It's not like Tennessee needed a reminder of Georgia's dominance in the teams' past meeting.
But just in case, the number "15" was posted in the Vols' locker room, as in, 15 Bulldog dunks which led to a 15-point Georgia win, 78-63.
"They were making so many 3-pointers and dunks,'' UT senior Bobby Maze said. "I just remember every shot going in.''
Coach Bruce Pearl hinted at a lineup change for 20th-ranked UT (18-6, 6-4 SEC) when it plays host to Georgia tonight (TV: WVLT, 8 p.m.) in Thompson-Boling Arena.
Pearl, like his players, still marvels at the Bulldogs' (11-12, 3-7) efficiency in the last meeting.
"This team didn't beat us, they dominated us,'' Pearl said. "They scored like 10 points in the first 3 1/2 minutes, they were on pace to score about 160. They shot 65 percent in the first half, and they were out-rebounding us 28-15 at one point.
"There are a number of things we have to do better, and a number of things we have to do differently.''
That would include new personnel groupings, different schemes and a change-up in the substitution pattern.
Pearl has experimented by putting point guards Maze and Melvin Goins on the floor at the same time in practice.
Maze has experience playing the shooting guard position, where the Vols' have struggled of late. Scotty Hopson and Skylar McBee have gone a combined 1-of-10 shooting beyond the 3-point arc over the past two games, while Goins and Maze have been 5-of-12.
"Sometimes I've felt me and Melvin should be out there playing together,'' said Maze, who led the Vols with 15 points in the loss at Kentucky on Saturday. "I played the two-guard in AAU and in high school, so it's something I'm comfortable with.''
Goins, a junior college transfer recently cleared of all charges stemming from a Jan. 1 traffic stop, shot 50 percent and averaged 12.5 points in games with Vanderbilt and Kentucky last week. He was dressed for the last Georgia game but didn't play.
Neither did 6-foot-10, 278-pound junior post Brian Williams, who is expected to see his first extended playing time since being reinstated three games ago after serving a nine-game suspension.
"I watched that game from my house, and from the opening tap you saw that domination,'' Williams said. "They wanted it more, they got to every loose ball, and it looked like men against boys. I felt I could have helped.
"Everything was going through my head, but I could only blame myself.''
Williams is eager to atone for his absence, though he's only played a cumulative three minutes in the two games he has appeared.
Williams' playing time tonight could be determined by the health of senior post Wayne Chism, who was limited in Tuesday's practice after sitting out Monday's drills.
"Wayne hurt his knee against Georgia last time we played them, hurt his ankle against Vanderbilt, his hip against Kentucky and he bruised his pelvic earlier this year,'' Pearl said. "Those are four pretty tough injuries he's had to overcome that would have put a lot of guys out.''
Freshman post Kenny Hall figures into the mix as well.
Hall, from Stone Mountain, Ga., is ready for payback.
"Being from there, with all my friends, I've had to hear them talk junk,'' Hall said. "Revenge is exactly what this is. I've been looking forward to play them again.''
Hopson, who Pearl said will lose minutes in the rotation with Maze getting time at shooting guard, also has added incentive.
"It's time for special play, and it's time to step up,'' said Hopson, who has played brilliantly at times but has been a non-factor on other occasions. "I'm ready to prove something.''
Pearl and the Vols' fans will be waiting and watching.
"In doing some things differently we're trying to improve the quality of the team,'' Pearl said. "But do you take one step back to take two steps forward?''
Trends: Georgia's win in Athens snapped a 10-game losing streak to the Vols. The Bulldogs are looking to end an eight-game losing streak in Thompson-Boling Arena.
The Vols are 2-4 versus SEC East Division teams this season but 4-1 in SEC home games.
UT leads the SEC and ranks fifth in the nation with a plus-4.9 turnover margin. The Bulldogs are last in the league at minus-3.4.
Prime Seats: A limited number of lower-level seats are available for tonight's game at a cost of $25 apiece. Upper-level seats are selling for $15 each. The tickets can be purchased at the UT ticket office, online at uttix.com or by calling 865-656-1200.
The Vols rank No. 4 in the nation with an average home attendance of 19,019.
Tennessee's signing class for 2012
Tennessee Lady Vols 60, South…
Signing day celebration at Neyland…
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
Comments » 149
zigvol writes:
2-0 this week would be nice....
ALock4UT writes:
And is necessary for a good seed in both of our tourneys.
yabadabadoo1026 writes:
how many time have heard Scottie say its time to step up-----we still waiting----------maybe a little more pine time will be the motivator
monvol90 writes:
game is tomorrow night not tonight
VOLKING writes:
Welcome back Hater Tater! Since the Vols haven't won in a couple of games, I expected you to slither back in here. Cockroaches scurry when the lights are on, but when it's dark they (and you) come out to play. There is one question bothering me, however. How do you manage to type without a spine?
VOLKING writes:
uhhhhhh...must we really explain this again?! These articles are intended for tomorrow's paper, but are posted on the web late the night before.
usnavyvolfaninva_still_getting_paid writes:
I believe that this article was written in order to make it to tomorrow's paper before presstime. that's why it says "tonight" instead of "tomorrow" I remember someone correcting me when i made that point once.
lomas98 writes:
Ha Ha Ha Ha. Good grief. These type of posts are similar the "first" posts.
Orangealltheway writes:
Please Vol Fans keep the posts smart . NO MORE BONEHEAD POSTS. IF you do not know what you are talking about then stay off. I am getting kinda tired of these people that just want to post just to be posted and do not even know what they are saying
tnaseevol writes:
Don't be such a tyrant! Everyone has a right to their own opinion and everyone has a right to post their opinion. Who died and made you boss?..Don't like it? Leave!!
Southland writes:
Looking at the schedule we will be fortunate to get three wins out of the final stretch. Will this mean we have to win a couple in the SEC tourn. which we usually do poorly in to get in the NCAA? just asking Havent delved into the whole whose in thing yet.
eduardo writes:
Sorry kenlucky is the only team in this conference that can take their officials on the road!!!! Anybody watch the ot against Miss st. Give me a freakin break!!
schymtz writes:
Miss. St. is literally being robbed at the Hump. A missed goal tend and Patterson charge called a block. Loses in O.T. Never thought I'd feel sorry for Miss. St.
ZacharyUTK writes:
GOTTA SHOW UP THIS TIME.
eduardo writes:
That last 5 min and ot was a joke officiating in that kenlucky/Miss state game. I am really starting to hate kenlucky bball again...I hope they get whats coming to them!!
hdhurst writes:
Yeah, Scotty would be a great friend, but I don't believe his personally fits the "go to" guy that TN deserately needs right now...something that I do see in Chism. Yet Chism can't do it alone. Interesting, T.Smith use to carry that role well (though forcing it at times), but Chism was more laid back then. Maybe Scotty will "get it" by his Junior year, but as many have stated, our success of going deeper in the tourney will depend on the developement of Scotty to take it to the next level.
On another note, not hatin' on Brian, but it is so funny to hear him talking about how his effort would have been the difference in the GA game. Dang good rebounder, but he needs to have an edge and get nasty on the offensive and hustle part of the game. Love my VOLS, but like me, they are not perfect.
TSNVol writes:
Who I would start...Maze, Goins, Hopson, Hall & Chism. The best 5 on the team, period!
TSNVol writes:
Heck, I missed the KY/Miss game. By seeing some of the post here tonight looks like the refs helped out again.(?)
schymtz writes:
Miss St was up 7 without their best scoring player and with their biggest big fouled out. Refs missed a goal-tend by Wall and a charge by Patterson and those were only the most obvious. Fans were roudy after the game. I'm not fond of Miss. State, but yes, they were robbed of a big game they really needed.
DebKY writes:
What have you had to live in the BIG BLUE state?
Calipari said he didn't know why he was brought to Kentucky except maybe to break UCLA's record.
I'm getting little tired of having to listen to ESPN promote Kentucky during every televised college basketball game.
Kentucky's #1 VOL FAN
volsr4me writes:
Miss St. got totally robbed. This was a disgrace to the SEC with these officials. Kentucky su$k's.
GO VOLS beat the DAWGS.
bigorange61 writes:
Mississippi State played tough tonight. Too bad the refs took the game from them. You put a fingertip on Wall and they call a foul. Not calling goal tending was huge.
virginiavolfan writes:
We will win if Woolridge and Pearl don't see the court.
schymtz writes:
"I feel your pain." I lived in Louisville in the mid-seventies. Kentucky went to Knoxville with the championship on the line and up by one point with under a minute to play. Tennessee had the ball in the hands of Mike Edwards, the "Greenfield gunner." Now, as I 'member it, Edwards, an eighty-something % from the line shooter was fouled with about three seconds left. Ref called a foul. With two shots coming, Adolf Rupp called time out and discussed the situation with the official. When Edwards went to the line, the ref handed him the ball and stunned the crowd, signaling "1 & 1." Edwards missed. A fellow named John Snow grabbed the offensive rebound and tried to go up with the ball but ended up on the floor under two Kentucky players. Nothing called, Time expired. Kentucky's winning tradition continued. The next day, when I went to the office, a former cheerleader for the "Big Blue" had dumped a mess of dried orange peelings on my desk!
A couple of seasons later, I moved back to Tennessee. That year Don DeVoe finished a 5 game Tennessee winning streak over UK with the last SEC Tournament Championship that UT actually won. With some delight, I mailed the donor of the orange peels a quart of orange juce and a copy of the first page of Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn, highlighting Tom Sawyer's question to Huckleberry: "What you got in the bag, Huck?" His reply was "DEAD CAT."
UT and UK played .500 ball for the next few years. Those days are gone but not forgotten. Pearl and these guys just might be able to bring back or even trancend those old times. It can be fun to live in Kentucky and follow the Vols!
BIVOLAR_BEAR writes:
This is a moral imperative to beat down jojaa get some confidence and start a roll going into the league tourney..GBO!!!
Ayershall writes:
"It's time for special play, and it's time to step up,'' said Hopson.
It is way past time to be accountable to the team. BP needs to sit him down and allow someone with desire to take those minutes.
BeRealistic writes:
Good idea, if that happened you wouldn't have anyone to critize.
fundamentals83 writes:
Got to get rid of the 0 productivity minutes by Woolridge, McBee, Hall, Tatum, Williams, Pearl. If they can get reasonable productivity (Hit the open shots) from them, we'll blow people out.
hueypilot writes:
We got em back a few years later when Grunfeld went to the line to shoot for Terry Crosby, I think, and beat em or when Bernard King got knocked upside down and made the shot and the foul shot to beat em in overtime. I lived in Henderson for 4 years when we stunk and had to listen to that crud all the time, but fortunately we had football and there is that 26 in a row thing.
VolJunkie writes:
"Who died and made you boss."
Seriously, has this board really devolved that much?
Lots of comments today regarding the referees. When it comes to officiating, college basketball is going through some of the same pains as football; the quality of the game/players has outpaced the quality of the officials. IMHO it began many years ago with the implementation of the "alternate possession" rule. Some of you are old enough to remember that a jump ball was not just something to start the game. For some reason, putting on a striped jersey totally negated your ability to toss a basketball up between two players. Now, a great defensive effort is often rewarded by the other team getting to keep the ball ... alternate possession, what a joke. I don't have the solution but the degradation in the quality of officiating has to be a major concern for the NCAA.
Just my opinion, I could be wrong.
Go Vols!
tartarsauce writes:
to all of the people who have posted on here that we are so much better off without Tyler and Brian i wonder what you think now. tylers guns would have come in handy in some of those loss's.hope brian tokes up before tonight s game and is flying high.i guess we will know if its pizza and hot dogs after the game
johnlg00#206211 writes:
And ain't THAT the sad and sorry truth! It is so baffling since we have all seen glimpses of his talent, but a good part of the time he is on the court he just seems to be WATCHING the game instead of PLAYING it.
RoyaltyVol#280778 writes:
I like the mix of having Maze and Goins on the floor at the same time, but PLEASE, don't give Williams extended playing time.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
No question this upcoming stretch is a tough one! That is what makes tonight's game so important. A strong finish is mandatory for our NCAA seeding. The NCAA puts a lot of emphasis on how well a team does in its last 10 regular-season games, how it does on the road--where we have FOUR remaining games--and how many wins against the RPI top-50--and we have probably three of those remaining--UK, SC, and MSU. Winning two in the SEC tourney might help but even a first-round loss won't kill us if we do well against those other criteria. Maybe more than you wanted to know; if so I apologize(;-P)!
rbromley7#241642 writes:
Did Williams do anything during his suspension other than watch tv? Did he work out or practice on his own? I assume he went to class.
RoyaltyVol#280778 writes:
Your posts are sad!
RoyaltyVol#280778 writes:
Yes he smoked a lot of weed!
johnlg00#206211 writes:
As much as I hate to hear him yell and ramble, Dickie V has the right idea on the "alternate possession", as do you. Nearly every game, he goes on an extended rant against it. If they aren't going to reinstate the jump ball in held-ball situations, they should at least award the ball to the defensive team. After all, they have already stopped the offensive team; why should the offense get another chance?
johnlg00#206211 writes:
It was said during his first game back on the bench that he had lost 15 pounds while he was on suspension. Don't know what all he was doing then or whether that is true, but that is what the announcers said. Almost no matter what kind of shape he is in, he would have a better chance against UGA's big front-line than Woolridge or Pearl.
RoyaltyVol#280778 writes:
Yea really! When Buzz Peterson was here I could have cared less about UT BB, because we were losing. But CBP has brought not only an excitement to UT BB, but a lot of wins, big wins! You know some people are never happy, TaterVol is one of them.
usnavyvolfaninva_still_getting_paid writes:
Not to dictate, but I suggest not replying to any more of Tatervols' posts. Clearly he/she is dead set against giving CBP any credit for turning the basketball program around. If the Vols hadn't lost a game this year, tatervol would have a tough time validating his/her existence.
usnavyvolfaninva_still_getting_paid writes:
I say Pearl, you say Summit... Pearl, Summit, Pearl, Summit... LOL!!
volsn3 writes:
If your going to shuffle the deck then take the two JOKERS out before dealing. Steven and Orlando needs to sit.
Tnbass7 writes:
Focas is the key from here on out,Vols need to lock out everything from pass that might cloud their minds,forget about being a rap star,forget about being a NBA Player,Making a highlight on ESPN,Focas on your team ,There no " I " in team ,lets get back to winning . It takes Effort,Heart and Passion to be a winner,and Vols has it.GBO
usnavyvolfaninva_still_getting_paid writes:
Just an observation, but Orlando is the father of UT basketballer Renaldo Woolridge
<insert sarcastic response here>.
usnavyvolfaninva_still_getting_paid writes:
There is a "me," though.... sorry, just feeling spastic today.
RoyaltyVol#280778 writes:
Tatortot spudhead just likes stirring up trouble I believe. I don't know why we're even having a discussion on who should coach UT BB, its a no brainer, nothing to discuss, we have as good a coach in BP that we could ever hope for. So tatertotvol, your posts are meaningless to us die hard Vols fans.
usnavyvolfaninva_still_getting_paid writes:
gotta feel good about this one...Last UGA win in Knoxville was in Feb, '01.
usnavyvolfaninva_still_getting_paid writes:
Couldn't agree more.
VolJunkie writes:
Her.
Go Vols!
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