On second thought, Georgia is a team capable of making the NCAA basketball tournament.
That’s what Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl said this week as the No. 8-ranked Vols (15-2, 3-0 SEC) prepared to play the Bulldogs (8-8, 0-3) on Saturday (TV: FSS, 5 p.m.) in Stegeman Coliseum.
“I was wrong before the season when I said I didn’t think (Georgia) was an NCAA Tournament team,’’ Pearl said. “They were picked to finish last in our league; I don’t think they will.’’
Pearl is 8-0 against Georgia since arriving as UT’s coach, and the Vols have won 10 straight dating back to a 71-60 loss in Athens on Feb. 21, 2004.
Pearl said his dominance over the Bulldogs is misleading, particularly at Stegeman Coliseum.
“You look, and our average margin of victory there is pretty low (5.67 points), and we’ve played some of our best basketball there and (Chris) Lofton had to bail us out a few times,’’ Pearl said. “This Georgia team plays with a completely different confidence level than the other ones we’ve seen, and they’ve played a real good schedule.’’
The Bulldogs’ strength of schedule ranks as the 13th toughest in the nation. Georgia has beaten Illinois and No. 19 Georgia Tech.
Pearl’s concern is the Bulldogs’ strength inside with Trey Thompkins (16.7 points per game, 8.1 rebounds) and senior post Albert Jackson. Thompkins is 6-foot-10, 247 pounds and Jackson is 6-11, 265.
“They have those monsters in there,’’ Pearl said. “If you want to learn how to get the ball posted up in a variety of ways, watch Georgia. They use angles, spacing, go backside, they just pound it in there.
“And Thompkins is either the best post in the league or one of them.’’
UT senior post Wayne Chism, who has averaged 15 points and eight rebounds per game over the past five outings, said the Vols take nothing for granted.
“We were able to find a way to win last year without Chris (Lofton), and that was good,’’ Chism said. “But this ain’t the old Georgia. These guys are good.’’
True freshman Kenny Hall, who graduated from Redan High School in Stone Mountain, Ga., joins Chism as UT’s only other legitimate post player with 6-10 post Brian Williams still suspended indefinitely.
Hall, 6-8, 220, is determined not to get pushed around in his backyard.
“It’s a real big game for me with a lot of my friends from high school and the neighborhood calling me for tickets,’’ Hall said. “I’m going into it with the same confidence I had when I started playing more against Charlotte and Kansas.
“There’s no pressure. If you feel pressure to do your job, you’re in the wrong profession. I just go out there and go hard.’’
Pearl has been on the Vols throughout the week to begin practices with more intensity with hopes it will carry over to the games. UT has fallen behind early in all three of its SEC games before rallying for victories.
“It’s going to take everybody and everything we’ve got,’’ Pearl said. “And then defending the post, some of that will have to do with what the guys on the perimeter are doing.’’
Pearl said he doesn’t want to place any more emphasis on the Georgia game because the Vols have two committed players from the Peach State: Trae Golden and Jordan McRae.
“But it is a rivalry game,’’ Pearl said. “It’s still Georgia.’’
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Comments » 62
pammyvol1000 writes:
I hope Kenny has a good game in front of his hometown!
lomas98 writes:
I hope this game can be well in hand with around 8 minutes left in the game. That way Tatum can get some game minutes in front of his home state as well. Should win this one and be ready for probably an undefeated Vandy team in conference Wednesday. Please don't overlook the Bulldogs.
VOLinAthensGA writes:
OK, I can't take two losses to UGA in one week. PLEASE, PLEASE crush Georgia today! GO VOLS!!!
vol_4_fan writes:
Just play with the same effort & heart. Odds are we will not win them all, but get what you can. Go Vols
txvolsfan writes:
I really like the attitude of this team and the way they have rallied around one another.
The only problem is lack of depth and foul trouble and foul shooting.
Tatum and Goins has given a lot of help at the depth. Still need Scotty to step up more.
GO VOLS
TXVOLSFAN
licknpromise777#651578 writes:
They might be 0--3 but they play hard..Ole Miss shot 50% and barely won against them.State only won by 3..Vols can't start the game with another 25% shooting; Time for us to come out hot and blow their doors off.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
I hope you're wrong, too, but you raise some good points. If Chism gets his customary two fouls in the first four minutes, we could be in deep trouble. I hope Kenny's nerves don't get the best of him, playing for the first time in front of the home folks. Although the Vols have been winning relatively slow games lately, they may be better off trying to force the tempo more today. Wayne and Kenny especially have to try to use what I hope is their quickness advantage to get down the court before UGA's big men on both offense and defense. The perimeter guys need to be really active, trying to bother the entry passes and to dig down into the post to help our big guys. UGA REALLY needs this game, as I am sure they don't think of themselves as an 0-3 SEC team. Our guys had BETTER come out smokin' for a change! GBO!!! TCB!!!
TLepage writes:
Key to shutting them down inside is Weezy staying out of foul trouble early... If Wayne doesn't make stupid decisions early on, we will win big....
TLepage writes:
is it me, or does steven pearl remind anyone else of a "poor man's" Dane Bradshaw???? The kid plays with heart, but just isn't very good.... He makes me nervous every time he has the ball in his hands....
PoochPuntOn3rdDown writes:
Really? You seriously think Georgia will win this game? Well, I hope you didn't put any money on that...
PoochPuntOn3rdDown writes:
I'm glad it's basketball season, b/c I'm not going to read an article about the football team until after singing day. It's really getting depressing...
johnlg00#206211 writes:
For myself, I'm not saying Georgia WILL win the game, just that it is foolish to think they CAN'T win the game. Much as I love the way they are winning lately, this Vol team just has very little margin for error and they can't go into ANY game, especially on the road, thinking, "Relax; we got this one."
BTW, reference your second post, what do you think the Vols will perform on "singing day"(;-P)?
Mule_Days_King writes:
With two baritones and a tenor on IR, "singing day" will be a tough road. However, the bass section is strong and will carry the day.
Sorry, Pooch. Couldn't help it.
brown-bag-vol-fan writes:
GO VOLS! Take it to the Hoop!!
GO VOLS!!!
PoochPuntOn3rdDown writes:
Ha Ha, you got me there. They'll probably be signing "Pants on the Ground", b/c that's where x left the team, with their pants around their ankles...
schymtz writes:
Come on, Vols! Knock these guys over early and keep 'em down. No slow start!
schymtz writes:
Yet again. [sigh]. Seems like UT has to spot the opposition a lead every game since Kansas.
schymtz writes:
At least five dunks for GA AND AT LEAST 4 DEFENSIVE Breakbowns fot UT. McBee [only]is playing with some intensity.
dvols writes:
yep, we fixin to get our bits kicked all over the palce!
schymtz writes:
Chism down on his left knee. Some things are worse than fouls!
schymtz writes:
Blech! Come on, guys!
schymtz writes:
Horrible shot selection. At least that three was open. Maze just made a good defensive play! 23-12. Not much fun yet!
gainesville_vol writes:
We are not going to go very far in the SEC or NCAA with Steven Pearl playing a lot of minutes. He is not quick enough to cover anyone in a man defense. He hustles his butt off, but he is simply not a Div 1 player.
McPhee can get some minutes if he can hit his threes. A spotup shooter for three can be very big at points in a game.
We need Tatum and Goins back in the rotation. We really need Williams back inside. Hall has played great and will be a huge addition to the inside rotation. And, if we need to go big, Williams at center, Hall and Chism on the wings, and Hopson and Prince out front will shut down any three point shooting team.
Our intensity against UGA just isn't where it has been the last 5 games or so.
HtownVol writes:
I dont see UT winning this game. UG is up 25-12 with 8 to go in the 1st. UG has has about 8-9 dunks. And Steven Pearl has played most of the game. When he is is its not good. He has NO talent. He had a lay up earlier and traveled.
gainesville_vol writes:
Sorry, McBee!
HtownVol writes:
UG by 19 with 4 to go in the 1st. Tenn is playing the worst game of the year.
schymtz writes:
I didn't think this team was capable of playing worse than at USC. This is making me hope they have a comeback equal to Pearls first trip to South Carolina.
HtownVol writes:
Tatum has a lot of rust. He is the slowest one on the court. We got behind because Steven Pearl played so many minutes. That was a bad coaching decision. he dont have to play so much. You cant say we are better with Steven Pearl out there
jhayes0926#638474 writes:
Not the worst game yet, but close to the USC game. Never seen so many blown lay-ups and turnovers. JP is in his TO mode again and Scotty has disappeared. The two white boys (I'm white) can't jump or play d. Looks like our reign is over.
usnavyvolfaninva_still_getting_paid writes:
I guess if you play with fire too much, you get burned. been getting down early 1st half all season.
schymtz writes:
Georgia has had their way. Dunks and open threes. First the "10" defense, then "ice." Now the ice has melted! Dunks. Uncontested threes, no inside game on offense or defense.
HtownVol writes:
Well, Maze put some effort forth at the end. I dont know why everyone else cant try harder. They are not giving much effort. We have hardly any rebounds.
If Steven Pearl plays more than 3 minutes in the 2nd half, I am going to start losing s little in Bruce. I do not see any reason for playing his son. He has NO talent. We got 2 players back, we dont need him out there. He has KILLED UT today!
Slystone writes:
Hadn't seen a Dunkfest like this since the days of Dominique Wilkins.
UTVOLSRROCKN writes:
Since the game is terrible right now, I have a few suggestions for the Vols performance on "singing day"
1. "Hold on, I'm coming"
2. "Get ready cuz here I come"
3. "Celebrate"
4. "Boom, boom, pow"
5. "My life would s##k without you"
6. "Bust a move"
7. "I gotta a feeling"
8. "Burning down the house"
9. "We are the champions"
10. "ROCKY TOP"
Now whassup with our defense and all these dunks they've gotten???? PPSS so far and don't EVEN know why Pearl was put in so early when we were getting stomped to proceed with TO's? Can only hope our defense can STOP them in the second half and our OFFENSE will produce, otherwise, this team will be singing "Sorry seems to be the hardest word" or "Please forgive me" all the way home!
VOLS....TCB....KOKO.....GBO!!!!!!!
HtownVol writes:
I dont like to blame the refs.. But the refs today are making A LOT of calls for UG. They are giving the game to UG.
HtownVol writes:
This is ugly!
Sorry guys but UT did not show up at all today!
Must be the same pre-game speach as Bruce gave befoe USC.
I still blame it on Steven Pearl playing most of the 1st half. We got too far behind with him in.
CRFVols writes:
Wow.....we are getting spanked and playing horrible. Are they even trying to rebound???? Do they practice shooting???
BubbaJ writes:
This is as bad as USC! Maybe worse? Just one of those days, one which this team is going to have from time to time. I wouldn't want to be Vandy coming to Knoxville this week. Hear that Snapper.
schymtz writes:
I don't usually complain about refs but UT was coming back some until Chism, who looked still as a rock to me, was called for a block instead of a charge. Alas, mainly, UT has a bad case of the slows and no eyes for the basket.
HtownVol writes:
Bone is making many "bone head" plays. Put one in the L column today. Horrible in every phase of the game today.
schymtz writes:
Ga 5 of 9 behind the arc. This is just pitiful...pitiful...
schymtz writes:
Holy Moly..a really good play by JP with an assist to Maze.
HtownVol writes:
WOW, Steven Pearl is the WORST basketball player EVER!!
WHY DOES HE PLAY?
HtownVol writes:
Its not the amount of fouls, but they call them when UG needs them. They are chosing to give UG the calls they need, as if they need help today
schymtz writes:
One could say GA and UT are both due. GA has had three tough losses. They are playing with confidence and looking a lot better than their record and UT is lookin' and playin' a whole lot worse than UT's record.
schymtz writes:
PEARL get an offensive rebound and putback? He must be closing in on his game high.
schymtz writes:
Hopson playin' like a freshman today.
reg_mza#219136 writes:
TN did not come to play it's obvious. No aggression to the basket which leaves us shooting jump shots and we're not the most accurate of teams.
Alright let's throw in they're getting to the line because they are more physical and active with the ball is a credit to GA.
And lastly, it's obvious that Mark Fox has well schooled his players on TN basketball but it doesn't look like Bruce Pearl has done a good enough job of schooling his players on GA basketball.
They look listless, lost, and unsure of what GA wants to do and are anywhere from 1-3 steps behind.
No one, and I repeat, no one is consistent from beginning to end of a game in every single game. Chism is as close as it comes to consistency and then he has some halves where he is good in the 1st, silent in the 2nd, or vice versa.
When we lose, all of our flaws are exposed it seems. When we win, we play above our heads. This is going to be a strange latter half of the SEC season, mark my words. Ok, frustration vented. They'll bounce back as TN pride still remains strong!
HtownVol writes:
UT cant lose many, you know the voters will drop them big for this.
We are not like UNC, they lose 6 games and stay in the top 25.
I think that adding Tatum and Goins killed the energy of Tennessee. They have not played hard at all today.
UTVOLSRROCKN writes:
You got that right! I guess we should just be thankful that things have turned out so well for us after the minus 4 deal. We can't play like we did today and continue to win in the SEC, thats for sure but I'm not going to give up on them yet...today..yes, but not for the rest of the season. They need to refer to this game Dunkfest 2010..GA that is!
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