University of Tennessee Athletics
TENNESSEE VS. KENTUCKY -- GAME PREVIEW
February 27, 2006 | Men's Basketball
Feb. 27, 2006
| QUICK FACTS | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
RADIO: TELEVISION: LIVE STATS: RANKINGS: THE COACHES: Kentucky Wildcats | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FEATURES | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Tennessee Trends
- UT is shooting 39.9 percent from 3-point range as a team. The school record for 3-point percentage is 39.1 percent set in 1992-93.
- Bruce Pearl's 20 wins in his first season at the helm of the Tennessee program is tied for the second-best record by a first-year coach at Tennessee. Don DeVoe (1978-89) holds the record with 21 wins in his first season at UT. Pearl is tied with Jerry Green (1997-98) for second-most wins.
- Tennessee's last four road games (at Kentucky, Georgia, Alabama and Florida) have each been sold out. The Vols' road finale at Vanderbilt on March 4 is expected to be sold out.
- Over the last six games, UT has shot 44.8 percent (57-of-123) from 3-point range and is averaging 10.8 3-pointers per game.
- In Southeastern Conference games, Tennessee's opponents have a 2-11 record in the game immediately following their contests against the Vols. The only teams to win their next game after playing UT were Georgia and LSU.
- UT is 17-1 when leading with five minutes left in the game.
- Tennessee's eight-game SEC winning streak (1/21 - 2/15) was its longest since the 1981-82 season when the Vols opened SEC play with nine consecutive wins.
- Chris Lofton's 31 points against Kentucky are tied for the most by a Vol in Rupp Arena. Dale Ellis (1983) and Allan Houston (1993) also poured in 31 points against the 'Cats in Rupp Arena.
- The Vols are 14-0 when scoring 80 or more points.
- With victories over No. 6 Texas and No. 2 Florida, Tennessee has recorded two wins over teams ranked in the top six of the Associated Press Poll in a season for just the second time in school history. The other time was in 1977 when Ernie Grunfeld and Bernard King led UT to four wins over top-six teams.
- The win over second-ranked Florida was Tennessee's first over a team ranked that high since defeating No. 2 Kentucky 78-77 on Feb. 24, 1993.
- UT is 23-13 (.639) when playing before crowds of 20,000 or larger at Thompson-Boling Arena. This year the Vols are 4-1 playing in front of 20,000 fans at home.
- UT has rallied to overcome deficits of nine points or more five times. South Carolina (1/8/06) led by as many as 15 points in the second half before the Vols came back to win 76-69 in Columbia.
- The Vols have recorded at least 10 steals in 15 of their 25 games.
- Tennessee is getting an average of 22.2 points per game from its bench. The Vols' bench has contributed 554 points in 25 games this season.
- UT has recorded more than 100 more steals than its opponents. The Vols have 258 steals compared to just 154 by their opponents.
- Tennessee's opponents are averaging 18.6 turnovers per game this year. East Tennessee State's (11/18/05) 33 turnovers are the most by a UT opponent since American-Puerto Rico (12/21/99) turned the ball over 40 times. Ten times this season UT's opponents have turned the ball over at least 20 times.
- The Vols are playing with just 10 scholarship players this season. UT's roster lists 11 scholarship players but Tony Passley will sit out the season under NCAA transfer guidelines.
- The basketball court at Thompson-Boling Arena has been named "The Summitt" in honor of Pat Summitt, who recorded her 882nd career win in 2005.
- Tennessee has an all-time record of 1,365-889-2 in its 97th season of basketball.
- UT's 609 regular season Southeastern Conference victories rank third all-time in the SEC. Only Kentucky and Alabama have won more league games.
- Tennessee is 213-85 in its 19th season in Thompson-Boling Arena. The Volunteers have posted winning home records in 16 of their 18 previous seasons in the facility.
| Team Statistical Comparisons | ||
| Tennessee | Stat Category | Kentucky |
| 82.4 | Points | 70.8 |
| 73.8 | Opponent Points | 65.2 |
| +8.6 | Scoring Margin | +5.6 |
| .469 | Field Goal % | .452 |
| .470 | Opponent Field Goal % | .416 |
| .399 | Three-Point % | .352 |
| .361 | Opponent Three-Point % | .323 |
| .697 | Free Throw % | .649 |
| 33.5 | Rebounds | 37.4 |
| 37.0 | Opponent Rebounds | 34.0 |
| -3.5 | Rebounding Margin | +3.4 |
| 17.6 | Assists | 14.1 |
| 12.6 | Turnovers | 13.5 |
| 10.3 | Steals | 5.9 |
| 3.0 | Blocks | 3.0 |
| 20-5, 11-3 SEC | Record | 18-10, 8-6 SEC |
| Individual Statistical Leaders | ||
| Tennessee | Stat Category | Kentucky |
| Lofton, 17.5 | Points | Morris, 12.9 |
| Patterson, 6.5 | Rebounds | Rondo, 6.3 |
| Watson, 4.2 | Assists | Rondo, 4.6 |
| Wingate, .548 | Field Goal % | Morris, .610 |
| Lofton, .473 | Three-Point % | Sparks, .402 |
| Lofton, .942 | Free Throw % | Bradley, .774 |
Looking At Kentucky
Kentucky saw its three-game winning streak come to an end against SEC West leading LSU 67-71 Saturday in Baton Rouge ... The loss dropped the Wildcats' record to 18-10 on the season and 8-6 in SEC action ... The 'Cats were coming off an 80-40 victory over Ole Miss on Feb. 22 ... Randolph Morris, who missed UK's first 14 games this season while serving an NCAA suspension, leads the 'Cats with 12.9 points per game and is shooting a team-best 61.0 percent from the field ... Rajon Rondo, a sophomore guard, is adding 12.0 points and leads the team in rebounding (6.3 rpg), assists (4.6 apg) and steals (2.1 spg) ... Joe Crawford is the only other UK player in double figure scoring with 10.1 points per game ... Patrick Sparks is averaging 9.2 points on the season but has improved that number to 10.9 points in SEC games ... Sophomore point guard Ramel Bradley has missed Kentucky's last two games with a broken hand suffered in practice last week ... UK has held three of its last four opponents to under 40 percent shooting ... The Wildcats have used nine different starting lineups this season ... The last four games Bobby Perry, Lukasz Obrzut, Brandon Stockton, Ravi Moss and Sparks have been in the starting lineup while Rondo, Crawford and Morris have come off the bench ... Tubby Smith is 237-68 in his eighth season at UK and 361-130 in 14 years as a head coach.
The Kentucky Series
This will be the 201st meeting all-time between the two schools ... Kentucky leads the all-time series 137-63 ... Tennessee won the first meeting this season 75-67 in Lexington Feb. 7 ... The win stopped Kentucky's eight-game winning streak in the series ... Kentucky leads the series 47-43 when played in Knoxville ... The Wildcats hold an 80-16 advantage when playing in Lexington ... Tennessee was the second team ever and the first SEC team to defeat Kentucky at Rupp Arena when the Vols took a 71-67 win on Jan. 12, 1977 ... Utah was the first opponent to win in Rupp when the Utes defeated the Wildcats 70-68 on Dec. 18, 1976 in the finals of the UK Invitation Tournament ... UK holds a 10-4 advantage when the schools meet in the SEC Tournament ... Tennessee's 63 wins against the Wildcats more than any other Kentucky opponent ... Vanderbilt has beaten UK 39 times to rank second ... Kentucky's 137 wins against Tennessee are the most of any Volunteer opponent ... The Kentucky series is Tennessee's oldest and most played among SEC opponents ... The Vols and Wildcats first met on Feb. 5, 1910 ... That was just the second season that the University of Tennessee fielded a basketball team.
My Old Kentucky Home
In four career games against Kentucky, Tennessee sophomore guard Chris Lofton is averaging 19.3 points per game on 47.5 percent (19-of-40) 3-point shooting ... The Maysville, Ky., native is also adding 4.5 rebounds in the four games ... In two games at UK's Rupp Arena, he is averaging 24.0 points on 63.2 percent (12-of-19) 3-point shooting ... Lofton is no stranger to Kentucky's Rupp Arena, having played an estimated 10 high school games in the arena ... He made nine 3-pointers and scored 39 points to lead Mason County HS to a 2003 state championship over Louisville Ballard HS in Rupp Arena.
More Kentucky Connections
Chris Lofton is the third Kentucky Mr. Basketball to play for the Vols, joining Allan Houston (1989) and Jermaine Brown (1991) ... Kentucky Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart worked at Tennessee from 1986-98 ... Barnhart was UT's Senior Associate Athletic Director from 1996-98 ... UK's Tubby Smith and Tennessee track coach Bill Webb attended High Point University in North Carolina together in the 1970s ... Teammates on both the High Point basketball and track and field teams, they comprised half of the shuttle hurdle relay team that set a school record that still stands today ... Webb has led the Tennessee men's track and field team to 2001 outdoor and 2002 indoor national championships ... Smith led UK to the 1998 NCAA basketball championship ... UK assistant media relations director Mandy Polley attended the same high school (Mason County HS) as UT's Chris Lofton.
Last Meeting With Kentucky
Tennessee ended an eight-game losing streak to Kentucky with a 75-67 victory over the Wildcats Tuesday, Feb. 7, in Lexington ... It was UT's first win in Rupp Arena since 1999 ... The Vols withstood Kentucky's hot start that resulted in a 9-4 Wildcats lead ... UT went on a 14-3 run to take a 31-21 lead with 6:32 remaining ... UK finished the half on a 9-3 run to cut the Vols' lead to 39-36 at the half ... Tennessee controlled the second half until the 'Cats tied the score 60-60 on a dunk by Ravi Moss ... After UT regained the lead on a pair of C.J. Watson free throws, Moss gave UK its first lead since the first half when he hit a 3-pointer with 5:56 left ... The two squads exchanged leads until Major Wingate muscled in a basket in the paint and then Chris Lofton scored a jumper to give UT a 68-65 lead with 1:41 remaining ... Tennessee outscored the Wildcats 13-4 over the final 5:56 of the game ... Lofton, a native of Maysville, Ky., scored a career-high 31 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the 3-point range ... The former Kentucky Mr. Basketball connected on his first four 3-point attempts ... Watson added 10 points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals ... Wingate had 12 points and Andre Patterson gathered 10 rebounds ... Randolph Morris led UK with 20 points and seven rebounds ... UT outrebounded Kentucky 38-36.
Last Game: Arkansas Ends UT's Home Win Streak
Arkansas, which entered the game having beaten nationally-ranked Florida and Alabama in its previous two games, ended Tennessee's 15-game home court winning streak with a 73-69 upset of the 10th-ranked Volunteers Saturday, Feb. 25, in Knoxville ... Tennessee held a 63-49 lead with 8:49 remaining when the Razorbacks went on a 15-0 run to take a 64-63 lead on an Eric Ferguson 3-pointer with 4:13 remaining ... A Chris Lofton 3-pointer put UT back in the lead 66-64 with just under four minutes left ... Baskets by Charles Thomas and Darian Townes put the Hogs in front for good ... Tennessee later cut the lead to one point (69-70) on a pair of Dane Bradshaw free throws but could not get a defensive stop as Jonathon Modica hit a pair of free throws on Arkansas' next possession ... C.J. Watson, who wore a No. 53 throwback jersey to honor former Vol Bernard King, led UT with 17 points ... Chris Lofton was limited to just seven shots but managed 12 points ... JaJuan Smith came off the bench to add 11 points, five assists and seven rebounds ... Townes led Arkansas with 15 points while Modica added 14 ... The Razorbacks held a 45-24 rebounding advantage against the Vols.
Four Seniors Playing Final Home Game
Stanley Asumnu, Eddie DeBro, Andre Patterson and C.J. Watson will be playing their final game in Thompson-Boling Arena when the Vols meet Kentucky Wednesday night ... The foursome will be honored in a pregame ceremony ... Together, they have combined to score 2,343 points, grab 1,011 rebounds, dish out 753 assists and make 313 steals ...Tennessee has won eight consecutive games on Senior Day and is 70-26 all-time in its home finale.
UT To Honor Mears And Ward At UK Game
UT Director of Athletics Mike Hamilton announced Monday, Feb. 27, that banners will be hung from the rafters in the arena at halftime of the Kentucky game to recognize former coach Ray Mears and Vol Network announcer John Ward for their contributions and years of service to the Tennessee basketball program ... A two-time Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year (1967 and 1977) Mears is Tennessee's all-time winningest coach with a 278-112 record in 15 seasons ... Ward called Tennessee basketball from 1965 through the 1999 season. In 1976 he was named the best college announcer in the nation and 28 times he was named Sportscaster of the Year in Tennessee.
Defying Preseason Predictions Tennessee Wins SEC's Eastern Division
Almost a consensus pick to finish no better than fifth in the Southeastern Conference's Eastern Division, the Vols proved every preseason prediction wrong this year ... Tennessee's 11-3 league record with two games remaining in the regular season secures the school its third Eastern Division title and the East's No. 1 seed in the SEC Tournament in Nashville ... It marks UT's first divisional title since the 1999-2000 season when the Vols won a share of the SEC East championship ... It is the third time since the SEC split into divisions in 1991-92 that Tennessee has won the SEC East.
Vols Win 20
Tennessee recorded its 19th 20-win season in school history with a 76-72 win at 12th-ranked Florida (2/22/06) ... The Vols required just 24 games to reach the 20-win mark this season which is the second-fastest in school history to 20 wins ... Only the 1999-2000 squad reached the milestone faster, needing 23 games ... It is the 13th time in 14 years as a head coach that Bruce Pearl has led a team to 20 wins in a season.
Lofton Approaching 3-Point Record
Having already broken Tennessee's single-game record for 3-pointers with nine against Georgia (2/11/06), Chris Lofton is poised to break the school record for most 3-pointers in a season ... Lofton enters the Kentucky game needing two 3-pointers to break Allan Houston's single-season school record of 99 set in 1990-91 ... Lofton has made 98 triples in Tennessee's first 25 games this season ... Last season, Lofton's 93 treys were the most-ever by an SEC freshman and currently rank third on UT's single-season lists ... In his second season in Knoxville, the former Kentucky Mr. Basketball has made 191 3-pointers.
Lofton Streaking At The Stripe
Chris Lofton is gradually approaching the school record for consecutive free throws made ... The sophomore guard has made 36 consecutive free throws ... The school record for consecutive free throws made is 39 by Danny Schultz (12/2/1963 to 12/28/1963) and by Michael Brooks (1/30/1985 to 3/6/1985) ... Lofton has made 34-of-34 free throws in SEC games and was also 2-of-2 against Memphis (1/18/06) during the streak ... On the season he is shooting 94.2 percent (49-of-52) from the free throw line ... The only reason he does not qualify for the SEC leaders is because he is not averaging the minimum of 2.5 free throws per game to be listed.
There's Hot And Then There's Lofton
Over his last six games, Tennessee sophomore guard Chris Lofton is averaging 23.2 points per game on 63.6 percent (35-of-55) 3-point shooting ... During the six-game stretch, he is averaging 5.8 3-pointers per game ... In that time he has increased his scoring average by +1.8 points per game ... Entering the Kentucky (2/7/06) game the Maysville, Ky., native was averaging 15.7 points per game ... Now, he is averaging a team-best 17.5 points per game ... When talking about Lofton on Feb. 18, ESPN College Gameday analyst Jay Bilas quipped, "J.J. Redick who? This guy is in the conversation for best shooter in the country."
Watson Climbing Charts
This has been a memorable season for senior point guard C.J. Watson as he has scored his 1,000th point and dished out his 500th career assist already this year ... The Las Vegas native ranks among Tennessee's top 25 all-time scorers and is second in assists and steals.
- Watson ranks 17th all-time at UT with 1,346 career points.
- His 564 career assists are second only to Johnny Darden's (1975-79) 715 career assists. The 564 career assists rank 11th in Southeastern Conference history.
- He ranks second in school history with 192 career steals. Vincent Yarbrough (1998-02) is UT's record holder with 211 career thefts.
School Records For 3s Falling
Tennessee broke school records for 3-pointers in consecutive games ... Against Georgia (2/11/06) Chris Lofton broke Allan Houston's school record for 3-pointers in a game when he drilled nine 3-pointers against the Bulldogs ... Against Auburn (2/15/06) the Vols broke the team record for 3-pointers in a game when UT made 16 triples against the Tigers.Pearl Is A League Leader
Against Kentucky, Bruce Pearl will be coaching his 56th consecutive regular season league game where his team has either been in first place or within a game of first place ... The streak began at UW-Milwaukee where he coached 41 consecutive games in that situation and it has continued entering his 15th SEC game at Tennessee ... With two regular season games remaining, the Vols have wrapped up the SEC's Eastern Division championship with an 11-3 conference mark ... The last time Pearl was not within a game of first place was Jan. 23, 2003 when UWM was entering a game with Butler, 1 1/2 games behind the Bulldogs in the conference standings ... The Panthers won that contest to move to within a half game of Butler and eventually took over the league lead.Pearl Being Mentioned For Coach Of The Year
Having led the Vols to a 20-5 overall record and a national ranking as high as No. 8, Tennessee head coach Bruce Pearl has been receiving a lot of mention as a candidate for national coach of the year from media around the country. - SI.com's Grant Wahl wrote on Feb. 24, "You can hand Pearl the Coach of the Year trophy right now..."
- FOXSports.com's Frank Burlison wrote, "he has to be considered the leading candidate for the COY hardware" on Feb. 11 and re-conformed the thought on Feb. 25.
- The Orlando Sentinel's Mike Huguenin tabbed Pearl his national coach of the year choice on Feb. 26.
- Seth Davis of SI.com listed Pearl as one of his 10 candidates for national coach of the year ... Davis selected Pearl No. 2 on his list, which was released Feb. 2.
- ESPN.com's Pat Forde called Pearl the "Coach of the Year in college hoops" in his Jan. 22 column about UT's victory over second-ranked Florida.
- Kevin Scarbinsky of the Birmingham News wrote, "Pearl is all but a lock to be named SEC coach of the year and contend for national honors" in a Jan. 23 column
- Pearl was also the national coach of the year selection of the Syracuse (N.Y.) Post-Standard's Kim Baxter in a Jan. 29 article.
- CSTV.com's Brian Curtis listed Pearl as his top choice for national coach of the year in a Feb. 21 column.
Streak's Alive
With a 69-62 win over Vanderbilt, Bruce Pearl was assured of a winning record in his first season as Tennessee's head coach ... Pearl, who owns a 337-89 record in his 14th season as a head coach, has never had a losing season as a head coach.Lofton 3s
Sophomore sharpshooter Chris Lofton had a week for the ages in leading the Vols to wins at Kentucky (2/7/06) and at Georgia (2/11/06) ... In the two games he averaged 32.0 points on 72.7 percent (16-of-22) 3-point shooting to go with 6.5 rebounds ... On the season he is leading Tennessee with 17.5 points per game ... He is making an SEC-best 3.92 3-pointers per game and is shooting 47.3 percent from behind the arc ... He also ranks in a tie for second in the SEC with 2.12 steals per game. - Against Kentucky, the Maysville, Ky., native recorded a career-high 31 points on 7-of-10 shooting from 3-point range in leading the Vols to a 75-67 win. It is just UT's fourth win in 31 trips to play UK in Rupp Arena.
- His 31 points against Kentucky are tied for the most by a Vol in Rupp Arena. Dale Ellis (1983) and Allan Houston (1993) also poured in 31 points against the 'Cats in Rupp Arena.
- At Georgia he had his second career-high in as many games with 33 points on 9-of-12 3-point shooting in leading UT to an 83-78 win.
- Lofton's nine 3-pointers at Georgia broke Allan Houston's single-game school record of eight 3-pointers he set against Fordham (12/29/89).
- His nine 3-pointers against the Bulldogs are tied for fifth on the Southeastern Conference's single-game list. They are tied for the third-most in a conference game.
- He became the first Vol since Allan Houston in 1993 to have 30 or more points in back-to-back games. Houston had 31 vs. South Carolina (1/6/93) and 31 vs. Kentucky (1/9/93).
- 98 triples rank second on UT's single-season lists.
- Just a sophomore, he ranks fifth all-time at UT with 191 career 3-pointers made.
- Following a 6-of-7 shooting performance at South Carolina (1/8/06), Dane Bradshaw was quoted saying, "Chris (Lofton) is like a 9-0 run himself."
A Band Of Thieves
Tennessee's pressure defense has given its opponents all kinds of trouble this season as the Vols' opponents are averaging 18.6 turnovers per game. - UT leads the SEC in steals (10.32 spg) and turnover margin (+6.08).
- Three Vols rank in the top seven in the SEC in steals. C.J. Watson (2.12 spg) and Chris Lofton are tied for second (2.12 spg) and Dane Bradshaw is seventh (1.92 spg).
- Bradshaw leads the league in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.83) while Watson is second (2.26).
- The Vols have had more assists than turnovers in 19 of their 25 games this year.
- On the season, UT has 440 assists to 314 turnovers (1.40 assists-to-turnovers).
- Conversely, the Vols' opponents have had more turnovers than assists in 17 of 25 games (0.86 assists-to-turnovers).
UT Wins 600th SEC Game
Tennessee won its 600th all-time Southeastern Conference game with an 89-76 victory over Georgia (1/11/06) ... In their 73rd season of SEC play, the Vols have posted a 609-483 mark in league games ... Only Kentucky (831) and Alabama (683) have won more SEC games.Volunteer Bombardiers
While Chris Lofton has bogarted much of the attention as a dangerous 3-point shooter, he is not the only member of Tennessee's squadron of long-range bombers ... Lofton, C.J. Watson and JaJuan Smith have formed to make one of the most dangerous shooting backcourts in the nation ... The trio has combined to make 187 3-pointers in 25 games this season ... UT leads the SEC and ranks 15th in the nation with 8.80 3-pointers per game ... The Vols are making 39.9 percent of their 3s, a figure that ranks first in the SEC and 21st nationally. - Lofton is leading the SEC and ranks third in the nation with 3.92 triples per game. He also leads the SEC with his 47.3 percent (98-of-207) shooting from behind the arc.
- Watson has improved upon his 37.5 percent shooting last season to convert 42.9 (39-of-91) of his 3-pointers this year.
- Smith has given the Vols a huge scoring boost coming off the bench. He is second on the team with 50 3-pointers on the season.
- Lofton, Watson and Smith are not the only 3-point bombers on the Vols' roster. Jordan Howell has made 38.7 percent (12-of-30) of his 3-point attempts this season. Dane Bradshaw has shown a propensity for hitting the big 3-point shot like when he sealed UT's win at South Carolina (1/8/06).
Bench Mob
The day before Tennessee's game against second-ranked Florida (1/21/06), head coach Bruce Pearl passed out t-shirts that had the words "Bench Mob" printed on them to recognize the impact of the players coming off the bench ... Although some of the starters liked the shirts and wanted one, only players who came off the bench were allowed one ... Tennessee's bench has played key roles in some of the Vols' biggest victories ... The Vols are getting an average of 22.2 points (554 points in 25 games) per game from its bench this season. - The Vols got 29 points from their bench in the upset of No. 2 Florida (1/21/06), including 12 points and 10 rebounds from Andre Patterson.
- The bench also contributed 31 points in UT's 95-78 win at No. 6 Texas. JaJuan Smith and Andre Patterson each had 12 points.
Improved Vols
Every returning scholarship player has seen their offensive production increase exponentially this season ... The improvements account for an additional 35.0 points per game ... Eight players have exceeded their scoring totals from last season ( Stanley Asumnu, Dane Bradshaw, Jordan Howell, Chris Lofton, Andre Patterson, JaJuan Smith, C.J. Watson and Major Wingate) ... Following is a list of players who have seen increased scoring totals this year:Player 2005 Pts 2006 Pts Differential Smith 1.9 9.7 +7.8 ppg Asumnu 2.4 8.6 +6.2 ppg Wingate 5.0 10.4 +5.4 ppg Lofton 13.2 17.5 +4.3 ppg Bradshaw 3.0 7.3 +4.3 ppg Watson 11.9 15.2 +3.5 ppg Patterson 7.4 10.1 +2.7 ppg Howell 1.1 1.9 +0.8 ppg
Vols In The NCAA Stats
Tennessee is prominently listed among the national leaders according to the Feb. 20 NCAA statistics. Following is where the Vols rank nationally: - Steals per game: 10.5 spg / 4th
- Scoring offense: 83.3 ppg / 6th
- Assists per game: 17.8 apg / 10th
- Turnovers per game: 12.6 tpg / 12th
- 3-pointers per game: 8.7 3pg /15th
- 3-point percentage: 39.5 percent / 21st
- Scoring margin: +9.3 ppg / 36th
- 3-pointers per game: Chris Lofton - 4.0 3pg / 3rd
- 3-point percentage: Chris Lofton - 47.7 % / 7th
- FT percentage: C.J. Watson - 87.8 % / 21st
- Steals per game: C.J. Watson - 2.2 spg / 48th
Vols Return To Rankings
Tennessee is ranked 11th by the Associated Press and 11th by ESPN/USA Today in the Feb. 27 polls ... The No. 8 ranking UT achieved on Feb. 13 is the Vols' highest since being ranked eighth in the Jan. 29, 2001 Associated Press Poll ... This is the first season since 2000-01 that the Vols have been ranked ... That year, UT peaked at No. 4 in the Associated Press Poll.Date Associated Press ESPN/USA Today Dec. 19 23rd rv Dec. 26 rv rv Jan. 2 rv rv Jan. 9 rv rv Jan. 16 rv rv Jan. 23 19th 20th Jan. 30 13th 16th Feb. 6 11th 14th Feb. 13 8th 10th Feb. 20 10th 11th Feb. 27 11th 11th
Lofton & Watson Earn NABC All-District Honors
Chris Lofton and C.J. Watson were named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-District 7 Team on February 17 ... Lofton was a first team selection while Watson was a second team pick ... The teams are selected by a panel of member coaches of the NABC ... First team selections included Chris Lofton (Tennessee), Rodney Carney (Memphis), Taquan Dean (Louisville), Anthony Winchester (Western Kentucky) and Rajon Rondo (Kentucky). Second team picks were Shan Foster (Vanderbilt), Darius Washington Jr. (Memphis), Tim Smith (East Tenn. State), C.J. Watson (Tennessee) and Courtney Lee (Western Kentucky).Lofton & Watson Earn NABC All-District Honors
Senior guard/forward Stanley Asumnu was featured as the SEC Good Works Team Player of the Week the week of Feb. 22-26 ... The Houston, Texas native has participated for three years in the annual National Student Athlete Day community service event, known as April Play Day ... Along with his teammates, he helped deliver turkeys to Second Harvest Food Bank as part of the "Blocks for Turkeys" program ... He spoke at a youth probationary boot camp about team work and assisted the Oak Ridge Lab with their United Way Lick-Off event ... He also participated with teammates and football team members in Orange Aid 2005 by signing autographs and mingling to benefit victims of Hurricane Katrina ... Asumnu joins C.J. Watson (2004 & 2005), Jon Higgins (2001, 2002 & 2003) and C.J. Black (2000) as Vols named to the SEC Good Works Team.Bradshaw Named To All-Glue Team
Junior guard/forward Dane Bradshaw was named to SI.com's seventh annual All-Glue team on Feb. 14 ... The team was compiled by Seth Davis to honor the guys who "may not get credit for doing the little things in most places" ... Davis wrote that Bradshaw "has a moxie that well suits his fiery new coach" ... Joining Bradshaw on the All-Glue team are: Sean Dockery (Duke), Mike Hall (George Washington), Sean Marshall (Boston College), Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (UCLA), Kenton Paulino (Texas).Watson & Lofton Named One Of Top Backcourts In The Nation
SI.com named Tennessee's backcourt of C.J. Watson and Chris Lofton the No. 8 backcourt in the nation on Jan. 20 ... They were the only SEC backcourt to receive mention on the list ... Following is a list of their rankings of the top 10 backcourts nationally:
1. Randy Foye and Allan Ray, Villanova
2. Maurice Ager and Shannon Brown, Michigan State
3. Jordan Farmar and Arron Afflalo, UCLA
4. Marcus Williams and Rashad Anderson, UConn
5. Curtis Stinson and Will Blalock, Iowa State
6. Robert Vaden and Marshall Strickland, Indiana
7. J.R. Pinnock and Carl Elliott, George Washington
8. C.J. Watson and Chris Lofton, Tennessee
9. Adam Haluska and Jeff Horner, Iowa
10. Steve Burtt Jr. and Ricky Soliver, IonaLofton & Watson Earn SEC Player Of The Week Honors
Four times this season a Tennessee player has earned SEC Player of the Week honors ... Chris Lofton has earned the honor three times and C.J. Watson has been named recipient of the award once. - Watson took home player of the week honors Dec. 12 after scoring a season-high 23 points against Appalachian State Dec. 5.
- Lofton was named the co-SEC Player of the Week on Dec. 19 after leading the Vols to a 95-78 upset at sixth-ranked Texas. Lofton, who shared the award with Kentucky's Rajon Rondo, scored a game-high 21 points on 5-of-9 3-point shooting against the Longhorns.
- Lofton won the award again on Jan. 23 following a 29-point performance in Tennessee's victory over then-No. 2 Florida.
- On Feb. 13 Lofton won the award for a third time after averaging 32.0 points and 6.5 rebounds in wins at Kentucky and Georgia. He shot 16-of-22 (72.7 percent) from 3-point range in the two games.
Can I Get A Witness?
The crowds at Tennessee's home games this season have increased by more than 5,000 fans per game over last season ... Five times UT has had home crowds of more than 20,000 ... Entering this season, there had been only one home crowd of 20,000 or more this decade. - Tennessee ranks second in the SEC in home attendance with an average of 17,514. Kentucky leads the league with 22,651.
- The Vols' attendance of 17,514 this season is an increase of 5,064 fans per game over last year's average of 12,450 per game.
- In SEC games, UT is averaging 20,323 fans per game.
- Five times this season UT has had crowds in excess of 20,000. The record for 20,000 crowds in a season is seven in the Arena's first season (1987-88).
- If the season were to end today, Tennessee's average attendance of 17,514 would rank fourth all-time in school history and the best since the Vols averaged 17,524 fans in the Arena's third year (1989-90).
- The 21,280 fans in attendance for the Vols' season-opening win over East Tennessee State (11/18/05) was the fourth-largest crowd to see a season-opener in school history.
- Fans have also flocked to see the Vols play on the road. Almost 2,000 orange-clad fans were in attendance at Georgia's Stegeman Coliseum to see the Vols play the Bulldogs.
Las Vegas Dealer: Watson Deals Assists
One could only dream of sitting down at a blackjack table and seeing a dealer as friendly as Tennessee's point guard C.J. Watson ... The senior from Las Vegas has dealt nothing but aces and face cards while running the Vols' attack ... Twice he has led the Southeastern Conference in assists and this year he has taken on a larger scoring role while also dishing out the assists ... This year the 6-foot-2 Watson is averaging 15.2 points and 4.16 assists per game. - In 2004-05 (5.00 apg) and 2002-03 (5.44 apg) he led the SEC in assists against league opponents.
- Watson owns three of the top 13 single-season assist marks in Tennessee history.
- Watson is the Southeastern Conference's active career leader in assists with 564.
- His 564 career assists are second all-time at UT and 11th on the SEC's career lists. Auburn's Wes Flanigan (1994-97) ranks 10th in SEC history with 573 career assists.
- Watson's 4.16 assists per game are currently seventh in the SEC.
Lofton Is More Than A Shooter
There is no doubt that Chris Lofton is a great 3-point shooter but, there is a lot more to the sophomore guard's game than just hoisting amazing shots from long-range. - Lofton is shooting a team-best 94.2 percent (49-of-52) from the free throw line on the season. In conference play, he is shooting 100.0 percent (34-of-34) from the stripe.
- He ranks in a tie for first on the team and a tie for second in the Southeastern Conference with 2.12 steals per game. Two times this season he has had five steals in a game.
- Lofton is third on the team with 48 assists on the season. Five times he has had four assists in a game this year.
- The Maysville, Ky., native ranks fourth in the SEC with 17.5 points per game on the season. In league games, his 18.1 points are second in the SEC.
Bradshaw Playing Power/Point
With only four scholarship players taller than 6-foot-5 on the roster, junior guard Dane Bradshaw has been called upon to play big, quite literally ... The 6-4 backup point guard has earned starting assignments at power forward for each of the Vols' games this year ... Playing in the paint isn't anything new for the Memphis native ... In 2005 he drew difficult defensive assignments by guarding 6-8, 252-pound Brandon Bass against LSU (2/5/05) and 6-10 Jermareo Davidson of Alabama (2/9/05). - Bradshaw is second on the team in assists (4.1), rebounding (5.8 rpg), and is third in steals (1.9 spg) and blocks (0.4 bpg).
- His assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.83 leads the SEC.
- His 1.92 steals per game are seventh in the SEC.
- His 4.08 assists per game are ninth in the SEC.
- Seven times this season he has led the Vols in rebounding, including a career-high 12 boards against ETSU (11/18/05) and Vanderbilt (2/1/06).
- Twelve times he has led UT in assists, including a career-high eight against South Alabama (1/4/06), Georgia (1/11/06) and at Georgia (2/11/06).
- Against South Alabama (1/4/06) he recorded a career-high eight assists while gathering five rebounds, scoring six points and making three steals.
- He had a streak of 181 minutes (seven games) without a turnover come to an end in the first half of the Vols' game against Georgia (1/11/06). During the streak, which started in the first half of the Appalachian State (12/6/05) game, he recorded 34 assists.
- South Carolina head coach Dave Odom gave Bradshaw a strong compliment following UT's 81-65 win in Knoxville (1/28/06), "I know this is a fairly bold statement and not something I would say lightly, but if there were a vote taken by media and/or coaches in this conference at this time, I think without any question that Dane Bradshaw would be the MVP of this league. I think he's playing that well."
Bradshaw Is A Warrior Against Memphis
Playing his first collegiate game in his hometown of Memphis, Dane Bradshaw had one of the most impressive games a college basketball player has had all season ... Having to deal with hecklers that had singled him out from the moment the doors opened, Bradshaw put on a show against the fourth-ranked Memphis Tigers at the FedExForum ... Playing in the post against UM's front line of 6-foot-9 Shawne Williams and 6-9 Joey Dorsey, the 6-4 Bradshaw scored a career-high 21 points on 9-of-13 shooting to go with 10 rebounds (five of them offensive), five steals and four assists ... Not backing down for a moment during the game, he drew a charge call in the second half when a Dorsey elbow caught him just below his eye that gave him a black eye.Wingate Stepping Up In The Paint
Major Wingate wasn't going to let anything stop him from playing against Louisiana-Lafayette on Nov. 22 ... After suffering a foot injury in practice two days earlier that left him on crutches, Wingate spent the next two nights in the training room rehabbing the injury so he could play ... When it came time to play, Wingate was there standing in the center circle ready for the jump ball ... The junior from Florence, S.C., scored 12 points and blocked three shots in 28 minutes of action against the Ragin' Cajuns ... Defensively, he held Louisiana's star center Michael Southall to just four points and four rebounds. - On the year he ranks third on the team with 10.4 points per game.
- Wingate has scored in double-figures in 17 of UT's 25 games ... In two previous season he had reached double-figure scoring just three times.
- Against sixth-ranked Texas (12/19/05) Wingate played a key role in limiting LaMarcus Aldridge to just four field goals. Aldridge, who finished with 15 points total, scored just one point when Wingate was guarding him.
- Wingate is leading the Vols with a 54.8 (103-of-188) field goal percentage on the season. In SEC games he has improved that number to 58.1 percent (50-of-86).
JaJuan Smith Giving Vols A Spark Off The Bench
JaJuan Smith, a 6-foot-2 guard from Decatur, Tenn., has seen his role grow from 8.0 minutes per game as a freshman last year to 24.3 minutes per game this season ... Already this year he has tied or established new career marks for scoring (19), rebounds (7), assists (6), steals (4), blocks (1) and minutes played (29) ... Smith, who has been the first player off the bench in 24 of Tennessee's 25 games this season, is averaging 9.7 points per game ... His 50 3-pointers are second and his 48 assists are tied for third on the team. - Smith had his best game of his career at sixth-ranked Texas when he came off the bench to score 12 points on 4-of-6 shooting from 3-point range.
- He scored a career-high 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field to go with five assists and two steals against Alabama A&M (12/27/05).
Patterson Works His Way Into Starting Lineup
Andre Patterson played well enough to be a starter in Tennessee's first 15 games this season, averaging 9.7 points and 5.6 points coming off the bench ... Against Mississippi State (1/25/06) he finally earned a spot in the starting lineup ... He responded well, registering 13 points and 11 rebounds against the Bulldogs ... In the 10 games since gaining a starting spot, the 6-foot-7 senior is averaging 10.7 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. - Patterson became the first Vol in four seasons to record three consecutive double-doubles when he had 12 points, 10 rebounds against Florida (1/21/06), 13 points, 11 rebounds at Mississippi State (1/25/06) and 13 points and 12 rebounds against South Carolina (1/28/06).
- Patterson recorded a career-high 14 rebounds against Murray State (11/30/05) while recording his third career-double-double.
- Against second-ranked Florida's (1/21/06) much taller front line he registered 12 points and 10 rebounds, including four offensive boards.
Asumnu Shooting To Make UT Better
Stanley Asumnu has saved his best basketball for his senior season, and the later the season gets, the better the 6-foot-5 wing gets ... Since being moved to the bench following the Florida (1/21/06) game, Asumnu has averaged 7.9 points and 2.7 rebounds in those 10 games ... Most impressively, the Houston native is shooting 58.7 percent (37-of-63) from the field over his last 10 outings ... On the season, he is averaging 8.6 points and 2.9 rebounds per game. - A career 39.7 percent shooter entering this season, Asumnu is connecting on 51.6 percent of his field goals as a senior.
- In his first three seasons he averaged 3.6 points per game but has improved that number to 8.6 points as a senior.
- It took Asumnu just seven games this season to score 67 points, surpassing the 63 points he scored in 26 contests as a junior.
Eddie "The Show" DeBro
Senior walk-on Eddie DeBro needed just eight minutes to put on a show in Tennessee's win over South Alabama (1/4/06) ... DeBro, inserted into the lineup when Stanley Asumnu got into early foul trouble, recorded two assists, two rebounds and a steal in eight minutes of first half action against the Jaguars ... Each of those numbers are career-highs for the native of Smyrna, Tenn. ... One play in particular saw the 5-foot-11 DeBro get a steal and then run the fastbreak, making an impressive bounce pass to C.J. Watson for the lay up.Vols & Lofton Receive National Honors
After scoring road wins at Kentucky (2/7/06) and at Georgia (2/11/06), Tennessee was named the national Team of the Week on Feb. 13 by Mike DeCourcy of SportingNews.com ... In addition to being named the SEC Player of the Week on Feb. 13, Chris Lofton was named the national Player of the Week by ESPN.com and FOXSports.com ... Lofton made 16-of-22 3-pointers while averaging 32.0 points in the Vols' games against the Wildcats and Bulldogs.ESPN's The Season Follows The Vols
College basketball fans around the nation can get a behind-the-scenes look at the Tennessee Volunteers on the reality show "The Season" ... The cameras from Intersport Television followed Tennessee's coaches and players as they traveled to Georgia on Feb. 11 and hosted Auburn on Feb. 15 ... The 30-minute show debuted Wednesday, Feb. 22 on ESPN2.Date Time Channel March 1 7:30 p.m. EST ESPN2 March 3 1:30 a.m. EST ESPN2 March 7 3:30 p.m. EST ESPN2
SEC Throwback Week
Each Southeastern Conference school has designated a previous year's uniform to be worn as a part of "SEC Throwback Week" ... The week of February 18-26 (Saturday through Sunday) has been designated as "SEC Throwback Week" ... Additionally, the uniforms will be worn during the SEC Tournament in Nashville ... Tennessee took a poll of fans on UTsports.com to determine which era to choose their uniforms ... The fans selected the Ernie & Bernie era so UT's uniforms will resemble those worn in the 1970s.Watson Reaches 1,000 Points In Unique Way
C.J. Watson became the 38th player in Tennessee history to reach the 1,000 career point milestone in a 17-point outing against Louisiana-Lafayette (11/22/05) ... Watson, who now has 1,346 career points, reached the milestone when he was fouled on a made 3-pointer and then scored his 1,000th point on the free throw.Home Court Advantage
Thompson-Boling Arena has provided the Vols with a definite home court advantage since the facility opened in time for the 1987-88 season. - Tennessee is 213-85 (.715) in its 19th season in Thompson-Boling Arena.
- Since the 1998 season, the Vols are 114-26 (.814) in Thompson-Boling Arena.
- The Vols are 53-17 against SEC teams at home over the last six seasons.
- UT has won 67 of its last 74 home games against non-conference opponents.
Rally Vols
Tennessee has rallied from deficits of at least nine points in five games this season ... Four of the rallys have been away from Thompson-Boling Arena. - Murray State (11/30/05) built a nine-point lead early in the second half before the Vols rallied for a 64-53 victory in Nashville ... At one point during the UT rally, Chris Lofton outscored the Racers 12-1.
- Appalachian State (12/5/05) took a 12-point lead with just over six minutes left in the first half but UT went on a 19-2 run to take a 48-46 lead at halftime.
- UT rallied from a 15-point second half deficit to defeat South Carolina (1/8/06) in Columbia.
- Tennessee rallied from a 12-point first half deficit at Georgia (2/11/06) to take an 83-78 win in Athens.
- Florida led the Vols by 13 points (36-23) late in the first half of their game in Gainesville (2/22/06) but Tennessee rallied for a 76-72 victory.
- Against Oklahoma State (12/22/05) the Vols rallied from a 16-point halftime deficit to cut the lead to one point but could never overtake the Cowboys.
Showing Their Appreciation
Immediately following their season-opening win over East Tennessee State, Bruce Pearl and the Vols went out on the concourse of Thompson-Boling Arena to thank the fans for their support ... The 21,680 fans in attendance for the Vols' season-opening win over East Tennessee State (11/18/05) was the fourth-largest crowd to see a season-opener in school history ... It was the largest crowd to watch a basketball game that night (including both NCAA and NBA attendance figures). - The Vols also showed their appreciation to the nearly 2,000 fans who traveled to Stegeman Coliseum to see UT defeat Georgia (2/11/06). After the game, Tennessee's players went into the crowd to thank the orange-clad faithful who had made the trip to Athens.
Pearl Won 87 Percent Of Games In 2005
Frank Sinatra may have had Bruce Pearl in mind when he crooned that "It Was A Very Good Year" ... In fact, 2005 was a great year for Pearl as he won 87.1 percent of his games during the calendar year ... Pearl was 19-3 at UW-Milwaukee and 8-1 at Tennessee in 2005 ... That ranks as the third-best winning percentage in the nation in 2005 ... Bruce Weber at Illinois posted the best winning percentage in 2005 with a 37-2 record (94.9 percent).Pearl's Start Second Best All-Time
Bruce Pearl came to Tennessee as one of the winningest coaches in the nation, having won 79.1 percent (317-84) of his career games entering the season ... Pearl did not disappoint the UT faithful, winning his first six games as the leader of the Vols program ... Pearl's 6-0 record was the second-best start to a career amongst UT's all-time coaches:Great Starts
Tennessee's 6-0 start to the 2005-06 season was the 14th time in school history that the Vols have begun a season by winning its first six games ... It was the eighth time in the modern era (since World War II) that UT has started 6-0 ... Following is how this year's start ranks with past years in the modern era:National Recognition For Vols
- SI.com listed C.J. Watson and Chris Lofton (with special mention for Dane Bradshaw) as the nation's eighth-best backcourt on Jan. 20.
- UT was named the national team of the week on Dec. 19 by Dick Vitale and Andy Katz on ESPN.com and by Mike DeCourcy of The Sporting News.
- ESPN commentator Dick Vitale took time in his weekly "Roundball Chatter" column on Dec. 16 to mention a pair of Vols by saying, "The backcourt of C.J. Watson and Chris Lofton is one of the most underrated in America... ."
- Lofton was called by ESPN's Dick Vitale, "... one of the most underrated players in America"
- CBS SportsLine.com's Gregg Doyel named Bruce Pearl as one of his 10 best stories for 2005.
Vols' Recruiting Class Ranked Among Top 10 In The Nation
Bruce Pearl's first recruiting class at the University of Tennessee has drawn rave reviews and has been rated as one of the best classes in the Southeastern Conference and among the top 10 classes in the nation. The Vols signed four players during the early signing period in November: Wayne Chism, Duke Crews, Marques Johnson and Josh Tabb.- Chism, a 6-foot-9 forward from Bolivar, Tenn., is a four-star prospect who is rated the No. 42 overall player in the country. As a junior he led Bolivar Central High School to the Class AA state title while averaging 13.6 points, 10 rebounds, seven blocks and 2.2 assists per game. At the Reebok ABCD Camp last summer he was rated the No. 2 center.
- One of the highest-rated players to sign with the Vols in recent years, Crews is a 6-7 forward from Hampton, Va. Rated the No. 14 player in the nation, he is considered a five-star prospect. As a junior he averaged 16 points per game while leading Bethel High School to a 22-4 record last year. Last summer Crews was rated as the No. 2 player at the 2005 Nike Camp in Indianapolis.
- Ranked among the top-50 players by several scouting services, Johnson is a 6-5 guard from Fort Wayne, Ind. A starter since his freshman season, the two-time all-conference selection has led Snider High School to a 50-15 record in his three years. As a junior he averaged 21 points, 6.2 rebounds and four assists.
- A four-star prospect, Tabb is a 6-4 guard from Harmony Christian Prep in Cincinnati. A two-time Class A All-State selection who is originally from Carbondale, Ill., Tabb averaged 21 points, five assists and six rebounds as a senior while leading Carbondale High School to the 2005 state championship game.
Parking
Limited individual game parking for the 2005-06 men's basketball season will be sold for $5 for the following parking lots on a first come, first served basis:
- Lot 23 Corner of Volunteer Blvd and Pat Head Summitt Street
- Lot 23B (next to Music Building) - Corner of Pat Head Summitt Street and Volunteer Blvd.
- Lot 4 and Lot 5 - Phillip Fulmer Way between Thompson-Boling Arena and Neyland Stadium
- Lot 30A - Peyton Manning Pass, off of Volunteer Blvd.
- Lot C15 - Chamique Holdsclaw Drive
- Lot 9A - Volunteer Blvd. between the Humanities Plaza & the Architecture Bldg.
- Lot C18/Staff 7 - accessed from Cumberland Avenue at 11th Street, or from Neyland Drive across from the Tennessee Grill
- Lot G10 on Neyland Drve between Thompson-Boling Arena and Neyland Stadium
Special parking arrangements for disabled persons may be requested by calling Parking Services at (865) 974-6031. The UT Athletic Department also provides FREE parking at the Ag Campus with a free shuttle service to and from Thompson-Boling Arena. The KAT shuttle begins 1 1/2 hours prior to game time, and runs for one hour postgame.
