Last night's game was another in a long line of cup checks for UT fans. As PDD said on Periscope during our SmartWay/Garza Law Firm UT Basketball Overtime, last night's game was a kick in the NIT Sack.
Vols started off down 18-4 last night in first 9:10.
Tennessee was fortunate not to be buried by a cold shooting Vandy team that started 2-9 from 3 point land. The first 10 minutes of that game were completely ugly. Tennessee came out completely dead to the world on both ends. On a night where Jordan Bowden was out with the flu, Tennessee looked absolutely sick early in that one. 10 minutes into that game Tennessee's NCAA Tourney hopes were fledgling. Vols were down 21-8 and Williams missed 3 badly meaning that UT was 2 for their first 17 from the field. UGLY.
Tennessee has 8 points with 7 min left in the first half. It's 23-8. No life on either end for the Vols. Wow. Williams and Hubbs have only attempted four shots between them to this point.
Schofield had 8 of UT's 10 in cutting the lead to 26-18 with 1:34 left in first half. Minus Admiral, Tennessee would've been buried.
Vandy flat out stunk after getting out 18-4. They flat out quit driving with the basketball. It was senseless. I'm glad they did it, but it was moronic.
It was appropriate that LaChance missed a wide open layup to end the first half. That was the ugliest half of basketball played by both teams.
Tennessee shot only 23% from the field for the half mustering only 18 points. That was a season low for the Vols.
The Vols were really up against the wall at halftime.
All Time UGLY FIRST HALF: UT and Vandy combined for 3 of 21 from 3 point land. 50 points combined! In a game where neither lit it up on the defensive end. I'm talking peach baskets.
Vandy had one fg in last 6 min of 1st half.
Vols had 6 turnovers and 6 field goals at the half.
Vols came out and got the score to 28-22 to begin the second half.
Fisher Davis at 82% almost missed two foul shots.
Williams hits a 3 and just like that it's 29-25. Vols only down 4. Vandy is on ropes until Cressler buried a 3 ball to make it 32-25.
Cressler bombed in another 3 to make it 35-27. Vandy is waking up on offense.
Down 35-28 LaMonte Turner committed the worst turnover of the year. This game is really ugly.
Vols season in balance...Down 9 inside of 10 to play and Kwe Parker hits a 3 to make it 40-34. Only his 2nd three ball of the year. He was 1-10 from 3 point land before making that shot. Wow.
Vandy is 5-22 from field since grabbing 14 point lead in first half with 10 to play.
Schofield's 3 makes it a 5 point game.
Somehow it's 42-39. Vandy is completely leaking oil.
Toye hits a 3 after Admiral misses two FT's and it's 49-45 after Hubbs hits a quick 2 with 4:30 left. Wild finish coming.
Cressler buries a 3 and it's 52-45. Hubbs answers and it's 52-47 with 3:55 left. Credit Hubbs for calling his own # keeping Vols in it.
Toye...Globetrotter layup makes it 54-47....Hubbs misses and Vols are on the ropes down 7 with 3 to play...Kornet hits 18 footer from baseline and it's 56-47. Williams gets and one and it's 56-50 with 2:24 left.
Toye missed front end 1-1 then commits 5th foul. Hubbs hits 2 and it's 56-52 with 1:37 left.
LaChance Elbow: He threw a flying elbow... Was missed by refs. Made it 58-52 and game was over. Somebody threw something at Vandy bench. Intense night.
LaChance fouled hard by Turner... What is he doing going for a layup in an 11 point game?
On the SmartWay/Garza Law Firm UT Basketball Overtime, Tony Jones said, 'I've praised Rick Barnes and his staff all year, but they didn't have those kids ready to play.'
Student Ejected! A member of UT's best and brightest last night apparently couldn't take any more and said something to Pat Adams that didn't sit too well with that embattled zebra. So, he got tossed. Young man...We salute you.
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With Zach Azzanni off the Bears, Butch Jones gets another opportunity to rework and perhaps improve his coaching staff.
'X' wants Tennessee to consider a couple of candidates.
James Coley: 43 years old. Coached at Miami with Larry Scott. A highly respected recruiter. Thought to be a pretty good tactician. Could Scott entice him to reunite in Knoxville if it came to this? It seems like he would be a tough pull for the Vols.
Josh Gattis: WR Coach Penn State. Gattis has done a marvelous job a Penn State. Originally from North Carolina, the Wake Forest grad has tentacles in the Carolinas and has had recruiting success there at Penn State. He has SEC experience having developed Jordan Matthews at Vanderbilt. Without the stellar play of PSU's wide receivers there's no way they land in the Rose Bowl last year. He's intriguing.
Joker Phillips: Cincinnati Wide Receiver coach. If the name looks familiar, it should. Phillips, a UK alumni, rose to the level of head coach in Lexington. He's a pretty damn good recruiter and thought to be a solid wide receivers coach.
Kippy Brown: He's a name. He's a hall of fame level assistant coach in the collegiate ranks. Kippy could become a real trivia question. He would be the first guy to ever work at UT under four different head football coaches. No offense but I think this has turned into a young man's game. Then again, Brown's reputation is so sterling that Jones would have to consider him strongly.
Dameyune Craig: 43 Years old. Fired at LSU by way of Auburn. He can recruit but can he coach?
Link
Last Man Standing: Tommy Thigpen is the last man left from the Butch Jones proclaimed 'best staff in America.' Honk if you saw this coming.
Mark Wiedmer of Chattanooga Times/Free Press was amazing yesterday discussing David Blackburn's stellar work at Chattanooga. If you missed
that segment I'd love to encourage you to listen. I'm of the opinion that the train has probably passed Blackburn by. It's inconceivable that DB hasn't already been hired here.
If the Phillip Fulmer coronation falters, here are some other names to watch...
The Other Ones: Brad Bates- He was at Boston College as AD since 2012 and replaced Gene DeFilippo after DeFilippo retired to run his consultant group which Tennessee hired for the AD search. He came to BC after being AD at Miami Ohio. Before that he was Senior Associate AD at Vandy.
Danny Morrison- He played basketball at Wofford and later was AD at Wofford from 1985-1999. He then added the role of Senior Vice President until 2001. From 2001-2005, he was Commissioner of the Southern Conference. He then went to be AD at TCU from 2005-2008. In 2008 he became President of the Carolina Panthers until last month. He is looking to get back into the college level to finish his career. He is also on the short list for President at Wofford.
Todd Stewart- He has been dubbed a rising star in the AD profession. He got his start at the University of Tennessee as a grad assistant in the Sports Information Department from 1988-1990. From there he went to the Indianapolis Colts as the Assistant Director of Public Relations until 1999 when he became Executive Director of Communications with the Cleveland Browns. In 2004, Stewart became Associate Commissioner for Communications for the Sun Belt Conference. He left the position in 2008 to become Associate Athletic Director for Western Kentucky and then in 2010, he became the Senior Associate Athletic Director. From 2012-present, he became the Athletic Director. While AD, he has hired among others: Bobby Petrino, Jeff Brohm and Rick Stansbury.
Jim Phillips- AD Northwestern since 2008. Has done a really impressive job there in stabilizing football as well has identifying and hiring Chris Collins who's had a nice run early in his career in Evanston. Phillips is intriguing because he holds a Doctorate from The University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Phillips actually worked in development at UT while he was here. Phillips is one of 10 children in a family from Chicago. So, would he want to make the move if asked?
Bubba Cunningham- UNC. A guy that has adroitly steered UNC through a turbulent NCAA mess that he didn’t create. Somehow the women’s hoops program there got the early blame. Cunningham is a good ole boy. They will like him in the interview process. Tennessee could do a whole lot worse.
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