SB Nation - Brian Williams

Know Thy Enemy (Tennessee) - Q & A with Rocky Top Talk

Joey Kaufman — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 00:05:32 -0000

While most Trojan fans right now are likely hung up on the December 26th Emerald Bowl against Boston College and SI.com's exclusion of Matt Leinart and Troy Polamalu from their All-Decade team, it is important to note that the USC men's basketball team (4-4) faces top ten ranked Tennessee this Saturday at the Galen Center. After being embarrassed on the road by two notable ranked teams, Texas and Georgia Tech, Saturday's matchup with the Volunteers should provide an interesting test for the Trojans, who are coming off two solid home victories over Sacramento State and Idaho State.

So, with the game just under two days away, I had the chance to ask Will Shelton, of Rocky Top Talk, some questions about the current Tennessee team and Saturday's upcoming contest

1.) Tell us how confident most Tennessee fans are regarding this year team, especially after their 8-1 start (the only loss was to Purdue by one point in the Virgin Islands).

I think most fans are excited about the potential with this team - the vast majority of these guys played together last year on the team that was bounced in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament, but with a year of growth and greater consistency, we think the talent is there for this team to get into the second weekend and beyond. The Vols have just enough talent with their best players, combined with a ton of depth (currently using an 11 man rotation), that this team is capable of hurting the opposition in so many different ways. We won't know for sure for another week or so, when the Vols play Memphis, Kansas, and then start the SEC season, but we like where we are right now.

2.) This is now year 5 of the Bruce Pearl era so the folks in Knoxville have certainly grown more accustomed to the former UW-Milwaukee head coach. What about this Tennessee team is distinctly Pearl-like?

The tempo is definitely where Pearl wants it - the Vols are always at the top of the SEC in scoring, and so far it's been no different this year, averaging 84 points per game. Tennessee will utilize a full court press some, and Pearl's teams are always great at defending the inbounds pass. All of those qualities are there. The Vols have been more disciplined in shooting the three this year; it remains to be seen if this team can rely on the three to help them win games like Pearl's first Tennessee teams did.

3.) How does UT matchup against the Trojans' big men Alex Stepheson and Nikola Vucevic?

The Vols will start with seniors Tyler Smith (6'7") and Wayne Chism (6'9") in the post; Chism is a very good post defender and leads the team in rebounds and blocked shots. Brian Williams (6'10" and a banger at 278 lbs) has also played a lot of minutes. Chism is very prone to early foul trouble; if the Trojans can get him on the bench early, their chances for inside success increase dramatically.

4.) So far this season the Trojans have struggled immensely on offense, but have proven to be quite effective on the defensive end. What are their chances of slowing down 6'7" forward Tyler Smith, who is regarded by many as the Vols' top offensive player while averaging 12.2 points and 4.6 assists.

The assists stat you mentioned is one of the biggest signs that Tyler has become a complete player - he's dangerous in almost every way offensively, capable of knocking down the outside shot, slashing to the hole, scoring from the post, getting to the free throw line...but at times he also operates like a point guard and distributes very well to his teammates. Smith hasn't really gone off in a game this season, in part because the Vols are so deep - if you make a concentrated effort to stop Tyler, the Vols can hurt you inside with Chism, or outside with Scotty Hopson or Cameron Tatum. Having said that, I watched Kevin O'Neill put on some defensive clinics in Knoxville back in the mid-90s, he'll come up with a great gameplan to take away what he perceives to be the Vols' biggest strength. Tyler and Wayne are almost always going to get theirs - the bigger question is how well USC can take away the Vols' other options. If the Trojans make the Vols play their pace, the odds of taking away the other options goes up.

5.) How much does Bruce Pearl and Tennessee care about this game? Do they view as just another non-conference game, or is it an opportunity to establish a greater presence on the west coast and California in terms of recruiting?

Since O'Neill coached the Vols from 94-97, it adds an extra level of interest to this game, even though that was long before Pearl or any of these players came to Knoxville. Tennessee does have a contributor from California in sophomore Renaldo Woolridge (Orlando's son), but most recently the Vols have been working on the Atlanta and NYC areas in recruiting the most. This is Tennessee's first true road game, after playing four neutral site games, and last year the Vols really struggled in the non-conference road games, getting blown out at Temple and giving up 92 points at Kansas. We want to see this team go into another team's building and get it done sooner instead of later.

6.) What is your prediction for Saturday's contest?

I think this game will be similar to the USC/Texas game, and several that the Vols have played this year: close in the first half, with the Vols depth making a difference in the second half. If Tennessee pushes the lead in the second half, I'm not sure if USC has enough firepower to fight their way back. I have great respect for Kevin O'Neill and the defense his teams play, I just think Tennessee has too much quantity and quality this time around. I like the Vols 67-60.

Horse thieves! Tennessee burgles its way to a 77-58 win over Wyoming

Joel — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 03:32:46 -0000

More photos » by Wade Payne - AP

7 days ago: Tennessee's Bobby Maze (3) blocks the shot of Wyoming's Afam Muojeke (11) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game on Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2009, in Knoxville, Tenn. Maze was called for a foul on the play. Muojeke scored 15 points in their 77-58 loss. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)

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The Tennessee Volunteers rode 29 turnovers to a 77-58 victory over the Wyoming Cowboys this evening at Thompson-Boling Arena.

Bruce Pearl tried to tell Vol fans that it would be a game, and although the final score really doesn't suggest that it was, Pearl was right. At least for a half. In fact, for half of the half, it wasn't just a game, it was Wyoming's game.

The Cowboys came out pistols smoking and opened up with a 7-0 lead. Tennessee spent five minutes ducking for cover, and when they finally warmed up, they began to pull away. But about eight minutes in, the Vols got stuck on a plateau that seemed to vanish into the horizon. From the 12:03 mark to the 5:47 mark, the Big Orange managed only to suck a measly two points worth of liquid out of a spent cactus. Meanwhile, the Cowboys kept joy-riding into the sunset, going from behind seven to in front by nine. Somehow, though, the Vols persisted and narrowed the gap by the half, heading into the locker room up, 42-41.

At that point, Wyoming had completely outshot and outrebounded our guys, but we'd been able to keep things even thanks to 25 points off of 16 turnovers to Wyoming's eight points off of seven. And then in the second half, Tennessee simply pulled away, putting more and more distance between themselves and the Cowboys as the game marched toward its end.

This evening's result was truly a team effort, with Scotty Hopson, Wayne Chism, and Tyler Smith getting 14, 13, and 10 points each, Bobby Maze and Brian Williams each getting 9, and Cameron Tatum and Melvin Goins each contributing 7. Smith also had six assists, two steals, and a block.

Mostly, though, it was the Vols' defense and their ability to create turnovers and capitalize on them that won them the game. The Tennessee players were equal opportunity burglars, forcing eight different guys into multiple turnovers, but they did give some extra attention to Afam Muojeke, whom they forced to give them gifts of double digits.

Tennessee is now 8-1 with two games to go before the season shifts into overdrive with a visit to Memphis on New Year's Eve.

Sun Belt Classic - Tennessee 75 MTSU 54

Will — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 02:30:16 -0000

More photos » by Frederick Breedon - AP

11 days ago: Tennessee guard Melvin Goins (21) jumps over the defense of Middle Tennessee forward J.T. Sulton and guard James Gallman (34) in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, Dec. 11, 2009. (AP Photo/Frederick Breedon)

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Wild assumptions made after listening to the game on the radio:

Tennessee came back from a nine day break for final exams, and in the first half appeared to be following a familiar formula against a mid-major team: build a decent lead, watch the other team work it back within a few possessions, and back and forth we went. The Vols led only 37-30 at halftime with a slower tempo, with MTSU staying in it behind the play of 6'7" senior forward Desmond Yates, who scored 16 in the first half.

But in the second half, Tennessee slowed Yates down just enough (he still finished with 26) to build a lead MTSU couldn't work back from, en route to an eventual 21 point win, 75-54. And again, the Vols did it with balance: the Scotty Hopson thermometer was down again tonight, as he finished with only 4 points on only 4 shots. Wayne Chism was solid (9 points, 9 boards, 2 CHI$$LE!s), and Tyler Smith was quietly the same (7 points, 4 boards, 5 assists).

With their best players scoring in single digits, the rest of the Vols more than picked up the slack: Bobby Maze scored 12, Brian Williams had 6 points and 7 boards, and the player of the game was without a doubt J.P. Prince: 17 points on 6 of 8 shooting, in a huge welcome back game, his first this season in double digits. The Vols proved tonight they can get the necessary contributions from the entire roster, even when the superstars aren't putting up superstar numbers.

Tennessee remains undefeated in what has become an annual neutral site game in Nashville, adding MTSU to the list of teams that includes Oklahoma State, Western Kentucky, and Marquette, all of whom the Vols have beaten at the Sommet Center. Bruce Pearl has repeatedly stated that he wants Tennessee to play a game in Nashville every year - this year it's also the site of the SEC Tournament - and at this pace, why not?

The Vols go to 7-1 on the year, and have six non-conference games remaining before SEC play begins in the second week of January. The competition will build from this point: the Vols host Wyoming on Tuesday night, then travel to Los Angeles to face Kevin O'Neill and Southern Cal next Saturday. The Vols may not be truly tested until the December 31-January 10 stretch that will feature a trip to Memphis (where the Tigers should come in with only one loss, by two points to #1 Kansas), a huge trap game with Charlotte, and a date with the aforementioned Jayhawks. The time for tuneups is almost over...but in lots of different places, the Vols continue to see improvement in these early games.

Tennessee 86 Charleston 69 - Vols pull away late

Will — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 02:47:19 -0000

More photos » by Michael Patrick - AP

25 days ago: Tennessee guard Scotty Hopson (top) shoots over College of Charleston forward Matt Sundberg, front, in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Knoxville, Tenn., Friday, Nov. 27, 2009. (AP Photo/Michael Patrick)

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The return of Scotty Hopson and an 8-8 night at the free throw line from Tyler Smith were tempered by hot three point shooting from Charleston...for about 33 minutes. Tennessee repeatedly built leads of 8-12 points only to see Charleston work them back down within 3-5. But sparked by a Skylar McBee three, the Vols went on a 15-2 run that finally put the Cougars to bed, as UT picked up their fifth win of the season 86-69.

A decent post-Thanksgiving crowd saw Scotty Hopson finish with 21 points, 7 of 10 from the field and 3 for 3 from beyond the arc, a return to the form he enjoyed in the first three games of the season and his fourth 20+ point outburst of the year. Tyler Smith got it done at the line, and he and Brian Williams helped spell Wayne Chism, who again was on the receiving end of two quick fouls and later picked up a third, getting only five minutes in the first half and only thirteen for the game. Williams and Chism both had 11 points, and BWill also had 7 rebounds in 22 minutes.

Charleston went 11 of 25 (44%) from beyond the arc and got great play from their starters, but only eight points off the bench. By comparison, the Vols got 43 points off the bench in a continually impressive display of depth, and dominated the Cougars inside: +14 in rebounds, + 28 in points in the paint.

The Vols are 5-1 on the year and return to action Wednesday night, hosting an ETSU team that beat Charleston earlier this year, and is currently leading at Arkansas. The Vols will then get a nine day break during final exams before playing MTSU in Nashville on December 11.

Tennessee Volunteers Pummel Asheville, 124-49

Hooper — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 02:33:28 -0000

More photos » by Wade Payne - AP

about 1 month ago: Tennessee's Scotty Hopson shoots for three points during the first half of a NCAA college basketball game against North Carolina-Asheville Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2009 in Knoxville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)

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In what may as well have been an exhibition game, the Tennessee Volunteers jumped out to a quick 20-0 lead and never flinched, cruising to a spectacular victory. The game was a complete mismatch, and the Volunteer defense absolutely suffocated the UNC-Asheville Bulldogs, who only made 2 field goals in the entire first half - and the first one after 17 minutes of basketball.

The Vols played fast and furious for the entire game, constantly passing on offense to open opportunities and flat out running up and down the court in transition. In any questions had existed about early season conditioning (which they didn't), those questions were laid to rest. The team never shown any signs of fatigue, and the aggressive man defense kept Asheville at bay until the scout team players were finally entered into the game.

Scotty Hopson continued his early hot streak, leading all Vols with 25 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists. Six Vols ended in double figures: Scotty Hopson, Bobby Maze, Cameron Tatum, Wayne Chism, Melvin Goins, and even Renaldo Woolridge, who was not a part of Pearl's "ten". Tennessee was actually outrebounded 42-41, though most of Asheville's rebounds came well after the game was decided. Tennessee lead in assists (34 to 7), steals (13 to 9), blocks (5 to 3), and had fewer turnovers (12 to 29). The Vols also shot 60% from the floor, 55% from three, and 76% from the free throw line. It was a complete game by a team that played harder and faster than at any point last year. With two solid performances in their belt, the Volunteers appear to have the potential for a very bright season and should be strong competitors in the SEC.

Thoughts From Scrimmage: A few things to watch for during the Tennessee game tonight

Hooper — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 23:32:36 -0000

by Wade Payne - AP

about 1 month ago: In this photo taken on Thursday, Oct. 22, 2009, Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl, left, instructs Wayne Chism during NCAA college basketball practice in Knoxville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)

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On Tuesday this week, I was fortunate enough to have the spare time available to attend the open scrimmage of the Tennessee Volunteers men's basketball team. My plan had been to compile my thoughts and observations on Thursday, but ... yeah. So with full apologies for the short notice, here are some of the things I noticed.

Tempo = Up. We all know that Bruce Pearl likes the team to play fast. 'Controlled Chaos' is his theme. Watching him run practice on Tuesday, it's clear that he doesn't want a repeat of last year's pace. This team will run. Period.
Point Guards are still a work in progress. Give the points a few games. Remember that Melvin Goins is still new to the team, and that Bobby Maze is going to be leading a different tempo of offense this year than last year. I don't see any reason why they won't be successful, but there will be a bit of adjustment as they play more live-fire games.
Skylar McBradshaw. I know, I know: it's way too early to project a walk-on when he has yet to play an official game for the team. But Skylar McBee is going to be a player you love. He'll have his growing up to do as well, but he's a hard worker and he really exudes a love for his situation. If you're watching on the telly, take note whenever he shoot the ball; the crowd will pull for every single shot.
Wayne Chism is a forward. With Kenny Hall in the rotation, Chism is playing more forward than center. This allows for a lot of options with both Brian Williams and Wayne Chism on the floor at the same time, and also give Chism the chance to shoot threes while having a center available for a rebound.
Speaking of Kenny Hall... he looked really good in practice. He's still new, so give him the proper grace, but he appears to be climbing the learning curve quite nicely.

Scotty Hopson is more physical. He's more willing to take the bumps and to play tighter defense. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see his game take a major step forward this year.
Brian Williams and free throws don't mix. Maybe he just had a bad day on Tuesday, but he did seem to follow the Shaq school of big-man free throws. But to his credit, he most well and he looks to be in very good shape.
Our team has a great scout team. Sure, they're not as physically talented as the regulars, but the scout players do their job very well. They're smart and they know the system. It's a phase of the game that we never see, but you can rest a little easier knowing that our Vols are getting some great workouts during the practice sessions. And Steven Pearl is a very smart player. It appears that he leads the scout team, and does a good job with them.
The offense is more involved than you think. Just listening to Pearl teach the team, you can tell that there are a lot of subtle details that go into the offense. Pearl isn't just a run-and-gun kind of a guy. When the team finds their groove, we should be in for a real treat.
Championship driven mentality. The eyes are on the prize, in a big way. The scrimmage wasn't about getting ready for tonight; it was about getting ready for the Kansas Jayhawks, the Kentucky Wildcats, and the SEC and NCAA tournaments. Bruce has a ridiculously high bar set for the team, and he expects them to learn how to clear it.
Black jerseys? Bruce is very much a traditionalist. Black jerseys will not show up on the road (basketball teams wear white a home and colors on the road). However, he did say that he recognizes the game to be a student-athlete game, and that if a special occasion warranted, he might consider doing it for a home game. It led to one of his more interesting philosophies:
Let 'em hate. In a nutshell, if rivals hate some UT tradition, he wants more of it. Hate the orange? Wear more! Hate Rocky Top? Play it all the time! (With that, I propose that the pep band play only Rocky Top whenever they're on the road with the team.)
Did I mention tempo? They're going to run. No, they're going to run. This team will know what it's like to run all game long. If they can't beat a team straight up, they're going to run them into the ground and win the war of attrition.

Tennessee Basketball Season Preview: The Roster

Will — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 19:00:34 -0000

More photos » by Wade Payne - AP

about 1 month ago: In this photo taken on Thursday, Oct. 22, 2009, Tennessee's Tyler Smith (1) defends against Renaldo Woolridge during NCAA college basketball practice in Knoxville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)

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Part Two of our weeklong preview of the upcoming Tennessee Basketball season, which tips off Friday, November 13. Part One - Last Year

If there was ever a season where the Vols could absorb the loss of two contributors in the six weeks before the season opener, this is it. Josh Tabb and Emmanuel Negedu may be out, but the Vols still have 12 names on the roster expected to make contributions. You can see how crowded the picture was before Negedu's cardiac incident and Tabb's withdrawal.

In the long run, Pearl is likely to go with a 10 or even 9 man rotation by season's end. But in the early going, you'll get a look at all of these guys:

POINT GUARD

Bobby Maze returns to put on for Tennessee in his senior season. The transfer stepped into a starting role immediately last season, and logged 25 minutes and 8 points per game. But he wasn't the natural PG fit that Pearl wanted, as Maze averaged only 3.2 assists - he had 11 assists in the season opener against UT-Chattanooga, but never got double figures again. Maze finished with a +2.02 assist/turnover ratio and shot only 31.9% from beyond the arc. The Vols have weapons everywhere and don't necessarily need Maze to score, but to distribute. Look for Maze also to be a key factor in reigniting Tennessee's press on defense.

This year's transfer is Melvin Goins, following in Maze's footsteps. Goins is only 5'11" but goes 195 lbs, and could be a more physical presence at the guard spot. Reports out of practice had him struggling with his shooting touch early, and he'll need to adjust quickly to the Vols' up-tempo style if he's going to be productive as Maze's backup.

PERIMETER PLAYERS

The player the Vols need the greatest improvement from is Scotty Hopson, the McDonald's All-American who will enter his sophomore season. Hopson showed flashes of his potential last season - 16 points against Gonzaga in Orlando, 19 against South Carolina, 20 against the Gators and 21 against Mississippi State - but ultimately averaged only 9.2 points per game. And Hopson wasn't the shooter the Vols needed at times last season, hitting 35.7% from three. To be fair to Hopson, Vol fans were spoiled by the 40+ percentage numbers of Chris Lofton and JaJuan Smith. But this season, Hopson has added around fifteen pounds and worked on his shooting touch, hoping for less arc and more net. If Hopson can make the leap from a solid contributor to consistent scorer, look out.

While it's a dangerous thing to call him a perimeter player after his 3 for 24 performance from beyond the arc last year, JP Prince returns for his senior season as one of the most efficient players in the conference. Prince averaged 10 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and a block per game last season. Prince is capable of scoring in spurts if the Vols need that - he had 20 in the division-clinching win at South Carolina last year - but is most dangerous along the baseline as defenses are drawn towards the Vols other playmakers, and Prince was often the beneficiary. Prince is a complete player who can go a long way towards helping the Vols get where they want to go.

Junior Cameron Tatum, who the Vols will need to play a huge role in 2010-11, is already pushing for more playing time after averaging 7.6 PPG last year. Tatum is another perimeter player the Vols are hoping has a more successful year shooting the three - last year Tatum was good for only 32.1% from deep. But Tatum did impress with a greater ability in getting to the hole, and is another guard the Vols will need to be quick and aggressive on the press.

And lest we forget, Swiperboy Renaldo Woolridge also plays basketball, good for 2.6 points in 8.8 minutes per game last season. Woolridge is one who lost playing time as the Vols decreased their rotation late in the season last year, but is back with a bigger frame and an equal chance to contribute.

And then there's Skylar McBee. The walk-on gunner from Rutledge is reportedly working his way into the rotation with his ability to hit the three ball, which as we've noted with all of these guys was an ability that was sorely lacking last season. His defensive abilities are yet to be seen, but if he can knock down shots, he could add a key component to a Tennessee offense that still averaged 78.4 points per game while shooting only 31.5% from three.

POST PLAYERS

It's no stretch to say that the Vols have one of the best post combos in the country. That starts with Tyler Smith, who may also see some work at the 3 this season. Smith turned down NBA and European dollars to stay for his senior season in Knoxville, where he hopes to put the finishing touches on not only his game, but a championship run. Smith averaged 17 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists per contest last season, picking up the first triple-double in school history along the way. He increased his scoring output 2.5 points per game from the 2007-08 season, and scored in double figures in all but two of Tennessee's games. He also dropped a season-high 30 on Vanderbilt. Smith joins Prince as the most complete player on the team, and is on the Naismith Award watch list to open this season.

Tyler is great, but there's been no more entertaining personality on the team in the last four years than Wayne Chism, who is back for one last season. Chism scored 14 points and grabbed 8 boards per game last year, leading the team by far in the latter category. Chism posted six double-doubles last season, including a 26-11 in the win over Marquette and a 15-19 in the overtime loss to Gonzaga. And of course...the big guy can shoot the three. We're going to miss this guy when he's gone.

Back in a supporting role for another year before he'll be asked to take charge in the post next season, Brian Williams will spell Chism, and maybe this year you won't have to hear weight loss stories every time he comes in. Williams is currently listed at 278 lbs - still big enough to take care of business - and gave the Vols 5 points and 6 rebounds off the bench last year.

The lone freshman on scholarship is Kenny Hall, a 6'8" post player from Stone Mountain, GA. The Vols don't need any miracles from him this season (barring injury), but with the loss of Tyler and Wayne after this season, Hall projects to be relied on heavily next season. He should get a few minutes in the post rotation, and we'll see what he's got.

Rounding out the 12 man group expected to fight for playing time is Steven Pearl, now in his junior season. The coach's son doesn't do much offensively, but plays tough and plays hard on the inside defensively, and was good last season in short spurts to give someone else a rest. We'll see how his dad chooses to use him this year.

Poll

Which newcomer are you most excited to see?

PG Melvin Goins

16 votes

SG Skylar McBee

53 votes

PF Kenny Hall

37 votes

106 votes | Poll has closed

BtB 2009-10 Southeastern Conference Preview

Chris Dobbertean — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 21:27:31 -0000

During the two weeks before Selection Sunday last March, I frequently heard these words (or something close) in conversation, "The SEC is going to get more than two or three bids to the Tourney. How can we not? We're the SEC." Of course, it took another surprising run through the SEC Tournament by a team nicknamed the Bulldogs to keep the Southeastern Conference from becoming (gasp) a two bid league. But Mississippi State became the league's second straight surprise auto bid winner. However, just like Georgia in 2008, the boys from Starkville also lost in the first round after getting a low seed.

But it's not like the two SEC teams who earned at-large bids did much better. Ninth seeded Tennessee fell to Oklahoma State in a tight first round contest, while eighth seeded LSU reached round two, where they were outclassed by North Carolina. Kentucky, Florida, Auburn, and South Carolina all ended up in the NIT, where none of the four managed to make it to New York. Vanderbilt won 19 games and didn't even get a postseason bid. All in all, it was a disappointing 2008-09 for a conference used to postseason success.

The good news for the SEC is that the league should be far better this year, thanks to a couple of major coaching hires (as explained in my Coaching Carousel column) and an infusion of new talent (some of whom are listed in my All-Transfer and All-Freshman team columns). But there's a lot more going on in the league than what happened in Lexington and Tuscaloosa this offseason, which I'll explain after the jump.

Let's first take a look at last season's SEC standings.

Southeastern Conference Standings

(updated 3.25.2009 at 10:42 PM EDT)

East	Conf		Overall
	W	L	W	L
South Carolina Gamecocks	10	6	21	10
Tennessee Volunteers	10	6	21	13
Florida Gators	9	7	25	11
Kentucky Wildcats	8	8	22	14
Vanderbilt Commodores	8	8	19	12
Georgia Bulldogs	3	13	12	20

West	Conf		Overall
	W	L	W	L
LSU Tigers	13	3	27	8
Auburn Tigers	10	6	24	12
Mississippi St. Bulldogs	9	7	23	13
Alabama Crimson Tide	7	9	18	14
Mississippi Rebels	7	9	16	15
Arkansas Razorbacks	2	14	14	16

Now, here are my picks for 2009-10, presented in reverse order. If a school's name appears in red, that's a link to its SBNation site. You can go there for more detailed analysis throughout the season.

West Division

Auburn (last NCAA: 2003) The Tigers fell to Baylor in the NIT quarterfinals last season, a disappointing end to a good season that could've ended in the NCAA Tournament with a marquee win or two. It's going to take a lot for Jeff Lebo's team to reach that level of success this season. Even with the graduation of Rasheem Barrett (9.9 ppg) and Quantez Robertson (6.0 ppg, 3.2 apg), DeWayne Reed (13.2 ppg, 3.7 apg) and Tay Waller (12.1 ppg) anchor a solid backcourt that will give the opposition fits. However, Korvotney Barber and his contributions of nearly 13 points and 10 rebounds a game will be severely missed in the frontcourt, even in Lebo's guard-oriented system. Seniors Brendan Knox and Johnnie Lett will have to step up to fill the void left by Barber's departure, and freshmen Rob Chubb and Ty Armstrong can expect to see playing time as well. Junior college transfer Kenny Gabriel should also see significant time, as he can be a true inside/outside threat for Auburn.

LSU (last NCAA: 2009) Expect the Tigers, last year's SEC regular season champs, to take a step back after the loss of three key starters. F Marcus Thornton and his 21 points per game are gone, so is C Chris Johnson, and the team's heart and soul, PG Garrett Temple. However, LSU still has Tasmin Mitchell, who averaged 16.3 points and 7.2 rebounds last season, while spending time at both small forward and power forward. Guard Bo Spencer is the other returning starter. He's a good shooter (averaging 11.4 ppg while shooting 40% from beyond the arc), but is coming off wrist surgery. Beyond those two, head coach Trent Johnson has his work cut out for him, as none of the other returnees averaged more than 2 points per contest. Expect the newcomers, like G Aaron Dotson (coming off a patellar tendon injury) and Fs Eddie Ludwig and Garrett Green (a medical redshirt last year), to see significant time during the rebuilding process.

Arkansas (last NCAA: 2008) It hasn't been the greatest of offseasons in Fayetteville, where head coach John Pelphrey will suspend at least one player after an offseason rape investigation that resulted in no charges. The possibility of suspensions will make the Razorbacks task of recovering from last season a bit more difficult. The Hogs were in full rebuilding mode last year, but managed to get off to a 12-1 start, featuring wins over regional rivals Oklahoma and Texas. It didn't last, and Arkansas finished bottom of the SEC West with a ghastly 2-14 record. This season, the Razorbacks will again roll out a three-guard lineup in their search for more consistency. That quest starts at point guard, where sophomore Courtney Fortson did a great job of distributing the ball (nearly 6 assists per game), while turning it over far too often (4.4 per game). Rotnei Clark led the nation's freshmen in three point shooting (39.3%), and Stefan Welsh contributed 11.5 oints per game. PF Michael Washington decided to stay in school, which means the Hogs keep their leading scorer (15.5) and conference-leading rebounder (9.8). The biggest reason Arkansas is this low is depth, with only six returning players from last season, Pelphrey will need a lot out of his newcomers to move up the SEC ladder.

Alabama (last NCAA: 2006) Bama alum Mark Gottfried resigned as head coach last January, when it was clear that the Tide would spend a third straight year outside of the NCAAs. Anthony Grant left a good gig at VCU to take the head job, and he's going to try to implement a more up-tempo style in Tuscaloosa. Alabama's biggest issue over the past few seasons has been inconsistent point guard play, especially with Ronald Steele's injuries and eventual departure from the program. Senior Mikhail Torrance (10 ppg, 2.3 apg) moved to the 1 slot after Steele left the program and performed well, though he's more of a natural shooting guard. As Grant implements his offense, watch for 5-9 Anthony Brock and Andrew Steele, Ronald's brother, to get time at the point, so Torrance can move over to his natural position. In the frontcourt, Grant has two 6-9 guys who will need to step it up. JaMychal Green had a decent freshman season, but will need to better his averages of 10.6 ppg and 7.6 rpg. Justin Knox, who averaged 5.7 ppg and 5.1 rpg, should be able to increase both those numbers with more time on the court.

Mississippi (last NCAA: 2002) Ole Miss head coach Andy Kennedy made headlines for all the wrong reasons last season, when he was arrested for allegedly assaulting a cab driver the night before the Rebels faced his former employer, Cincinnati, in the SEC/Big East Invitational. Things only got worse from there, as Miss lost All-SEC guard Chris Warren to a knee injury during that outing. Add in the fact that the Rebels had already lost Eniel Polynice and Trevor Gaskins to injuries, and it's amazing that they managed 16 wins last year. This season, all three guards are back, making the loss of Florida transfer David Huertas almost inconsequential. Zach Graham, the team's best three point shooter, is also back, giving the Rebels perhaps the best backcourt in the league. Kennedy's frontcourt isn't quite as strong. Sophomore Murphy Holloway will have to improve on his 8.4 points and 6.6 boards per game, while 6-8 freshman Reginald Bucker and 6-9 JC transfer DeAngelo Riley will have to contribute immediately. The fact the Rebels don't quite have the inside force to match Miss State's Varnado means they should finish behind their in-state rivals in the standings.

Mississippi State (last NCAA: 2009) Rick Stansbury recruited Renardo Sidney to provide some support for C Jarvis Varnado inside. However, it doesn't look like the NCAA is going to rule Sidney eligible. Stansbury also got a commitment from 7-2 Sudanese C John Riek, who was finally ruled eligible, but will have to sit out the first 9 games of the season. That means Varnado, who fell ill at one point this summer, will likely see some time as the lone big man on the court if Stansbury runs out a four-guard offense, as he did frequently last season. When you have guards like Dee Bost, Ravern Johnson, Barry Stewart, and Phil Turner who can shoot the three well, that offensive strategy isn't a bad idea. However, with the development of 6-8 Fs Kodi Augustus and Romero Osby (and Riek's eventual eligibility), you can expect to see Varnado get far more frontcourt help. Additionally, Varnado only needs 19 blocks to pass Shaquille O'Neal as the SEC's all-time leader in that category (though Shaq did it in fewer games).

East Division

Georgia (last NCAA: 2008) For some reason, Mark Fox decided to leave a Nevada program he (along with LSU head man Trent Johnson) made into a national name. Fox now replaces Dennis Felton at the helm of a Georgia program that has never fully recovered from the Jim Harrick era, which is now six years in the past. After the graduation of G/F Terrance Woodbury (14.0 ppg), Fox is left with only one double-digit scorer from last season. However, 6-9 F Howard Thompkins is a pretty good player to have on your roster. Thompkins averaged 12.6 points and 7.4 boards per game, and should be even better after an offseason spent on the USA's Under-19 World Championship-winning team. In the backcourt, Dustin Ware should start at point guard, as he averaged 7.2 points and 3.4 dimes per game in 2008-09. After that, Fox has a lot of decisions to make, and that means the Bulldogs will probably be rooted to the bottom of the SEC standings yet again.

South Carolina (last NCAA: 2004) In Darrin Horn's first year at the helm, the Gamecocks managed to tie Tennessee atop the SEC East. Even though they only lost guard Zam Fredrick and his 15.5 points per game, Carolina probably won't reach such heights this season. That's not to say that the Gamecocks won't manage to get back to the NCAAs, something they failed to do last year. Thanks to the return of G Devan Downey (19.8 ppg, 4.5 apg, SEC leading 89 steals) and F Dominique Archie (10.9 ppg, 6.4 rpg), the Gamecocks still have some real star power in the lineup. Returning starters Mike Holmes (10.8 ppg, 7.7 rpg) and Sam Muldrow (5.6 ppg, 5.3 rpg) should provide even more help to Archie in the frontcourt this season, while JC transfer Johndre Jefferson will be expected to spend time at both small and power forward. In the backcourt, Evaldas Baniulis, after averaging a bit more than 6 points a game while shooting 48 percent from behind the arc, is expected to take a more active role in the offense with the graduation of Fredrick, as is 6-5 swingman Lakeem Jackson, a heralded recruit from Charlotte.

Florida (last NCAA: 2007) Has it really been over two years since the Gators last featured in an NCAA Tournament game? While the days of back-to-back championships may be in the rear-view mirror, Billy Donovan's latest group has the chance to finally get off the bubble. Georgetown transfer Vernon Macklin will be eligible this season, and he'll slide into the center position. That will allow Alex Tyus to move back to his natural position, power forward, which will allow Dan Werner to move to small forward. Kenny Kadji should be better in his sophomore year as well, giving the Gators more of a presence inside. More consistency is expected out of swingman Chandler Parsons, whose performances alternate between brilliant and frustrating. In the backcourt, Erving Walker (10.1 ppg, 2.4 apg) will lead the offense after Nick Calathes' departure for Greece. Israeli newcomer Nimrod Tishman could also see time at the point if the NCAA rules him eligible. Impact freshman Kenny Boynton will start at shooting guard. He's expected to be the Gators new three-point threat, though he can also really drive to the hoop.

Vanderbilt (last NCAA: 2008) The Commodores sat at home last postseason, despite finishing the regular season with 7 wins in their last 10. Vandy shouldn't be so unlucky this season. Chemistry should be good, as head coach Kevin Stallings gave up a $100,000 raise so the team could take a scheduled trip to Australia, home country of star C A.J. Ogilvy. Ogilvy averaged 15.4 points and 7.1 rebounds per game, and those numbers should improve if he stays healthier this season. The 'Dores frontcourt boasts an international flavor beyond their Aussie star with Swede Jeffery Taylor (12.2 ppg. 6.2 rpg) a fixture at small forward, 6-9 Cameroonian PF Steve Tchiengang (3.6 ppg, 3.2 rpg) expected to spend more time in the 4 spot, and 6-11 Nigerian C Festus Ezeli (3.8 ppg. 2.6 rpg) expected to both backup and spend time on the floor with Ogilvy. 6-7 Andre Walker may also return to the starting lineup, after suffering an ACL tear early last season. The backcourt may be more US-centric, but it's still talented. Jermaine Beal (12.5 ppg, 3.2 apg) amd Brad Tinsley (11.0 ppg, 2.8 apg) will take turns running the offense, but 6-4 John Jenkins, the USA's highest scoring high school player last season, will get plenty of opportunities to showcase his inside/outside game. Even if he only manages 25 percent of his senior year average, Jenkins should provide plenty of scoring punch for the Commodores.

Tennessee (last NCAA: 2009) The Volunteers return all five starters in their quest to improve on last year's NCAA first round exit. The best news for the Vols this offseason was Tyler Smith's decision to skip the NBA Draft and return for his senior season. Bruce Pearl is glad he doesn't have to replace Smith's 17.4 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. Wayne Chism (13.7 ppg, 8 rpg) will continue to be a force inside, while 6-10 C Brian Williams will need to improve his scoring (5 ppg) to match his rebounding (5.6 rpg). Bobby Maze (8.2 ppg, 3.2 apg) will run the offense, while J.P. Prince and Scotty Hopson, who were forces at both ends of the floor last year, are expected to continue their strong two-way play. Cameron Tatum (7.6 ppg) and Renaldo Woolridge, son of former NBA star Orlando, are going to be Bruce Pearl's key swingmen this season.. Woolridge, who only managed 2.6 points in a little more than 8 minutes a contest, should be improved in his sophomore season. The Vols only personnel loss is a sad story, as Nigerian F Emmanuel Negedu, as he suffered a sudden cardiac arrest last month.

Kentucky (last NCAA: 2008) During my Season Preview series, I've written a fair amount about John Calipari's arrival in Lexington and his stellar recruiting class. Patrick Patterson (17.9 ppg, 9.3 rpg) will lead a strong frontcourt that already features senior Perry Stevenson (7.8 ppg, 5.9 rpg), and will be bolstered by the arrival of the 6-11 DeMarcus Cousins and 6-10 Daniel Orton, two highly coveted recruits. And the backcourt will feature the most highly coveted recruit for this season, 6-4 point guard John Wall, who will be responsible for running Calipari's dribble drive offense. If the chemistry works, the Wildcats will quickly be on their way, and the blue half of the Commonwealth will quickly forget about the Gillispie period.

I'm picking Kentucky to win the overall SEC title, so they'll take the league's auto bid in my 2009-10 Final Preseason Bracket, which I will release on November 9. To wrap up this preview, here is my preseason All-SEC team, featuring the best returning players from last season.

Preseason All-SEC Team

Player of the Year: Tyler Smith, 6-7 F, Sr. (Tennessee)

Remainder of the Team
Devan Downey, 5-9 G, Sr. (South Carolina)
Tasmin Mitchell, 6-7 F, Sr. (LSU)
Patrick Patterson, 6-9 F, Jr. (Kentucky)
Jarvis Varnado, 6-9 F/C, Sr. (Mississippi State)

Poll

Who is your pick to win the SEC this season?

Alabama

9 votes

Arkansas

9 votes

Auburn

3 votes

Florida

14 votes

Georgia

2 votes

Kentucky

213 votes

LSU

3 votes

Ole Miss

7 votes

Mississippi State

57 votes

South Carolina

5 votes

Tennessee

68 votes

Vanderbilt

17 votes

407 votes | Poll has closed

Rocky Top Basketball League - Vols on the Rosters

Will — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 15:35:56 -0000

If you're looking for a nice diversion from all this football anticipation as we sit 12 weeks away from kickoff, the Rocky Top Basketball League begins its third season of play on Monday at Bearden High School in Knoxville. The six team summer league will feature games at 6:00, 7:30 and 9:00 PM each Monday and Wednesday night for the next three weeks, with free admission. The summer league style of play may not be conducive to producing discipline and wise shot selection...but Bruce Pearl will be quick to point out that he likes the conditioning it provides, it's become a nice presence for Tennessee Basketball in the offseason in a short time, and regardless of its shortcomings, it's highly entertaining.

The league is also a great chance to see not only current Vols, but Vols past and future, as well as other local talent. The draft was held on Wednesday, with CJ Watson selected with the first pick. The league has its own official site that will do stat-tracking throughout the season, and where you can see the complete rosters for each team. A couple of notes - it's unclear if Chris Lofton will make it through Knoxville in the next three weeks to participate, but if he's available he's said he'll play. And JP Prince appears to be a no-go this year in the league as he recovers from offseason surgery.

Here's a quick look at each team, where the Vols have landed, and who else of note will be featured in the league this year (the league is sponsored by Pilot with each team carrying an additional corporate sponsor):

Knoxville News-Sentinel

Current Vols: Scotty Hopson, Brian Williams
Future Vols: Skylar McBee
Ex-Vols: Dane Bradshaw, Ben Bosse (now at King College)

HT Group

Current Vols: Wayne Chism, Renaldo Woolridge
Other Notables: Boo Jackson (Eastern Michigan), Jon Primm (UNC-Asheville), Jalen Steele (Fulton High School, Knoxville)

Ray's ESG

Current Vols: Steven Pearl
Future Vols: Kenny Hall
Ex-Vols: CJ Watson, Jon Higgins, Ron Slay

Richardson Construction

Current Vols: Tyler Smith, Josh Tabb
Ex-Vols: Damon Johnson
Other Notables: John Mueller (Marquette), Tony White Jr. (College of Charleston)

First Tennessee Bank

Current Vols: Emmanuel Negedu, Bobby Maze
Ex-Vols: Rashard Lee

Choice Spine

Current Vols: Cameron Tatum
Ex-Vols: CJ Black

Poll

Which team will win the Rocky Top Basketball League?

Knoxville News-Sentinel

26 votes

HT Group

6 votes

Ray's ESG

30 votes

Richardson Construction

10 votes

First Tennessee Bank

3 votes

Choice Spine

3 votes

78 votes | Poll has closed

Tennessee 94 Auburn 85 - Feelin' Kinda Sunday

Will — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 22:30:10 -0000

The last time this happened, I was nine years old.

It's never happened since the SEC went to its current 12-team divisional format.

The Vols have won the SEC East five times since 1992. Three of the previous four were met with first-game exits in the SEC Tournament, the fourth chased off by tornadoes and Arkansas on Saturday last year.

And yeah, maybe the Vols have had better teams under Bruce Pearl. Maybe these Vols don't go to the NCAA Tournament as a 2 seed or a 5 seed, as Pearl's first three teams have.

But now...now they've done something new. These Vol teams have done something that Kevin O'Neill, Jerry Green and Buzz Peterson's could not:

Tennessee is playing on Sunday in the SEC Tournament.

When Alabama banked in a prayer to beat the Vols last Sunday, it took some momentum away from what had been a great finish to the regular season, as the Vols went from a 16-10 bubble team to a 19-11 SEC East Champion. But in two days in Tampa, the Vols have shown every bit of the form that brought them wins at Florida and South Carolina...and then some.

Last night, it was up tempo against a tired Alabama team. Today, against an Auburn team on the bubble's edge, hotter than anyone else in the conference, the Vols scored 90+ points for the first time all season against an SEC foe, and used one great run to separate themselves from the Tigers, with plenty of the oft-sought consistency in between:

With 11:00 to play in the first half, the game was tied 18-18. The Vols went on a 22-8 run in the next seven minutes, putting a gap between the two teams that Auburn never had quite enough to overcome.

It started with a Bobby Maze three, which then turned into the Wayne Chism Show: Chism fired six threes in five minutes, hitting half of them, and adding a deuce inside and some great defense to push the Vols to a 40-26 lead. Chism finishes with a career high 27 points to go with 9 rebounds, and an assured spot on the All-Tournament Team.

The rest of the game was played evenly for the most part, but the Vols won some key stat battles to keep the scales tipped in their favor: outrebounding Auburn 40-24 (this after Auburn outrebounded them 34-21 in the regular season meeting), outshooting them 58% to 46%, and finding more of that lovely consistency from all parts: Tyler Smith scores 23 points, Bobby Maze posts a nice 11-6-5 line with only one turnover, and check this out: Scotty Hopson and Cameron Tatum, much maligned for an inability to produce points all year, combine for 8 of 12 shooting and 21 points.

JP Prince has had better moments, especially early, but he eventually evened out his six turnovers with six assists, to go along with nine points. Brian Williams grabs 7 rebounds in 17 minutes. And the Vols got to the line 27 times, making 17 (an "eh" 63%).

Against Alabama, Tennessee was awful from beind the arc (4 of 24). They won by two dozen points.

Against Auburn, the Vols were sloppy at times despite proving they could shoot better (9 of 19 from 3). But they still scored more points than they have since the season opener (and did so against an Auburn team that had only given up 80 once all year against SEC foes), and while they didn't get perfect play from anybody...they got good play from everybody.

All that takes us to 21-11 and an SEC Tournament Championship matchup with Mississippi State, which is where all of this began for the Vols two and a half weeks ago. In an 81-76 win in Knoxville, the Vols first showed signs of the offensive explosion they've enjoyed in their last five wins, and got a career night from Scotty Hopson. The Bulldogs jacked 30 threes then (Auburn shot 31 today), and they've been getting huge play from Jarvis Varnado all week in Tampa, who's averaging 15 points, 9 rebounds and 5 blocks in this tournament. And State will be playing for their NCAA Tournament lives, no longer just a dream but 40 minutes shy of reality. It's a chance for one shining moment for the Bulldogs.

But it's a chance for history for Tennessee. If you think just making it to Sunday is special, the Vols haven't won on Sunday since 1979. Many of us have never seen it. And as for the Vols' one shining moment, the more Tennessee wins the higher up the bracket it goes, and finishing strong could potentially push the Vols up to a 5 seed, a spot where I'd give them better than even odds for continuing this run into the Sweet 16. Two and a half weeks ago we were just worried about getting in. Now, almost everyone else in the SEC has fallen away, and the Vols aren't simply still standing...they're continuing to play their best basketball at the best time for it.

Seeding, momentum, history...all of it on the line tomorrow at 1:00 PM EDT. Can Tennessee add an SEC Tournament Championship to their Eastern Division title this season? And in their final chance to impress before the real game begins, can the Vols continue to show that this might just be a team to be reckoned with in the big dance after all?