Leading up to the 2009 NIT Season Tip Off on November 16th, Pickin’ Splinters will be counting down the top 25 of the college hardwood nation.
’08 – ’09 Results: 21 -13 (10 – 6 SEC) Lost to Oklahoma State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, 77-75
Coach: Bruce Pearl 98 – 37 (4 years at UT) 415 -121 17 seasons
Key Returners:
Wayne Chism – 13.7ppg, 8.0rpg
Tyler Smith – 17.4ppg, 5.8rpg
Scotty Hopson – 9.2ppg, 4.2rpg
Bobby Maze – 8.2ppg, 2.4rpg
J. P. Prince – 9.9ppg, 4.2rpg
Cameron Tatum – 7.5ppg, 2.2rpg
Renaldo Woolridge – 2.5ppg, 1.3rpg
Notable Non-Conference Tilts: 11/20 vs. East Carolina, 11/21 vs. DePaul or N. Iowa, 12/19 at USC, 12/31 at Memphis, 1/10 vs. Kansas
Stat of Identity: 16.3 assists per game – Missouri led the country with 18.4.
By Paul Gotham
Two years ago, Tennessee advanced to the Sweet Sixteen for just the fourth time in school history. With a blend of full court pressure and unselfish play with the ball the Volunteers looked like a program on the rise. Their coach, Bruce Pearl, injected life into a basketball program accustomed to taking a back seat to its school’s football team.
Everything that went right two years, seemed to go sour a year later. The team noted for its pressure defense suddenly looked vulnerable, especially from the three-point arc. Without steals on defense, the offense looked stagnant. Nonetheless, the Volunteers took advantage of a down year for the SEC and earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament. Their stay was brief.
Pearl returns his entire core from last year’s squad. His challenge is to prove last year as an anomaly. Can a team that needed occasional disciplining show the maturity necessary for a successful season?
Wayne Chism and Tyler Smith are as athletic a front court tandem as one can find in college basketball. They are also just as inconsistent. At one point last year, Chism scored double figures in 12 of 13 games. In the game he didn’t hit double digits, Chism fouled out after 11 minutes of play and zero points. Chism had double-doubles against Marquette, Alabama, and the second time the Vols played Gonzaga. In the first go round with the Zags, Chism contributed just five points and three rebounds.
Pearl has been able to get away without having a true point guard at Tennessee. His teams have taken advantage of negative offense (steals and converting) to generate offense. Bobby Maze will bring up the ball. Maze managed a 2 to 1 assist to turnover ratio. The senior will need to run an offense if Tennessee is to return to the Sweet Sixteen.
6’8″ Renaldo Woolridge, 6’6″ Cameron Tatum, and 6’10” Brian Williams give Pearl options off the bench.
Tennessee advanced to the Sweet Sixteen in 1967, 1981, 2000, and 2006.
Leave a Reply