Paradise Jam Finals Preview: #7 Purdue vs. #10 Tennessee
by Will on Nov 23, 2009 2:15 PM EST
in Tennessee Volunteer Basketball
27 comments
The marquee matchup everybody wanted will take place tonight in the Paradise Jam Tournament finals, as Purdue and Tennessee square off in the first top ten showdown of the college basketball season. The Vols were untested by East Carolina in their first game in the Virgin Islands, but pushed throughout by DePaul in a defensive battle won by UT 57-53. Purdue has struggled in the first half of both of their Paradise Jam games, but pulled away in the second half each time: they lead South Dakota state by two at the break in the opener before winning by eleven, and led St. Joseph's by only one before outscoring them 54-30 in the second half.
The Boilermakers went 27-10 last year, winning the Big Ten Tournament and advancing to the Sweet 16. They returned six players with starting experience, but lost guard Lewis Jackson to a foot injury. Like all good teams, Purdue can hurt you from inside and outside. The Vols will face one of their most difficult tests of the season in terms of post defense, going against 6'8" Robbie Hummel (13 points, 6 boards per) and leading scorer 6'10" JaJuan Johnson (15 points, 7 boards per). Hummel is also capable of stepping out and hitting the three. Guard E'Twaun Moore dropped 22 on South Dakota State and is the team's second leading scorer.
The contrasting styles of both teams may hold the greatest key to victory: the Vols want to run and have struggled in the halfcourt offense ever since Chris Lofton and JaJuan Smith left, while Purdue would love to slow the pace and use DePaul's blueprint with their superior talent to grind the Vols down. If Purdue can slow Tennessee down, will the Vols be able to score in their halfcourt offense? And how will Tennessee defend against Purdue inside?
The Vols will need Scotty Hopson to play well - a good performance against a top ten team will ease everyone's mind about his 2 for 11 display yesterday, but if Hopson struggles again, we'll have to throw that inconsistent label back on him for now. If Cameron Tatum heats up from outside again, even better. We know we'll get the usual from Tyler Smith and Wayne Chism, but will it be more than Purdue gets from Hummel and Johnson?
This will be a great test for the Vols against what should turn out to be the type of team we'll have to beat in March to reach our ultimate goals. Tennessee hasn't won a tournament of any kind in nine years...can this group break the trend and make a huge statement that this team is good enough to achieve its goals and reach new heights this season? 8:30 PM EST, Fox College Sports (simulcast on Fox Sports Net).
For more on Purdue, check out Hammer & Rails.
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#6 and #9 now...
Should be a fantastic game.
by rcpratt on Nov 23, 2009 2:17 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
This is going to be a tough game.
Purdue returns basically everybody from a Sweet 16 team that really gave UCONN all they could handle. If there is one type of team that Pearl’s squads have struggled against its experienced teams that slow the game down to a grind. We can’t afford to take bad shots and we have to create some turnovers if we want to grab this one.
"I can't hear you, Rocky Top is playing."
by Getoffmyvols on Nov 23, 2009 2:22 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
slowing the game down will benefit Purdue's JuJuan Johnson.
we need to keep him on the run as much as possible.
by golfballs03 on Nov 23, 2009 3:16 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Seeing as I didn't go to Purdue, but decided to attend UT...
…We need to win. Big. It would be great to knock off a talented Purdue team, and have bragging rights when I get back to Indy for Turkey Day!
Also, anyone know of an internet feed for the game? I’ll be stuck in the library with no tv…
by Vols767 on Nov 23, 2009 2:32 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
the capitalism-hating way:
either do cintunial searches on justin for various permutations of the team names,
or head to channelsurfing.net and find whatever was on that channel before the game,
or try the same link as in the Sunday comment thread.
by Hooper on Nov 23, 2009 6:50 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Tip-off
ESPN says tip-off is at 9:30.
Lou Brock loves Lamp.
by birdjam on Nov 23, 2009 2:34 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
8:30 EST according to the PJam site
I think ESPN is confused.
by rcpratt on Nov 23, 2009 2:35 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
You're right, and the UT site says that too.
Stupid ESPN…
Lou Brock loves Lamp.
by birdjam on Nov 23, 2009 2:51 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
It is at 9:30 local time
I think maybe ESPN just assumed that St. Thomas is in the Eastern Time Zone. In fact, it’s in the Atlantic Time Zone.
by nirwin on Nov 23, 2009 3:06 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
My DirecTV schedule...
shows SportsSouth (649, at least for me…)
"It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart. The game begins in the spring, when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone." A. Bartlett Giamatti
by sddbaker on Nov 23, 2009 3:44 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
TV Guide confirms: Sports South, at 8:30.
Tennessee Fans: We win at teh Internet!
by bobo_the_vol on Nov 23, 2009 3:52 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Purdue can run the ball
when tourney times comes and the games are a defensive slugfest in the big 10/11 they run and do well at it. Baylor in the NCAAs everybody thought they would run purdue out of the building but the opposite happened.
by Delaware Boiler on Nov 23, 2009 4:47 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Big 10 basketball is all about defense
It is so boring.
Defense doesn’t always win championships. See: UNC vs Michigan St – last year.
You can outgun these teams… it stems from good guard play. Goins and Maze will need to be focused and make smart plays (not turn the ball over). Also, JP Prince needs to have a more productive game. Hopefully he steps it up tonight.
by golfballs03 on Nov 23, 2009 5:18 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Just because most B10 teams choose to play solid defense doesn't mean they can't run.
Purdue proved it last year against Baylor and Washington, and MSU proved it against Louisville and UCONN and whoever else they beat. Just because they lost to UNC doesn’t mean they can’t run (let’s be honest…was anyone really going to stop UNC?).
If Pearl and the UT players believe that Purdue can’t run or do more than play defense, they’re in for trouble. How a team (or conference) chooses to play is far different than how they’re capable of playing.
by rcpratt on Nov 23, 2009 5:38 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
If we were talking football, though, it'd be a different story.
SEC teams can run circles around the slow, physical Big 10 teams all day long. I think we’ve seen plenty of that lately ;)
by rcpratt on Nov 23, 2009 5:39 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
they don't want to get in a running match with UT...
trust me. They will lose if they do that.
Also, the teams you mention weren’t uptempo teams like Tennessee. UConn was probably the most uptempo of the lot, but they didn’t lose because they got into a running match with MSU.
by golfballs03 on Nov 23, 2009 5:47 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I agree, they don't.
But they’re capable of playing with the tempo when Tennessee has control, and then dominating when they have control.
by rcpratt on Nov 23, 2009 6:35 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Be that as it may...
… I think it should be obvious to all that Tennessee is a lot more comfortable when we run. Even if you (and they) feel like they can run, Purdue would be better served slowing the temp down in this particular game.
Lou Brock loves Lamp.
by birdjam on Nov 23, 2009 5:27 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
exactly
if Purdue decides they want to run with us, that plays completely into our hands. Even if Purdue is capable of running, if they buy into that pace tonight it makes us exponentially more capable of doing what we want to do. Slowing it down is the smart play, their halfcourt is much better than ours. I think any score that gets into the 80s means the Vols are going to win.
by Will on Nov 23, 2009 6:11 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Big East Talent
I’m really looking forward to tonight’s test. It appeared last night that Pearl was satisfied with playing at DePaul’s tempo from the beginning of the game. Hopefully they will start a little more agressively tonight. Check justin tv for a feed.
by chuckiepoo on Nov 23, 2009 5:00 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Purdue has superior talent???
says who?
by golfballs03 on Nov 23, 2009 5:26 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
that Kramer guy reminds me a lot of Dane Bradshaw
he’s not going to win any scoring titles, but he plays really hard and is a great defender. Our PGs need to be on their game. My biggest concern is defending E’Twaun Moore. I would think that Prince will start out guarding him, so Prince needs to be focused on not get mixed up and end up with stupid fouls. He has a good mid-range game, but hasn’t been lighting it up from 3 this year, so Prince shouldn’t worry about getting overextended trying to guard him.
They are a team that fouls a lot, so we need to attack the rim and get to the line.
by golfballs03 on Nov 23, 2009 5:40 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
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