University of Tennessee Athletics
Game Preview: Temple vs. Tennessee
November 07, 2007 | Men's Basketball
| Tennessee (0-0) | Ht. | Wt. | Yr. | PPG | RPG | APG | |
| F | 1 Tyler Smith | 6-7 | 215 | So. | *14.9 | 4.9 | 3.6 |
| F | 4 Wayne Chism | 6-9 | 242 | So. | 9.1 | 5.2 | 0.9 |
| G | 5 Chris Lofton | 6-2 | 200 | Sr. | 20.8 | 3.1 | 1.7 |
| G | 2 JaJuan Smith | 6-2 | 195 | Sr. | 15.2 | 4.5 | 1.3 |
| G | 12 Ramar Smith | 6-2 | 200 | So. | 10.7 | 3.3 | 3.1 |
| * statistics at Iowa | |||||||
| Temple (0-0) | Ht. | Wt. | Yr. | PPG | RPG | APG | |
| F | 24 Lavoy Allen | 6-9 | 225 | Fr. | -- | -- | -- |
| C | 41 Sergio Olmos | 7-0 | 220 | Jr. | 2.8 | 2.4 | 0.2 |
| G | 22 Dionte Christmas | 6-5 | 205 | Jr. | 20.0 | 4.2 | 2.1 |
| G | 13 Mark Tyndale | 6-5 | 210 | Sr. | 19.4 | 6.7 | 2.8 |
| G | 15 Semaj Inge | 6-4 | 180 | Jr. | 4.5 | 2.1 | 2.5 |
First Meeting With Temple Since 11-6 Game In 1973
- Tennessee will open the 2007-08 season at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 9, when the Temple Owls visit Thompson-Boling Arena. FSN South will televise the game.
- Friday???s game will mark the first regular season game in the renovated Thompson-Boling Arena. Since the end of the 2006-07 campaign, Thompson-Boling has undergone more than $19 million in renovations that include new luxury suites, loge seating, new seats throughout the arena and a scoreboard. At halftime of the Temple game there will be a re-dedication ceremony.
- The Vols have won eight straight season-openers and are 19-2 in their last 21 season-openers. UT is 39-2 in its last 41 home-openers and has a 15-game winning streak in home-openers.
- This will be the first meeting between Tennessee and Temple since an epic 11-6 Vols win in 1973. A game that took the term ???slow-down??? to an unwanted level, it still holds NCAA records fewest points allowed (6 by Tennessee) and fewest points scored by both teams (17).
- UT won both of its exhibition games, taking a 106-46 win over California (Pa.) and a 124-61 victory over Lincoln Memorial. Tyler Smith???s 16.0 points per game paced eight Vols averaging double-figure scoring. Ryan Childress added 15.5 points and team-best 8.0 rebounds in the two games.
- The Vols enter 2007-08 with their highest preseason ranking in school history. UT is ranked No. 7 in both the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today polls. The highest preaseason ranking before this year came in 1975-76, 1998-99 and 2000-01 when the Vols were ranked No. 9 by the Associated Press.
- A panel of SEC and national media has tabbed the Vols as the preseason favorite to win the Southeastern Conference championship this season. Chris Lofton was named the preseason SEC Player of the Year and Tyler Smith was a second team all-conference selection by the panel.
- The Vols return a total of eight letterwinners, including four starters, from last year???s squad that posted a 24-11 overall record and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.
Tennessee Trends
- Tennessee is 29-2 at Thompson-Boling Arena over the last two seasons.
- UT has a 16-game homecourt winning streak. The Vols??? last home loss was a 78-80 decision to Kentucky in the final home game of the 2005-06 season.
- The Vols are 15-0 in non-conference home games under Bruce Pearl.
- Bruce Pearl is 9-5 against ranked teams while at Tennessee.
- The Vols have made at least one 3-pointer in 319 consecutive games.
- Under Bruce Pearl, UT is 40-4 when leading or tied with five minutes left in the game.
- UT is 29-4 when scoring 80 or more points under the direction of Bruce Pearl.
- UT is 29-14 (.674) when playing before crowds of 20,000 or larger at Thompson-Boling Arena. In 2006-07 the Vols were 6-0 playing in front of 20,000 fans at home.
- Tennessee has an all-time record of 1,391-903-2 in its 99th season of basketball.
- UT???s 620 regular season SEC victories rank third all-time in the SEC. Only Kentucky and Alabama have won more league games.
- Tennessee is 229-86 in its 21st season in Thompson-Boling Arena. The Vols have winning home records in 18 of their 20 seasons in the facility.
- Tennessee is the only Division I school ever to rank in the top five nationally in attendance for football, men???s basketball and women???s basketball in the same season. The Vols turned the trick for the fourth time in 2006-07.
Tennessee In Season-Openers
Tennessee has won its season-opener in each of the last eight seasons, including an 83-52 win over Middle Tennessee last season ... In their last 21 season-openers, the Vols have recorded a 19-2 record ... The only teams to post a win over the Vols in that time were No. 18 Arizona (73-72 on Nov. 13, 1998) and East Tennessee State (87-79 on Nov. 25, 1991).
Tennessee In Home-Openers
The Vols are 39-2 in their last 41 home-openers dating back to the 1966-67 campaign ... Tennessee has won 15 home-openers in a row ... In 2006-07 the Vols defeated Middle Tennessee 83-52 in their first home game ... UT???s last loss in a home opener was on Nov. 25, 1991 when East Tennessee State posted a 87-79 win in Thompson-Boling Arena ... ETSU went on to post a 24-7 record that included a win over Arizona in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Ticket Sales Breaking Records
Tennessee basketball tickets have been a hot item this year ... UT announced on October 23 that it had sold out all of its 16,000 season tickets, a first in school history ... The previous record for season ticket sales was 13,929 set in 1987, the first season Thompson-Boling Arena was open ... Additionally, single-game tickets for the Kentucky, Florida and Ohio State games tickets sold out in less than four hours ... A very limited number of single-game tickets remain available for the remainder of Tennessee???s home games ... Tickets may be purchased online at utsports.com, via phone at (800) 332-VOLS and at the Thompson-Boling Arena ticket office.
Vols Receive Highest Preseason Ranking
Tennessee???s No. 7 ranking in the preseason Associated Press poll is the highest preseason ranking the Vols have ever received ... UT was also ranked seventh in the preseason ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll ... Before this year, the highest Tennessee had ever been rated in the Associated Press poll was No. 9 (1975-76, 1998-99 and 2000-01).
TBA Gets A New Look
The University of Tennessee invested more than $35 million into its basketball facilities between the end of the 2006-07 season and the start of the 2007-08 campaign ... During that eight-month period UT added a basketball-only practice facility and began the first phase of renovations to Thompson-Boling Arena ... The $19 million first phase of renovation to Thompson-Boling Arena included the addition of 32 luxury suites that are located in the existing north balcony, a loge area just below the luxury suites that includes 166 side court seats, new seats for the entire arena, a $3 million center hung scoreboard and concourse refurbishments, such as graphics and other amenities ... After the renovations, Thompson-Boling???s capacity is now 21,678 ... A state-of-art basketball practice facility, Pratt Pavilion houses two full-size gymnasiums, one for each of the men???s and women???s basketball teams, as well as space for an athletic training room, a weight room and a film study room.
SEC Media Favors The Vols
A select panel of both SEC and national media members chose Tennessee as the preseason favorite to win its ninth Southeastern Conference men???s basketball championship ... The 30-member media panel unanimously picked the Vols to win the SEC East ... Chris Lofton was the overwhelming choice for SEC Player of the Year, garnering 27 of the 30 votes ... Sophomore transfer Tyler Smith received one vote for Player of the Year and was selected to the preseason second team ... Lofton was joined on the first team by Richard Hendrix (Alabama), Patrick Beverley (Arkansas), Jamont Gordon (Mississippi State) and Shan Foster (Vanderbilt).
Fans Urged to Arrive Early for Games
KNOXVILLE -- The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, is asking fans to arrive early at basketball games to allow more time for security searches.
Crowds have been very good so far for the men's and women's exhibition games. To prevent long lines and delayed entry into Thompson-Boling Arena, UT encourages fans to arrive one hour before tipoff.
As part of a new ticketing system, a bar code on the tickets is scanned at the door instead of being torn in half.
The system was changed this season to protect fans if their tickets are lost or stolen and to discourage the use of counterfeit tickets.
If tickets are lost or stolen, fans should contact the ticket office. The bar code will be deactivated, and a new ticket will be issued.
UT also reminds fans that all items they bring may be subject to search or inspection, and hand-held metal detectors may be used.
The following items are not allowed in the arena:
- Large bags, backpacks and other large parcels
- Artificial noisemakers
Radios with headphones, other small electronic devices and diaper bags accompanying infants are permitted.
Many of the same security measures from last year remain in place. They include:
- FOR MEN'S GAMES, GATES WILL OPEN 90 MINUTES BEFORE TIPOFF.
- FOR WOMEN'S GAMES, GATES WILL OPEN 60 MINUTES BEFORE TIPOFF.
- STUDENTS ARE REQUIRED TO ENTER THE GATES OFF THE WEST RAMP.
For parking, basketball fans with permits will be allowed to park in designated lots adjacent to the arena.
Free parking and a shuttle are available at the UT Agriculture campus. Parking also is available in the 11th Street parking garage for $5.
