Well, the BasketVols managed to defeat the LSU Tigers by the closest of margins on Saturday. JaJuan Smith was so sick before the game that he was not really expected to play. Given the Vols depth at all positions, no one probably figured that it would fundamentally change the game. In the end, they were right.

They were right for two reasons. First, the Vols shot so abysmally from the floor (31.7%) and from the free-throw line (26.7%) that JaJuan Smith’s presence on the floor could not possibly have had much an effect on the outcome of the game. After posting 104 points against Florida only a few nights before, Tennessee managed to score only 47 points in this game versus an LSU team whose coach had been fired only a few days prior.

The second reason JaJuan Smith’s absence didn’t have a huge effect was because, when Coach Pearl truly needed him, Smith dug deep and came in to help out his team. As a result, it was JaJuan Smith’s 22 minutes on the floor and his steal and layup with 11 seconds to go in the game that iced the final score: Tennessee 47 – LSU 45.

On the bright side, the Vols played tenacious and unrelenting defense — which was a good thing considering how poorly they played on offense. J.P. Prince all but put on a defensive clinic down the stretch in the second half — by his own admission to make up for his poor shooting.

In the end, it was when Bruce Pearl turned to JaJuan Smith with seconds to go in the game and said “Juanny, it’s up to you …” — leaving it to Smith to decide whether he could manage to re-take the floor — that the game was ultimately decided. It was decided by the sacrifice by a young man — who would have probably rather been in bed — who decided to honor his commitment to his teammates and his university, and put others before himself. That sort of selflessness is the stuff creates championships.

One of the things that I find so refreshing and exhilarating with the BasketVols under Bruce Pearl is their selflessness. Sure, they may not always be perfect — the LSU game is a great example of that — but they are always in it together. When, versus Alabama, the same JaJuan Smith made his, now, infamous dumb play resulting in a 5-point swing to the Tide’s advantage — he did it while trying to feed to ball to teammate Tyler Smith. They do not always make the right decision, at the right time, but they always play with heart and an overwhelming sense of togetherness.

There are no individuals — there is only the team…

This sort of dedication to team — as opposed to self — is a rare thing among the players of today. There are so many teams peopled with self-centered “superstars” who care little about their teammates, and even less about their university the BasketVols, on so many levels, are simply different. In my opinion all of this is a reflection of the guy at the top — Bruce Pearl. I’ll take a squad of hustling, won’t quit, average, teammates, over a collection of stars any night.

This team just keeps finding ways to win — even when they are off, as they were versus LSU. This team never gives up. Everything this team does, they do with heart. This team never stops being a team. There are great things down the road for Bruce and the Barbarians.

Whatever it is, they will face it together…

– Go Figure …

About the Author:  "Lawvol" -- I'm just a guy living in North Carolina who has an unnatural fascination with the color orange. Just because I'm a Tennessee alum and die-hard Volunteer fan doesn't mean that I can't poke a little fun at the Big Orange and anybody else for that matter. Feel free to complain all you want. >> Read more from this author

Be Sociable, Share!

• 

One Response to “Tennessee Beats LSU — Barely, but as a team”