| Tennessee (5-5) at Wisconsin (6-6)
TENNESSEE LOOKS TO BOUNCE BACK AT WISCONSIN
 | | Vincent Yarbrough currently ranks 13th on Tennessee's career rebounding list with 699 career rebounds. | The Tennessee Volunteers will look to end a two-game losing streak at 1 p.m. (CST) on Saturday, Dec. 29, when they travel to Madison, Wisc., to meet the Wisconsin Badgers.
The Vols have suffered tough losses in each of their last two outings. On Dec. 20, Louisville hit three three-pointers in the last 32 seconds to overcome a six-point UT lead to take a 73-72 victory. Then, on Dec. 22, West Virginia's Jonathan Hargett hit a three-pointer with 4.3 seconds left in the game to give the Mountaineers a 74-72 win.
All-America candidate Vincent Yarbrough leads the Vols with 19.3 points and 7.1 rebounds per game this season. The senior became UT's all-time career steals leader against West Virginia with his 179th career steal. The 6-foot-7 forward needs one rebound to reach the 700 career rebound milestone.
Wisconsin is riding a three-game winning streak that includes an 86-73 win over nationally-ranked Marquette. Kirk Penney leads the Badgers with 14.6 points per game. The junior guard is averaging 31.0 points in his last two outings.
This will be Tennessee's last outing of the month of December. The Vols will return home on Jan. 6 to open a two-game home stand to start Southeastern Conference action. UT hosts Ole Miss (Jan. 6) and Florida (Jan. 9) before hitting the road in conference action. | Team Statistical Comparisons | Tennessee
|
| Wisconsin
| 73.6
| Points
| 69.2
| 68.3
| Opponent Points
| 66.5
| +5.3
| Scoring Margin
| +2.8
| 47.0
| Field Goal %
| 44.0
| 40.7
| Opponent Field Goal %
| 44.4
| 37.2
| Three-Point %
| 35.8
| 31.7
| Opponent Three-Point %
| 34.9
| 70.1
| Free Throw %
| 70.4
| 36.5
| Rebounds
| 35.2
| 36.3
| Opponent Rebounds
| 32.4
| +0.2
| Rebounding Margin
| +2.8
| 17.0
| Assists
| 13.3
| 17.4
| Turnovers
| 13.9
| 2.8
| Blocks
| 1.5
| 7.3
| Steals
| 4.7
| 5-5
| Record
| 6-6
| Looking At Wisconsin
Wisconsin improved to 6-6 on the season when Devin Harris stole a pass and then went the length of the court for the game-winning lay-up with 5.1
seconds left in a 81-79 win at Wisconsin-Milwaukee on Thursday. The win over the Panthers was the third win in a row for the Badgers, who upset 15th-ranked Marquette 86-73 on Dec. 22 and beat Furman 68-60 on Dec. 15. Kirk Penney led the Badgers with a game-high 29 points against UWM while Freddie Owens added 18 points.
* Head coach Bo Ryan is 6-6 in his first year in Madison and 389-109 in his 18th year as a head coach. He is the winningest coach of the 1990s (all divisions) with a 266-26 (.908) record at UW-Platteville where he won four
Division III national championships.
* Wisconsin's six losses this season have come by a total of 25 points (an average of 4.2 points per game). Their worst loss of the year was a nine point decision at Xavier (48-57).
* Devin Harris set a school and Big Ten Conference record with 20 three-point attempts against Temple on Dec. 3. He made six of those three-point attempts to finish the game with 21 points and 13 rebounds.
* Kirk Penney was named the co-Big Ten Conference Player of the Week last week after scoring a career-high 33 points in UW's win over nationally-ranked Marquette.
* Only three players on the Badger roster are taller than 6-foot-7. Dave Mader (6-foot-11) is the tallest UW player while Charlie Wills (6-foot-8) and Mike Wilkinson (6-foot-8) are the only others over 6-foot-7. Travon Davis (5-foot-10)
is the only UW player not taller than 6-foot.
* Wisconsin lost five seniors from last year'steam, including four starters. Kirk Penney (22 starts) is the lone returning starter.
* UW has seven freshmen on its roster. The Badgers had only eight healthy scholarship players to start the season with.
The Wisconsin Series
Tennessee leads the all-time series 2-0. This is the first meeting between the schools in Madison.
* Tennessee won the first meeting, 79-67 in the second round of the Far West Classic in Portland, Ore., on Dec. 28, 1981.
* Last year, the ninth-ranked Volunteers defeated the 18th-ranked Badgers 66-56 in Knoxville. Tony Harris earned SEC Player of the Week honors after leading the Vols with 22 points on 8-of-10 shooting and six assists against one turnover. Andy Kowske led UW with 21 points.
* Tennessee is 15-21 all-time against teams from the Big Ten Conference. 7 Of UT's First 11 games Are On The Road
The Vols' Dec. 29 game at Wisconsin will be Tennessee's seventh game away from home in 11 outings this season. 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. The Vols return home to open Southeastern Conference action as Tennessee hosts Ole Miss (Jan. 6) and Florida (Jan.9) to start league play. Close Losses
Five points have radically changed Tennessee's fortunes this season. Three of UT's five losses this year have been decided by a combined total of five points. Tennessee fell at Louisville on Dec. 20 by one point (72-73) and has two-point losses at Memphis (69-71 on Dec. 15) and to West Virginia (72-74 on Dec. 22).
* Two of those games were decided at the very end of the game. Louisville's Reece Gaines hit a three-point for the lead with 1.8 seconds left in the game. West Virginia's Jonathan Hargett hit a three-pointer with 4.3 seconds remaining.
Playing The Percentages
Tennessee has made 50 percent or better of its field goals in three games this season, including a 60 percent (27-of-45) effort against Marquette (11/21/01).
* In seven of UT's 10 games, the Vols have shot 45 percent or better.
* The Vols have made at least half of their three-pointers three times this year, including a 61.9 percent (13-of-21) outing against SMU.
Yarbrough Breaks Steals Record
Senior forward Vincent Yarbrough became Tennessee's all-time steals leader when he tied a season-high with five steals against West Virginia
on Dec. 22. Yarbrough, who now has 179 career pilfers, passed Fred Jenkins (177 steals from 1983-87) for first on the list. Yarbrough leads the
Vols this season with 26 steals.
Individual Career Steals
1. 179 Vincent Yarbrough, 1999-present
2. 177 Fred Jenkins, 1983-87
3. 173 Tyrone Beaman, 1980-84
4. 154 Dale Ellis, 1979-83
Yarbrough Needs One Rebound To Join 700 Club
Vincent Yarbrough enters the Wisconsin game needing one rebound for 700 in his career. The senior forward currently ranks 13th on Tennessee's career rebounding list with 699 career caroms. This season he is averaging a team-best 7.1 boards per game.
* Yarbrough needs five rebounds to be ranked among Tennessee's Top 10 all-time rebounders.
Currently there are three players (C.J. Black, Willie Burton and Dalen Showalter) tied for 10th with 703 career rebounds.
* He would become just the seventh Vol to have 1,300 or more points and 700 or more rebounds.
Vols Recovering From Injuries
The West Virginia game marked the fourth time this season that the Vols have been at full strength. Tennessee had been limited to just eight scholarship players available to play in four of its first six games this season. The Memphis game was the first time the Vols were able to play nine scholarship players all season. Following is a list of injuries still lingering on the Vol roster.
* Ron Slay suffered a stress fracture to his fibula in his right leg the weekend of Oct. 28 and sat out UT's first two games until returning to the lineup at the Great Alaska Shootout.
* Andy Ikeakor remains out indefinitely after suffering a mid-foot injury in his left foot in mid-October.
* Del Baker was diagnosed with a stress fracture in his right ankle on Thursday, Nov. 28, and missed four games in December until returning
at Louisville (12/20/01).
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. 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 109-53 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 in Atlanta while CBS will show the championship game on March 10. | 
