Like March, In November: Tennessee Fans React To Tough Purdue Loss

As November college basketball goes, last night’s Purdue-Tennessee matchup was about as close as you’ll get to perfect. A back-and-forth game, a great finish, and two very solid teams. What more can you ask for? Our Tennessee blog, Rocky Top Talk, offers some thoughts:

The lead story there and everywhere is, again, Wayne Chism: the senior went 7-7 at the line, 8-13 from the floor to finish with 24 points. Just as big was a sensational block he made just a few possessions earlier to keep Tennessee in the game, as the Vols almost rallied from down six in the final two minutes. Despite his missed three with five seconds left – and the debate will continue about whether he should’ve taken it or went to the hole – Chism played a great, great ballgame.

On the other end of the spectrum, we’d like to welcome back to the floor the questions about Scotty Hopson’s consistency. After averaging 22 per game in his first three, Hopson has gone 5 of 20 in the last 48 hours, missing from almost everywhere and turning the ball over too much. The competition level for Tennessee goes back down (home against College of Charleston Friday night, followed by ETSU, MTSU in Nashville, and Wyoming before traveling to LA to face USC on December 19), and Hopson needs to find his stroke again and maintain it. It was encouraging to see Tennessee go toe-to-toe with the #6 team in the country when Hopson played so poorly…we’d just all rather see him play well instead, and then we can start winning more of these.

In the end, this was an incredible game that felt like March in November. Hats off to Purdue for getting it done, and hopefully both of the teams we saw on the floor tonight are as good as we think they are – E’Twaun Moore and Robbie Hummel certainly looked like major players. For the Vols, it’s the first teaching moment in a loss this season…but there was a lot to like as well. The Vols know they can play with some of the nation’s best…now it’s time to get better, so next time we’re on the right side of the final outcome.