Photo by Mike Griffith, News Sentinel
UT senior Renaldo Woolridge and freshman Quinton Chievous listen to music after arriving in Hawaii for the EA Sports Maui Invitational.
LAHAINA, Hawaii — The Tennessee men's basketball team landed on the Island of Maui at approximately 2:30 a.m. Eastern time Friday when their flight touched down.
The Vols arrived at their team hotel via bus 90 minutes later on a breezy, 82-degree Hawaiian night.
It capped an 18-hour travel day for UT (2-0), which plays No. 6 Duke (3-0) at 5:30 p.m. on Monday (TV: ESPN2) in an EA Sports Maui Invitational first-round game.
Tennessee's final flight Thursday night, from Los Angeles, was a long, uneventful 5½-hour trip. Vols' assistant coaches Kent Williams and Tracy Webster accompanied the team throughout the day.
Webster was caught dozing on the plane on the final leg, mouth agape, as UT center Kenny Hall snapped a photo on his phone.
Vols coach Cuonzo Martin and assistant Jon Harris left on an earlier flight that traveled through Chicago and then Los Angeles.
The players, however, flew to Atlanta before making a tight connection in Los Angeles. The Delta flight was held for the UT players group; the team rushed in and out of McDonald's at the airport, eating on the plane en route to Hawaii.
The Vols found themselves amid a sea of blue-clad Memphis fans on the flight. UT plays against either No. 10 Memphis or No. 17 Michigan on Tuesday before finishing the tournament on Wednesday against an opponent to be determined.
There were also Kansas fans on the flight, as the Jayhawks play on the other side of the Maui Invitational bracket against Georgetown on Monday.
Outside of the UT men's basketball team travel party, orange has yet to be spotted.
Tennessee will practice late tonight at a yet-to-be-disclosed location.
More details as they develop online and in Saturday's News Sentinel.
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Comments » 26
SummittsCourt writes:
Go Vols, beat the dukies!
Razor784 writes:
Let's start out with beating the Dukies, then let's put down Tiger High, and then finish off by beating the Jayhawks in the championship game. Perfect week.
crmcm44#321757 writes:
Reality check coming.
hardtimecountyvol writes:
Prolly won't win but hope we keep it close
NYvolFan writes:
Belmont gave Coach K and the Dukies all they wanted...would be really fun to pull this off.
VictorKruger writes:
"Outside of the UT men's basketball team travel party, orange has yet to be spotted."
UT is a football school, Kansas and Memphis are basketball schools. Griff, certainly you picked up on that during your basketball pregame chats that ended up being split about 50/50 between basketball and football content.
asmith writes:
wish i were there with them. i would have a hard time leaving the beach to make it to the game though.
budd#207344 writes:
If they listen to their coach and play hard and smart they can make these teams know that they were in a game. They may even catch a win here. Remember how we felt when we played Texas and Kansas and beat both. I want to see the effort and if they do that they will surprise some folks. GO VOLS!!
lomas98 writes:
That is a detailed article on all of the steps. Failed to mention what they ate at McDonalds, how many times they went to bathroom on the flight, and what the movie was that was played on the plane.
mocsandvolsfan writes:
I'd rather beat Memphis than Duke or Kansas!!
It gonna be fun. GO VOLS!
mocsandvolsfan writes:
I liked the article. 'Course I don't complain much about anything.
Don't forget why you're there Vols. Games first beach 2nd.
johnlg00 writes:
I'm guessing that there will be sightings of people in orange by the time the tourney starts. For one thing, there are lots of Tennesseans in the military, and Hawaii is covered with military bases.
hikerdude writes:
We're going to win some games this year that we aren't expected to win but we aren't going to do that in this tournament.
VolJunkie writes:
Sounds right to me ...
Go Vols!
VolJunkie writes:
Also thoughts and prayers out to Oklahoma St. and friends/families of coaches Budke and Serna ... tragic.
Rest in peace ...
CantStandCantStandSaban writes:
+1
Awful news. Can't imagine what their families, friends and fans are going through today. 10 years after another tragedy for the Ok St. family, too. The final scores aren't so important after hearing about such a devastating blow. Definitely puts things in perspective.
VictorKruger writes:
I certainly hope so, John. This particular snarky comment of Griffith's rubbed me the wrong way. I guess I've grown tired of his observations about how quiet TBA is, how the pep band always plays the same numbers, how the dance team is not there, etc. I bleed Big Orange, so it pains me to admit that there's one true basketball school in the SEC, and it's not UT!
usafvol writes:
Hey dirtbag; have you ever posted anything positive on this site? You seem a bit full of yourself with all the answers but you're just another troll stroking your own ego. Just a pitiful little man..
veinsoforange writes:
Is the line out already? I don't think so, at least I can't pull it up at work.
Duke will be favored about 23 & they will definitely win by more!
Bubba_Knows writes:
Vols will get pounded by Duke. You people can't be this stupid....maybe you can.
MemphoVol writes:
Amen, brother!
mocsandvolsfan writes:
Ditto.
mocsandvolsfan writes:
He/she has not.
UTbasketballfan writes:
beat duke!!!!
johnlg00 writes:
What a burden it must be to be the only intelligent man in a world of idiots! I'm surprised you have the strength to type, carrying such a heavy load. You're my hero--NOT!
mocsandvolsfan writes:
Bubba _knows. Bubba knows PatientlyWaiting. Patiently waiting to post more idiocy. Bubba Waits to read idiocy. Bubba posts his own "specialness".
Bubba_Knows morons. Buba and Patiently are imbecilified posterers. Moronifically together are Bubba and Patient.
I'm just kidding you guys. I KNOW you can't be as dumb as the posts.(pun intended)
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