watch this year, and not just because Coach Bruce Pearl will bust out that really orange jacket on big game days. Recently, the football program has brought drama on top of drama to Rocky Top (insert Lane Kiffin joke here), and this year, the basketball team followed. Many thought that the Vols might fold after some of their players were arrested/suspended/brought back. With the SEC down this year, the Vols have remained near the top of the conference, even with the off-the-court issues.It is difficult to say who the Vols are led by, as statistically speaking, things are quite even. Sophomore guard Scotty Hopson is the leading scorer at 13 points per game. He is closely followed by veteran Wayne Chism (12.7 PPG) and senior forward Tyler Smith (11.7 PPG). Unfortunately for the Volunteers, Coach Pearl had no choice but to dismiss Smith from the team following an incident earlier in the year. The adversity the team had to go through losing one of their senior scorers has only made the bunch a tighter knit group. The starting five is rounded out by more seniors – guard Bobby Maze and J.P. Prince (cousin of NBA player Tayshaun Prince).
Although he does not have the most talented team, Coach Pearl definitely knows how to get the most out of what he has. His starting five average between 24 and 27 minutes on the floor each game, but he has six other players that average between 14.9 and 16.2 minutes. He is excellent at substituting at the right time, keeping fresh players in, and ensuring that his starters stay out of foul trouble. There is good chemistry on this veteran team, and Coach Pearl’s excellent coaching decisions may allow Tennessee to hang around late in the dance.
Two reasons Tennessee will make the Final Four:
1. Big wins = More confidence. No teams can boast beating both Kansas and Kentucky this year. This team is full of players who believe they can win, no matter who they play, no matter where.
2. This is a veteran team. The starting five is made up of four seniors. There is no substitute for that kind of maturity.
Two reasons Tennessee will make an early exit:
1. This team is incredibly unpredictable. It’s like the old nursery rhyme – when they are good, they are very, very good, and when they are bad, they are horrible. They have played like national champs in the wins over Kansas and Kentucky. They looked like a bunch of chumps losing at big at USC (77-55) and at Georgia (78-63).
2. They are amazingly average all around. The team’s 3-point field goal percentage is 32% and their free throw percentage is 66%. They outrebound their opponents by less than 1 per game, and their assist-to-turnover ratio is 1.1. Their scoring margin is +9.7, but that was padded early in the season with blowout wins against the likes of UNC-Asheville (124-49). They better pick it up in March, or everyone on Rocky Top will be talking football again.
