Tennessee-Kentucky game day open thread

by CornFromAJar on Jan 28, 2007 12:24 PM EST in Tennessee Volunteer Basketball

	January 28, 2007, 1:00 EST TV: CBS Radio: Vol Network Internet Broadcast: Yahoo! Satellite Broadcast: Sirius Channel 143 Phone Broadcast: TeamLine
NR		#25

I've been saving the line "Kentucky is bluegrass and Bruce Pearl is the lawnmower" all year, but with Wednesday's loss at Ole Miss and Chris Lofton still sidelined, an upset in Lexington seems less likely than ever.

It's bad enough that Rupp is an impossible place to play for visiting teams, but these days every SEC gym is daunting just because it's nearly unthinkable to win on the road in this league. Still, there is hope. This isn't the Kentucky of old. These 'Cats have struggled to find a foothold just like everybody else in the war of attrition known as SEC basketball.

So, we'll be watching and hoping for, but probably not expecting, an upset. Maybe the Blender and the Tennessee Youth Movement will provide just enough in the Discombobulator's absence.

Heck, it's worth watching just to see if Pearl smashes anything.

Leave your pre-, post-, or in-game thoughts in the comments below.

GO VOLS!

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More "good" news

If Tennessee wins this game, it will be the 10th win by a visiting team in SEC play this year. So ... yeah.

by CornFromAJar on Jan 28, 2007 12:47 PM EST reply actions

Bizzaro world

What has happened to these two programs when one of CBS's "keys to the game" for Kentucky is to defend Tennessee's 3's?

by CornFromAJar on Jan 28, 2007 1:06 PM EST reply actions

At it again...

Pearl has painted his back and arms orange just like the other night when he ... oh, wait, he's just wearing his orange jacket. Never mind.

by CornFromAJar on Jan 28, 2007 1:09 PM EST reply actions

Funny

Good one.

Go Vols!

by Joel Hollingsworth on Jan 28, 2007 1:18 PM EST up reply actions

Not bad

3 point lead at the first TO. Couple of unnecessary early fouls but over all the guys are looking alright.

by CornFromAJar on Jan 28, 2007 1:15 PM EST reply actions

Yeah

Very active. And doing surprisingly well inside.

Go Vols!

by Joel Hollingsworth on Jan 28, 2007 1:19 PM EST up reply actions

Childress

Is a bit out of his element, posting up outside the arc!

Go Vols!

by Joel Hollingsworth on Jan 28, 2007 1:20 PM EST reply actions

Yeah,

Sometimes I think Childress is a little outside his element playing SEC basketball.

Maybe that's a bit harsh.

by CornFromAJar on Jan 28, 2007 1:27 PM EST up reply actions

That's 2 on Morris

Our biggest danger, I think.

Go Vols!

by Joel Hollingsworth on Jan 28, 2007 1:29 PM EST reply actions

Quick

Wow. A lot just happened. With Morris out, immediately take advantage. Set up press. Steal, basket, almost an instant replay, but a foul instead.

Go Vols!

by Joel Hollingsworth on Jan 28, 2007 1:31 PM EST up reply actions

"No longer a freshman"

Ramar Smith is making some really nice plays.

I'd feel a lot better about this game if we had Lofton shooting 3s rather than Josh Tabb.

by CornFromAJar on Jan 28, 2007 1:37 PM EST reply actions

No doubt

We're horrible on our three-pointers right now.

Go Vols!

by Joel Hollingsworth on Jan 28, 2007 1:46 PM EST up reply actions

The upside is

...a lot of times those things even out. SO if you're awful from 3 in the 1st half, you'll be better in the 2nd.

Sometimes.

by CornFromAJar on Jan 28, 2007 1:48 PM EST up reply actions

And there it is.

4 of 13 on threes. But doing well nonetheless.

Go Vols!

by Joel Hollingsworth on Jan 28, 2007 1:56 PM EST up reply actions

OK

Here's hoping for 9-13 on threes in the second!

Go Vols!

by Joel Hollingsworth on Jan 28, 2007 2:01 PM EST up reply actions

Atta boy, Childress!

I take back anything bad I might have said about Childress. For now.

by CornFromAJar on Jan 28, 2007 1:42 PM EST reply actions

Tie game

New phrase: pilfer points, as in points off turnovers. Apparently, we have four so far.

You gotta love Tubby's ability to totally dress down a player just by staring at him with fury in his eyes.

Go Vols!

by Joel Hollingsworth on Jan 28, 2007 1:42 PM EST reply actions

Vols lead at the half....

by the slimmest of margins, 32-31. Could have been more, but Ramar apparently morphed back into a freshman.

JuJuan Smith is doing a nice job of trying to make up for the loss in scoring with Lofton out.

Overall, a heck of a ballgame so far.

by CornFromAJar on Jan 28, 2007 1:54 PM EST reply actions

Time keeps on slippin, slippin, slippin

Funny how fast these things go compared to football, no?

Go Vols!

by Joel Hollingsworth on Jan 28, 2007 1:56 PM EST up reply actions

I think...

That's one of the reasons for football's popularity. Football is an event, basketball is a game.

by CornFromAJar on Jan 28, 2007 2:16 PM EST up reply actions

Heating up

JuJuan is going to be the key to this game, IMHO.

by CornFromAJar on Jan 28, 2007 2:18 PM EST reply actions

DeWayne Chews

is having a tough time.

Go Vols!

by Joel Hollingsworth on Jan 28, 2007 2:21 PM EST reply actions

DuWayne

I mean, DuWayne.

Go Vols!

by Joel Hollingsworth on Jan 28, 2007 2:22 PM EST up reply actions

Need a reminder

I never remember to hop on here until way late (or after the game). Regardless, I've been watching the game and am quite suprised we're still in this one with 11 mins remaining. Individually, we're pretty bad, but as a team we're treading water.

by Aerobab on Jan 28, 2007 2:30 PM EST reply actions

Threes

J. Smith: 4-7.

Rest of the team: 3-15.

Go Vols!

by Joel Hollingsworth on Jan 28, 2007 2:33 PM EST reply actions

Yikes

Uhhh...what in the world just happened? Panic time already?!?!

by Aerobab on Jan 28, 2007 2:36 PM EST reply actions

Yikes

10 point lead for UK. Thant happened fast, didn't it?

by CornFromAJar on Jan 28, 2007 2:36 PM EST reply actions

It's pouring threes

UK up 10.

The law of averages on threes does indeed even out. But it's the 'Cats that are doing the evening.

Go Vols!

by Joel Hollingsworth on Jan 28, 2007 2:36 PM EST reply actions

Frustrating...

It's one thing to be unable to compete because you're physically outmatched by your opponent.

It's a totally different thing to be standing on the free throw line and miss the front end of a 1-and-1.

ARGHHH!

by CornFromAJar on Jan 28, 2007 2:46 PM EST reply actions

Pardon the interruption, but...

That State Farm commercial is a load of crap. The youth basketball coaches' car gets broken into, so the insurance agent takes the kids to the mall to replace their uniforms, then coaches the freakin' game! Come on!

We now return you to ARGHHH!

by CornFromAJar on Jan 28, 2007 2:55 PM EST reply actions

Waiting

I'm taking bets to see how long it takes for someone to analogize that commercial to Fulmer's rise to power at UT.

Go Vols!

by Joel Hollingsworth on Jan 28, 2007 3:04 PM EST up reply actions

HA!

Now that's funny!

by CornFromAJar on Jan 28, 2007 3:15 PM EST up reply actions

Good thing

Sure is a good thing that we lost by more than a dozen...otherwise I'd have to blame another loss on missed free-throws!

Excellent 1st half...another 2nd half disaster. I'm thinking that the 2nd half colapses are no longer "flukes", "accidents", or "coincidences". It's now officially a "trend". Bad news.

by Aerobab on Jan 28, 2007 3:06 PM EST reply actions

Yep

Agreed. Trend.

But why? Can we overcome our height disadvantage only for a half, or is it something else?

Go Vols!

by Joel Hollingsworth on Jan 28, 2007 3:11 PM EST up reply actions

Ugh.

76-57, 'Cats.

Well, I really didn't expect UT to compete for as long as they did, so I shouldn't be disappointed. But I am.

Now that the brutal stretch of road games is over, Tennessee gets four of the next five at TBA. That's the good news. The bad news is that in those five games we face #21 LSU and a Georgia team than is much better than anybody expected. Also games against Vandy and Kentucky, teams who have already beaten UT once this year. Oh, and that one road game is at #1 Florida. Ugh.

But for the Vols to have any chance of going to the dance, outside of winning the SEC, they have to defend the Thomps in this upcoming stretch. Up first, UGa on Wednesday.

Go Vols.

by CornFromAJar on Jan 28, 2007 3:14 PM EST reply actions