Rainbow Classic Preview

QUICK FACTS

Tennessee (10-1) vs. G. Washington (5-4)

Game 12

Dec. 28, 2000

Tipoff: 12:30 a.m. (EST)

Television: None

Sheriff Center - (10,330)

The Series

G. Washington leads 2-0

at Knoxville: 0-0

at Washington: 0-2

Neutral Sites: 0-0

Last Meeting
GW 47, UT 24
Dec. 20, 1937 at Washington

RADIO: Vol Network (Bob Kesling, Bert Bertlekamp). Listen to Vol Network on the Web

TV: None

Associated Press Poll (UT:4th/GW:NR)
ESPN/USA Today-Coaches Poll (UT:4th/GW:NR)

THE COACHES:
Tennessee Volunteers
Jerry Green (Appalachian St. 1968)
Overall Record: 18th year -- 299-204
at Tennessee: 4th year -- 77-26
2000-01 Schedule/Results
2000-01 Statistics

George Washington Colonials
Tom Penders (Connecticut 1967)
Overall Record: 30th year -- 518-347
at GW: 3rd year -- 40-28
2000-01 Schedule/Results
2000-01 Statistics

Probable Starters

TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS
Pos	No./Name	Ht	Wt	Yr	PPG	RPG	APG
F	22 Vincent Yarbrough	6-7	210	Jr.	12.5	6.2	3.6
F	44 Isiah Victor	6-9	220	Sr.	12.6	7.4	1.1
C	55 Charles Hathaway	6-10	265	Sr.	6.5	5.4	0.5
G	42 Jon Higgins	6-3	190	So.	5.6	2.8	2.1
G	14 Tony Harris	6-0	165	Sr.	13.9	2.0	5.2

George Washington Colonials
Pos	No./Name	Ht	Wt	Yr	PPG	RPG	APG
F	15 Antxon Iturbe	6-8	238	Sr.	2.4	3.8	0.7
F	35 Patrick Ngongba	6-8	238	Sr.	7.4	6.8	0.5
G	4 Chris Monroe	6-3	222	So.	20.2	5.6	1.7
G	5 Mike King	6-4	186	Sr.	13.4	5.4	2.1
G	13 SirValiant Brown	6-1	174	So.	20.7	2.4	1.2

GAME NOTES

Tennessee Continues Road Trip Following Christmas Holiday

at Rainbow Classic

Tennessee travels to Hawaii for the Rainbow Classic Dec. 27-30. The Vols are coming off an impressive 83-70 victory at previously unbeaten Syracuse.

Tennessee opens play in the tournament against George Washington in the first meeting between the two schools since 1937.

Vols at the Rainbow Classic
Tennessee will be making its sixth appearance in the Rainbow Classic when the Vols travel to Honolulu, Hawaii, for the three-game tournament that runs Dec. 27-30.

* The Vols have a 6-9 all-time record in the Rainbow Classic.

* Tennessee is making its first appearance in the tournament since the 1990-91 season.

* The Vols first played in the Rainbow Classic during the 1965-66 season.

* UT's best finish in the tournament was a fourth place finish in 1983. The Vols defeated Navy in the first round, 76-61, before losing to Hawaii, 60-73, and Alabama-Birmingham, 66-84.

UT's all-time results in the Rainbow Classic:
12/27/65 St. Louis L, 57-59
12/29/65 Hawaii W, 88-41
12/30/65 Hawaii Marines (Exh.) W, 84-54
12/27/73 Sub Pac (Exh.) L, 79-81
12/28/73 #9 Providence L, 60-64
12/29/73 Santa Clara W, 80-76
12/27/78 Utah L, 71-80
12/29/78 Fordham W, 83-58
12/30/78 Boston College L, 72-74
12/27/83 Navy W, 76-61
12/29/83 at Hawaii L, 60-73
12/30/83 Ala.-Birmingham L, 66-84
12/27/90 Wichita State L, 73-77
12/29/90 Iona W, 93-77
12/30/90 Alaska-Anchorage L, 78-86

First Round Opponent George Washington
George Washington is caught in a three-game losing streak that has dropped its record this season to 5-4. The Colonials defeated then-No. 19 St. John's 85-75 in the first round of the BB&T Classic at the MCI Center in Washington, DC, before falling to then-No. 13 Maryland, 63-71, in the championship game of the tournament. Since then, GW has fallen to Richmond, 80-84 in overtime, and Providence, 80-93.

* GW is coming off a considerable break. The Colonials have not played since a Dec. 11 loss to Providence. By the time they play Tennessee in the first round of the Rainbow Classic, the Colonials will have had a 17-day break.

* Two players are averaging nearly 50 percent of George Washington's scoring. SirValiant Brown leads the Colonials with 20.7 points per game while Chris Monroe is scoring 20.2 points per game. GW averages 85.3 points per game as a team.

* SirValiant Brown and Chris Monroe both earned preseason All-Atlantic 10 Conference honors. Brown was a first team selection while Monroe was tabbed to the second team.

* Head coach Tom Penders is 40-28 (.588) in his third season at George Washington. In 30 seasons as a head coach Penders has led his teams to a 518-347 (.599) mark...Penders is 0-3 all-time vs. Tennessee.

* The Colonials have already played one team in the Rainbow Classic this season. George Washington earned a 94-74 win over Texas A&M on Nov. 18. The Aggies are in the opposite bracket as GW in the Rainbow Classic.

* George Washington is a preseason pick to finish fifth in the Atlantic 10 Conference.

The George Washington Series
The Colonials own a 2-0 series lead against the Volunteers. However, this is the first meeting between the two schools since Dec. 20, 1938.

* George Washington and Tennessee first met on Feb. 24, 1917 in Washington, DC. The Colonials won that meeting, 28-19.

* George Washington won the only other meeting, 47-24, on Dec. 20, 1937, in Washington, DC.

* Tennessee is 18-16 all-time against teams from the Atlantic 10 Conference.

Possible Second Round Opponent: Iowa
Iowa is 9-0 on the season with a game at Kansas State (Dec. 23) before traveling to Hawaii for the Rainbow Classic. The Hawkeyes defeated Centenary 72-52 on Tuesday, Dec. 19, at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City.

* The Vols and Hawkeyes have one common opponent. Both teams have played UT-Chattanooga this season. Tennessee defeated the Mocs, 88-66, in its home-opener on Nov. 17. Iowa defeated UTC, 79-60, in the first round of the Gazette Hawkeye Challenge in Iowa City on Dec. 1.

* Steve Alford is 23-16 (.590) in his second season at Iowa. In his 10th season as a head coach he has carded a 179-93 (.658) record.

* Iowa's 9-0 start to the season is its best since the 1992-93 campaign when the Hawkeye's began the year by winning their first 11 games.

* Junior guard Ryan Hogan played at Kentucky two seasons before transferring to Iowa following the 1998-99 season. In three games against the Vols Hogan went 0-for-8 from the field and did not register any points.

* Ryan Hogan is one of two Division I transfers currently on the Iowa roster. Luke Recker, who began his career at Indiana before transferring to Arizona and then to Iowa, has been one of Steve Alford's top scorers this season.

The Iowa Series
Iowa leads the all-time series 2-0.

* Both prior meetings have been at neutral sites.

* In the most recent meeting, Iowa defeated the Vols, 92-86 in the second round of the Rebel Roundup on Dec. 20, 1978, in Las Vegas, Nev.

* In the first meeting between the two schools, Iowa defeated the fourth-ranked Vols, 64-59, in the first round of the Los Angeles Classic on Dec. 27, 1968.

* Tennessee is 14-21 all-time against teams from the Big Ten. The Vols are 1-0 against Big Ten teams this season following a 66-56 win over 18th-ranked Wisconsin on Nov. 21.

Possible Second Round Opponent: Detroit
Detroit is 7-3 on the season entering a game at Western Michigan (Dec. 21) before heading to Hawaii where they will meet Iowa in the first round of the Rainbow Classic. The Titans defeated Central Michigan 74-60 on Dec. 18 to win their second consecutive decision.

* Detroit is 0-1 against Southeastern Conference teams this season following a 75-72 loss to Auburn on Dec. 9 in Birmingham, Ala. Rashad Phillips led four Titans in double-digit scoring with 24 points. Darius Belin recorded a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds.

* Head coach Perry Watson, who led Detroit to NCAA Tournament appearances in 1998 and 1999, is 140-79 in his eighth season at Detroit and as a head coach. Previously Watson served as an assistant coach at Michigan where he helped lead the Wolverines to the championship game of the NCAA Tournament in 1992 and 1993.

* All 17 of the players on Detroit's preseason roster are from the state of Michigan. Fifteen of them are from the metropolitan Detroit area.

*Detroit is in the middle of a stretch where it plays six of seven games away from home.

The Detroit Series
Detroit leads the all-time series, 1-0.

* The only prior meeting came on Feb. 4, 1931, when Detroit pulled off a 31-30 upset in Knoxville.

* Tennessee is 10-6 all-time against teams from the Midwestern Collegiate Conference.

Ernie & Bernie Flashback
Tennessee fans may have a flashback to the mid-1970s should Tennessee and Texas A&M meet in the third round of the Rainbow Classic. One of Texas A&M's leading scorers this season is sophomore guard Bernard King. A preseason first team All-Big 12 selection by several publications, Texas A&M's King was named the Big 12 Conference's Most Flamboyant player by The Sporting News. For many Tennessee fans, hearing Bernard King's name called out during a broadcast would hearken back to the 1970s when another Bernard King along with Ernie Grunfeld ruled the courts in the Southeastern Conference. Bernard King, a 6-foot-7 forward who played for Tennessee from 1975 to 1977, was a three-time first team All-America for the Vols and went on to star in the NBA for 16 seasons.

Tennessee's Traveling Road Show

The month of December is a busy month for the travel industry and Tennessee is doing its share to help this season. Of Tennessee's nine games scheduled during the month, just two were played in Thompson-Boling Arena.

* During the month of December, the Vols will travel enough miles to go almost halfway around the world. Tennessee will travel a total of 11,948 miles with trips to West Virginia, New Jersey, New York and Hawaii. The circumference of the earth is approximately 25,000 miles.

* Tennessee is currently on a seven-game road trip. The Vols played Middle Tennessee State in Nashville on Dec. 15, before traveling to East Rutherford, NJ, to play Virginia in the Jimmy V Classic on Dec. 19. From there, the Vols go to Syracuse, NY, to play the Syracuse Orangemen on Dec. 22. After returning to Knoxville for one day, Tennessee travels to Honolulu, Hawaii, for the Rainbow Classic. Tennessee also starts SEC play on the road with a Jan. 6 visit to Auburn.

* The Vols will spend 14 of the final 18 days of December on the road.

Syracuse Recap

Ron Slay's 27 points at Syracuse were a career-high. Slay connected on 9-of-15 from the field. His previous career-high was a 22-point effort earlier this season vs. SMU.
Jenis Grindstaff's 11 points was a career-best. Grinstaff's previous high was 7 vs. UNC-Asheville (11/30/00).
Isiah Victor added 17 points against the Orangemen. He has now scored 58 points the past three games, hitting 19-of-31 from the field.
Tennessee, outrebounded the past four games, won the battle of the boards by a 52-26 count, including 16 offensive rebounds. The 52 rebounds are a season-high for UT (previous: 49 at West Virginia).
The victory was UT's first win at Syracuse. The Orangemen now lead the all-time series 3-2.
The Vols' 34 free throws and 47 free throw attempts were both season-highs (previous FT: 31 vs. ETSU and FTA: 39 vs. ETSU).
The Vol bench outscored SU's bench 45-9.

Victor Joins 1,000-Point Club Against Virginia

Senior forward Isiah Victor became the 34th player in Tennessee history to score 1,000 career points when he poured in 20 points against Virginia at the Jimmy V Classic in East Rutherford, NJ, on Dec. 19. Victor, who entered the game with 983 career points, has now scored 1,003 points in 102 career games. He owns a career scoring average of 9.8 points which includes a scoring average of 12.2 as a senior.

* Victor is the third Vol to reach the 1,000 career point mark since the start of the 1999-2000 season. Last year, Tony Harris and C.J. Black joined the prestigious 1,000-point club.

* Junior forward Vincent Yarbrough is the next Vol on pace to join the 1,000-point club. The Cleveland, Tenn., native has scored 853 points in 73 career games.

Tennessee Ranked Fourth in Latest Polls

The Volunteers tied their highest ranking in school history with the release of the Dec. 11 Associated Press men's college basketball poll. The Vols, who held on to the No. 4 position in the Dec. 18 polls, are ranked the highest they have been in 32 years. Tennessee was also ranked fourth in the Jan. 16, 1968 Associated Press poll. The Vols are also ranked No. 4 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches poll.

* As of the Dec. 19 polls, Tennessee has been ranked in 27 consecutive Associated Press polls. The last time the Vols were not ranked in the AP Poll was the Feb. 22, 1999 poll.

* Tennessee's current streak of 27 consecutive weeks of being ranked is the longest in school history. The previous best was 20 weeks from the 1975-76 preseason poll through the third week of the 1976-77 season.

Team Statistical Comparisons
Tennessee		GW
87.3	Points	85.3
73.8	Opponent Points	79.8
48.3	Field Goal %	41.9
40.6	Opponent Field Goal %	44.7
37.3	Three-Point %	33.2
32.4	Opponent Three-Point %	40.3
69.4	Free Throw %	69.8
40.8	Rebounds	42.2
37.8	Opponent Rebounds	38.7
+3.0	Rebounding Margin	+3.5
18.7	Assists	14.1
16.5	Turnovers	14.7
6.2	Blocks	3.2
7.5	Steals	8.6
10-1	Record	5-4

Milestones For Jerry Green

Tennessee head coach Jerry Green reached a pair of milestones when the Vols played SMU on Dec. 7 and needs two more wins to reach another one.

* Jerry Green needs one more win for 300 in his career. In his 18th season as a head coach, Green has won 299 career games.

* Green coached his 100th game at the University of Tennessee when the Vols played Southern Methodist on Dec. 7. In his fourth season on The Hill, Green has led the Vols to a 77-26 (.748) record.

* The SMU game was the 500th game for Green as a head coach. In stops at UNC-Asheville (150-108 in nine seasons), Oregon (72-70 in five seasons) and Tennessee (76-26 in his fourth season) Green has compiled a 298-204 (.594) career record.

Going to the Bench

A huge advantage that Tennessee has had this season is the depth of its bench. Head coach Jerry Green can substitute the entire lineup at once if he wishes.

* Ten Vols are averaging at least 11 minutes per game this season. No one is averaging more than 30 minutes per game.

* Nine players are averaging at least five points per game or more.

* Ron Slay has been the first Volunteer off the bench in eight of Tennessee's 10 games while Harris Walker has been the first off the bench three times, Terrence Woods and Marcus Haislip have been the first reserve in the game one time. (Includes multiple substitutions)

Bench Production

Tennessee's bench has played a key role in each of its wins this season.

* Tennessee's bench is averaging 36.2 points per game (398 points in 11 games).

* The Vol bench outscored Syracuse's reserves 45-9 Dec. 22, led by Ron Slay's career-high 27 points.

* UT's bench has contributed 30 points or more in a game eight times this season. The bench has contributed 40 points or more four times this year.

* The Vol reserves combined to score 52 points in the 85-59 win over UNC-Asheville on Nov. 30.

Five Vols Have Proven They Can Score Big

Jerry Green has several options to go to when the Volunteers need points. Five different Vols have proven they can score 20 points in a game for Tennessee. Tony Harris (2 times), Isiah Victor (2), Ron Slay (2) , Vincent Yarbrough (1), and Terrence Woods (1) and Have each scored 20 points or more in a game this season. Vincent Yarbrough's 23 points against Memphis are the most by a Tennessee player this season.

Great Starts

A loss to Virginia on Dec. 19 ended a nine-game winning streak by Tennessee to begin the 2000-01 season. Tennessee's 9-0 start to the season was the third time in the Jerry Green era and the sixth time in school history that the Vols began a season by winning its first nine games. It was the third time in the modern era (since World War II) that UT has started 9-0.

* The best start to a season in the modern era was last year's 11-0 start the the campaign.

* The all-time best start to a season was in 1922-23 when the Vols began the year with a 14-0 record. They finished with a 15-2 record.

Non-Conference Success

Tennessee is 41-8 (.837) in non-conference games under fourth-year head coach Jerry Green.

* In home games against teams from outside the Southeastern Conference, UT is a perfect 30-0 under Green.

* The Vols were 12-2 against non-conference teams during the 2000 season with both losses coming at neutral sites (Tulsa and North Carolina).

Tennessee Playing Unbeatens

Syracuse was the eighth team this season that the Vols have played who entered the game with an undefeated record. The Orangemen entered last Friday's game with a 9-0 record. The Vols have recorded a 6-1 in games against teams who entered the game without a loss this season. Following is a list of teams who entered their game with the Vols without any losses. The record listed was their record entering the game.

Date	Opponent	Record
11/17	vs. UT-Chattanooga	0-0
11/19	vs. East Tennessee State	1-0
11/21	vs. Wisconsin	0-0
11/27	vs. Austin Peay	4-0
12/2	at West Virginia	4-0
12/7	vs. SMU	4-0
12/7	vs. Syracuse	9-0

Milestone Watch

* Jerry Green needs one win for 300 in his career.

* Jon Higgins needs six assists for 100 in his career.

* Tony Harris needs 19points to pass Jimmy England (1,407 points from 1969-71) on Tennessee's career scoring list. Harris currently ranks 14th all-time with 1,389 points.

* Tony Harris will be making his 100th career start.

* UT has won 35 straight non-conference games at home. UT's last loss to a non-conference team at Thompson-Boling Arena was a 62-73 defeat to Tennessee Tech on Dec. 4, 1996.

Tennessee vs. Ranked Teams

Tennessee head coach Jerry Green is 15-9 (.625) against ranked opponents since coming to Tennessee before the 1997-98 season.

* UT has won nine straight games against ranked teams in Thompson-Boling Arena.

* The Vols are 10-1 (.909) under Green when playing a ranked team in Thompson-Boling Arena. Tennessee's last home loss to a ranked team came to seventh-ranked Kentucky on Jan. 24, 1998.

* UT has posted a 4-5 record on the road against ranked opponents and a 1-3 record in neutral sites under Green's direction.

UT Tough At Home

Thompson-Boling Arena has been one of the most difficult places for opponents to play in Jerry Green's three seasons at Tennessee.

* Green has led the Vols to a 50-4 (.926) record in Thompson-Boling Arena.

* Tennessee is 36-2 (.947) since the 1998 season at home. UT recorded a 14-1 record in 1999, a 15-1 mark in 2000 and is 7-0 in 2001.

* The Vols are 20-4 against SEC teams at home over the last three seasons.

* UT has won 35 straight non-conference games at home.

* This season Tennessee is 7-0 at home.

Home Start

While Tennessee will spend most of the month of December on the road, the Vols started the season with a five-game homestand. Tennessee began the 2000-01 season with wins over UT-Chattanooga, East Tennessee State, Wisconsin and Austin Peay before finishing with an 85-69 win against UNC Asheville. Following a road game at West Virginia the Vols returned to the confines of Thompson-Boling Arena for games against Memphis (Dec. 5) and SMU (Dec. 7).

Del Baker Out Indefinitely With Broken Foot

Senior guard Del Baker suffered a fracture of the fifth metatarsal (also known as a Jones Fracture) in his left foot during practice on Wednesday, Nov. 1, that will keep him out of the lineup indefinitely.

* On Tuesday, Nov. 7, Baker underwent surgery to insert a screw into the fifth metatarsal of his left foot.

* No determination has been made on how long Baker will be out of the lineup.

* Last season, Baker missed Tennessee's final eight games when he suffered the exact same injury in his right foot during a Feb. 21 practice.

UT Joins 2001 Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout Field

The University of Alaska Anchorage announced on Nov. 22 that the University of Tennessee is among the eight-team field for the 2001 Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout. The 24th annual event is scheduled for Nov. 21-24 at Sullivan Arena in Anchorage, Alaska.

* Joining the Vols in the tournament are: Alaska-Anchorage, Gonzaga, Indiana, Marquette, Oregon State, St. John's and Texas.

* The Vols will be making their second appearance in the Great Alaska Shootout.

* Tennessee has a 1-2 all-time record in the event with losses to Alabama-Birmingham and Maryland. Its win was over Idaho State.

* The 2001 Great Alaska Shootout will be just the second time ever that the Vols have visited the state of Alaska.

* Syracuse, who Tennessee visits on Dec. 22, won the 2000 Great Alaska Shootout with an 84-62 win over Missouri on Nov. 25.

Green Climbing Coaching Charts

Jerry Green became the fastest Tennessee coach to reach the 50-win mark with a 74-69 triumph over the Memphis Tigers on Dec. 18, 1999. He reached the milestone in his 68th game, bettering the mark of 69 games set by John Mauer, who coached the Vols from 1939-47. Green, who is 298-203 (.596) in his 18th season as a head coach, is in his fourth season at Tennessee with a 76-25 (.753) record. In his fourth season at UT he already ranks as one of the six winningest coaches in Vol history.

Coach	Seasons	Years	Record	Pct.
Ray Mears	1963-77	15	278-112	.713
Don DeVoe	1979-89	11	204-137	.598
Emmett Lowery	1948-59	12	169-110	.606
John Mauer	1939-47	8	127-41	.756
W.H. Britton	1927-35	9	80-73	.523
Jerry Green	1997-Pres.	4 th	77-26	.748

Harris On The Three-Point Charts
Senior guard Tony Harris has established himself as a serious threat from behind the three-point arc in his career. He has also established himself as one of the biggest three-point threats in UT history.

Career Three-Pointers
1.	346 Allan Houston 1989-93
2.	231 Brandon Wharton 1995-99
3.	211 Tony Harris 1997-present
4.	171 Greg Bell 1987-91

Harris Joins 1,000-Point Club;

Victor And Yarbrough Close Behind

The 2000 season saw Tennessee's 1,000-point club grow to a total of 33 with the addition of two more members. C.J. Black finished his career with 1,261 career points to at the time rank 17th on Tennessee's career scoring lists while Tony Harris also joined him in the 1,000-point club.

Isiah Victor became the 34th Vol to reach 1000 career points in UTs loss to Virginia Dec. 19.

Career Scoring
1.	2801 Allan Houston 1989-93
2.	2249 Ernie Grunfeld 1973-77
3.	2219 Tony White 1983-87
4.	2103 Reggie Johnson 1976-80
5.	2065 Dale Ellis 1979-83
6.	1962 Bernard King 1974-77
7.	1877 Dyron Nix 1985-89
8.	1683 Carl Widseth 1952-56
9.	1651 Brandon Wharton 1995-99
10.	1600 Michael Brooks 1981-85
11.	1432 Ron Widby 1965-67
12.	1418 Steve Hamer 1993-96
13.	1407 Jimmy England 1969-71
14.	1389 Tony Harris 1998-present
15.	1343 Mike Edwards 1971-73
16.	1319 Herman Thompson 1954-57
17.	1261 C.J. Black 1997-2000
18.	1243 Mike Jackson 1974-77
19.	1236 Bill Justus 1967-69
20.	1225 A.W. Davis 1963-65

Return To Sender; Victor And Hathaway Climbing Blocked Shots Charts

Seniors Isiah Victor and Charles Hathaway both rank among the top 10 shot blockers in Tennessee history.

Career Blocked Shots
1.	212 C.J. Black 1996-00
2.	151 Reggie Johnson 1985-89
3.	146 Doug Roth, 1985-89
4.	142 Dyron Nix, 1985-89
5.	122 Steve Hamer, 1992-96
6.	120 Isiah Victor, 1998-present
7.	112 Rob Jones, 1982-86
8.	107 Charles Hathaway, 1997-present
9.	90 Willie Burton, 1980-84

Harris Dishing Out The Assists

With six assists against 18th-ranked Wisconsin on Nov. 21, Tony Harris became just the fifth Vol to reach the 400 career assists mark

Career Assists
1.	715 Johnny Darden 1975-79
2.	525 Rodney Woods 1972-75
3.	491 Tyrone Beaman 1980-84
4.	460 Allan Houston 1989-93
5.	447 Tony Harris 1997-present
6.	397 Michael Brooks 1981-85

University of Tennessee Athletics

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