SB Nation User Blog: Volorado

Juanny, Lofton Updated: NBA Edition!

Volorado — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 16:04:40 -0000

With Vol football taking center stage this summer, and deservedly so, I thought I update everyone on some BasketVols trying to prolong their playing careers.

Chris is currently playing in the NBA Summer League for my Denver Nuggets. He got some floor time Monday and proceeded to do what Chris Lofton does, make threes, well one of them at least, he only played 8 minutes against Toronto. Considering the Nuggets complete lack of outside shooting, Lofton could find a niche on the team as a three point specialist. He has three more games to make an impression.

Meanwhile, JaJuan Smith is working on increasing his chances of a contract offer from the Dallas Mavericks with a 19 point explosion on Monday. Juanny put on a three point shooting clinic hitting 4 of 6 and leading all scorers. He teamed up with former Vandy star Shan Foster, who had 17 points himself, to lead the Mavs to victory over Minnesota. JaJuan is averaging nearly 9 points a game while only averaging 10 minutes on the floor, very efficient. The Mavs have 2 more games and hopefully JaJuan can find himself a roster spot come training camp.

I'll keep track of these former Vols and see if they can land somewhere in the league. I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Just read this morning

Volorado — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 13:57:38 -0000

From CBSSportsline LSU article...

First, Tennessee came from 15 points down in the fourth quarter to beat Vanderbilt and remain in control of its own destiny in the SEC's Eastern Division. That's good for LSU, if you didn't know, because as long as the Vols are on their way to the SEC Championship Game, that means Georgia is not. And it's probably better for the Tigers to stay away from the red-hot Bulldogs, or at least that's what I gathered from the reaction of LSU athletic director Skip Bertman, who was noticeably excited here in the press box when he heard the Vols had stormed back and won.

Just kinda found that intersting. I mean, obviously UGA is playing better than we are right now, but still, I wonder if we should send this over to Mr. Mayo?

Basketball ready to go!

Volorado — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 00:13:00 -0000

Bumped from the diaries. Many thanks to Volorado for tipping basketball season off for us.

Believe it or not, basketball season is upon us! In just a few short days, the preseason favorite to win the SEC and the #7 team in the country will be tipping off for [it's first non-exhibition game]. The BasketVols look like the real deal and have improved in each of the past two seasons under Coach Pearl (aka Hulk), and there is no reason to believe this season will be any different.

With Kentucky looking like they're a year or two away and under the new direction of Billy Gillespie, and Florida losing all of their starters and some of their bench to the NBA, the road to an SEC title will run through the Marble City.

The team is stocked with talent in the back court with All-American Chris Lofton, All-Freshman SEC guard Ramar Smith, and JaJuan Smith. Add in transfer guard/forwards JP Prince, from Arizona, and All-Freshman Big-10 player at Iowa, Tyler Smith, and the back court alone is deadly. But wait, there's more! The front court features Wayne Chism and Duke Crews, both freshmen extraordinaires last year, who have improved with a full season under their belts. There's also Ryan Childress, who stepped up in the tournament last March/April and proved he can play, and more importantly, run and shoot, with the best of 'em.

Granted, there's no dominant low post player like North Carolina's Tyler Hansbrough or Georgetown's Roy Hibbert. This is not a roster stocked with McDonald's All-Americans like Duke or Kansas or UCLA, but there is something else. There is a chip that sits on their collective shoulders. A No. 7 ranking seems like a bit of a slap in the face to such a deep team, one that has lost only ONE player to graduation, added two great swing men, and coached by a man so passionate and knowledgable as Bruce Pearl. If this were Duke or Carolina or Kansas, they'd be consensus number 1, but UT can't even crack the top 5?

But this is the year! The year Tennessee becomes a basketball force, begins a proud basketball tradition and lays claim to its first Final Four and, dare I say it, possibly its first National Championship. It's all right there in front of them, and in a few short days, their quest to claim it begins, and it becomes... Tipoff Time in Tennessee!

Go Vols!

Poll

How far do the '07 BasketVols go?

Sweet 16

1 votes

Elite 8

0 votes

Final Four

3 votes

Miss NCAA's

0 votes

National Champions!

1 votes

Make NCAA's, lose in early rounds

1 votes

6 votes | Poll has closed

Closing the Book on Cal

Volorado — Mon, 03 Sep 2007 14:11:03 -0000

I must say, it's a little dissapointing to see everyone say Tennessee got "blown out" or "dismantled" when in reality, Cal had two big plays that completly changed the game. The defensive touchdown, and of course, D-Jack's huge return (why we kicked to him when Colquitt had quad injury, I don't know). Take away those two plays, and it's 31-31.

The offense looked good, not great, but good. We need a deep threat and need to stop throwing swing passes to Foster on 3-10. For a moment I thought Randy Sanders was phoning in plays from Lexington. Ainge completed over 30 passes but didn't even have 300 yards, I think that says a lot.

The defense got beat quite a few times and was missing tackles, but I think we all knew Cal had an explosive offense. Also, D-Jack didn't have too many catches or yards and their "All-Conference" tight end Craig Stevens didn't do much either. Hawkins killed us! Forsett ran so well because our defense was spread out so much by the receivers and the safties could not afford to let them get deep. On the positive, the defense came up with some big stops later in the game to get the offense the ball back, so that was encouraging sight.

All of the young players show promise but need a lot of work. X needs to sit out this week and heal up for Florida, because they can score. And can somebody get open DEEP! Briscoe, Taylor, Vinson, ANYBODY!

Cal looked pretty good and has the look of a team that can beat USC, especially since they play in Berkeley this year. So maybe by season's end this loss won't look so bad. (Of course now Cal will go lose to Colorado State)

All in all it was dissapointing, but i look at it this way: I would rather beat Florida than Cal. Beat So. Miss this week and Florida the next, and we'll be fine, sqaure, all straight. Losing sucks, but losing conference games really hurts.

A Golden Opportunity

Volorado — Sun, 12 Nov 2006 15:58:24 -0000

With losses by Auburn, Cal, and Texas, Tennessee could've moved way up in the polls with a win last night. But instead, we sit and wait to see how far we fall after a dreadful loss to the Hogs. Arkansas (Darren McFadden for Heisman!), meanwhile, proved they are for real and judging from how bad the Gators have played lately, I think it's safe to say that Arkansas will be SEC champs (They'll beat LSU in Fayettville). Now, if Arkansas wins out, I believe they should play the winner of Ohio St./Michigan for the national title.

Elsewhere, USC and ND both won and now you know the love of those two schools will skyrocket after the loses and near losses that we saw this weekend.

I don't know about any of you, but I was listening to College Gameday on ESPNRadio yesterday and heard Mel Kiper (shouldn't he be hyping up Brady Quinn or some DE from the ACC?)say that the Big East is starting to get a taste of what it's like in the SEC. He was trying to say that teams like Louisville, WVU, and Rutgers are beating each other up and not getting any cupcake games in between their tough ones. Listen, Mel, don't even begin to compare the two. They all have cupcake schedules becasuse they only play two tough games a year. I don't think any team from any conference, Big 10 included, could make it thruough an SEC schedule, plus at least one signature non-conference matchup, unscathed. It's too tough, too physical, and too demanding on the players, coaches, and everyone involved. There might not be any undefeateds, but I would rather watch an SEC game between 2 battle tested, two loss teams than a matchup of two unbeatens that gets overhyped because the teams involved have had 8 scrimmages prior to the game.

Finally, I don't know what Bowl we'll play in, but we must pound whoever we play in order to get a high preseason ranking next year. The pollsters don't normally have a lot of love for the Vols and the BCS certainly doesn't favor the SEC, so we need to build as big of a case possible for next year, when we SHOULD be primed for a run at the National Title.

There, I'm done ranting, it's time for breakfast.

UT Bowl expectaions

Volorado — Thu, 19 Oct 2006 19:13:29 -0000

I thought of this earlier today and wondered, could UT play in the national championship game like Nebraska in 2001 against Miami? Nebraska lost once, didn't play in the Big 12 champioship because they lost to Colorado. But then CU lost the Big 12 championship, Tennessee lost to LSU in the SEC championship, and no one from the ACC or Pac-10 had a case. I can totally see this happening again only because the BCS is so messed up. Your thoughts...

Poll

What Bowl will Tennessee play in?

Cotton

11 votes

Other

21 votes

National Championship

4 votes

BCS At-Large Birth

36 votes

Capital One

20 votes

92 votes | Poll has closed