Over the past 20 years, Vol fans have usually dreaded the end of football season. There was nothing to really look forward to until spring practice. Basketball was mostly an after thought, aside from a few die hard fans. Now if you were one of those people, you probably have some painful memories:
- You probably remember the great Wade Houston guiding the Vols to a 65-90 record during his 5 seasons in Knoxville.
- You might also recall that 101-40 spanking by Kentucky in the SEC Tournament during the 1992-93 season.
- Wade Houston followed that embarrassing loss by going 5-22 the next season.
Wade Houston was fired after the 1993-94 season, and Tennessee hired Kevin O'Neill. Many people were excited about the hiring of O'Neill. He was an up-and-comer, fresh off a successful run at Marquette. He brought intensity, defense, and was known as a stellar recruiter. These all turned out to be true. The thing about O'Neill was, he didn't exactly get along with many people. Unfortunately for Vol fans, O'Neill also brought some baggage:
- Someone once told me that one of the first days that Kevin O'Neill was here he spotted Vol center Steve Hamer working out in the weight room. The only problem was, the 7-foot Hamer was doing curls with 5 pound weights. O'Neill proceeded to ask Hamer, "What the f--- do you think you are doing?"
- According to an article by Scott Cacciola, people on press row used to count how many times O'Neill cursed during games. One game against Memphis, the count was 30. O'Neill also referred to former Vol Aaron Green as 'Hee-Haw,' and 'Hick.' http://www.govolsxtra.com/news/2008/oct/06/more-mellow-oneill-working-grizzlies/
Kevin O'Neill may have been a jerk, but he was comical. Perhaps O'Neill biggest flaw was his complete lack of offense.
- There was the game at Auburn where the Vols lost 43-35.
- Then there was a game against Penn State where the score was tied 31-31 at the end of regulation. Kevin O'Neill's teams consistently scored in the 60's or lower, and it was almost as fun as watching paint dry. The one upside to Kevin O'Neill was that he did recruit very well. He got commitments from McDonalds All-Americans Tony Harris and Charles Hathaway. he signed C.J. Black, Isaiah Victor, Rashard Lee, and Brandon Wharton. He was also vital in getting Vincent Yarbrough to sign with the Vols. Unfortunately, Kevin O'Neill couldn't win with the players he had, and he hated doug Dickey. So he left Tennessee for Northwestern, and the Vols hired a new coach, Jerry Green.
Like I said, Kevin O'Neill recriuted very well, so Jerry Green had some talent to work with. But Green couldn't coach a lick, nor did he instill any discipline whatsoever into the program. Examples included:
- The time when Tony Harris was injured with a bad ankle, but somehow managed to hop off the bench during a game against Kentucky in order to join in a fight.
- The time, again with Tony Harris, when Harris walked into class late. When the professor asked him why he was late, Harris graciously responded, "I'm mo----f------ Tony Harris. I do what I want."
Jerry Green wasn't exactly the brightest guy either. One time during a pre-game show on the radio, Vol announcer Bob Kesling asked Green what the key to the game was. Jerry Green replied with this brilliant answer: "Well, Bob, I think that the team who scores the most points will PROBABLY win the game." Green's teams, though successful overall, also had a knack for blowing leads. The most notable example was in the 2000 Sweet 16 against North Carolina. Jerry Green also rubbed people the wrong way on several occassions. Probably the most famous instance was when he told Vol fans that they could "Go to K-Mart," instead of attending Tennessee games. Green won his fair share of games, but was rightfully fired after 4 seasons.
After the departure of Green, Tennessee turned their attention to Buzz Peterson. Many Vol fans at the time thought Peterson was a great hire, including myself. We were all wrong. Under Peterson, we saw some of the worst basketball many of us had ever witnessed. The offense was boring to watch (sound familiar??). The team didn't play good defense. They never heard the word "hustle." To put it bluntly, Buzz Ball was flat out painful to watch. Less and less people attended the games. I remember going to several games where I could literally here players talking to each other on the court. If anyone went to the Vol-Alabama football game this past Saturday, I'm sure you noticed the sunning amount of Crimson Tide fans in the stadium. That is what it was like for every Tennessee-Kentucky basketball game during the Buzz Peterson era. It was embarrassing. After 4 years, Buzz was fired. It would turn out to be the best thing to ever happen for the Tennessee basketball program. On March 28, 2005, Bruce Pearl was hired as the new head men's basketball coach at Tennessee.
Right now, it seems like the world has turned upside down. The Vol football team is 3-5 and not showing much promise. Well, other than Eric Berry. People around Knoxville are genuinely excited about basketball season. And with good reason. In 3 seasons, Pearl has turned the Vols basketball program from a laughing stock into a National Powerhouse. In past years, students would go to a mens game at Thompson-Boling Arena to do their homework and study, because it was quieter than the library. Now, the place is rocking every game. Just look at some of Bruce Pearl's accomplishments:
- 3 NCAA Tournament appearance, two of them advancing to the Sweet 16.
- Has taken the Vols to their highest NCAA Tournament seed in school history, twice. (#2)
- Was named National Coach of the Year by The Sporting News last season.
- His teams have led the SEC in scoring offense all 3 seasons.
- Managed to get under the skin of Kevin Stallings, and John Calipari.
- Guided the Vols to the best record in school history last season. (31-5)
- Took the Vols to its first ever #1 ranking last season.
I could go on and on, but you get the picture. As we head into Bruce Pearl's 4th season on The Hill, expectations are as high as they have ever been. Despite losing starters Chris Lofton and JaJuan Smith, as well as Jordan Howell, Duke Crews, and Ramar Smith, this years team will be arguably better. This will be by far Pearl's deepest team since he's been here. It will also be very young.
The starting lineup will be very good, despite the losses of Lofton and Smith. The starting 5 should look something like this:
- Center - Wayne Chism. Chism, a junior, has improved every year since he's been with the Vols. This year should be no different. From all indications, Chism has slimmed down, and bulked up. He's always been a good three point shooter for his size, and he will be called upon to continue that this season. During his first 2 years, Wayne was always very productive, but was overshadowed by better players, mainly Lofton and Smith. That probably won't change this year, but Chism has the ability to quietly make one of the All-SEC teams.
- Power Forward - Tyler Smith. Smith is the preseason favorite to win SEC Player of the Year. Last season, Smith's first for the Vols, Smith was the best all around player for Tennessee. He made the All-SEC First team, as well as honorable mention All-America. Smith passed up the NBA draft to come back for another season. Several publications have listed Smith as a preseason 2nd Team All-American. He will without a doubt be the go-to guy for the Vols this season. If he has improved as much as is expected, he will be extremely difficult for opposing teams to guard. Smith has also worked extensively this summer on his three point shot, which will make him even more dangerous.
- Strong Forward - J.P. Prince - Prince actually won't start off the year in the starting lineup. It was just announced that he suffered a partially torn labrum in his right shoulder in Tuesday's practice. He will be out 3-5 weeks, so he should return to the rotation shortly. If Prince starts, he will be taking over for JaJuan Smith. It will be a bit of a downgrade, but not as bad as people might think. Prince, like Smith, is very athletic. He is not nearly the shooter that JaJuan was, but is a better slasher. If he improves his shooting, he will be a tougher matchup as well, because of his 6'7" height. Prince is also very underrated defensively. Prince also might play some backup point guard if reserve Daniel West isn't eligible.
- Shooting Guard - Scotty Hopson - Hopson is Pearl's first McDonald's All-American. Hopson is a great shooter, and incredibly athletic. He will be in the NBA in the not-so-distant future. Hopson has the potential to be one of the best natural scorers Tennessee has ever had. It will be a real challenge for Hopson taking over Chris Lofton's spot in the starting lineup. How he handles it remains to be seen, but he has the tools. He is taller than Lofton an much more athletic. Will he have the heart Lofton did?
- Point Guard - Bobby Maze - Maze signed with the Vols after last years starter, Ramar Smith, was dismissed from the team. Last season, Maze was a Junior College All-American at Hutchinson Community College in Kansas. He has an incredible resemblance to the Denver Nuggets Allen Iverson, and plays kind of like him too. Maze is extremely quick. He handles the ball very well. From what I've seen of him, he is a much better shooter than Ramar Smith was. From all indications he is also a great team player. He averaged over 9 assists a game last season, and has looked good in scrimmages so far this season. He should be a major upgrade over Ramar Smith.
The Vols best asset this season might be their bench. This could be one of the deepest teams in Tennessee history. There are 12 or 13 players who are capable of contributing in the SEC. Players who might not get much playing time at all, could start for some other teams in this league. Here is how I see the bench rotation playing out:
- 6th man - Cameron Tatum - Tatum is recovering from a minor injury, but should be ready to go by the time the season starts. Tatum has all conference potential. He can play the 2-guard and SF positions. He might be the best shooter on the team and will be relied upon to knock down open three pointers. He is also one of the most athletic players for the Vols. Tatum might start the season off in the starting lineup, due to Prince's injury. He might also be there for most of the year, depending on how well he plays, and how well Prince recovers. Though he is only a freshman, this is actually Tatum's third year out of high school, so he should have a good deal of maturity. If he can stay healthy for the entire season, Tatum should have a huge impact for the Vols, and is my pick for SEC 6th Man of the Year.
- 7th man - Brian Williams - It is hard to believe that Brian Williams has only played basketball for a few years. Once nearly 400 pounds, "Big Baby" has trimmed down and will be a key player for Tennessee this season. According to several people, Williams might be the most improved players from last years team. He has even added a 3-point shot. Brian Williams is also a great passer for a big man, and very good defensively. Look for Williams to give Tennessee quality minutes this year, and score around 5 points a game. He is also another candidate to start at the beginning of the season, due to J.P. Prince's injury. At 6'10," Williams would start at center, moving Wayne Chism to power forward.
- 8th man - Emmanuel Negedu/Renaldo Woolridge - These two guys will probably be battling it out for the next position. Negedu is a 6'7" freshman who is freakishly athletic. He signed with the Vols after Duke Crews was dismissed from the team. Negedu is probably the best athlete on the team and can be a great force defensively and on the boards. Woolridge is also a freshman. Like Negedu, he is a great athlete. The advantage that he has, is he is a much better shooter than Negedu. Woolridge can light it up from downtown, and can really play 3 different positions: PF, SF, and SG. Both of these guys should get playing time for the Vols. The potential for both Negedu and Woolridge is very high.
- 10th man - Josh Tabb - Tabb might be the best defensive player in the SEC. Unfortunately for him, he is on a team that is loaded with talent. Like last year, he probably won't get a ton of playing time, but when he is counted on, he delivers. He won't score much, but he won't need to. He plays lock down defense, usually guarding the best player on the other team. He will play when the Vols need a huge defensive stop down the stretch.
- Daniel West - West was slated to be the backup point guard to Bobby Maze this season. Recently there have been some eligibility questions. If this gets resolved, and West is eligible, he should continue in that role. He is not as good as Maze, but he really impressed people during summer workouts. He is a good ball handler, and decent shooter. The Vols would really love for him to play this season, so that Prince can focus more on his natural position.
- Ryan Childress - Childress is Tennessee's only senior on the team. He also won't play much. Childress had a very productive sophomore season, but really regressed last year. If he returns to his sophomore form, he could contribute in spots. Because of Tennessee's depth, he probably won't get many opportunities to prove himself during games.
- Philip Jurick - Jurick is another highly touted incoming freshman for the Volunteers. He was a 4 star prospect coming out of high school. Look for him to be red shirted this season. He has potential, but right now his defense is way ahead of his offense. If he can get stronger and develop an offensive game, he will be very good in the future for Tennessee.
Only time will tell how good this team will truly be. They will probably lose some games early, due to their youth and incredibly difficult schedule. Tennessee's schedule last year was rated #1 in the country, and this year's is even more difficult. The ceiling for this years team, however, is greater than last year. By the end of the season we might be saying that this is the most talented team in school history. Coach Pearl has put together great talent with Tyler Smith, Chism, Hopson, Maze, and Prince. Combine that with a bench consisting of Tatum, Williams, Woolridge, Negedu, and Tabb. Bruce Pearl finally has a team with the athleticism to really play his style of up-tempo, "Controlled Chaos" basketball. What's going to happen? Who knows. But I do know that I have never been so excited for a Tennessee basketball season. November 3rd can't get here soon enough!
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