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| Vincent Yarbrough was named to the Great Alaska Shootout All-Tournament Team after averaging 20.3 points and 8.3 rebounds. |
The Tennessee Volunteers return to action at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 29, when the Appalachian State Mountaineers visit Thompson-Boling Arena. The game will be broadcast live on Fox Sports Net South.
This will be just the third meeting between the two schools with UT winning both previous meetings. This will be the first time the two schools have met since Buzz Peterson brought the Mountaineers to Thompson-Boling Arena on Nov. 28, 1997.
This game will be a reunion of coaching staffs. UT's Buzz Peterson, Chris Ferguson, Kerry Keating and Matt McMahon all served as assistant coaches at ASU in their careers. Peterson was the ASU head coach for four years before going to Tulsa and then Tennessee. Houston Fancher assisted Peterson in at ASU and took over the head coaching reins when he left.
Tennessee, which has won 36 consecutive non-conference games at home, will be playing one of its four home games during the months of November and December.
All-America candidate Vincent Yarbrough leads the Vols with 21.8 points and 9.0 rebounds per game. At the Great Alaska Shootout last week he earned all-tournament honors after averaging 20.3 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. Brandon Crump is second on the squad with 12.0 points and 6.5 rebounds.
Appalachian State fell to 2-2 on the season with a 69-71 loss at Charlotte on Monday. Graham Bunn leads the Mountaineers with 10.5 points per game while Josh Shehan is averaging 9.5 points and 5.8 rebounds.
Injury Bug Bites
Injuries have hit the Vols right between the eyes this year. In two of their first four games, the Vols have had just eight scholarship players available to play. The rash of injuries has caused trainer Chad Newman to be one of the busiest people on the Tennessee campus this fall. As many as three Vols at a time have been forced to watch practices from the sidelines with injuries while Marcus Haislip has been able to practice with the team but will not be eligible to play until after the first semester due to academics.
* Ron Slay suffered a stress fracture on Sunday, Oct. 28, to his fibula in his right leg and sat out until UT's Nov. 23 game against Alaska Anchorage. At the Great Alaska Shootout he was limited to playing 30 minutes in two games.
* Andy Ikeakor is out indefinitely after suffering a mid-foot injury in his left foot in mid-October.
* Del Baker suffered a sprained right ankle in practice on Monday, Nov. 5, and is working his way back. The senior has been limited in practice and only able to play 6.5 minutes per game in UT's first four contests.
* Brandon Crump suffered a sprained left ankle on Wednesday, Oct. 24, and missed the opening exhibition game on Nov. 1. He has been able to return to the lineup but is still trying to get back to 100 percent.
* Injuries have been so rampant on the Vol squad that even the team's travel coordinator went down with an ankle injury.
| Team Statistical Comparisons |
| Tennessee | | Appalachian St. |
| 68.8 | Points | 82.5 |
| 67.8 | Opponent Points | 70.2 |
| +1.0 | Scoring Margin | +12.3 |
| 45.1 | Field Goal % | 50.6 |
| 40.1 | Opponent Field Goal % | 39.7 |
| 41.6 | Three-Point % | 38.0 |
| 31.6 | Opponent Three-Point % | 22.8 |
| 68.0 | Free Throw % | 66.3 |
| 36.0 | Rebounds | 39.8 |
| 34.8 | Opponent Rebounds | 32.5 |
| +1.2 | Rebounding Margin | +7.3 |
| 16.3 | Assists | 18.5 |
| 19.3 | Turnovers | 17.5 |
| 3.0 | Blocks | 2.8 |
| 6.3 | Steals | 6.5 |
| 2-2 | Record | 2-2 |
| Individual Statistical Leaders |
| Tennessee | | Appalachian St. |
| Yarbrough, 21.8 | Points | Bunn, 10.5 |
| Yarbrough, 9.0 | Rebounds | Payne, 5.8 |
| Higgins, 5.5 | Assists | Bunn, 3.5 |
| Crump, 56.3 | Field Goal % | Bunn, 70.0 |
| Yarbrough, 55.0 | Three-Point % | Bunn, 1.000 |
| Grindstaff, 1.000 | Free Throw % | Bunn, 83.3 |
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Three New Faces In Starting Lineup
In each of Tennessee's first four games this season, head coach Buzz Peterson has only been able to use two experienced players in the starting lineup. True freshmen Derek Stribling (2 starts) and Elgrace Wilborn (3 starts) along with redshirt freshman Brandon Crump (3 starts) have been in the starting lineup for Peterson's Vols. Junior college transfer Thaydeus Holden (4 starts) has also been a part of the starting lineup this year. That leaves only Vincent Yarbrough and Jon Higgins as the only Vols who played for UT last season who have been in the starting lineup this year. Veterans Jenis Grindstaff and Del Baker have come off the bench for Tennessee this year.
7 Of UT's First 11 games Are On The Road
The Vols' Nov. 29 game against Appalachian State is one of just four home games the Vols play between the start of the season and January 6. Tennessee traveled to Anchorage, Alaska, for the Great Alaska Shootout in November and then returned home to play Appalachian State on Nov. 29. The month of December sees the Vols travel to SMU (Dec. 6), Memphis (Dec. 15), Louisville (Dec. 20) and Wisconsin (Dec. 29). The Vols host Radford (Dec. 17) and West Virginia (Dec. 22) during the month of December.
Higgins Takes The Point
Junior Jon Higgins has moved from his natural shooting guard position to take over the point guard duties this season without missing a beat. Through his first four games this year, Higgins has 22 assists against just nine turnovers. He is also averaging 7.0 points and 4.0 rebounds per game. In Tennessee's game against Marquette in the first round of the Great Alaska Shootout the Shaker Heights, Ohio, native recorded a career-high nine assists.
Vols Go 1-2 At Great Alaska Shootout, Yarbrough Earns All-Tournament Honors
Tennessee's 55-69 loss to St. John's on Saturday, Nov. 24, gave the Vols a sixth-place finish in the 2001 Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout in Anchorage, Alaska. The Vols fell to eventual tournament champion Marquette 74-85 before bouncing back to beat host school Alaska Anchorage 74-54.
Tennessee had several outstanding individual performances during the course of the tournament:
* Vincent Yarbrough was named to the all-tournament team after his 25 rebounds led the tournament and his 61 points were second among all participants. The senior scored 24 points against Marquette and then had 25 against St. John's.
* Jon Higgins recorded a career-high nine assists against two turnovers in UT's first round game against Marquette. Higgins averaged 5.7 assists in the three games in Alaska to rank third in the tournament.
* Brandon Crump averaged 12.0 points and 7.3 rebounds in the tournament. His nine offensive rebounds were the fourth-highest total in the tournament. Against Alaska Anchorage he carded a career-high 16 points.
* Jenis Grindstaff had a career-best seven assists without a turnover to go with seven points and two steals against Alaska Anchorage.
* Elgrace Wilborn narrowly missed his first career double-double with nine points and 11 rebounds against Alaska Anchorage.
* Ron Slay saw his first action of the season with 11 points in 16 minutes against Alaska Anchorage.
ASU Reunion
The Appalachian State game will be a reunion of sorts for four people associated with the Tennessee basketball program. Four current Vols at one time served as assistant coaches at Appalachian State. UT head coach Buzz Peterson was a Mountaineer assistant from 1988-89 and then returned as the head coach from 1996-2000. Vol assistants Chris Ferguson (1988-91) and Kerry Keating (1999-2000) also served as assistant coaches at Appalachian. UT graduate assistant manager Matt McMahon, who played for ASU from 1997-2000, served as an assistant under head coach Houston Fancher last season.
* ASU head coach Houston Fancher served as an assistant coach alongside Buzz Peterson at Vanderbilt during the 1995-96 season and later served as an assistant and associate head coach under Peterson at Appalachian State.
* Houston Fancher has yet another connection to the Tennessee basketball program. His niece, Rayanne Fancher, is a student manager for the Vols.
* Houston Fancher is a native of Newport, Tenn., and was born in Elizabethton. Mountaineer assistant coach John Braswell played his senior season at ASU under head coach Buzz Peterson.
* Lavell Hall began coaching at ASU in 1994-95 and served on Buzz Peterson's coaching staff for four seasons and is in his second year on Houston Fancher's staff.
Looking At Appalachian State
Appalachian State is 2-2 following a 69-71 loss at Charlotte on Monday. ASU opened the season with a 61-62 loss at Richmond but bounced back to win games against East Carolina and Barton. The Mountaineers are led by Graham Bunn's 10.5 points and 3.5 assists while Josh Shehan is contributing 9.5 points and 5.8 rebounds.
* One of the youngest head coaches in Division I, Houston Fancher is 13-22 in his second year as the head coach at Appalachian State. The 35-year-old Fancher has helped guide the Mountaineers to a 91-61 record in his six seasons since coming to Boone, N.C.
* Appalachian State is coming off an 11-20 season that is impressive when considering the Mountaineers started three freshmen and two walk-ons for most of the season.
* ASU finished the 2001 season with just 11 players on its roster. This year, the Mountaineers have added eight new players to its lineup.
* Three Mountaineers earned all-Southern Conference honors last season. Noah Brown was named to the SoCon's all-Freshman team while Donald Payne and Josh Shehan earned third team all-conference honors.
* Appalachian is picked to finish fourth in the North Division on the Southern Conference. UNC Greensboro is the favorite to win the league title.
The Appalachian State Series
Tennessee leads the all-time series with the Mountaineers 2-0, with both previous meetings coming in Knoxville.
* This is the first meeting between the two schools since Buzz Peterson brought ASU over the mountains four years ago nearly to the day. On Nov. 28, 1997, Peterson's Mountaineers fell 69-46.
* Current UT grad assistant Matt McMahon was a starting guard for ASU in the last meeting. He scored five points on 1-of-5 shooting in the game.
* The only other meeting between the two schools resulted in a 93-47 Tennessee win on Nov. 28, 1986.
* Tennessee is 74-12 all-time against current members of the Southern Conference.
Four Sign With Vols In Early Period
Buzz Peterson officially announced last week that four student-athletes have signed national letters of intent with Tennessee to join the Volunteer basketball team beginning with the 2002-03 season. Joining the Vols are C.J. Watson, John Winchester, Justin Albrecht and Justin "Boomer" Herndon.
* Watson, a 6-foot-2 guard from Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, Nev. who is a consensus Top 100 player, was the 2001 Nevada State Player of the Year after averaging 15 points, four assists and three steals per game.
* Winchester, a 6-foot-3 guard from Milford Academy in Milford, Conn., who is a consensus Top 75 player, Winchester averaged 20 points and six rebounds last season at Marist School in Bayonne, N.J.
* Albrecht, a 6-foot-6, 215-pound forward from Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs, Iowa, averaged 10 points, six rebounds and three assists as a freshman last season. A starter in every game last year, Albrecht led Iowa Western with 44 charges drawn.
* Herndon averaged 22.8 points, 13.3 rebounds and 7.7 blocks at Donelson Christian Academy in Nashville, Tenn., last year. The 7-foot, 240-pound center increased his scoring average from 12.4 points to 22.8 points per game between his sophomore and junior season.
Yarbrough Named SEC Player of the Week On Nov. 19
Senior forward Vincent Yarbrough was named the SEC Player of the Week on Nov. 19 after his 26 point, 11 rebound performance in UT's season-opener against Tennessee Tech on Nov. 16. Yarbrough scored 22 of his 26 points on 8-of-12 shooting from the field in the second half in leading the Vols to a 72-63 win. The 26 point effort by Yarbrough fell just two points of his career high of 28 against Kentucky (2/14/01).
* The conference player of the week award is the second for Yarbrough. He was also SEC co-Player of the Week on Jan. 31, 2000.
* It is the 14th time that a Vol has received the award since the 1992-93 season. Isiah Victor (Jan. 1, 2001) was the last UT player to win the award.
Yarbrough On Wooden Watch List
For the second consecutive year, Vincent Yarbrough was on the John R. Wooden Award's preseason list of its top 50 candidates for the Wooden Award All-America team. Yarbrough, who was one of six SEC student-athletes on the preseason list, has been a second team All-SEC selection each of the last two seasons. The Wooden Award committee will announce its All-America team on March 26, 2002 and then the recipient of the Wooden Award Trophy on April 7, 2002.
Tennessee In The Polls
Tennessee was not ranked among the top 25 in the latest Associated Press or ESPN/USA Today Coaches polls but did receive votes in both polls. The Vols received 12 votes in the Associated Press Poll and 14 tallys in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll.
Vols Picked Third IN SEC East
Tennessee was picked to finish third in the SEC East in a poll of media attending the Nov. 1 conference media day in Birmingham, Ala. Kentucky was the overwhelming favorite to win the SEC's overall title while Florida was the only other team to receive votes to be the league champion.
Drew Clemmons Joins Vols As Walk-on
Knoxville native Drew Clemmons joined the Vols as a walk-on following campus-wide tryouts this fall. The 6-foot-2, 170-pound junior played for Bearden High School were he led the Bulldogs to district championships each of his two seasons on the varsity squad. His senior season he earned all-region honors. Following his prep career he played two seasons at King College before transferring to UT.
All-SEC Performers Return
Tennessee returns two players who earned All-Southeastern Conference honors following the 2000-01 campaign. Vincent Yarbrough was a second team All-SEC pick after averaging 13.9 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. The 6-foot-7 forward ranked among the top 10 in 10 different statistical categories against conference foes. Ron Slay earned third team All-SEC accolades after he came off the bench to score 12.9 points and gather 5.3 rebounds per game. Widely considered one of the best sixth men in the game last season, the 6-foot-8 forward led the Vols in scoring eight times.
Homecourt Advantage
Thompson-Boling Arena has been one of the most difficult places for opponents to play over the last four seasons.
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Since the 1998 season, the Vols are 56-7 (.888) in Thompson-Boling Arena.
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Tennessee is 42-5 (.894) since the 1998 season at home. UT recorded a 14-1 record in 1999, a 15-1 mark in 2000 and is 12-3 in 2001.
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The Vols are 25-7 against SEC teams at home over the last three seasons.
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UT has won 36 straight non-conference games at home.
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Last season Tennessee was 12-3 at home.
Buzz Ball Begins
A new era in Tennessee basketball begins this season with Buzz Peterson taking over the helm of the Volunteer program. Peterson, 38, came to Tennessee from the University of Tulsa where he led the Golden Hurricane to a 26-11 record and a National Invitation Tournament championship during the 2000-01 season. In his sixth season as a head coach he has recorded a 107-52 career record that also includes a 79-39 mark in four seasons at Appalachian State. Winning has been a trademark of Peterson's on every level. In high school, he was named the top player in the state of North Carolina. In college, at the University of North Carolina, he was a part of the Tar Heels' 1982 NCAA Championship team. As an assistant coach he helped direct Appalachian State, East Tennessee State, North Carolina State and Vanderbilt to a combined 154-117 record and appearances in the NCAA Tournament and NIT. As a head coach he has directed teams to NCAA Tournament appearances, conference championships and a National Invitation Tournament title. In all, he has coached six teams to postseason tournament action, including three NCAA Tournament appearances and three National Invitation Tournament appearances. Additionally he played in four NCAA Tournaments at North Carolina. He has won conference championships (as the head coach at Appalachian State), NCAA championships (as a player at North Carolina) and NIT championships (as the head coach at Tulsa).
Yarbrough: Mr. Versatility
In his three seasons at Tennessee, Vincent Yarbrough has proven that he can do most anything on the court for the Vols. Entering his senior campaign, Yarbrough has proven himself worthy of being a two-time Wooden Award candidate.
Following are some of the 6-foot-7 forward's accomplishments:
* Ranks among the Top 10 at Tennessee in three-pointers made and attempted.
* Has scored 1264 career points to rank 18th at UT.
* Ranks ninth all-time with 111 career blocks.
* Ranks third all-time with 161 career steals.
* Ranked among the Top 10 in 10 different categories against SEC teams in 2001.
* Has led the Vols in scoring, rebounding and steals in each of the last two seasons.
* Has 222 career offensive rebounds to his credit, an average of 2.2 per game.
* Scored in double figures 64 times and has 16 career double figure rebounding efforts.
* Led Tennessee in scoring 29 times and rebounding 39 times in his career.
Higgins Is SEC's Top Returner In Two Statistical Categories
Jon Higgins, a junior guard from Shaker Heights, Ohio, is the SEC's top returning three-point shooter and he also owns the best returning assist-to-turnover ratio. As a sophomore, Higgins led the SEC by making a school record 48.6 percent of his three-point attempts, including an SEC-best 55.6 percentage in league play. His 2.29 assists for every turnover ranked second in the conference last season and the top returning mark. Florida's Teddy Dupay led the SEC with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.43.
From Long Range
Jon Higgins and Vincent Yarbrough enter the 2001-02 season with their names solidly listed in Tennessee's three-point record book. The duo ranks among the school's Top 10 all-time in three-pointers made and attempted while Higgins ranks second all-time with a career three-point field goal percentage of 41.2 percent. Following are where they rank all-time:
Black Makes NBDL Roster
Former Vol C.J. Black made the final roster for the North Charleston Lowgators of the National Basketball Developmental League. Black, who played for the Vols from 1997-2000, spent the last year playing in Australia and France before joining the Lowgators. The NBDL season began Friday, Nov. 16, when the Lowgators visited the Greenville Groove.
Vols On TV
At least 21 of Tennessee's 29 scheduled games this season will be shown on television. The Vols' games against Memphis, Syracuse, Kentucky and Florida will each be shown on ESPN while ESPN2 will show UT's game at Louisville. Jefferson Pilot Sports will broadcast seven games while Fox Sports Net will show five and Comcast Sports Southeast will televise three games. Additionally, ESPN will show four games of the Great Alaska Shootout, including potential second and third round games for Tennessee. Jefferson Pilot Sports will also broadcast all of the first three rounds of the SEC Tournament in Atlanta while CBS will show the championship game on March 10.
