University of Tennessee Athletics
UT-American Game Notes
March 17, 2008 | Men's Basketball
| Tennessee | Ht. | Wt. | Yr. | PPG | RPG | APG | |
| F | 1 Tyler Smith | 6-7 | 215 | So. | 13.6 | 6.8 | 3.5 |
| F | 4 Wayne Chism | 6-9 | 242 | So. | 9.6 | 5.8 | 1.2 |
| G | 5 Chris Lofton | 6-2 | 200 | Sr. | 16.1 | 3.2 | 1.8 |
| G | 2 JaJuan Smith | 6-2 | 195 | Sr. | 14.5 | 3.7 | 2.3 |
| G | 12 Ramar Smith | 6-2 | 200 | So. | 7.5 | 2.4 | 3.3 |
UT is making 16th NCAA Appearance
| Postseason Guide |
- The No. 2 seed in the East Region of the 2008 NCAA Tournament, the Tennessee Volunteers will meet the 15th-seeded American University Eagles at 11:15 a.m. CST Friday, Feb. 21, at the BJCC Arena in Birmingham, Ala. The winner will advance to meet Butler or South Alabama at 1:30 p.m. Sunday.
- The Vols are making their 16th appearance in the NCAA Tournament, including their third in a row. Tennessee is 11-16 all-time in the NCAA Tournament after advancing to the Sweet 16 last year.
- Bruce Pearl is leading his 14th team to the NCAA Tournament in 16 seasons as a head coach. Pearl owns a 21-12 career record in the tournament, including a 3-2 mark in two appearances at Tennessee.
- UT???s No. 2 seeding ties for the highest in school history. Tennessee also received a No. 2 seed in 2006.
- Tennessee???s 29 wins this season have eclipsed the previous school record of 26 set in 1999-2000. The Vols reached the 20-win milestone faster than any team in school history. UT???s 14 SEC wins are its most ever in a 16-game conference schedule.
- Chris Lofton and Tyler Smith were named first team All-SEC by the league???s coaches and media. JaJuan Smith earned second team All-SEC honors and was named to the All-Defensive team by the coaches. J.P. Prince was tabbed the SEC Sixth Man of the Year and Bruce Pearl was the SEC Coach of the Year.
Tennessee Trends
- Bruce Pearl will be coaching his 500th career game Friday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
- UT???s 600 assists this season are the most in school history, breaking the school record of 546 (in 35 games) set in 2006-07.
- UT???s schedule is ranked as the most difficult in the nation by kenpom.com.
- Tennessee???s 29 wins this season are the most in school history.
- UT???s 14-2 league record earned the school its ninth regular season SEC title. It is UT???s first conference crown since 1999-2000 and the first outright (no ties) title since 1966-67. The Vols won their second SEC Eastern Division championship in the last three seasons and their fourth overall.
- Tennessee???s 14 SEC wins are the most since the league went to divisional play in 1991-92. It is the most UT has ever had in a 16-game conference schedule.
- For the first time since SEC divisional play started in 1991-92, UT posted a 6-0 record against the West.
- Bruce Pearl???s 75 wins in his first three years at Tennessee are the most by a Tennessee coach in his first three seasons in Knoxville.
- UT has won 13 games away from home this season (13-4).
- Tennessee has outrebounded 12 of its last 15 opponents and owns a +4.7 rebounding advantage during those games. The Vols are averaging 14.4 offensive rebounds during the stretch.
- Only five Vols have fouled out of Tennessee???s first 33 games despite having a player record their fourth foul 54 times.
- Tennessee is averaging 21.9 points per game off turnovers this season (722 points in 33 games).
- Tennessee???s 83.0 points per game are leading the SEC for the third consecutive year. Pearl???s teams have led their league in scoring 15 of his 16 years as a head coach.
- Tennessee is the only team in the SEC that does not have a player ranked among the league???s top 30 in minutes played. UT has eight players averaging at least 15 minutes per game.
- Tennessee has forced an average of 18.2 turnovers off an SEC-best 9.3 steals per game this year.
- UT leads the SEC with 18.2 assists per game.
- Six different players have led the Vols in scoring this season.
- UT???s home attendance has grown for the third consecutive year. The Vols are averaging 20,267 fans per game, up from 19,661 last season.
- Tennessee is 45-2 at Thompson-Boling Arena since the start of the 2005-06 season.
- UT has a 32-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 23-0 in non-conference home games under Bruce Pearl.
- Bruce Pearl is 15-7 against ranked teams while at Tennessee.
- The Vols have made at least one 3-pointer in 352 consecutive games.
- Under Bruce Pearl, UT is 68-6 when leading or tied with five minutes left in the game.
- UT is 50-5 when scoring 80 or more points under the direction of Bruce Pearl.
- Tennessee has an all-time record of 1,420-907-2 in its 99th season of basketball.
- UT???s 634 regular season SEC victories rank third all-time in the SEC. Only Kentucky and Alabama have won more league games.
- Tennessee is 245-86 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.
UT In The NCAA Tournament
The Vols are making their 16th appearance in the NCAA Tournament ... It is their third straight appearance and the seventh in the last 11 years ... Tennessee has an 11-16 all-time record in the NCAA Tournament.
- The Vols are 8-6 all-time in the first round of the NCAA Tournament and have won each of their last two first round contests.
- UT???s No. 2 seeding ties for the highest in school history. The Vols were also a No. 2 seed in 2006.
- Tennessee is 1-0 all-time against No. 15 seeds, beating Winthrop 63-61 in 2006.
Bruce Pearl In The NCAA Tournament
Bruce Pearl is leading a team to the NCAA Tournament for the 14th time in 16 years as a head coach ... Pearl owns a 21-12 career record in the NCAA Tournament ... He led Southern Indiana to a 16-8 NCAA Tournament record that included an NCAA Division II national championship in 1995 and a runner-up finish in 1994 ... He has a 5-4 record in NCAA Division I Tournaments ... Pearl has lead his team to the round of 16 in two of the last the last three years ... In 2005 he directed UW-Milwaukee to the Sweet 16 and repeated the feat at Tennessee in 2007.
Vols In Birmingham
Tennessee has a 6-5 all-time record when playing in Birmingham ... Each of the Vols??? games in the city have been part of postseason competition ... UT has played nine SEC Tournament (4-5) and two NCAA Tournament (2-0) games in Birmingham.
Looking At American
Located in Washington, DC, American University earned the Patriot League???s automatic bid with a 52-46 victory over Colgate in the conference???s tournament ... The regular season Patriot League champions, the Eagles have won 10 of their last 11 games on their way to a 21-11 overall record and a 10-4 mark in league play ... AU is making its first ever Division I NCAA Tournament appearance ... American has reached the 20-win milestone for the first time since the 1989-90 season ... Junior guard Garrison Carr, who was named the Patriot League Tournament Most Valuable Player, leads the Eagles with 18.1 points ... The first team all-conference selection has a Patriot League record 129 3-pointers this season ... Derrick Mercer leads the Eagles with 4.1 assists and is second on the team with 12.5 points ... Head coach Jeff Jones directed Virginia to five NCAA Tournament appearances during his tenure in Charlottesville (1990-98) ... The Patriot League representative has won first round NCAA Tournament games two times in the last four years (Bucknell over Kansas in 2005 and Arkansas in 2006) ... The Patriot League representative has not dropped a first round game by more than 11 points since 2000.
The American Series
Tennessee leads the all-time series 1-0 ... The Vols took a 59-58 victory in the first round of the 1981 Volunteer Classic in Knoxville ... UT is 10-3 all-time against current members of the Patriot League.
Tough Schedule Produces 12 NCAA Teams
Tennessee???s schedule has been rated by kenpom.com as the toughest in the nation and it is no wonder when 12 of the 26 teams on the Vols??? schedule received NCAA Tournament invitations ... In all, 16 of UT???s 33 games have come against NCAA Tournament teams with the Vols posting a 12-4 record in those contests ... Included among those teams are No. 1 seed Memphis (1-0), No. 2 Texas (0-1), No. 3 Xavier (1-0), No. 4 Vanderbilt (1-1), No. 7 Gonzaga (1-0), No. 7 West Virginia (1-0), No. 8 Mississippi State (1-0) and No. 9 Arkansas (1-1).
- Additionally, four of UT???s 2007-08 opponents are playing in the National Invitation Tournament (Ohio State, Florida, Mississippi and UNC Asheville).
Lofton Breaks SEC 3-Point Record; Ranks 3rd In NCAA History
Chris Lofton became the Southeastern Conference???s all-time 3-point leader against Kentucky (1/22/08), passing Arkansas??? Pat Bradley ... Lofton???s 426 career treys rank first in SEC history and are third all-time in the NCAA record books ... He became just the seventh player in NCAA history to make 400 career triples ... The senior has made 113 3-pointers this season ... He holds Tennessee career records for 3-pointers made (426), attempted (998) and percentage (.427).
- He leads the Southeastern Conference with an .835 free throw percentage.
- Second in the SEC with 3.42 3-pointers per game.
- His 113 3-pointers this year are second on UT???s single-season lists. He needs two 3-pointers to break his own school record of 114 set in 2005-06. He holds four of the top five single-season marks in school history.
- Led the SEC in 3-point percentage (47.0), free throw percentage (.872) and 3-pointers made per game (3.88) in league games.
- 17.9 points in SEC games ranked fifth in the league.
- Broke the SEC record for career 3-point attempts at LSU (2/9/08). Has 998 career 3-point attempts.
- Ranks fifth on UT???s career scoring lists with 2,102 points. He needs two points to pass Reggie Johnson (2,103 from 1976-80) for fourth in school history.
- Earned first team All-SEC honors for the third time in his career. Joins Len Kosmalski, Ernie Grunfeld, Bernard King, Reggie Johnson and Allan Houston as UT???s three-time first team All-SEC picks.
- Added to the Lofton legend with a 3-pointer with 11 seconds left to give the Vols an 89-87 victory over South Carolina (3/14/08) in the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament.
Lofton Reaches 2,000-Point Milestone
Chris Lofton became the sixth Vol to score 2,000 career points when he reached the milestone in the second half of the Vanderbilt game (2/26/08) ... The senior ranks fifth in Tennessee history with 2,102 career points ... He became the first Vol to reach the milestone since Allan Houston (1989-93) and the first Southeastern Conference player since South Carolina???s B.J. McKie (2,119 points) reached the mark during the 1998-99 season ... Other Vols who have scored 2,000 points include: Houston (2,801), Ernie Grunfeld (2,249), Tony White (2,219), Reggie Johnson (2,103) and Dale Ellis (2,065).
Vols??? 29 Wins Are Most In School History
Tennessee???s 29 wins this season are the most single season wins in school history ... It is the third consecutive year the Vols have won 20 or more games and the 21st time in school history ... It is the 15th time in 16 years as a head coach Bruce Pearl has won 20 games ... Pearl has averaged 24.5 wins in his 16 years as a head coach and 25.0 in three years at UT ... Three of the seven winningest teams in Tennessee history have been coached by Bruce Pearl.
Vols Win 9th SEC Title
Tennessee secured its ninth Southeastern Conference regular season championship and the school???s first in eight years with a 14-2 SEC record ... It is UT???s first outright title (not shared with any other school) since the 1966-67 squad won the conference crown with a 15-3 league record ... Tennessee has won SEC titles in 1936, 1941, 1943, 1967, 1972, 1977, 1982 and 2000 ... The Vols won their fourth SEC Eastern Division title, including their second in three years under the direction of head coach Bruce Pearl.
Pearl Earns Coaching Honors
After leading the Vols to a school record number of wins and their first SEC title in eight years, Bruce Pearl has deservedly seen several accolades come his way ... In his third season at Tennessee, Pearl has received SEC Coach of the Year honors for the second time ... Other honors include:
- SEC Coach of the Year (Associated Press)
- co-SEC Coach of the Year (SEC Coaches)
- co-NABC District 7 Coach Of The Year
- USBWA District IV Coach of the Year
- Naismith College Coach of the Year finalist (1 of 4)
- USBWA Henry Iba Award nominee (1 of 12)
- Jim Phelan National Coach Of The Year Finalist (1 of 10)
Lofton Named Second Team All-America
Senior guard Chris Lofton has been named to the U.S. Basketball Writers Association???s second team All-America squad ... He is the first USBWA All-American from Tennessee since Dale Ellis in 1983 ... As a junior in 2006-07 he was a consensus second team All-America selection.
Quartet Of Vols Earn SEC Honors
Tennessee was well-represented when the SEC unveiled its men???s basketball coaches postseason awards on March 11 ... Head coach Bruce Pearl was named the co-SEC Coach of the Year after leading the Vols to a 14-2 league record and the school???s first league title since 2000 ... Chris Lofton and Tyler Smith earned first team all-conference honors ... JaJuan Smith was a second team all-SEC selection and was named to the league???s All-Defensive team ... Sophomore J.P. Prince was tabbed the SEC???s Sixth Man of the Year.
Vols Rank 4th Nationally In Assists
UT is prominently listed among the national leaders according to the March 16 NCAA statistics.
- Assists per game: 18.2 apg / 4th
- Assist-Turnover Ratio: 1.42 / 5th
- Scoring offense: 83.0 ppg / 5th
- Steals per game: 9.3 spg / 11th
- Scoring margin: 12.9 / 10th
- 3-pointers per game: 9.0 3pg / 22nd
- 3-pointers per game: Chris Lofton - 3.4 3pg / 16th
Records Watch
- Chris Lofton needs two points to pass Reggie Johnson (2,103 from 1976-80) for fourth on UT???s career scoring lists. Lofton has 2,102 career points.
- Lofton needs two 3-pointers to break his own school record of 114 set in 2005-06. He has made 113 triples this season.
- Lofton needs 10 3-pointers to pass St. Peter???s Keydren Clark (435 finishing in 2006) for second on the NCAA???s all-time 3-pointers list. Lofton has made 426 career 3-pointers.
- Lofton needs two 3-point attempts to reach the 1,000 career attempts milestone.
- JaJuan Smith needs two points to pass Mike Edwards (1,343 from 1971-73) for 19th on UT???s career scoring lists. Smith has 1,342 career points.
