Basketball Vols take shiny new No. 3 ranking to Rupp, John Calipari squirms

by Joel Hollingsworth on Jan 22, 2008 6:37 AM EST in Tennessee Volunteer Basketball

Update [2008-1-22 10:16:28 by Joel]: Oh, my. I was terribly remiss in neglecting to link to excellent Kentucky blog A Sea of Blue, especially to this fantastic post that features numbers and all sorts of other mysterious stuff. Apologies to Tru. Still hope we beat you mercilessly this evening, but . . . nice charts!

Well, whaddya know, the basketball Vols are No. 3 in the AP poll, behind Memphis and Kansas. That thar's a school record, y'all. Memphis coach John Calipari must feel threatened or something because he's acting ugly. Well, maybe that's just his way. We don't play the Tigers until February 23, but ole John already has a couple of choice quotes for Tennessee fans.

First up:

[the Vols] foul, like on every possession.

My response: Like, ya know, oh really?

Second:

Tennessee will try to come [to the city of Memphis] and recruit some, but the kids we want here, we're going to get.

My response: tell that to this year's best player from Memphis, Elliot Williams, who chose . . . drumroll . . . Duke. I say coach Pearl goes and gets Leslie McDonald, who has Memphis, Tennessee, and a handful of other high-profile basketball programs on his list for 2009. Like, ya know, just for spite and stuff. And yes, I just called Tennessee a "high-profile basketball program." Get used to it.

But that's next month. Tonight, we've got ourselves a second Orange Jacket game in less than a week, when Tennessee travels to Rupp Arena to put its shiny new No. 3 national ranking on the line against the Kentucky Wildcats. Yes, Caintuck's lost at home to Gardner-Webb and San Diego, but they are beginning to find their legs under new head coach Billy Gillispie. They commenced SEC play by beating unbeaten Vanderbilt in double overtime. They then fought back from double-digit deficits at SEC West leader Mississippi State and at Florida only to barely lose, 69-64 against the Bulldogs and 81-70 in overtime against the Gators.

Win tonight, and the Vols will have their best start in school history. What does coach Pearl have to say about that? Well, he prefers to just live in the now. I guess the time for gazing at trophies is after you've done the thing for which the trophy is awarded, not during. Novel concept.

Tonight could be the night that Chris Lofton finds his stroke. The Discombobulator has hit 63.2% (12 of 19) of his threes and averaged 24 points in two games at Rupp. He needs five three-pointers to set the SEC record. What does Lofton have to say about that? Well, he just wants to win.

Remember, once upon a time (early this season), when Ramar Smith went 0-12 on free throws in a single game? Well, he's now the SEC's leading free-throw shooter, having made 14 of his 15 attempts. Credit the motivation that that 0-12 non-SEC start provided.

P.S. Former Vol C.J. Watson, who was recently called up to play for the NBA's Golden State Warriors, is blogging the experience:

When I was coming to check into the game, fans were yelling "Go CJ, we are proud of you" and when I checked into the game and the announcer said my name, everyone stood up and started cheering for me. That was the moment of my life, I can go ahead and die now. I’m just joking, but you know what I mean. I busted out a big smile while running down the court. I know, lame right? But I had to, I was happy and couldn't think of anything else, because we had the ball on offense and I didn't want to turn it over. I was so excited, I don't think I would have hit the rim if I shot the ball. But the only shots I took that game were threes, and they all went in, and were big shots for the team. So I can finally say I helped contribute to a victory for my team on the NBA level. Hopefully it won't be the last.

My phone hasn't stopped ringing for like the past week-- people congratulating me, making ticket requests already, and other stuff. But it’s been a rollercoaster ride, and I'm glad it all paid off. I still have a lot of work to do. I'm not finished just yet, though, stay tuned for more from the Quiet Storm!!!

Big tip o' the hat to Seth of Double T Nation for the link.

See all y'all tonight at the game thread. Tipoff's at 9:00 EST. Go Vols!

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Comments

Tiger Whoopin

Its amazing even after last years whoopin (at one point it was Chris Lofton 27 Memphis 22) Memphis still has very little respect for the big orange.

by Getoffmyvols on Jan 22, 2008 8:13 AM EST reply actions

Respect

I think Memphis has MUCH respect for the Vols up and coming (here?) bball program...so much in fact that they feel threatened and jealous that they're not the only team in the limelight anymore.

It's just a shame they can't be a little more classy about that fact. Who does John Callipari think he is? Kevin Stallings?

by Aerobab on Jan 22, 2008 8:43 AM EST up reply actions

Trash Talkin'

I just gave a quick round of trash talkin' to one of my good friends who is a UK grad and an avid hoops supporter. She quickly informed me that UK will loose this game and that she's ok with that due to the fact the UK is now a "Football School"!

Got a good chuckle out of me!

by Aerobab on Jan 22, 2008 8:49 AM EST reply actions

I can't wait

The only thing better than beating Calipari is beating John Brady. February 9th can't get here fast enough.

But I digress......It's Kentucky tonight.

Go Vols!

by gramsey712 on Jan 22, 2008 9:08 AM EST reply actions

I used to support Memphis

(mainly because UT was so bad at basketball) but Calipari has made dislike that program so much that it is impossible to cheer for them (Plus, UT's rise). But how crazy is it that Tennessee is the premier state for college basketball with UT Memphis and Vandy, crazy!

And now... the BasketVols!

by Volorado on Jan 22, 2008 11:08 AM EST reply actions

Calipari's comment

"(the Vols) foul, like on every possession."

That is simply a posturing comment to try to negotiate with the refs. If he can establish that the Vols foul excessively and tend to get away with a lot, it makes it easier for him to convince the refs to call a tighter game. It's not a bad move from his end, particularly because no coach particularly likes to have a tough OOC game in the center of conference play.

The counter strategy is for the Vols to be very respectful to the refs between now and the Memphis game, and for Pearl to be dismissive and humorous about the comment if he's ever asked. If he points out that Calipari's comment calls into question the referee's calls from prior games, then he puts Calipari into the uncomfortable position of being antagonistic toward the refs.

Beyond that, though, Calipari has reason to worry this time. I don't know who has the advantage in this game, but the Vols certainly have a real chance to win. If they can come into Mamphis and pull off a solid win, then the recruiting trail into Memphis becomes wide open. As Joel noted, Calipari doesn't have a monopoly on the best players in Memphis, and he really can't afford much more recruiting rivalry. While places like Duke and UNC can recruit nationally, Memphis is a little more regionalized.

by David Hooper on Jan 22, 2008 11:12 AM EST reply actions

On to UK

The Sea of Blue post is a great read, and I recommend it to anybody who hasn't read it yet. It's very candid on the numbers, and provides a great read of what UK fans will be watching for in the early minutes of the game.

One note from SoB that will be extremely bright for UT's future is his comment on UT's depth. Pearl does a fantastic job of getting all his players involved. Yet even the starters get plenty of time to shine. I think Pearl's figured out that the number of minutes played is not the goal, but the number of possessions is. (On a side note: in football, time of possession is not the relevant statistic; rather, number of offensive plays is the one the networks should keep track of.) By keeping the possessions short and the game quick, there are lots of opportunities for everybody to contribute. That's why Pearl can play a deep bench while still giving Lofton plenty of opportunities to find his groove.

It should be a good game. Both sides seem very respectful on each other, and I think they'll play a tight, competitive game without any of the ugliness that a deep-seated rivalry can bring.

by David Hooper on Jan 22, 2008 11:19 AM EST reply actions

Thanks for the linkage, Joel ...

We are looking forward to a great game tonight. Clearly, this is one that UT should win, but we are hoping to throw a monkey-wrench into your shiny new #3 AP ranking.

BTW, I have you at #3 in my blogpoll ballot as well. Tennessee has been playing really well, but I hope we can spring the upset tonight. We need one.

Here's to an exciting game with no injuries. And thanks to all who stopped by the blog. Oh, and I'm happy to see you guys have Crews back, and that he's apparently OK. That's just sauce for the goose.

A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan.

by Glenn Logan on Jan 22, 2008 12:00 PM EST reply actions