. But we've got to attack the basket and force fouls, make some foul shots(if possible) and outscore the ba_______ds. (I don't ever cuss but these blogs bring it out).
Oh and put both the games on TV!!!!!
volsn3 writes:
seen most of the games this year.....i just can't get over watching guys come in the game and not one coach telling or signaling them to come in.....i am a huge coach PEARL fan but i have to question the rotation being set before the game cause that is what it looks like to me....a kid gets hot he needs to stay in the game no matter the rotation...by the way...we were playing much better short handed anyways...go vols...the stretch is here and be ready for it
johnlg00#206211 writes:
Many of us have wondered about CBP's substitution philosophy. I know he really values the idea of keeping the freshest team possible on the floor, but that CAN'T be the constant, over-riding principle. Substitute for fouls or to hide or exploit mis-matches, depending on who they favor, sure. But it sometimes seems the coaches aren't even WATCHING the game when they make substitutions. There ARE times when one's own team is on a roll that you just should NOT substitute unless a player signals that he needs a break. When that flow is going your way, you don't even substitute for fouls unless a guy is about to foul out. There times when the OTHER team is on a roll that you substitute, if only to interrupt THEIR flow. I agree that most issues related to a relatively shorter bench--and our bench, even before Tatum and Goins were reinstated, is deep compared to many other good teams--could be handled with a more judicious substitution strategy.
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