Posts Tagged ‘JaJuan Smith’

A List of Reminiscing…

Well, it’s New Year’s Eve, the final day of 2008. Yes, I know, I’m asking “Already?!?” just you like may be doing. It seems like last month I was standing in Times Square in NYC for nine hours (without any food, drinks, or bathroom breaks) with five of my friends ringing in 2008. But here it is, the start of another year is less than 24 hours away.

My new logo

Now hopefully you have yet to bail on me because of that terribly mushy opening, and if you have I thank you. I’ll get to my little list of what I’ll most remember from the past year in sports in a minute, but first I need to say that I began this whole blogging thing back in June, when the looming monster of summer school was at my doorstep. When I started, I didn’t really know what I was doing, and I wasn’t sure how long I’d be blogging or any of that. I really enjoyed it at first, mostly the posts following the NBA Finals games and my amateur, yet rather extensive, coverage of the Rocky Top Summer League (yes, I skipped studying for tests and doing schoolwork to do those). However, at first I underestimated how much work blogging actually can be.

So when lawvol approached me (figuratively) about joining forces with him, it was a no-brainer. I have enjoyed writing here at the Gate and I just want to give some props to lawvol for having me on here and for helping me when I bug him about the simplest of issues. And of course thank you to yourselves, the readers (if you’re still actually reading this). Who knows if my blogging will actually help the journalism career I’m hoping for/working towards/trying to gain experience for, but I’ve certainly enjoyed it and I’m glad I decided to begin with it.

OK, enough of those little bits of business, now onto this little list. This will be a little different than the other two I’ve done, as in I’m writing this, I’m not limiting myself to what pops into my mind when I think back of the past year in sports. I was able to narrow my hatred for Alabama down to five and the hope of the Vols’ hoops season to 10, but this is a whole year we’re talking here. I’ll try to keep it as short as I can. Anyways, here goes…

Thanks Coach

1) Good-bye and thank you Coach Fulmer: Well duh. The only Tennessee football coach I’ve pretty much ever known fell victim to a failed replacement of David Cutcliffe and the second losing season in the last four years. It’s been the toughest year as a Tennessee fan I have been a part of by far, but it ended very sweet with the home win over Kentucky.

CLK

2) Hello, Lane Kiffin: Fulmer’s replacement has me excited, and I know I ain’t the only one. Some are skeptical, but the Blackjack General (kudos, lawvol) has the fire that I think this program needs. He and his staff have plenty of work to do to return to the level of competing with Florida and the growing empire in Tuscaloosa, but so far, so good…

Champs

3) Being #1 for less than two days is still better than never being #1…: This goes way back to February, and the 66-62 #2-over-#1 win by Tennessee at Memphis. I had to cover/get audio for this game for the radio station sports show I was involved in last spring, and it was just fun to watch and see in person. That, and being in the middle of the aftermath right outside the locker room and on the FedEx Forum floor trying to be “professional” is undoubtedly a highlight of this past year.

4) 2008 SEC basketball champs: Need anything else be said? And to do it in Gainesville after getting blitzed in the first half was icing. I also covered that last home game against Carolina, so watching the whole net-cutting and t-shirt deal was a highlight.

5) Fan apathy: Honestly, this was probably the biggest factor to Fulmer’s firing. I have made my thoughts on the student attendance and the whole paying for tickets well known through this site (try this). This video (I wouldn’t dare actually post it) was the lowest point for me as a Tennessee fan in my life. I must admit, I left well before it, but I didn’t want to be a apart of that. I commend you if you did…

Thanks Chris and JaJuan

6) Chris Lofton: Seeing this guy get to play in person for two years was a treat. Talk about a role model, he had cancer, didn’t tell anyone for completely unselfish purposes, and still had a pretty good season and was an integral part of the SEC Title run for the Vols. I have his #5 jersey on my wall of my room in my apartment, and it will be hanging in TBA’s rafters soon enough.

7) JaJuan Smith, too: Walk-on to nearly making the Mavericks. The best part of watching Juanny the past two years of college was that he made it look so fun. From his rainbow threes to pestering defense and occasionaly bonehead turnover, I’ll never forget this guy and what he was to the Tennessee program.

Championship #8: I have to give Pat Summit and the Lady Vols some love. I never go to any of their games, but I do know they exist. That senior class dominated and Candace Parker, well, she’s just awesome.

9) Eric Berry: The dude is just a BAMF. My four years of college may be four of the worst in Tennessee history, but at least I got to see this guy play. Seriously, he was reason enough to watch as the awful 2008 season went down the toilet. His pick-six against Mississippi State might have been the craziest moment of the student section this past year (yeah, indicating how bad the season truly was…). List of guys he almost killed in 2008: Tyler Donovan, Taylor Embree, Knowshon Moreno, Marquis Maze, and that’s off the top of my head. If a team had 22 Eric Berrys, they would never lose. Maybe, just maybe, he’ll like playing in Monte Kiffin’s defense enough to stay for his senior year…

Monte!

10) Monte Kiffin: Sweet! Most respected defensive coordinator in the NFL? Yes please.

11) The Streak: Tennessee has now won 37 straight home games in Thompson-Boling Arena. A couple of teams nearly broke it (Ole Miss, Kentucky, Belmont), but it’s still going strong. I still have never left that arena having seen Tennessee lose. It was empty four years ago, now this streak. Could Gonzaga end it a week from tonight?

12) Construction: If you visited Knoxville this past year, you know what I mean. The stadium. Glocker. The Baker Center. Neyland. The TBA facelift. Lindsay Nelson. Heck, even I-40 has been closed since May…

13) Losses I witnessed in person: Louisville (Sweet 16 game in Charlotte), Florida, Auburn (nearly fell asleep in the third quarter), Alabama, Wyoming…

14) My love for the NBA: It gets a bad rap for the most part, but you can’t tell me you’re a true fan of the game of basketball and not like the NBA. Before this past season, I never really followed it other than the playoffs and the handful of Grizzlies games I saw in my high school days. Now, I just plain love it. These guys are ridiculous. I could watch LeBron James play every night. The Lakers-Celtics finals capped off an amazing playoffs and it’s shaking up to be a great season this year too.

15) Wyoming: I saw them beat Tennessee 13-7 in Knoxville. They were 1-7 in the Mountain West and fired their coach. Ouch…

16) UCLA: Kevin Craft is worse than me for Heisman! really wasn’t as good as we made him look. The beginning of the end…

17) This play:

18) These dunks:

19) Redeem Team Wins Gold: The highlight of the Beijing Olympics for me. Yes, I watched every minute of every one of their games. They were not going to be denied and watching these guys play together and with a serious sense of urgency was well worth it. Thank you, LeBron, D-Wade, Kobe, CP3, Bosh, Howard, Boozer, D-Will, Melo, Redd, Tayshaun, Coach K and staff.

Monte!

20) The tornado that almost killed me: I’m getting lazy, so just click here. If you’re too lazy to do that, you’re worse than me I was in the Georgia Dome for the SEC Tournament when that tornado owned downtown Atlanta.

21) Michael Phelps: Second best part of the Olympics. The relay the U.S. stole from the trash-talking French and the race he won from nowhere had me up and yelling at the TV.

22) Scotty Hopson, Bobby Maze, Emmanuel Negedu, Renaldo Woolridge: They’re only going to get better…

23) This NFL season: I don’t get too pumped about pro football other than for fantasy purposes, but this was a fun season to watch. It came down to the end and I can honestly justify about six teams going all the way. Miami went from 1-15 to the playoffs and nobody’s laughing at the Falcons now. And those drama queens in Dallas are watching it all…

24) Jerod Mayo: Any time a Vol gets drafted in the Top 10…and then dominates as a rookie, I’m pumped…

25) Shaun Ellis: This was just plain funny…

26) Tyler Smith and J.P. Prince: Two transfers are huge parts of Tennessee hoops in 2008 and going forward. Thanks to Tyler for his clutch makes against Ole Miss and Memphis State. This year’s team is his team, and it took Prince hurting himself to make us see how important he is to this team.

27) The Olympics: Yeah, they were about all I watched for that two week stretch this summer.

28) VolQuest/Rivals: I can’t lie, I have spent countless hours procrastinating and wasting time on the message boards. If you have done it too, you know their addictive powers…

29) Jonathan Crompton: Well, there’s not much to say, but most of the Tennessee fanbase thinks he’s the worst QB to ever wear orange. Hell, he couldn’t even hand the ball off against Florida and Auburn. The Auburn game might have been the worst game ever played by a QB – my goodness was it ugly. When he entered the South Carolina after Nick Stephens threw an awful pick-six, ESPN showed his stats for the year – he had thrown for 666 yards. Yikes. Yet, that pass to Denarius Moore against Kentucky…reason for hope? I mean, he’s got an equal chance of starting next year as the other QBs Tennessee has. I’m just saying…

30) And finally, Mario Chalmers: Tiger High/John Calipari = EPIC FAIL…

HAPPY 2009 TO YOU FROM US HERE AT GATE 21!!!

Images Courtesy of: Michael Patrick / KNS • Michael Patrick / KNS • volnation.com • coachsoffice.com • interbasket.net

Finally!

Well, for some it’s been basketball season since about mid-September. But after a busy last spring – Ramar Smith/Duke Crews, the Hopson commitment and the Maze coup – and preseason – taking Negedu off Arizona’s hands, D-West’s unfortunate issues, and bum shoulders and bum academics – your defending SEC champs open up the 2008-08 season in the beautiful Thompson-Boling Arena tonight – an off football Saturday (thankfully) at that – against Chattanooga.

Because my creativity is pretty limited and honestly I’m still not fully into basketball mode, I’m going to take a shortcut with my hoops preview – a list. But unlike this list, it’s going to be a nice one, and twice as long. Yes, that’s 10 things and players I’m looking forward to/expecting from the always entertaining bunch of Bruce Pearl…

1. Back-to-back?

This Tyler's team

Flashback to March 5th of last year. The Vols, trailing early to red-hot Florida in Gainesville while Mississippi State leads Vandy in Nashville, look poised to go from #1 in the country to a tie for the SEC title in just a week. Now I don’t know about anybody else, but I don’t like to share. Sharing – and tying for that matter – is stupid. I wanted the SEC all to Tennessee. I wanted a t-shirt (and a 1-seed). Who cares if the SEC was “down”? An SEC title is an SEC title.

Well then this and this happened. Tennessee got that title, its first in 41 years. Now, heading into this season, the Vols on paper are the favorites to repeat. Florida will likely provide the biggest challenge, but the Gates are young inside. Kentucky lost to VMI – yes, VMI – last night, and have to deal without Joe Crawford and Ramel Bradley. They do Patrick Patterson, but it didn’t help last night…

Vanderbilt lost their team Shan Foster, but Aussie-softee A.J. Ogilvy is back. South Carolina has a new coach (Darrin Horn) and Devan Downey, but that’s a big turnaround. Georgia is not good at basketball (SEC Tournament = fluke). Even Buzz owned UGA. The West? I have no clue, so don’t ask.

So while going back-to-back isn’t gonna be easy, it could/should very well happen.

2. Being Sweet is nice and all, but Elite is, well, it’s better…

In Bruce Pearl’s first year, it was any sign of not being mediocre. In his second year, it was advancing past the second round (yes, I include Mike Conley and Greg Oden in the same light as Matt Mauck and Steven Hill). Last year, it was winning the SEC. Going along the natural progression, shouldn’t this be the hump-overcoming year to the Elite Eight?

The common thought is that this year’s group should be the opposite of last year’s team that faded at the end. This year’s team may struggle at first with the many new parts, but come tournament time, they could be real good. Now obviously there’s a whole season and who knows what the matchups will be (hopefully nicer than last year), but this is the next step for the Tennessee program: going further in March, when it really counts.

3. Tyler Smith

It’s going to be a ton of fun watching this guy play basketball this year. He is a special player, and with all due respect to the rest of this group, this team is Tyler’s team. The offense is going to center around him, and when it comes down to it, he’s going to be the go-to guy. He showed he’s capable of coming through in the clutch (Ole Miss and Memphis, anyone?).

SEC Player of the Year? Likely. NBA Lottery Pick next June? If he gets an outside shot, without a doubt yes. To me he’s next in line in establishing the Tennessee program as nationally relevant. The one we’ll remember 20 years from now in the same line as C.J. Watson (who deserves WAY more appreciation than he gets), Dane Bradshaw, Chris Lofton (who’s by himself), and JaJuan Smith.

4. Scotty, Cam, Woolridge, and Negedu…

Oh, the new guys. Talk about length. Talk about athleticism. A 6-6 or 6-8 guy at the two? Having seen Hopson play in the summer league, he just makes it look so easy. Yes, sometimes it looks as if he doesn’t care. I’m not worried about him not turning it up when has to. Tatum may be the team’s best three–point shooter (more on that later). Woolridge could start tomorrow night and has had quite the buzz around himself since summer. What will Negedu – who to me is essentially replacing Duke Crews – bring to the table?

B-Maze might be the newcomer that determines the fate for Tennessee

How are all these new pieces going to mesh? Will the chemistry seen from the last two years still be here this year? It may take some time, but if it does, the talent is scary good. Obviously youth and inexperience gets brought up as well. To that I say these names: Carmelo Anthony. Derrick Rose. Kevin Love. Conley. Oden. This ain’t football, people. You can win with freshman in hoops. It may get bumpy at first, but if the struggles are there by conference play, only then would I start worrying.

5. Big Money Maze

Now I think Bruce Pearl is an excellent coach. However, yes Rick Pitino did pretty much own him last March in Charlotte. Yes tinkering with Ramar Smith and the PG position for the NCAA Tournament probably wasn’t his best moment, and I wouldn’t be shocked if Bruce even told you that himself.

But I think Maze may be the missing link. The guy was the most impressive Vol in the summer league, with his ability to do many things at the offensive end and his overall intensity. Obviously with the horribly (and questionably) timed Daniel West eligibility issues, more of a burden falls on Maze’s (and J.P. Prince’s…and Josh Tabb’s) shoulders. Can he handle it? Time will tell, but like with the rest of the new guys, Maze seems talented enough to make it happen.

I mean, he’s like a clone of Allen Iverson – corn rows, headband, height – and he puts on for Tennessee…how bad can he be??

6. Big Wayne

Wayne...you gotta love him...

I love watching Tyler Smith play. I’m probably gonna love some of the new guys’ games too. But my favorite current Vol has to be Wayne Chism. For a couple reasons, First, he wears his headband differently from every other player, so he’s easily spotted. Second, he and his three-point shots are adventurous. You always are thinking, “Oh s***, not Wayne!”…and he banks it in. Who doesn’t love centers who can bomb? And finally, the dude’s always smiling. Always. You gotta love him…

7. Who’s Bert gonna yell “Money!” for now??

I have three major questions for this team. First, and this was a late-developing concern, is the point guard situation. Maze now has a bigger burden on his shoulders, and behind him it’s either J.P. Prince, who most fans are probably very skeptical of after last year’s debacle, or Josh Tabb. From seeing Daniel West in the summer league, I thought he was going to be a very solid backup. Prince says he’s ready, not only healthy, but ready to play point guard. The Pistons are using Tayshaun as a point forward, so maybe J.P. can get some tips. I’m not saying he’s not capable, I’ll just believe it when I see it.

Secondly, losing Lofton and JaJuan means you lose almost all of the outside game. Who’s gonna hit those dagger threes this year? Who will come up with the key outside shot in a key moment? Will the new three-point line have any effect on Bruce Pearl’s three-happy offense? If Tennessee can’t hit threes, team are undoubtedly going to pack it in and clog up the lane for Tyler and Chism. Thirdly, how will this team come together? Can the chemistry from the past seasons carry over with all these new faces? The talent’s certainly there…

8. Now that’s a schedule…

Bruce Pearl loves schedules like this. In addition to the SEC, everyone of course knows about the trip to Kansas, the visits from Memphis State and Gonzaga, and the game in Nashville with Big East foe Marquette.

How about we take a little deeper look? There’s the Old Spice Classic in Orlando Thanksgiving weekend. The Vols’ opening opponent, the Siena Saints, hammered the crap out of Vandy in the NCAA Tournament last year. Also there: Wichita State (revenge?), Georgetown, Michigan State (who’s a top 10 team?), Oklahoma State, and Gonzaga (again possibly).

Even the “cupcake” teams aren’t walkovers. Chattanooga hung with Tennessee last year. UT-Martin has Lester Hudson, who nearly went in the NBA Draft last year. MTSU is picked near the top of the Sun Belt (they lost in the conference tourney title game last March). There’s a tricky little trip to Temple, an NCAA Tournament team from last year. Finally, there’s Belmont. Ask Dook about the Bruins.

9. “The Streak”

Fact: in my two years of college, I have never had to leave TBA with the sick feeling of losing. Yes, I’m undefeated at home over two years. Tennessee’s home winning streak is up to 32 games now, and I think it would be cool to keep that going.

Just four years ago, TBA was just a big, empty arena. Now, it’s one of the best arenas in college basketball, and one of the toughest places to play in the SEC and the nation. Thank you, Bruce.

10. January 24, 2009

Look, most Tennessee fans don’t really care about little ol’ Memphis State down in the southwest corner of the state. It’s a little different for those of us who either live there and grew up there. Seeing Tennessee win the last two games against Tiger High in person were two of the funnest times of my college life. Watching them choke away a national title was pretty good too…

WWWHHHHHHAAAAHHHHHH

The Vols go for three-in-a-row January 24 in Knoxville. Honestly, this is the game I probably want to win the most this year. I could go into my reasons my hating the Tigers basketball program, but I’ll save that til this game in January. I’m not one of guaranteeing things, but it’s probably going to better than my Alabama hate post from a few weeks ago.

Oh I can’t wait to make John Calipari cry his way back home…yet again.

GO VOLS BASKETBALL!!

Images Courtesy of: Mark Humphrey / AP (Daylife) • Saul Young / GVX • Joe Murphy / Getty Images (Daylife) • Alan Spearman / AP (Daylife)

Well, I’m not going to pretend that I am happy with the result of the BasketVols‘ game against the Louisville Cardinals, no one likes losing … but I am so happy with this season that I can hardly contain myself.

I would have loved to see the BasketVols advance to the Elite 8 and set one more team record, by advancing farther in the NCAA Tournament than any other Tennessee team. I would have loved to have seen the Vols have a shot at making the Final Four, but it just wasn’t in the the cards. Still, I am so amazingly proud of this team and what they accomplished this year.

As odd as it sounds, I am so happy that, finally, Tennessee fans have earned the right to be disappointed that basketball season is over …

In years past, when the Mens basketball season ended, there was little to be disappointed with. If (and that is a huge “if”) Tennessee had made the NCAA Tournament, the Tennessee faithful had no reason to be disappointed — in years past, just getting there was all that was ever expected. You can only be disappointed if you expect more. You don’t get disappointed, unless you care. Now, for the first time in my entire lifetime, all of Orange Nation cares.

This year was very special for the Tennessee Basketball program, it was a coming out party of sorts. For the first time since Coach Mears walked the sidelines in Stokely Athletic Center, Tennessee fans had a lot of reasons to get excited, and for the first time Tennessee “belonged” at the forefront of the world of college basketball. As long as Bruce Pearl is coaching the Vols, I think they will continue to “belong.“

In the end, tonight’s game against Louisville was far from the best game that the Vols have played this year. Early fouls for Wayne Chism, inconsistent play at point guard, the inability to beat the press, and a lack of offensive rhythm, and a long list of other things really killed the Vols down the stretch. None of that really matters now. The only thing that matters now is what did the season represent?

Progress…

This year the BasketVols end the season at 31-5, better than any other team in the history of the University of Tennessee. After more than 40 years, the outright SEC Championship belongs to the Vols. Tennessee both beat the No. 1 team in the country, and earned the right to be the No. 1 team in the country. For the first time since the 1970’s, Tennessee filled its arena for every game. The list goes on.

A few years back, none of this was possible…

Tonight was an end of sorts. Three fabulous young men: Jordan Howell, Chris Lofton, and JaJuan Smith young men I am proud to say represented my alma mater, played their final games for Tennessee. To each of them, we owe our thanks. Good luck gentlemen, and Godspeed …

Tonight also represented the final sentence in this 2007-08 chapter of the basketball program. With that, the most remarkable season in Tennessee Mens Basketball history comes to a close.

Ultimately, however, the loss to Louisville does not represent an end, but rather a beginning. Three years ago, Tennessee was mired in the throes of perpetual mediocrity. Now, the future looks bright. In just three short years, Tennessee has come so far under Coach Pearl’s leadership. Tennessee is now — legitimately — a basketball school. Tennessee took huge strides this year, and next year they will take some more. No matter what happens in the future, I know I will always look back and say that it all truly started here, in 2007-08.

In the end, a win against Louisville in Charlotte would have helped the BasketVols take one more step forward, but the loss isn’t a step backward. Coach Pearl summed it up best when he recounted to Bob Kesling what he told the players after the game: “Tonight could have added to this season, but in no way did it detract from it.“

Now there has been a great deal of discussion swirling about whether Indiana or some other suitor will come calling to try and pry Bruce Pearl away from Tennessee. I have refrained from writing on that until now, because there were more important things at hand. I plan on covering it a bit more in the future, but for now all I can say is that I hope Bruce Pearl remains in Knoxville for a very, very, long time to come. I personally have never believed in a coach in any sport more than I believe in Bruce Pearl — and if I feel that way, I can’t imagine how much the BasketVols believe in him.

To the BasketVols I send my sincerest thanks — you all were great this year, and I hope it was as rewarding for you as it was for all of the members of the Orange Nation. From the bottom of my heart, thank you, thank you, thank you, for all your effort and work.

This team made basketball fun again….

As for Louisville, they will go on to play the Tarheads in the Elite Eight. They played tenaciously tonight, and I wish them all the best as they advance in the tournament. Though I’m disappointed that the Cardinals beat the Vols, Rick Pitino and his Louisville squad can make up to me by beating the Tarheads by 80 — no, let’s make it 90 — on Saturday.

In closing, all I can say is that despite the fact I started this blog as a “football” blog, this season has changed that. Thus, while I haven’t quite figured out what I’m going to do yet, no longer will this blog be about “Life, the Universe, and College Football” with only the add-on of “Plus Basketball” it’s time that my little corner of the Tennessee and SEC sports world recognize that the Tennessee Volunteers aren’t just about football, and give credit to Coach Pearl’s program. For now, I’ve adopted the new byline of “Life, the Universe, and the Bounce of the Ball“…

I welcome any suggestions or thoughts from the blogosphere for a “revised” byline.

There is no question that I hate to lose as much as the next alum or fan, and I am disappointed, so very disappointed to see it all end. Yet, after what I have seen from Coach Pearl and this team — all the promise for the future, all the fun of this season, all the excitement of actually being a contender in the NCAA Tournament — I can honestly say, when it comes to sports …

… this is the happiest I’ve ever been to be disappointed.

– Go Figure …

Update: 28 March

Here are a few other thoughts on the game worth reading:

• Standing O for the Tennessee Volunteers – Rocky Top Talk
  
• Louisville 79, Tennessee 60 – The Bruce Ball Blog
• Crapola — Fulmer’s Belly
• A Look Back at Last Night – Third Saturday in Blogtober
• Louisville Ends Volunteers Season — World According to MoonDog
• A Picture Tells the Whole Story — Pigskin Pathos
  

Well, it was anything but boring…

Chris Lofton hit a 3-point basket with 12 seconds remaining in the game to barely defeat the South Carolina Gamecocks 87-89 in the quarterfinals of the SEC Basketball Tournament this afternoon at the Georgia Dome. The Vols were sluggish throughout the game, despite the fact that four Vols scored in double figures. Wayne Chism led the Vols with 23 points, followed by JaJuan Smith with 19, Tyler Smith with 13, and Chris Lofton with 10.  After shooting only 44% from the field in the first-half, the Vols led by a point at the break.  During the second-half, the Vols managed to pour on some steam, shooting 73%, en route to the victory.

To their credit, the Gamecocks fought hard down to the wire, and if they had been able to hit free throws consistently, probably would have defeated the Vols. Thus, Tennessee advances to the semifinals to face the winner of the Arkansas / Vanderbilt game.

Though it was ultimately Chris Lofton who hit the clutch shot to win the game, it was Wanye Chism who had the greatest impact on turning the tide to help the Vols notch their 29th win of the season. Hopefully, Tennessee will manage to calm themselves and re-focus before their game tomorrow, and the possibility of earning their 30th win.

– Go Figure …

Well, the powers that be have selected the SEC Basketball Post-season awards, and the BasketVols are well represented in the final list.

Chris Lofton and Tyler Smith both were selected as members of the 8-man All-SEC First team, and JaJuan Smith was selected to the All-SEC Second team. JaJuan Smith also was selected for the SEC All-Defensive team. J.P. Prince was selected as the SEC Sixth-man of the Year.

In addition to these player accolades, Tennessee Head Coach Bruce Pearl was selected as co-Coach of the Year with Kentucky Head Coach Billy Gillespie. While I understand that Gillespie managed to transform a potentially disastrous season into a reasonably successful one, the Kentucky Wildcats are still a “bubble” team, and in my opinion his sharing the coach of the year honors with Pearl is ridiculous. The BasketVols have had a phenomenal season, and a number of their wins were the direct result of Pearl’s fabulous efforts on the sidelines. Be that as it may, the voters chose both. Either way, Coach Pearl has earned the accolade, and deserves a huge amount of credit for building on his past successes and propelling the Vols to the forefront of the world of College Basketball.

The Orange Nation is proud of all of the award winners, and of the team as a whole. One of the great things about this team — which I’ve blathered on about all season — is that they are truly a team, not just a collection of individuals. Hats off to all of the BasketVols!

Now let’s get ready to get going in the Georgia Dome!

– Go Figure …

Image Courtesy of: Knoxville News Sentinel

The BasketVols capped off a truly amazing regular season with a resounding 89 – 56 victory against the South Carolina Gamecocks. Chris Lofton led Tennessee with 28 points as he and fellow seniors JaJuan Smith and Jordan Howell said farewell to Thompson-Boling Arena. After the game, the team cut down the nets used for the entirety of the 2007 – 08 season, and raised the 2008 SEC Champions Banner.

With this win, the Vols win a school record 28th game to finish the season 28 – 3 (14 – 2 SEC). More impressively, however, Tennessee wins its 16th consecutive game at the Tommy Bowl, and their 32nd consecutive win at home since 2006.

GoVolsXtra” target=”_blank”>After 18 years of obscurity, since 2006 the Tommy Bowl has become one of the most daunting home courts in the country — and one of the most formidable environments for visiting teams. This is but one indication of the metamorphosis the BasketVols have undergone under Bruce Pearl.

The SEC Tournament starts on Friday as Bruce and the Barbarians take on the winner of the first round game between South Carolina and the LSU Tigers, in the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament at 1:00 at the Georgia Dome, in Atlanta.

All of Orange Nation will be behind the BasketVols as they roll into March Madness. Who knows how far they will go, but as Coach Pearl has taught us …

… nothing is ever impossible!

– Go Figure …

This Sunday, Tennessee will say farewell to three senior members of the BasketVols: Jordan Howell, Chris Lofton, JaJuan Smith, as they play their final game in Thompson-Boling Arena. They will be missed.

Their time wearing orange hasn’t always been easy, in fact at times I am quite sure it was terribly difficult — far more difficult than it was for Tennessee fans. Buzz Peterson recruited each of these young men to come play for Tennessee. Then, just as they concluded their first season in Knoxville, Buzz Peterson’s time as head coach came to an end. Having never experienced what it is like to endure a coaching change from inside the program, I can only imagine the impact it must have had on them at the time.

Every recruit at every program believes they will succeed when they first walk on the campus as a college basketball player. Part of this belief comes from the unbridled optimism of youth, part from a sense of self-confidence born out of past successes, and part from the assurances poured out to them in their living rooms during the recruiting process. No one starts out believing they will lose. Only, time, skill, hard work, experience, and a fair amount of luck will determine whether that belief becomes a reality.

College athletes compete in a very finite universe. They know they have four years to make their mark — after that they must move on. In some cases, this is a cruel truth. I can only imagine that these three seniors probably felt this cruelty when, in 2005, their head coach was fired.

The firing of Buzz Peterson probably left each of these seniors with many questions. When will we get a new coach? What will the new coach be like? How will I fit into his system? Will our personalities matchup well? Could we have done more to win? Will there still be a place for me under the new coach? Did I waste my one and only chance at basketball success?

This last question sticks out to me. When these seniors were but one year into their college career, the athletic department determined that their team’s performance was lackluster enough that their coach had to go. For an 18 or 19 year-old, that often means “we weren’t good enough, so the program is starting over.“

Regardless of what they thought of Peterson at the time, the dejection these seniors felt must have been considerable. While they might never admit it, I am sure they all thought, “Well, I just wasted my four years by coming to Tennessee…” After all, everybody know that it is impossible for a new head coach to come in to rebuild a program and start winning immediately…

…or is it?

I so wish I could have sat in and listened to that first meeting these seniors had with their new coach — some guy from Wisconsin named Pearl. I would love to know what Bruce Pearl said to those young men to not only show them that he believed they could win, but to make them believe it as well. Whatever it was, it is obvious that they took it to heart and sold out completely to Pearl’s vision for the future. The conventional wisdom is that you cannot instantly go from “goat” to “great.” Yet, these men swallowed any fears of the future, stayed positive, committed themselves to working their butts off, and embraced that uncertainty. Conventional wisdom be damned — there is nothing “conventional” about Bruce Pearl.

Now, only three short years after they were in the depths of disappointment over the 2005 season and the departure of their coach, they are standing tall … as champions.

Along with Coach Pearl and his staff, these seniors have not only witnessed one of the greatest transformations in University of Tennessee sports history — they made it happen. These young men saw the legions of empty seats in “The Big Brown Box,” but have also felt the electric atmosphere of a jam-packed Tommy Bowl ready to explode. They felt the sting of not receiving an invitation to the NCAA Tournament, but now are staring a No. 1 or No. 2 seeding dead in the face. They remember the apathetic fans who simply viewed basketball as something to occupy the time until football season, but now they know what it is like to be consumed by the intoxicating frenzy of thousands of fans focused completely on their fortunes on the hardwood.

As fans, we always say thank-you’s to departing seniors out of a recognition that they gave of themselves for a period of time to elevate a team, a program, and a university. That giving is worthy of gratitude. In the case of these seniors, however, they not only gave their time, effort, and ability to the Tennessee family, they also gave their trust and their loyalty. It would have been very easy for these seniors to either transfer or simply “mail-in” the rest of their time here — under the assumption that they were simply the leftovers from the last era. When you are an 18 or 19 year-old college student, you don’t have a lot of “pull” in the world, you don’t have a lot of money, you don’t have the ability to bring huge resources to the table.

When you are 18 or 19 years old, all you have is your ability, your mind, your heart, your love, and your devotion. These players gave every last bit of these to Tennessee…

For that sacrifice on their part, this Vol will be forever grateful. I want to personally thank Jordan, Chris and JaJuan not so much for what they did on the court, but for the type of people they are. I want to thank them for staying the course, and for believing in something bigger than themselves. I want to thank them for helping to start something great. I want to thank each of them for being the kind of young man I hope my step-son grows up to be. Best wishes, men, and Godspeed.

This weekend, Jordan Howell, Chris Lofton, and JaJuan Smith will say goodbye to the Tommy Bowl, and will walk through the student section one last time. I hope they feel the gratitude of the Orange Nation. I hope they feel they made the right decision. I hope — for them — it was worth it.

I know it certainly was a joy for all of us…

– Go Figure …

Images Courtesy of: UTSports.com