Jumping Thru Hoops: Vols See Same Ol' Vandy, Brand New Buckeyes

by CornFromAJar on Jan 18, 2008 1:41 PM EST in Tennessee Volunteer Basketball

Oooh, logo. Hey, it only took a little more than a month to do another one of these; that's progress, baby!

Inane Basketball Commentary

In the first two weeks of conference play, Tennessee has seen and beaten the two teams most likely to challenge them for SEC supremacy (Ole Miss and Vandy). They've done it without Chris Lofton looking like the Discombobulator he was last year. They've done it while breaking in new faces in new places. They've done without chemistry being a deterrent, despite going 9 or 10 deep and rotating lineups. In fact, chemistry seems to be great with this bunch -- perhaps because this team plays so fast, everybody gets their touches?

But that's the good news. The bad news, if you want to look for some, is that SEC play is a long road. What if the chemistry sours? What if egos start popping up? What will happen when this team goes to Rupp and Memorial and the O-Dome and the Hump? There are a lot of challenges ahead of this squad, and how they hold together through those challenges over the next few weeks will tell a lot about them.

As for right now, I'm still enjoying Thursday's beatdown of Vanderbilt and looking forward to Saturday's game against Ohio State, in part because I'm going (it will be my only trip to Thompson-Boling this year) and in part because I want avengement for last year's losses to the Bucks. For anybody lucky enough to have forgotten, last March's loss to Ohio State ended something like this:

And even though this isn't the Greg Oden-Mike Conley version of tOSU, maybe the chance to see scarlet and gray will help these guys Remember the Alomodome.

Prediction vs. Reality

Measuring how the Vols have fared in the last five games against how some really smart computers (Sagarin, Pomeroy) thought they'd do, and what the really smart computers think about the next five. Chartage:

Overachiving. mostly, and predicted wins in the next five games (at this point, the only team Tennessee won't be favored against is Memphis). Good things, no?

Bruce Pearl's Guide to Style

With Thursday's beatdown of Vandy, Bruce Pearl is now 6-3 in the Orange Blazer.

Yes, coach, that's six wins.

Discombobulation Watch and Fancy New Blender

We've been waiting all year for a Discombobulatory performance from Chris Lofton, and although he hasn't reached that level yet this season, we do have another nickname torch that has been passed on.

During Thursday night's beatdown of Vandy (I just like typing that), ESPN's Jimmy Dykes labeled Tyler Smith as Tennessee's "blender" as the one who shakes things up and makes it come out smooth -- the same title he gave to Dane Bradshaw a year ago. There were many other comparisons between Bradshaw and Tyler throughout the game, and I can see it, though T. Smith is way more talented (and I don't mean that as a slight on Dane).

So, yeah, from now on, Tyler Smith is our fancy new orange blender, like the one pictured at right. BTW, I totally want one of those.

Miscellany...

If you're a fan of the circus, you may want to check out the post-beatdown varying levels of dismay over at Vanderbilt Sports Line, I'm pretty sure all the stages of grief are in the comments there ... The BruceBall Blog points out UT's defensive efficiency, including how the Vols held the SEC's second-highest scoring team to just 60 points ... tOSU previews at The O-Zone and College Hoops Net, also use this Google search link for more as the game approaches ... last but not least, Go Vols!

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Duke is back in the house!!!

http://www.govolsxtra.com/news/2008/jan/18/crews-cleared-return/

Go Vols!

by gramsey712 on Jan 18, 2008 4:12 PM EST reply actions

Something for everybody

Oooh, good stuff, CfaJ. Pretty pictures and logos for me, numbers and charts for hooper, and an orange blender for . . . well, who wouldn't want that thing?

We're in for a ride!

Go Vols!

by Joel Hollingsworth on Jan 18, 2008 4:32 PM EST reply actions

Maybeb we can get a bulk discount

if we get everybody in on an order for an orange blender. Sweet talk them enough, and we could probably get the orange fire hydrant half price!

by David Hooper on Jan 18, 2008 6:22 PM EST up reply actions

Maybe,

I can learn how to spell "maybe", too. Yeesh.

by David Hooper on Jan 18, 2008 6:23 PM EST up reply actions

email

First things first, this is (was?) a fantastic post! Great work as usual!

CfaJ...you're an "out of towner" (not currently living in the Knoxville area), right? If you want to grab a brew or something pre-game, let me know. aerobab (at the) hotmail.com variety.

by Aerobab on Jan 18, 2008 9:04 PM EST reply actions

Eye-opener for me

I never realized that there was any animosity between Vandy and UT. From this end of the state, it's always seemed to me that the relationship between these two schools was about as cordial as possible for two SEC teams, and that they didn't really view the other as a rival of any kind. Reading through that Vandy blog, I saw a different story, though; is it a one-way animosity that UT just doesn't feel inclined to reciprocate, or have I misinterpreted things around here too?

I'll chalk this one up to being relatively new to the area, and not coming from the South in general.

by David Hooper on Jan 19, 2008 10:36 AM EST reply actions

Maybe if Vandy would win a game

especially in football, we'd give them respect and probably have a healthy rivalry a la Florida, Alabama, etc. Vandy is a good baseball school though, so look out for that in a couple months, Hooper.

And now... the BasketVols!

by Volorado on Jan 19, 2008 12:00 PM EST reply actions