SB Nation - Trae Golden

Kentucky Basketball: A Look at the SEC Portion of the Schedule

Glenn Logan — Sat, 11 Aug 2012 16:24:08 -0000

Yesterday, the SEC provided us with a final version of the college basketball schedule for next year. Kentucky's 2012-13 schedule is now complete. Let's have a look:

SEC Conference Schedule 2013
01/10/13	at Vanderbilt * TV	Nashville, Tenn.	9:00 p.m. ET
01/12/13	vs. Texas A&M * TV	Lexington, Ky.	4:00 p.m. ET
01/15/13	vs. Tennessee * TV	Lexington, Ky.	7:00 p.m. ET
01/19/13	at Auburn * TV	Auburn, Ala.	TBA
01/22/13	at Alabama * TV	Tuscaloosa, Ala.	9:00 p.m. ET
01/26/13	vs. LSU * TV	Lexington, Ky.	4:00 p.m. ET
01/29/13	at Ole Miss * TV	Oxford, Miss.	9:00 p.m. ET
02/02/13	at Texas A&M * TV	College Station, Texas	6:00 p.m. ET
02/05/13	vs. South Carolina * TV	Lexington, Ky.	9:00 p.m. ET
02/09/13	vs. Auburn * TV	Lexington, Ky.	4:00 p.m. ET
02/12/13	at Florida * TV	Gainesville, Fla.	7:00 p.m. ET
02/16/13	at Tennessee * TV	Knoxville, Tenn.	1:00 p.m. ET
02/20/13	vs. Vanderbilt * TV	Lexington, Ky.	8:00 p.m. ET
ESPN College GameDay
02/23/13	vs. Missouri * TV	Lexington, Ky.	9:00 p.m. ET
02/27/13	vs. Mississippi State * TV	Lexington, Ky.	8:00 p.m. ET
03/02/13	at Arkansas * TV	Fayetteville, Ark.	4:00 p.m. ET
03/07/13	at Georgia * TV	Athens, Ga.	7:00 p.m. ET
03/09/13	vs. Florida * TV	Lexington, Ky.	12:00 p.m. ET

What I really like about this schedule is the fact that we start off league play with one of the new members of the SEC. This will be a huge TV game for Kentucky, and will truly welcome Texas A&M to the SEC in the most dramatic possible way. No matter what the outcome, TAMU basketball fans will be in for a treat, and they have some bragging rights to bring in -- their last game against UK was a victory over then #11 UK in the UKIT way back in 1978. This will be the first game between the Aggies and the Wildcats in a remarkable 35 years.

So what are the other big games on this schedule that UK fans should really look forward to? Here's my list:

@ Alabama Crimson Tide, January 22nd - This is Anthony Grant's third year, and Grant brings back a very talented group from last year absent JaMychal Green and Tony Mitchell. Grant adds Rivals 5-star wing forward Devonta Pollard, ranked #22 in the country, to join the talented Trevor Lacey, Levi Randolph and Andrew Steele. This should be a very interesting road game for the Wildcats, and a big test of their strength.

@Texas A&M Aggies on February 2nd - This will be the very first trip for Kentucky to College Station, and it is the longest road trip a Wildcats team has made in the SEC season.

@ Florida Gators on February 2nd - Every Florida game is on my radar, and Billy Donovan continues his outstanding recruiting in Gainesville. Even though Florida loses a ton of talent this year in Bradley Beal and Erving Walker, Kenny Boynton and Patric Young both return, along with starter Erik Murphy and quality bench players Mike Rosario, Scottie Wilbekin, and Will Yeguete. Florida will be experienced, deep, and dangerous, particularly at home.

@ Tennessee Volunteers on February 16th - Kentucky will be coming straight from Gainesville to Knoxville, and a tougher road trip is hard to imagine. In his second year, I expect Couonzo Martin to have a very dangerous team, including Jarnell Stokes and Jeronne Maymon. Trae Golden and Kenny Hall also figure to be a big help.

Vs. Missouri Tigers on February 23rd - ESPN College Gameday comes to Rupp Arena for the first meeting between Missouri and Kentucky since December 30th of 1999. The Wildcats have an unblemished record in four tries against the Tigers, but Frank Haith has proven that he can build a winning program. Missouri was decimated by graduation, losing nine seniors from last year's team. However, exciting guard Phil Pressey join forwards ~~Kadeem Green~~ (oops, he transfered) Alex Oriakhi and Andy Rosburg, two quality bench players, to form the core of what should be a dangerous team. Add in the excitement of College Gameday, and this is an event that everyone will be watching.

@ Arkansas Razorbacks on March 2nd - Sophomore B.J. Young leads this talented Razorbacks bunch into head coach Mike Anderson's second year as an SEC coach. Junior guard and second leading scorer Mardracus Wade, sophomore big man Hunter Mickelson, and the talented but oft-injured Marshawn Powell form the core of a team that could be set to contend for the SEC championship.

Vs. Florida Gators on March 9th - If the SEC race is close, this game could be the difference between a regular-season championship and also-ran status for one of these teams. It could also set up the NCAA tournament for either of them to provide a path to a #1 seed in the NCAA tournament.

Those are the games that stand out to me as the most interesting. What are your thoughts?

Ole Miss 77 Tennessee 72 (OT) - Waking From a Dream

Will Shelton — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 03:42:20 -0000

So, here's the part about the blown call in overtime. I put it first not because it was the primary reason we lost, but to get it out of the way. With Ole Miss leading 74-72 with 14.5 seconds left in overtime, an inbounds pass was deflected by Josh Richardson off the chin of Terrance Henry and out of bounds. This was clear, and done right in front of the referee, who awarded the ball to Ole Miss. And an officiating crew that earlier went to the monitors on a block/charge play and returned with a double foul call - the ultimate bailout - didn't go back to the monitors or discuss the play on the game's most crucial possession.

But the fact that it was the game's most crucial possession was Tennessee's responsibility: the Vols had their chances in this game and didn't execute on the offensive end at the end or regulation or, for the first time in forever, on the defensive end in overtime, a place we were fortunate to be in the first place. So it's both right and easy to blame the refs right now, but it's our fault for being in that position in the first place, and ultimately Tennessee leaves New Orleans with a loss to Ole Miss that will almost certainly kill their NCAA Tournament hopes.

The defense was strong throughout regulation, holding the Rebels to 61 points. The fact that Tennessee was in the game at all while shooting 28.1% from the floor is a testament to our strong defensive performance as usual. Neither team led by more than six throughout regulation in a physical battle that saw both teams play incredibly hard. While Ole Miss won the battle in the paint from the floor, Tennessee kept getting to the free throw line (25 of 33) to stay in it. Skylar McBee buried a three with 4:52 to play to put the Vols up 54-53, and Trae Golden added a runner with 4:06 to go that put the Vols up three.

And then our offense fell apart.

In the four minutes following Golden's runner, Tennessee shot five threes in a row and missed them all. I don't know if the Vols didn't know how to play with a small lead in the final minutes, something we haven't really done much. I don't know if the moment got too big, or if the Ole Miss post defense had been causing too many problems for us to go in there again (though if so, we forgot that we shot 33 free throws). But every possession involved a lot of standing around, running down the shot clock, and then missing a three.

Meanwhile, credit Ole Miss for continuing to attack. The Vols had no defensive answer for Terrance Henry at any point, who hit an and-one to put Ole Miss up 58-56, then hit two free throws with nine seconds left to push the lead back to three.

The sixth three in a row for Tennessee, however, was much more successful. Skylar McBee banked in a three with two seconds left that sent the game to overtime. This loss is even more unfortunate because it will rob McBee of what would've been one of the biggest shots in Tennessee Basketball history had the Vols won the game and made the NCAA Tournament.

Then in overtime, Jarnell Stokes scored immediately to put the Vols up 63-61, and momentum was wearing orange...for about ten seconds. Credit Nick Williams and Jarvis Summers for knocking down jumpers on the Rebels' first two overtime possessions. Then when Jeronne Maymon fouled out after a UT miss on the next possession, the Vols were really in trouble, and it showed: without his presence on the glass (17 rebounds), the Rebels got scores off of offensive rebounds on their next two possessions. Tennessee made a run late thanks to two more threes from Skylar McBee - next person who says, "All he does is shoot open threes that I could make" is getting punched in the face - but the worst free throw shooting team in the league found enough of their touch late, knocking down five of their last eight to stay in front. Two of those, of course, came after the blown call with 14 seconds left...but alas, Ole Miss played hard and got the win for it, 77-72.

Consider that outside of McBee, Tennessee scored seven points in the last nine minutes of play, and only Stokes made a shot from the field. It was a tremendous display from McBee, but the Vol offense really failed to get any other good looks down the stretch, and some of Skylar's looks weren't even that good. Tennessee failed to execute at the end of the game, and so did the refs, but you can't say the same about Ole Miss. With Maymon fouling out, the Rebels shot 5 of 7 in overtime.

Trae Golden led Tennessee with 21 points, McBee hit five threes for 15, and Cameron Tatum was big in the first half and finished with 15. Jeronne Maymon had an 11-17. Jarnell Stokes struggled to 1 for 7 from the field, but to his credit hit 5 of 6 free throws to finish with 7 points and 11 rebounds. But 0 for 8 from Jordan McRae and plenty of misses all around helped contribute to the 18 of 64 (28.1%) performance. Again, Tennessee was still good enough to get to overtime with their defense and their effort despite that percentage...but quite simply, Ole Miss was just better tonight: 19 from Henry, 17 from Jarvis Summers, 14 from Reginald Buckner, 12 from Murphy Holloway en route to 42.2% from the field.

UT's RPI drops to 84, well outside the highest number to be let into the field (67) since the formula changed in 2004. And just as important, UT's momentum comes to an end as an 8-1 streak dies in New Orleans. All of the math will work against UT, and you would need just about every member of the selection committee to only consider what the Vols have done with Jarnell Stokes and completely override their <70 RPI bias to put Tennessee in now, which doesn't seem realistic.

The season as a whole is still successful in Cuonzo Martin's first year, and it's not over: Tennessee will certainly make the NIT and should host at least one home game, and could host as many as three depending on their seed if they continued to win. This is still a team to be proud of, who played their way to a game that mattered enough to hurt us if we lost...and we did, and it does.

Go Vols.

SEC Tournament: Tennessee vs Ole Miss Preview

Will Shelton — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 13:00:54 -0000

After six days off, the time is now for Tennessee Basketball.

The Vols continue to find themselves right on the edge of the bubble conversation. Losses by Seton Hall, Washington, and Northwestern have created even more space. And last night Tennessee got the outcome their RPI wanted as Ole Miss beat Auburn. So far this week everything has lined up to allow the Vols to control their own fate. We don't know if it will take one win or two, but we know for sure that losing tonight is not an option for Tennessee's NCAA Tournament hopes. And so the biggest game of an already successful Year One for Cuonzo Martin tips off tonight at 7:30 PM ET in New Orleans.

The Vols and Rebels met just two and a half weeks ago in Knoxville. Tennessee was coming off the disappointing loss at Alabama, and we knew a letdown was possible. That's certainly what it looked like as Ole Miss raced to a 15-2 lead in the first six minutes. But from there, Tennessee showed the maturity of a much more experienced team, coming off the deck to outscore the Rebels 71-45 the rest of the way. Tennessee took the lead just seven minutes after the initial Ole Miss run, was down one at halftime, then opened the second half with a now-familiar script: a defensive run, holding the Rebels to two points from 17:29 to 10:57. The Vols put up eight points during that span, then capped it with a three from Dwight Miller, the surprise story of the game. Ole Miss got no closer than eight from that point on.

The weird start and the strong finish plus the play of Miller make it hard to read too much into that first meeting. And here's what else we know: the Vols are on a roll, but so is Ole Miss, who hasn't lost since that night in Knoxville.

Not hard to figure out where we start on this one:

Jeronne Maymon & Jarnell Stokes vs Terrance Henry & Murphy Holloway

In Knoxville, the point comparison was almost equal: 18 from Maymon and 8 from Stokes, 15 from Henry and 13 from Holloway. But Tennessee crushed Ole Miss on the boards to the tune of 40-25; the Vols grabbed an offensive rebound on 41.9% of their misses, while Ole Miss got it back just 19.3% of the time. In a game where both teams shot exactly 25 of 56 (44.6%) from the floor, the offensive rebounding advantage was huge because it helped put Tennessee on the free throw line: Tennessee went 18 of 26 from the stripe, while Ole Miss was just 7 of 12, and that was the difference.

When it comes to offensive rebounding, that again was Maymon's domain: he had 11 rebounds, 4 offensive to go with 8 more from Stokes. Tennessee's post duo grabbed 19 rebounds, while Henry and Holloway had just 8. Tennessee needs to win this battle again tonight.

Here again, we must point out that as long as Kenny Hall isn't playing, it is crucial that Maymon and Stokes stay out of foul trouble. Dwight Miller was huge in the first meeting as we said, but you can't count on that production to just magically appear again in New Orleans.

Take care of the basketball

The Vols have been lights out in Knoxville and have won three of their last four road games. But when it goes south for Tennessee away from Thompson-Boling, it's usually because we don't take care of the rock. This starts, as always, with Trae Golden, who continues to be among the SEC leaders in assists and turnovers. But it will very much include Stokes and Maymon in the post as Ole Miss comes at them. The Vols are good enough to win at their average of 14 turnovers per game, but when that number starts creeping toward 20 Tennessee's chances go way down. Like Maymon and Stokes staying out of foul trouble, you can write this one in ink for every game the Vols will play the rest of the season.

Who is the x-factor?

If it's not going to be Dwight Miller again, who will step up for Tennessee? The Vols have been getting great production from Maymon and Stokes, and are always at their best when Golden contributes as well. After that, Tennessee has needed one more guy to step up every night, and during this winning streak they've been getting it:

vs Georgia: Jordan McRae 14
vs South Carolina: Skylar McBee 18
at Florida: Skylar McBee 13
vs Arkansas: Jordan McRae 14
vs Ole Miss: Dwight Miller 10
at South Carolina: Jordan McRae 16
at LSU: Cameron Tatum 9
vs Vanderbilt: Cameron Tatum 18

The Vols need one of their other guys to step up to get it done. On most nights it can be any one of McBee, McRae, or Tatum. But one of them needs to be that guy that gives us double digits to push our offensive production over the top. At times it's been two of those guys, which is especially helpful if Golden or Stokes has been off (because Maymon is never off, son). But Tennessee's best chance to win is to get strong efforts from Maymon, Stokes, and Golden, and then have one more guy go off. Who's it gonna be tonight?

Avoid the Aberration

Things Ole Miss is not good at: three point shooting, where they hit just 30.8% (301st nationally - 10th in the SEC), and free throw shooting, where they are an abysmal 59.5% as a team (338th nationally - dead last in the SEC). They shot 27.3% from the arc and 58.3% at the line in Knoxville. We'll take that again, thank you very much.

Tennessee shouldn't have to worry about the three ball nearly as much as they did against Vanderbilt on Saturday, but that means guys like McBee and Tatum need to be good defenders off the bounce tonight. If the Vols get a lead on this team, they'll have a harder time recovering from it. And good defense that involves not fouling will keep Ole Miss from hurting us at the free throw line in the first place. Tennessee just wants to avoid the hot shooting night where all of a sudden Ole Miss is raining threes from everywhere because we weren't prepared to guard the perimeter. Ole Miss shot 32 free throws against Auburn...that number needs to come down too.

Play Tennessee Defense

That's a fun thing to type, because we both know what it means and know we can expect it.

As is the case against Ole Miss, Kentucky, and everyone left in between, if the Vols defend the way they're capable of defending, we will have a chance to win. Tennessee is 35th nationally in defensive efficiency ratings; the Vols get it done with all five men on the floor, and that's been our calling card and the reason we're on this run. We've seen this team make runs and stage comebacks using fierce, consistent defense, and we have become the team that no one wants to play. It's the Cuonzo Martin way. And if we keep following it, Tennessee will keep having a chance to win every game they play.

If the Vols defend well against Ole Miss, take care of the basketball, get what we've been getting from our best players and have that one extra guy step up? We're headed to Saturday, and this dream stays alive one more day.

Go Vols.

Talking Points Digs Free Throws and Crunch Bars

Joel Hollingsworth — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 13:10:49 -0000

Thank you, Mr. Golden. Those clutch free throws from Trae Golden? Thank his father, who wouldn't let 4-year-old Trae come inside until after he'd hit 10 in a row. Golden's now hit 31 of his past 32 attempts, including the last 17. Still, I say we make him stay out there for a little while longer, whattayasay?

Really, coach, the Crunch Bar is really just gravy. Eww. Maybe a cherry. Hmm. The frosting? Coach Cuonzo Martin lured fans to Thompson-Boling with Nestle Crunch Bars, and it paid off with a top five finish in average home attendance for the seventh year in a row. Take a look at the elbows we're rubbing here: Kentucky, Syracuse, Louisville, and North Carolina. Now look at our football program and their football programs. We've got it pretty good, you know?

Jarnell Stokes is your SEC Player of the Week. Congrats to Size 20, who wins the SEC POW! this week. Coach Martin called Stokes a "double-double guy even on a bad night." Somebody give that guy a fever Thursday.

Love me some humility. Be sure to check out this fantastic feature on senior Cameron Tatum. I have no idea why some people make fun of these kinds of features. For me, they're a huge part of what makes me a fan.

We know it's a team game, yet we often forget. Love this quote from Cuonzo on when and how his team started making progress:

"I saw it in some of the early losses, the four-game home stretch we had during the preseason before we went to Memphis. I saw the guys making progress, but maybe it was one or two guys and then another guy would step up in another game. One guy made progress defensively; the other guys might not have played as well. One guy made a pretty good move off the dribble - we'd been working three weeks on that and he finally showed it in a game. And then once the Florida game (happened), we got better as a team. From that point, guys individually got better and we got better as a team defending, trusting each other and believing in each other more than anything. There are still a lot of breakdowns in games, but when we make mistakes guys cover them up quickly on the next rotations defensively. Or when a guy breaks down off the dribble and makes a play, somebody is moving on the backside - whereas at the beginning of the season, we wouldn't rotate offensively to get the next play. Guys are doing that now."

Etceteras. Kenny Hall's suspension has been extended through at least the SEC Tournament. . . . John Adams says that the Lady Vols' run in the SEC Tournament was great, but the NCAA Tournament is going to be a bigger challenge. . . . Tennessee gets headline act status (of course that's what the last day is for, right?) for SEC Media Days. . . . Arian Foster gets a $43.5M deal with the Texans. . . . John Calipari thinks he's going to outlast the NCAA. . . . Swiperboy's latest: Vol So Hard.

Redemption: Tennessee Volunteers 68, Vanderbilt Commodores 61

Chris Pendley — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 23:39:27 -0000

This team wasn't supposed to do this. Not yet, and not like this. At the beginning of February, Tennessee sat at 10-12, and there were pieces, but not a picture. After today, Tennessee will at worst have a bye in the SEC Tournament, and - with a Kentucky win against Florida - will finish at #2 in the SEC.

Not bad for a team left for dead a year ago, is it?

I'm not even sure where to begin, to be honest. Watching the game, it felt like Vanderbilt kept coming - especially in the first half, when they answered an early Tennessee run with one of their own to go up 6. Then again, Tennessee promptly answered that run with a run of their own to go up 5. From there, Tennessee mostly kept Vanderbilt at bay, and how weird does that sentence look? This team, which got played off the court in Memorial Gym, kept Vanderbilt at bay. Vandy never got it closer than 3 after the under-16. That other shoe, the one that tells us this is just a fortunate coincidence and this team still needs work and this isn't Tennessee's year? It's hanging from a telephone wire outside TBA, and it's not coming down any time soon.

It came from places we expected: Cameron Tatum, providing clutch shooting all game and leading the team with 18 points; Trae Golden, 17 points, 4 assists, 8-8 FT shooting, no fouls after picking up 2 early in the first half; Jarnell Stokes, hosting a block party (5 on the day), 14 boards, and 11 points; Jeronne Maymon, 12 points and 7 boards. And you know what? That's okay. Those are the guys the Vols need now.

Does this make Tennessee a NCAA tournament team? Not yet. They still need wins during the SEC Tournament. But those wins start coming on Friday instead of Thursday, and at this point, anything can happen. Tennessee's 8-1 in their last 9, 9-2 in their last 11, and the second-hottest team in the conference. Why not?

It's tough to not give Tatum player of the game on Senior Day, and you know what? I'm not into trying to figure it out otherwise. He's the POG. Game notes after the jump.

It's tough to understate how good Maymon and Stokes were inside; Festus Ezeli had a horrible game, Jeffery Taylor was a near non-factor, and Steve Tchiengang had to go beyond the arc to get any open shots. Just a stupendous shutdown game by Tennessee's interior duo; Vanderbilt needed good games from Ezeli and Taylor to have a shot, and neither did much of anything.
It's amazing how hard the Vols were continuing to work on defense, even when the shots weren't falling. Tennessee went four minutes in the second half without scoring; Vanderbilt replied to that with a 4-0 run. That was it. Vandy opened 5-8 from beyond the arc. After that? 2-13.
Look, the fouls are gonna be weird when Anthony Taylor is reffing a game. That's just how it is. But Vanderbilt going 8-16 from the line (and starting 0-7) and Tennessee going 23-29 ...well, that looks like the difference, doesn't it?

Tennessee's next game will be Friday. Yeah, Friday. Not Thursday. Doesn't that feel good to read? And I suspect we'll have more on this before it's all said and done.

For now? Enjoy it. They've earned this break.

Tennessee vs Vanderbilt: Round 2 for Number 2

Will Shelton — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 13:00:40 -0000

So far, my favorite part of this one has been the complaining from some Vanderbilt fans that a 13 loss team doesn't deserve to finish second in the SEC. I do so enjoy it when rival fans confuse the SEC standings with the AP poll. The good news with the word "deserve" is we'll figure out exactly who does in just a few hours on the floor in Knoxville.

When last we met, it was ugly. Vandy led by as many as 27 and won by 18 on January 24, which feels like a lifetime ago for Tennessee Basketball. Should the Dores come to Knoxville overconfident, I'll take it. But there are a few other obvious things we can take from the first meeting:

Take care of the basketball. The Vols turned it over a season high 25 times in Nashville, which very much contributed to the blowout. UT's season average is 14, second worst in the SEC. To no surprise, in UT's biggest wins that number has been down: 13 against Florida, 10 against UConn, 13 at Florida. In this run of seven wins in eight games, the Vols have averaged, surprise, 14 turnovers per game. So we can win at our average. We're not beating Vanderbilt at 20+, let alone 25. What's been troubling is the play of our point guard of late: Trae Golden is still fourth in the SEC at 4.6 assists per game. But he's now second in the SEC in turnovers per game at 3.1. It's okay to a degree, because players who handle the ball more are always going to turn it over more (see: Lin, Jeremy), but since the win at Florida Golden has 24 turnovers in five games, and has turned it over six times in three of the last four games; before then he'd never turned it over more than five times per game. It wasn't him in Nashville, as Golden was credited with just one turnover...but it can't be him in Knoxville either. Take care of the basketball or enjoy Thursday in New Orleans.
Our best players are in the post. Tennessee finally figured this out in Baton Rouge, where Jarnell Stokes and Jeronne Maymon led the way with 32 combined points. In Nashville, Maymon, Stokes, and Yemi Makanjuola combined for 28 on 11 of 19 shooting. Festus Ezeli is a good defender, but there's only one of him and two of Stokes/Maymon. As always without Kenny Hall, the Vols have to avoid foul trouble...but they also need to emphasize getting the ball inside to their bigs, finishing at the rim, and getting to the free throw line.
Harass Vandy's three point shooters. Which basically means, "Harass everyone not named Festus Ezeli." This is the eighth best three point shooting team in the country at 40.2%. While the Vols did their usual defensive thing in Nashville from inside the arc, from outside it was same old same old for the Dores: 8 for 18, 44.4%. This is a huge defensive game for all of Tennessee's perimeter players. John Jenkins has an especially quick release, and he (20.1) and Jeffery Taylor (17.4) are still 1-2 in the conference in scoring. We won't stop them. But we can harass them.

Four factors and additional notes after the jump...

NCAA Basketball

Vanderbilt is just a weird team to me, because everything about them suggests they should be better than they actually are. Their record is deceiving because they have three overtime losses. They're one of the most dynamic teams in the nation with the basketball: 13th in offensive efficiency, 11th in effective FG%. The Vols are strong on the other end, of course, but this is one where you can't play around and get down double digits and expect to make the same sort of comeback. Tennessee almost completely shut LSU out in the final eight minutes on Wednesday, but there's no shutting this Vanderbilt team out for an extended period of time.

However, what Tennessee has done in Knoxville in SEC play has been amazing. The Vols lost to Kentucky 65-62, as close as any team has played the Wildcats in league play. The Vols are 6-0 in their other SEC games in Knoxville, and won every one of them by at least nine points. Throw in the January 21 win over UConn, and this team has been lights out at home since the calendar turned to January 1. And lights out is what it will take to beat this bunch.

If we assume that Vandy's perimeter players and Tennessee's post players are going to do their thing, this game becomes about x-factors. That's been Jordan McRae of late. McRae saw a serious reduction in minutes and productivity in January, ending with no points in six minutes at Rupp Arena. But since then? 11.8 points per game off the bench. This is a conversation for a different day, but McRae could be an NBA player with about 15-20 pounds of muscle and this level of consistency in the future.

Also of note: in Tennessee's biggest SEC wins, the Vols have been extremely disciplined about shooting threes: 5 of 10 vs Florida, 5 of 11 at Florida, 5 of 9 at LSU. You cannot let Vandy seduce you into an up-tempo shooting spree (and we didn't last time...but 1 for 10 wasn't really helpful). Be patient, work the post, take good shots.

This is the most complete defensive challenge we will face, because this team is so dangerous from so many places. But it's a fitting way to end this run in Cuonzo's first year: it will take our greatest defensive effort to get it done, but that's what we've come to expect.

Wear orange. Let's get it done. Go Vols.

Tennessee Volunteers Defeat LSU Tigers 74-69 OT

actioncuse — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 06:11:26 -0000

Senior night for the LSU Tigers went from a dream to a disaster as the Tennessee Volunteers rallied from 11 down at halftime to win 74-69 in overtime. The loss drops LSU to 17-12 overall, 7-8 in the conference, while Tennessee is still in the hunt for the 2(?!) seed in the SEC tournament.

Jarnell Stokes was the MVP of the game, shooting a near perfect 9-10 from the field to end up with 18 points and 7 rebounds. Jeronne Maymon was a bit off, but was still able to finish with 14 points, while Trae Golden added 14 of his own. Combined Maymon and Golden shot 17-19 from the free throw line.

For for, it’s another difficult loss to take. It seems like no matter how good of a half they have, you can count on the opposite half being just as bad in the opposite direction. After scoring 35 in the first half, the offense grinded to a halt and only managed to get another 34 the rest of the game. With overtime and the high second half foul totals, LSU should have been able to put up a lot more points.

Defensively, they were not as sharp in the second half, though I do credit Tennessee for playing well and cutting down on their turnovers. Stokes made quite a few veteran moves against the LSU seniors, and certainly has a bright future in the SEC. Even though he beat us, I really like his game and his attitude. He never seemed to get flustered if he made a bad play, he just hustled back to the other end. In the second half, he was rewarded a couple of times with some good passes into the lane for easy lay ups and dunks.

Early in the game, Johnny O’Bryant was able to match up very well with Stokes, and I do think the battle between the two freshmen was as good as you will see anywhere all year. JOB finished with 11 points and 4 rebounds, but with more forwards to share time with he wasn’t able to get into a good rhythm in the second half.

Justin Hamilton once again led the way with 17 points and 9 rebounds, but was unable to come up with a game tying 3 in overtime this time.

Overall, the game left a lot to be desired for LSU, but there’s still plenty to look forward to. At this time last year, the season was all but over weeks ago. At this time, LSU still has a chance to get to the postseason. Auburn is next on Saturday, so hopefully the team will pass the buck and ruin their senior day.

Tennessee 74 LSU 69 (OT) - A Defining Moment

Will Shelton — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 04:58:48 -0000

This is what we pictured when Cuonzo Martin came to Knoxville.

It was never supposed to be this soon, never supposed to be as important as it was tonight. But here was Tennessee, down 15 in the first half and 11 at halftime, staging a comeback using defense. Not hot three point shooting, not turnovers and fast break points, but simply lock-it-down, shut-it-down defense on every possession. LSU started the game impossibly hot, shooting 63.2% from the floor as they built their 15 point lead. But in the second half the Tigers made just nine shots, and made just two in the final eight minutes. LSU didn't score at all in regulation after Anthony Hickey's three pointer gave them a 60-57 lead with 3:37 to go. And they didn't score from the field again until 1:04 remained in overtime.

Tennessee's excellent defense allowed their offense to once again do just enough...and just enough has never felt better. There is no doubt Tennessee can play better, but there's also no doubt that the only other SEC team to win in this building is Kentucky. LSU played tough defense and will be a tough out for any team in the SEC Tournament. But Tennessee just kept coming. The Vols closed within four in the first three minutes of the second half, capped off by a three point play from Cameron Tatum. LSU did enough to stay in front, but the Vols kept fighting. Jeronne Maymon did the dirty work in the first part of the second half, knocking down five free throws and hitting a pair of shots that finally closed the Vols within two at 45-43 with 10:46 to play. But LSU got a bucket from Storm Warren and a big three from Anthony Hickey to push the lead back to seven. Free throws from Trae Golden and Jeronne Maymon pulled the Vols back to 52-47.

Then it was Jarnell Stokes' turn.

Tennessee's freshman had been solid but quiet since his 16 point 12 rebound performance in the win over UConn. Not tonight. Stokes scored eight points in less than four minutes, ending with a jumper above the free throw line that he buried to finally tie the game at 57-57 with 3:57 to play. He was an unbelievable 9 of 10 on the night for 18 points to go with 7 rebounds...and when LSU worked to take him away down the stretch, others stepped up.

It was Maymon again who pulled the Vols within one after another Hickey three (hats off to that kid). Then Maymon hit one free throw to tie the game at 60-60 with 2:16 to play. And then it became a stalemate: both defenses stepped up in the final two minutes, no points were scored, and after a Justin Hamilton block LSU missed the game winner to send things to overtime.

In OT, a pair of unlikely faces made the difference. Cameron Tatum started it with a three off the tip to give Tennessee, unbelievably, their first lead of the night. Deadlocked again after three LSU free throws, it was Trae Golden who made the biggest play of the night on an and-one drive with 1:27 to play. At that point, Golden was 1 for 8 with 5 points and 6 turnovers, the worst game he had played all year. But he was exactly who the Vols needed him to be down the stretch.

At 66-65 after an LSU basket, the Vols needed one more score...and it was Tatum again who delivered, slashing into the lane and just getting a shot off that found the bottom of the net for a 68-65 lead with 34 seconds to play. And from there, Tennessee's defense again did the trick, and Golden went 6 for 6 at the line to seal the deal...and the Vols win in Baton Rouge, 74-69.

LSU deserves a ton of credit for an incredibly hard fought game. But Tennessee took their best punches in the first half and battled their way back in the second. The Vols can play better, and are still limited on the offensive end and prone to dry spells. But once again, with their defense they create the opportunity to win anyway. And for a team whose biggest victories had come in two blowouts over Florida and a three point win over UConn that featured a late Huskies run, this was the first time Tennessee had a chance to make the plays at the end of the game to win...and did.

In a building where only Kentucky had won in league play, the Vols shot 51.0% from the floor, 5 of 9 from the arc, and 19 of 22 from the free throw line. And every point mattered, none more than the 32 combined from Stokes and Maymon inside.

I'm so proud of this team and unbelievably happy with the job Cuonzo Martin is doing. You could tell how much he wanted tonight too: more talkative with the referees, more animated on the sideline, and ditching the jacket in overtime. And he got what he came for. I didn't see the fist pump, but I imagine it was there. I'd also imagine this is the win he's most proud of, and rightfully so. I never, ever expected it to be this good this fast, and never expected to feel so good about a team that just followed the most successful run in program history.

But this team's run isn't over yet.

Tennessee's RPI goes up to 81 as of this writing tonight. But the Vols have one more big chance to improve their lot, as Vanderbilt and their #21 RPI ranking will come into Knoxville on Saturday afternoon. And if Kentucky finishes their quest for perfection at 16-0 by beating Florida on Sunday, the winner of the Tennessee/Vanderbilt game will finish second in the SEC.

The Vols should feel much safer about the NIT, and we can still have the conversation about the NCAA Tournament. But the destiny we do control is in New Orleans, and Tennessee has a chance to put themselves in an incredible position in that bracket with a win on Saturday on Senior Day. You didn't have to wait long for a huge showdown game to come back to Thompson-Boling Arena after Bruce Pearl: it's here on Saturday. And the place will be rocking.

Cuonzo Martin deserves all the credit. This win tonight was the defining moment of his team, which dug deep and found a way to win on the road against a good team when it mattered most. I hate when we play these late games like this because I'm so excited I'm never going to get to sleep. And man, that's a great feeling. Thanks for that, Coach Martin.

Let's get Vanderbilt.

Tennessee at LSU Preview

Will Shelton — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 13:01:08 -0000

Welcome to a bigger game than either team should have any right to be playing. You know our story: picked to finish 11th in the SEC in Cuonzo Martin's first year, with the loss of Scotty Hopson and Tobias Harris plus two top tier recruits in the wake of Bruce Pearl's dismissal, and an abysmal month of December that had everybody looking to next year...but all of a sudden we're 8-6 in the league, swept Florida, and have a chance to finish second and get back on the bubble.

LSU started 3-3 in Trent Johnson's fourth year at the helm, with losses to Coastal Carolina, Northwestern, and South Alabama. They won four straight after that, but it was the fifth win - 67-59 over then-undefeated Marquette - that made people pay attention. A near miss against Virginia left them 10-4 as SEC play unfolded. Their opening act was a 26 point beatdown of Ole Miss.

Then the schedule got the best of them: six losses in eight games, five of them on the road at Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi State, and Vanderbilt, plus a home loss to Kentucky. The Tigers were 13-10 (3-6), and left for dead. But like Tennessee, a kinder schedule left a crack in the door: four straight wins over Alabama, Mississippi State, at South Carolina, and Georgia. All of a sudden they were back on the bubble...and then Ole Miss repaid the season opening loss with a 24 point assault in Oxford.

Now LSU is 17-11 (7-7), with an RPI of 68 as I type Tuesday night. You can compare the RPIs of Tennessee and LSU at this site from CBS Sports. LSU goes to Auburn on Saturday to close, which won't help them much, so even with a win tonight and a win on Saturday they'll still probably need to do something impressive in New Orleans. But a loss tonight will almost certainly force them to win the SEC Tournament.

And you can say the same thing for us.

NCAA Basketball Stats

It's been a long time since I've seen a team with a lower FT Rate than us. But we'll take it.

Like the Vols, LSU does it with defense. Since a season opening win over Nicholls State 96-74, every team that's scored 70+ points on LSU has won. The Tigers average 65.7 points per game; Tennessee is at 68.8. These are two of the most efficient defensive teams in the country: LSU is 28th and Tennessee 39th in defensive efficiency ratings.

The free throws are a red flag, even though the Tigers shoot 70% at the line. LSU is 327th nationally in FT Rate, getting to the line just 17 times per game. As is always a key for Tennessee without Kenny Hall, the Vols can't afford to get in foul trouble in the paint and shouldn't be the team that puts LSU on the line more than they're used to being there.

Here's why that might be an issue: this team is huge. 7'0" Justin Hamilton is the leading scorer at 13.2 points per game, though Ole Miss held him to just a deuce on Saturday. Freshman Johnny O'Bryant goes 6'9" and averages 8.4 points and 6.8 rebounds, and has been an offensive rebounding machine. It's a huge assignment for Jeronne Maymon and Jarnell Stokes. But since every picture of Hamilton I can find includes the word "fouls" in the caption, this could be an opportunity for the Vols to turn the tables and put LSU's best players on the bench. It seems very likely that the post duo with the better game will lead their team to victory.

On the perimeter, it's a weird matchup with 5'9" Andre Stringer and 5'11" Anthony Hickey. Then throw in familiar faces Storm Warren and Ralston Turner, and this is a team with a ton of balance: after Hamilton, five players average between 8.3 and 10.4 points per game.

This team doesn't shoot the three well at 31.4% - Turner leads the way here at 35.4%. But they defend the three exceptionally well, allowing just 31.5% from the arc this season. And like the Vols, they are a much better basketball team at home: since the early loss to South Alabama, the only teams to win in Baton Rouge are Virginia and Kentucky. Assume what you'd like about the 24 point blowout to Ole Miss, but at home it's been a very different story.

For us, the script doesn't change: play great defense, take care of the basketball, be responsible with your three point shooting (4 of 20 at Bama but 7 of 14 at South Carolina), and let Jeronne Maymon lead the way. This will also be a big game for Trae Golden on both ends of the floor, staying in front of his man without fouling on defense and running the offense effectively. 70 points should win it, but I don't think either of us will get there. But as always, if the Vols defend well they'll give themselves a chance to be there in the end, and simply need the offense to score just enough to get the job done.

Vegas favors LSU by a point, KenPom likes the Tigers by a deuce in most exciting SEC game of the night. Should be a good one.

9:00 PM - CSS/ESPN3. Keep hope alive.

Tennessee 73 South Carolina 64 - It's The Final Countdown

Will Shelton — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 03:59:39 -0000

Okay.

With a nine point win in Columbia tonight, Cuonzo Martin's Year One Vols reached a number of important landmarks. Tennessee goes to 16-13 overall, guaranteeing them a .500-or-better finish this year. The Vols got their eighth SEC win, ensuring the same finish in the league. And perhaps more importantly, I think now Cuonzo's first year has reached the point where even if the Vols don't win another game and get left out to dry by the NIT, you can still call it a success.

You saw more of the process tonight: the part that's very much in place (South Carolina shoots 32.4%, the latest in a long line of teams to be smothered by the Vol defense) and the part that still needs growth (21 turnovers, a season high that kept the game closer than it should've been at all times). But the part that's already grown allowed Tennessee to overcome those turnovers the way they couldn't in a similar situation in Athens, where they turned the ball over 20 times and it cost them the game. Tonight, it just got in the way of a 52.2% shooting night that included 7 of 14 from the arc.

Jeronne Maymon had 14 points and 8 rebounds, but in just 27 minutes thanks to three fouls in three minutes at the open of the second half. But the Vols went small with four guards, and Trae Golden took control with 21 points, and left the facilitating to Cameron Tatum: 5 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals. And once again, Jordan McRae was sensational off the bench with 16 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists. Throw in Jarnell Stokes with 7 points 7 rebounds a pair of blocks, and such balance allowed the Vols to take all the punches South Carolina threw at them, survive the ones they inflicted on themselves with turnovers, and still stay out in front. The Vols led 27-16 in the first half but just 34-32 at halftime. But it only took the Vols five minutes to build it back to ten in the second half, and once there the Vols never allowed Carolina to seriously threaten again.

The fact that we can pick apart this team's second road victory of the year and/or play sloppy and still win by nine is a very good sign. This was a nice win for a team that didn't play its best and still won comfortably on the road.

But what's coming next now becomes much more important.

At 8-6, the Vols stay tied with Alabama for fourth place in the SEC. Right behind them at 7-7 is LSU, and the Vols will be in Baton Rouge on Wednesday night. We're still not entertaining any NCAA Tournament talk by any other means than New Orleans - the Vols' RPI went up to 89 as of late Saturday night and could certainly climb more next week, but the sure and clear path to the big dance is the SEC Tournament. And Tennessee still has an excellent chance to earn a first round bye in New Orleans.

Kentucky is locked into the top seed, but everything else is still open. Florida's loss at Georgia and their remaining schedule - at Vandy, vs Kentucky - means the Gators could slide back to 10-6. And if the Vols beat Vanderbilt - and we'll get to them later in the week - Tennessee could finish as high as second in the league. And that's the whole scenario: Gators lose at Vandy and against Kentucky, Tennessee wins out, Vols are second in the league (Alabama beat Tennessee head-to-head, but would lose any multi-team tiebreaker to the Vols in that scenario because they already lost to Florida and Vanderbilt).

You might think, "Man, if we finish second in the SEC, there's no way the NCAA could leave us out!" But you'd be wrong, because they did exactly that to a 12-4 Alabama team last year. We'll explore that comparison more if Tennessee wins enough to merit it, but again: winning next week isn't about our at-large resume as much as it's about positioning ourselves for a run in New Orleans. And yeah, finishing second in the SEC would be one more reason to call this year a rousing success.

The primary focus is always the NCAA Tournament, and at this point that means the primary focus is the SEC Tournament. But the NIT would still be an excellent consolation prize, and wins next week can make the difference between in and out. Remember, the NIT gives automatic bids to low/mid-major regular season conference champions who fail to win their conference tournament and miss the big dance. So as low/mid-major conference tournaments begin this week, remember: you want all the favorites to win.

We could stop now, bow out, and still call what we've seen a success from Cuonzo Martin. But next week, the Vols have a chance to move this thing from a good feeling to a good result. NIT, NCAA, SEC...all roads go through Baton Rouge.

Go Vols.