University of Tennessee Athletics
Vol Hoops Report: Nov. 19
November 19, 2011 | Men's Basketball
Nov. 19, 2011
AFTER LEISURELY FRIDAY MORNING, VOLS READY TO WORK IN MAUI
LAHAINA, Hawaii -- The Tennessee basketball team followed up an exhausting day of travel with a day of acclimation, exploration and perspiration on Friday.
After playing a 7 p.m. ET home game against ULM Wednesday, Tennessee (2-0) departed for Maui Thursday morning--in three groups, the first of which lifted off at 6:27 a.m. ET--and convened at the team hotel at 4 a.m. ET Friday morning (total travel time for the group was approximately 21.5 hours).
After a much-needed night's rest, the Vols ate breakfast as a team Friday before embarking on a few hours of leisure time. Some players used the opportunity to do class work, some enjoyed the numerous pools, waterfalls and waterslides scattered throughout the property and others took to the beach for some swimming in the Pacific or--for a brave few--jumping off the cliffs at Black Rock to swim with sea turtles.
But by the early afternoon, the team gathered for lunch and a film session. And then it was off to practice at Lahainaluna High School. Tournament chairman Dave Odom, who previously coached at Wake Forest and South Carolina, dropped by to observe the majority of the Vols' practice.
MAUI FAMILIAR TERRITORY FOR MANY ON VOLS' STAFF Several members of Tennessee's coaching staff have prior basketball history in Hawaii.
Head coach Cuonzo Martin has coaching experience here at the Maui Invitational, as Purdue joined the field in 2006. The Boilermakers, with Martin on the bench just months before being promoted to associate head coach, fell to Georgia Tech before logging wins over Oklahoma and DePaul for a fifth-place finish. It was during that year's tournament that Martin's son, Chase, celebrated his fifth birthday. Now, in 2011, Chase Martin will celebrate his 10th birthday in Maui as well (on Wednesday, Nov. 23).
Tennessee assistant coach Tracy Webster came to the 2001 Maui Invitational as an assistant with Ball State. His Cardinals defeated Kansas and UCLA before falling to Duke in the championship game (interestingly, on Nov. 21).
And UT director of basketball operations Houston Fancher coached at the 1995 Maui Invitational as an assistant at Vanderbilt. The Commodores lost their first game to North Carolina before recording wins over Chaminade and UCLA.
Mark Pancratz, the team's coordinator of video scouting, traveled to Honolulu, Hawaii, during his playing days at Milwaukee-Wisconsin. His Panthers defeated Hawaii 87-81 in an ESPN Bracket Busters game on Feb. 19, 2005.
Even the Volunteers' team hotel, The Westin (which also is home to the Kansas Jayhawks this week), is familiar territory for UT assistant coach Jon Harris. He and his wife, Heidi--a former 1,000-point scorer at Marquette--honeymooned in Maui in June of 2005 and stayed at the same hotel that is home to the team this week.
As a program, this is Tennessee's second appearance in the Maui Invitational. The Big Orange previously competed in the event in 2004, finishing fourth after opening with a win over Stanford and then falling to No. 11 North Carolina and No. 15 Texas.
