SB Nation - Emmanuel Negedu

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)

View full size photo »

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.

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

Emmanuel Negedu rushed to hospital after passing out during workout

Joel — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 20:44:44 -0000

GVX is reporting that Tennessee basketball player Emmanuel Negedu passed out during a workout and was rushed by ambulance to UT Medical Center. He was apparently conscious and alert during transport, and I believe that UT tests all athletes for sickle cell trait and other latent conditions, so there's no need to fear the worst at this time.

More as it develops and as time permits.

[Note by Joel, 09/28/09 7:14 PM EDT ] UPDATE: Negedu is in stable condition, will undergo "an extensive battery of diagnostic tests," and will be held overnight for observation.

According to one of Tyler Smith's tweets from last Friday, the team is really working hard. Negedu, though, had already gone through a strenuous workout Monday morning and had gone on to attend classes before returning for a lighter session. It was after that session, when he and Bobby Maze were leaving, that he passed out.

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

Melvin Goins is Officially a Tennessee Volunteer!

Hooper — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 17:27:56 -0000

Today, Melvin Goins made his commitment to UT official by submitting his Letter of Intent and will officially be a BallerVol for the 2009-2010 season. Only the second incoming player for the 2009 recruiting class (the other is forward Kenny Hall), he fills a tremendous need at point guard for a team that suffered in backcourt play - a fault that eventually cost them a chance to go deep in the NCAA tournament.

Goins will be in his first year under Pearl, but there is reason to think he might transition faster than many point guards in a new system. In 2007, he played for the Ball State Cardinals, where he played in 30 games. He then transferred to Mount San Jacinto Junior College for the 2008 season and was named the MVP of the Foothill Conference. It may not sound terribly impressive on the surface, but the number of games played and the MVP season do tell us that he can learn to fit in with a team quickly. With some training and (productive) use of the Rocky Top Pilot League, he may be ready to play straight out of the box.

There is more to be excited about with Goins: at 5'-10" and 190 lbs, he is much stockier and more powerfully built than Maze or West. It's the kind of build that made Byron Eaton of Oklahoma State so successful. He plays a strong transition game with great ball control - something that must really make Pearl happy. If he plays with intensity and speed on the defensive end, he might fill the "JaJuan" role that we missed last year.

Outlook

Through the last basketball season, the most common lament of Vols fans was the lack of leadership in the backcourt. With the end of eligibility of both Chris Lofton and JaJuan Smith and the unfortunate loss of Ramar Smith in the offseason, UT went from perhaps the most experienced and cohesive backcourt in the SEC in 2007-2008 to the youngest set of guards in 2008-2009. Most notably, the Vols didn't have a clear lead point guard.

The problem was supposed to be solved by the addition of two new players: Bobby Maze and Daniel West. Maze had a decent season, but there were noticeable hitches in his game that were likely the effect of the transition to Pearl's style of play. Meanwhile, West fell victim to one of the crueller twists of the NCAA knife. Known to be a risky academic case, the NCAA decided to wait until after the fall semester registration deadline to tell West that they were going to reject his SAT retake and deny his scholarship. Saddled with a committed courseload after the drop/add date and with an intense desire to play under Pearl, West decided to stick with UT and pay for school out of pocket until he can get his situation fixed. (As an aside, there is still no word whether West will be eligible next year. I hope he pulls through, especially since the NCAA completely jobbed him by delaying their decision for so long.)

Sometimes, though, time is indeed the greatest cure. Maze has a year under his belt and can spend the offseason tuning his game to Bruceball. If he stays on task, West should have his academics clear and, if he continues with his plan to play at UT, would be a very welcome addition. And now we can add Melvin Goins.

Ideally, all three will be available. Maze is not as pure of a point guard as West or Goins, so he may find more time in the 2 slot if all three play. If so, his experience at point will still be great to have, especially if one of the other two should get injured. The change-up combination is also great; Maze and West play long and lean, while Goins is built like a backcourt bulldog. That should help UT tailor their lineup to play against a wider array of opponents - a luxury that is absolute gold for tournament play.

Logistics

The one issue with Goins coming in is that UT is now one player over the scholarship limit. The problem could be solved if one of the Wayne Chism, Tyler Smith, and J.P. Prince trio leave early. In that scenario, the most likely is Smith and, as much as I'd hate to see him go, it might be the right answer for him and his family. Also, if Emmanuel Negedu continues to improve, Renaldo Woolridge steps up his game, and Kenny Hall has a strong start, the team may actually be in better shape to have the extra point guard without Smith than vice versa. (Not that it's a choice between the two; just an observation.)

Another possibility is that someone loses a scholarship. It happened last year with the departure of Crews and Ramar. Playing the role of the grim reaper, the first name that comes to mind is West. If he doesn't get academically cleared, then his loss would be made up by the gain of Goins at point. No Vols fan should want to see that happen, but it's always a possibility until we know it isn't.

However it works out, we have a new Vol to welcome to the family. It's all orange-tinted goggles right now, but the next season looks like the Vols' year. Even if Smith leaves, they will have an experienced team with a well-built backcourt and the physical diversity to match up against almost any team in the nation.

Tennessee vs. Alabama - Free Throws, Kids

Will — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 03:00:10 -0000

(Bonus points for whoever came up with the "missed free throws make me want to kill myself" tag on SBNation...)

Writing something like this is just begging for a jinx...

Alabama disposed of Vanderbilt 82-75 in the SEC Tournament's opening round, setting up a rematch between the Vols and the Tide from the game just played five days ago in Knoxville. Watching the Tide again tonight, they displayed a subtle but vital strength: these kids don't miss free throws.

On Sunday, Alabama was 16 of 19 at the line, 84.2%. Tonight, they were even better: 25 of 28, 89.3%. When Vanderbilt fouled to extend the game late, Alabama was perfect, making their last 12 free throws consecutively.

It's the little things that make the difference in March...and there's no more painful place to lose a game than at the free throw line.

Tennessee fans know this well. Two years ago, the Vols had every reason to beat #1 Ohio State and advance to the first Elite Eight in the history of the program...and shot 8 of 17 at the free throw line in a one point loss. That's 46%, if you're scoring at home...or if you're playing with your kids, whose junior pro team probably shoots a better percentage.

Sunday, Tennessee shot 10 of 22 - an even worse percentage - which is a number that's both hopeful and maddening. Hopeful, because you believe that if Tennessee just makes a few more free throws, there's enough of a gap between us and Alabama that you should feel good about us in the rematch. And maddening, because it seems like the sort of thing that's just waiting to happen to us again. Maybe not tomorrow, maybe not in Tampa...but perhaps next week, when survive and advance can be won and lost at the charity stripe.

Perhaps some of it is Pearl - if you're looking for the short list of things Buzz Peterson did better than Bruce, free throws give you a small argument (70.6% for Buzz's four teams, 67.1% for Bruce's four). However, each of those numbers are inflated by great individual shooters - Scooter McFadgon, CJ Watson and Chris Lofton all shot better than 88% at the line.

Who's the best free throw shooter currently wearing an orange jersey?

Emmanuel Negedu.

That's right - #5 is 26 of 31, 83.9%. But after him, there's no one in the regular rotation (a designation for which Negedu barely qualifies) shooting better than 75%.

That's alarming both in a general sense, and for the way that the Vols may be facing teams who are trying to extend the game against them...and every miss at the line keeps a team in it.

Free throws set up a miracle shot for Alabama on Sunday. Tonight they kept Vanderbilt at bay and helped the Tide keep playing. What role will they play in the rest of Tennessee's season?

Kentucky Wildcats vs. Tennessee: Gameday Breakdown

Ken Howlett — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 11:09:56 -0000

UK v. UT Overview

Well sports-fans, the biggest game of the year is upon us, and it looks as if (on cue) Kentucky's Patrick Patterson will return to action against Tennessee (16-9, 7-4) in this afternoon's Titanic Struggle (1:00 EST). The big man's injury-induced two-game hiatus resulted in UK (18-8, 7-4) being dominated on the boards versus Vanderbilt Tuesday night. And with the long, athletic, and revenge-minded Volunteers invading Rupp today, his presence in the paint is mandatory if UK holds any hopes of bringing out the brooms, and potentially saving the season.

In this 'Cat fans opinion, Tennessee's 81-65 pasting at the hands of the Ole Miss Rebels Wednesday night may have been the result of UT looking past their opponent (no offense to the Rebs). Because something tells me Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl will have his Vols "geeked-up," and prepared to silence Rupp. And after Jodie Meeks' 54 point "NCAA Performance of the Year" in Knoxville back in January, Pearl will surely be keen on the idea of putting the kibosh on UK's most potent offensive weapon. A strategy that has seen UK's opponents experience some success with, over the last nine games.

We all know what's at stake, so let's get to the juice ...

Volunteer Personnel

Tyler Smith: 6'7" 215 lb junior forward -- Smith averages 17.6 points, 5.7 rebounds (1.8 off. rebs), and 3.5 assists per game ( versus 2.3 turnovers). The talented transfer makes 47.3% of his shots, 30.4% of his threes (21-69), and 75.6% of his free throws.

In conference play only, Smith is averaging 18.5 (6th in the SEC), 5.0 rebounds (1.4 off. rebs), and 3.1 assists per game (9th in the SEC) He also averages 2.5 turnovers per game in league play. He's shooting 49.3% from the field, 33.3% from beyond the arc (15-45), and 81.7% from the free throw line (6th in the SEC). Smith is also 4th in the league in total free throws made. Versus UK in January, Smith led the Vols with 19 points on 5-14 shooting (2-5 treys), and he had two rebounds.

Wayne Chism: 6'9" 242 lb junior forward -- Chism is UT second leading scorer at 13.2 points per game. He averages 8.4 rebounds. He also grabs a healthy 2.8 offensive rebounds, 1.4 assists, and .9 blocks per game. From the field, Chism shoots 48.1%, 29.9% from the three-point line (23-77), and 71.4% from the charity stripe.

In league play only, Chism averages 14.0 points, and 7.6 rebounds per game (8th in SEC). He snags 2.9 offensive rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 1.1 steal per game. He's shooting 46.6% from the floor, 35.1% from the three-point line (13-37), and 63.3% from the free throw line. He is also 5th in the conference in offensive rebound percentage at 12.7% (he's 4th in defensive rebound percentage - 20.8%). Against UK in January, Chism recorded 18 points on 7-13 shooting (0-3 on three-pointers), nine rebounds (seven offensive) and three steals. Wednesday versus Ole Miss Chism became the 41st member of the Tennessee's 1,000 point club.

J. P. Prince: 6'7" 205 lb junior swing -- Prince averages 9.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. He's the Vols best shooter at 54.8%, but he's made only one of 17 threes. He makes 64.5% of his free throws.

In SEC play, Prince averages 8.9 points, 4.3 assists (6th in SEC), 3.9 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game (9th in SEC). He shoots a robust 61.7% (1st in SEC) from the field (0-3 threes), and 63.3% from the free throw line. He also leads the league in assist/turnover ratio at 3.1. He also leads the SEC in fouls committed with 40. Prince has made only three of his last nine free throws. He hasn't made a three-pointer since November 28th against Georgetown. Prince has recorded 37 assists in UT's last six games. Prince leads the SEC in shooting percentage on the road at 66.7% (20-30).

Josh Tabb: 6'4" 196 lb junior guard -- He averages 3.3 points, 1.8 assists,and 1.7 rebounds per game. Tabb makes 51.7% of his shots, 38.1% of his threes, and 45.0% of his free throws.

In SEC play, Tabb is averaging 2.9 points, 1.7 assists, and 1.3 rebounds per game. He's shooting 48.1% from the field, 50.0% from behind the arc ((4-8), and 50.0% from the free throw line. Tabb has made seven of his last 14 shots (3-5 from the three-point line). Versus UK in January, Tabb played 13 minutes, scored zero points, grabbed two rebounds, and recorded one steal. Tabb has been tabbed by Bruce Pearl to take over the starting point guard spot from Bobby Maze.

Scotty Hopson: 6'7" 185 lb freshman guard -- On the year, Hopson is averaging 8.9 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game. He's shooting 44.3% from the field, 37.6% from the three-point line (32-85), and 64.3% from the free throw line.

In conference play, Hopson is averaging 9.9 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.2 turnovers per game. From the field he shoots 44.3%, 36.4% from beyond the arc (16-44), and 56.5% from the free throw line. Hopson has made only four of his last 16 shots (2-11 threes in that time). Back in January Hopson led UT to victory over Florida by scoring 20 points, on 8-12 shooting (4-6 threes). Against UK earlier in the year, Hopson played 24 minutes, scored five points on 1-6 shooting (1-3 three-pointers), and dished out two assists. Hopson will be another new face in the UT starting lineup.

Bobby Maze: 6'2" 185 lb junior guard -- The former UK target is averaging 8.5 points, 3.4 assists, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game. He's shooting 43.1% from the field, 31.1% from behind the arc (19-61), and 72.4% from the charity stripe.

In SEC play, Maze is averaging 7.8 points, 2.8 assists, 1.7 rebounds, and .8 steals per game. He's shooting 45.8% from the field, 32.3% from the three-point line (10-31), and 66.7% from the free throw line. Maze hasn't scored in double figures since scoring 13 versus Arkansas four games ago. Maze is 9th in the SEC with a 1.8 assist/turnover ratio (conference games only). Versus UK in January, Maze scored 11 points, on 5-12 shooting (1-6 threes), dished out 2 assists, and committed three turnovers.

Brian Williams: 6'10" 267 lb sophomore center -- The Vols big man averages 5.0 points, and 5.6 rebound per game (2.0 off. rebs), in only 15.5 minutes per contest. He shoots 52.1% from the field (3-9 three-pointers), but only 50.0% from the free throw line.

In league play, Williams is averaging 15.3 minutes, 4.1 points, and 4.4 rebounds per game (1.6 off. rebs). He's shooting 58.1% from th field (1-4 threes), and 25.0% from the free throw line (1-4). In his last three games Williams has made 7-10 field goal attempts. Versus UK earlier, Williams played 15 minutes, scored nine points (3-5 from the field, 1-1 on his threes), and grabbed six rebounds, of which five were of the offensive variety.

Cameron Tatum: 6'6" 196 lb redshirt freshman -- Tatum, in 19.3 minutes per game, is averaging 8.0 points, and 2.2 rebounds. He's shooting 40.1% from the floor, 32.7% from behind the arc (36-110), and 58.7% from the free throw line.

In SEC play, Tatum is averaging 17.8 minutes, 6.2 points, and 1.5 rebounds per game. He's shooting only 38.8% from the field, 27.3% from beyond the arc (12-44), and 40.0% from the free throw line (4-10). Over UT's last four games, Tatum has made only two of 10 three-point attempts. He played 26 minutes versus UK in January, and scored six points. He was 2-8 from the field, and 1-4 from the three-point line. He also recorded two assists.

Tennessee Statistics -- Overall

Tennessee Opponent

Points Per Game -- 79.1 72.4

Field Goal% -- 45.8 43.8

3-point FG% -- 31.3 33.1

Free Throw% -- 67.9 66.9

Rebounding Margin -- +3

Offensive Rebound% -- 36.4 31.5

Assists Per Game -- 16.6 13.7

Steals Per Game -- 7.0 6.0

Turnovers Per Game -- 13.6 15.4

Blocks Per Game -- 3.7 3.3

On the year, UT averages 72.5 possessions per game.

Tennessee Statistics -- SEC Only

Tennessee Opponent

Points Per Game -- 75.6 70.9

Field Goal% -- 47.3 44.5

3-point FG% -- 32.0 30.8

Free Throw% -- 65.2 67.7

Rebounding Margin -- +2.5

Offensive Rebound% -- 32.7 36.1

Assists Per Game -- 15.9 12.1

Steals Per Game -- 7.0 6.0

Turnovers Per Game -- 12.5 15.5

Blocks Per Game -- 3.3 3.3

In conference play, Tennessee averages 69.9 possessions per game.

Tennessee Quick Takes

Tennessee has not lost back-to-back SEC road since since January of '07 when they lost to Mississippi and Kentucky ... UT is 0-6 when their opponents score more than 80 points ... UT is 16-3 when they hold their opponents under 80 points ... Under Bruce Pearl, UT is 86-8 when leading or tied with 5:00 minutes left in the game ... Tennessee is 16-82 versus UK in games played in Lexington ... In their last three games, UT has forced 61 turnovers and recorded 26 steals ... UT is 9-1 when Wayne Chism records a double-double ... In SEC play, UT leads the league in field goal percentage at 47.3% ... Since January 17th (10 games), Tennessee has improved their scoring defense from 76.3 points per game allowed, to only 65.3 points.

CliffsNotes Analysis

UK needs this game. It's that simple.

In order for Kentucky to pull out the victory, they need: Patrick Patterson to be at least 75% of his normal, reliable self: Jodie Meeks to find the range: And for heaven's sake, crash the boards, and push the ball.

Of course UK must defend better, no, make that much better than they did Tuesday night in Nashville. But with Patterson back, the giant, black-hole the interior defense fell into in his absence, will be plugged. Even with Patterson, UT presents some very real matchup problems for the 'Cats: T. Smith, Chism, Hopson, Prince, and Williams are all at least 6'7", and two freshman who see limited playing time, Renaldo Woolridge and Emmanuel Negedu, are 6'8" and 6'7" respectively.

Which is why it is so vitally important that UK get some stops on D; so they can get out and run the break, and not give UT a chance to match-up. The Vols are long, and in a half-court offensive set Kentucky is at a disadvantage. Did I mention that the Vols are long?

Also defensively, I'd rather have Smith, Maze and Hopson beat Kentucky from the perimeter, instead of seeing UK destroyed on the boards and in the paint, as they were against Vanderbilt.

Rebound, push, and let these guys finish -- Find Meeks on the perimeter for the trey, or Perry Stevenson and Patterson in the paint for the slam.

Rupp needs to Rock!

Thanks for reading, and Go 'Cats, beat the Vols!

Talking points: recruiting, nicknames, and attitude edition

Joel — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 12:19:36 -0000

Tennessee

GVX has the latest iteration of the ever-morphing weekend visitor list. Not visiting? Nu'Keese Richardson. Visiting instead? Kendall Kelly. Not coming to Tennessee at all? Quinton Washington. Earlier this week, Tennessee got a commitment from Mike Edwards out of Ohio. Now, Edwards' teammate, OL Marcus Hall, is considering the Vols. Who of the remaining un-committeds are going where? Not many Power Ts on this otherwise beautiful chart.
Speaking of recruiting, that whole Thing About Thigpen? Another victim of the Kiffin Chimera's "you still have a scholarship offer, but you're really not the right fit for us" negative pitch. Better shape up fans, I'm telling you, because I fear that they're going to start sending such messages to fans. Yours -- yes, yours -- is in the mail.
Speaking of Kiffin: table manners. And also speaking of Kiffin, Dawg Sports is the latest to attempt an early nickname, but none are really sticking at this point. Most are missing the mark, I think, because they focus solely on Lane. The Kiffin Coaching Chimera may not stand the test of time, but I think it's at least headed in the right direction by being focused on the entire staff.
The LSU take on Wednesday's Tigers-Vols game.
Part of the reason why Emmanuel Negedu is becoming the Dane Bradshaw of the the 2008-09 Vols is his attitude: "I heard the crowd, they were shouting and yelling at me, and it felt kind of special. If coach plays me one minute, I go hard and I'm happy. Two minutes, I go hard and I'm happy. He is the coach, and he knows what he is doing.''

SEC

Sylvester Croom regrets nothing about his time at Mississippi State and is headed back to the NFL to coach running backs for the St. Louis Rams.

Auburn has apparently found a QB to run its Spread Option Experiment, Take II. Tony Franklin is the big loser here because this time, Auburn may actually be committed to making it work.
This sounds just like the Gators. Somewhere back in the black and white age, the Florida Gators defense went fetal, giving its opponent a quick score, just so its offense could score again. For the record, I'm all for this.
Dawg Sports' response to the firing of Dennis Felton.
Garnet and Black Attack has the results of this week's SEC Power Poll.
Track 'Em Tigers takes a look at former Auburners playing in the Super Bowl, which reminds me, are there any Vols in this year's Super Bowl?

Nation/Other

Forgive me for agreeing with Alabama fans, but mmmm, Cheetos and Twinkies!
Duke falls to Wake Forest, just in time for the launch of brand spanking new SB Nation Wake Forest Blogger So Dear.

Tennessee Volunteers 73, LSU Tigers 79: time is running out

Joel — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 04:05:55 -0000

I wish I knew how to spell what a sigh sounds like because [sigh] just doesn't really get there, you know? The Vols came out and showed fans that they were correcting things, improving weaknesses, and mitigating disadvantages, but, as has been the case so often this year, in the process of fixing one thing, something else broke. Maybe it had more to do with the fact that LSU had more stringy players than I have ever seen on a single team, but Tennessee could not rebound the ball despite the fact that it's been a strength for this team all season. They finished the game with 31 boards, only five off from what LSU had, but most of these came as they were digging themselves out a hole that proved too deep. As you see so often in basketball, the Vols made the game interesting by digging an early grave and then climbing out of that hole only to find that they expended so much energy doing so that LSU only had to nudge them one last time to get them back into the death hole.

There were several positives to take away from this game, though, I think.

Wayne Chism. Because I've officially lost count of the games during which he's played consistently well, I am hereby declaring Wayne Chism Consistent. Wheezy had 19 points, nine boards, three assists, three steals, and one block. He hit 5-14 shots from the field, 4-6 from behind the arc, and 5-6 free throws. He has arrived as a big time, consistently excellent basketball player for the Vols. In keeping with Bert Bertlkamp's trademark "MUNNAY!" whenever a Vol hits a three, we here at RTT will from this point forward follow Will's lead and yell "CHI$$LE!" whenever it's Wheezy who hits one.

Emmanuel Negedu. Negedu played only fifteen minutes, but was perfect for most of it. He missed his last shot, but before that he was 2-2 from the field, 1-1 from three-point range, and 6-6 from the free throw line. He had two rebounds, one assist, and one block. I think his biggest contribution to the team, though, is in the immeasurables. Good things just seem to happen when he's in there. He's extraordinarily active, in the right places at the right times, and somehow seems to make the rest of the team better.

Bobby Maze. I really, really liked what I saw out of Maze tonight. It was almost as if Pearl told him that he just wanted Maze to be like JaJuan Smith was on defense for us the last several years. He was all over the place on defense, and whenever his guy had the ball, he was in his face, hounding him, not letting him get comfortable while surveying the offensive set. Keep that up, Mr. Maze. We love it. Maze also showed some real savvy on the offensive end, not pushing anything and even at one point, pulling the ball out of the paint when he was triple-teamed, and then immediately recognizing that as he retreated, so did the defense, leaving a clear path to the basket, which he immediately exploited. Good stuff.

The Vols were aggressive getting into the lane, and against a team less stringy than LSU, I think it would have won the game for them. But LSU is stringy (my new favorite word at least for this evening), and too much of the time the Vols got into the lane, Tasmanian Mitchell or some other stringy dude in purple and gold swatted it, swiped it, or tied it up.

Tyler Smith. No one's questioned Teardrops' consistency, and it's because he hasn't had a bad game all season. Until now, that is. Smith finished with just nine points, seven boards, and two assists. He also only shot 2-7 from the field, shot 1-5 from behind the semi-circle, and had five turnovers, including a key one at the end of the game as the Vols were trying to distance themselves from the edge of the grave.

Scotty Hopson . . . is a freshman. In 29 minutes, Hopson had eight points, an air-balled free throw, and the game-deciding turnover, just to name a few lowlights. The Hopson/Tabb offensive/defensive substition at the end of the game really backfired, as Tabb gave up a three-point play on his end, and Hopson committed turnovers on his. Hopson is a freshman, though, and inconsistency is a core class, so that's to be expected.

Bottom line, the Vols are improving. They could be very good given time. But will they be good enough given the time that we have? That's the question.

Halftime Stats

Final Stats

Rocky Top in one of Emmanuel Negedu's five languages

Joel — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 12:00:09 -0000

Quick. Name the five most overused phrases or words of 2008. And I approved this message? Carbon footprint? Green? Maverick? Wall Street/Main Street? Four dollar gallon of gas?

All good, but if you're a Volunteer basketball fan, you really only have two choices: (1) Brian Williams has lost 100 pounds; or (2) Emmanuel Negedu speaks five languages.

For the record, Negedu speaks four languages (English, Hausa, Igala, and Nigerian Pidgin) and understands a fifth (Yoruba). Fun facts:

Native speakers of Hausa are found mostly in the African country of Niger and in the north of Nigeria.
Igala is spoken by the Igala ethnic group of Nigeria.
Nigerian Pidgin is an English-based pidgin or creole language spoken across Nigeria and is often referred to simply as Pidgin, Broken English or Brokan.
Yoruba is spoken in Nigeria, Benin, and Togo.

Fortunately for me (and for you), some of that is also spoken in my church by my Nigerian friend Chuks (pronounced "Chukes"). So with an enthusiastic, multilingual chest bump to Chuks, I now present to you Rocky Top, in Pidgin English:

How ibii I dey think say I dey for Rocky Top
If you come yonder for Tennessee
You no go see smoke for Rocky Top
You no go pay for phone

Before, before I get one sherii for Rocky Top
She bee half bear and half cat
Nothing pass this sherii
She dey sweet like sugar
I no go forget am o!

You go be Rocky Top forever
Ibii say naa home sweet home
Nothing pass Rocky Top
I dey for Tennessee dey sing Rocky Top
I dey for Tennessee dey sing Rocky Top