Tennessee Volunteers v. LSU Tigers: open game thread

by Joel Hollingsworth on Feb 9, 2008 9:30 AM EST in Tennessee Volunteer Basketball

	February 9, 2008, 3:00 EST TV: Raycom Sports Radio: Vol Network XM Radio: 199 Phone Broadcast: TeamLine Live Stats: LSUSports.net
20-2 (overall) 7-1 (SEC) No. 7 (AP) No. 7 (USA Today)		8-13 (overall) 1-6 (SEC) NR (AP) NR (USA Today)

Tennessee		Ht.	Wt.	Yr.	PPG	RPG	APG	Jackson the Mule says . . .
F	1 Tyler Smith	6-7	215	So.	13.5	6.2	3.8	Jackson the Mule says . . .
F	4 Wayne Chism	6-9	242	So.	8.7	6.0	1.1
G	5 Chris Lofton	6-2	200	Sr.	15.7	3.0	2.0
G	2 JaJuan Smith	6-2	195	Sr.	14.8	3.3	2.5
G	12 Ramar Smith	6-2	200	So.	8.5	2.3	3.5
LSU		Ht.	Wt.	Yr.	PPG	RPG	APG
F	3 Anthony Randolph	6-10	190	Fr.	14.1	8.6	1.4
F	32 Quintin Thornton	6-8	230	Jr.	2.6	2.9	0.9
G	30 Alex Farrer	6-5	200	So.	2.8	1.4	0.9
G	14 Garrett Temple	6-6	185	Jr.	6.8	4.2	3.6	. . . Hey, it's not like that guy was Pete Maravich.
G	5 Marcus Thornton	6-4	190	Jr.	19.8	5.9	1.4	. . . Hey, it's not like that guy was Pete Maravich.

Okay, so straight from Skip Bertman's mouth, just-terminated LSU coach John Brady will not coach today's game against Tennessee. Condolences, gramsey712.

Hey, didja know that LSU is one of only two teams in the SEC that has a winning record against Tennessee since the start of the 2005-06 season? They're 2-1 against us. The other, Kentucky, is 3-2.

Chris Lofton All-Time Career Three Watch:

needs three three-pointers to move into 7th; probable this game
needs 12 three-pointers to move into 6th; unreachable this game
is averaging 3.45 threes per game on the season, 5.17 over the past six games
assuming there are 15 games left in the season (nine regular season and six post season), needs to average 4.6 threes per game

Leave your pre-, in-, and post-game thoughts below.

Go Vols! Hulk smash Tigers!

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Comments

I wish

that this would've been Brady's last game, because a loss to Bruce Pearl would just be like pouring salt on the wound, and it would've been sweet!

And now... the BasketVols!

by Volorado on Feb 9, 2008 11:10 AM EST reply actions

Looks like Raycom insists on

getting all of their money up front. Nothing but ads until now.

Go Vols!

by Joel Hollingsworth on Feb 9, 2008 3:09 PM EST reply actions

smart move.

A shorthanded LSU projects to make for a lousy second half.

by David Hooper on Feb 9, 2008 3:11 PM EST up reply actions

We're cold early

Shots coming up short.

Go Vols!

by Joel Hollingsworth on Feb 9, 2008 3:13 PM EST reply actions

Whoa

Nice follow up slam by Crews. Making up for the easy miss last time down.

Go Vols!

by Joel Hollingsworth on Feb 9, 2008 3:16 PM EST reply actions

Excellent inbounds coverage

the steal/score and the TO

by David Hooper on Feb 9, 2008 3:20 PM EST reply actions

Wow 2 consecutive OOB TOs

A turnover and bucket, and they didn't even get a chance to reset, so they had to take a timeout the next time. That is cool.

Go Vols!

by Joel Hollingsworth on Feb 9, 2008 3:20 PM EST reply actions

I love Crews' enthusiasm and energy

I think we really missed him.

Go Vols!

by Joel Hollingsworth on Feb 9, 2008 3:22 PM EST reply actions

Emotion

LSU's emotional. That'll give out soon, won't it?

Go Vols!

by Joel Hollingsworth on Feb 9, 2008 3:23 PM EST reply actions

There's one for Lofton

Four more would be good. And boy, what a monster dunk by LSU.

Go Vols!

by Joel Hollingsworth on Feb 9, 2008 3:27 PM EST reply actions

LSU knows that this is a free game for them. There's absolutely zero pressure (or expectation) for them to win, given the recent news. I'm willing to bet Butch just told them to have a fun day out there and to heck with the scoreboard.

UT, on the other hand, is tight.

by David Hooper on Feb 9, 2008 3:28 PM EST reply actions

Fouls

LSU 10, UT 4. Bad news for a thin team.

Go Vols!

by Joel Hollingsworth on Feb 9, 2008 3:41 PM EST reply actions

First lead?

22-21, Tennessee. I think that's our first lead.

Go Vols!

by Joel Hollingsworth on Feb 9, 2008 3:43 PM EST reply actions

Lofton: second three

Go Vols!

by Joel Hollingsworth on Feb 9, 2008 3:49 PM EST reply actions

Check out that steal

Our guy wasn't even really facing the ball, just happened to have his hands up.

Oh, and three for Lofton.

Go Vols!

by Joel Hollingsworth on Feb 9, 2008 3:50 PM EST reply actions

Very, very fast first half

wow. I looked down to work on some homework, and about 10 minutes went by.

by David Hooper on Feb 9, 2008 3:52 PM EST reply actions

Yeah

Of course, anything would seem fast after that last game.

Go Vols!

by Joel Hollingsworth on Feb 9, 2008 4:08 PM EST up reply actions

Halftime stats


24	Points	27
11/24 - 45%	Field Goals	10/32 - 31%
2/10 - 20%	3-Point FGs	3/9 - 33%
0/0	Free Throws	4/10 - 40%
19 (5/14)	Rebounds (Off-Def)	19 (11/8)
11	Total Fouls	5
	Steals
5	Blocks	2
6	Assists	3
14	Turnovers	7
.4	Assist/Turnover	.4
5	Bench Points	9

Go Vols!

by Joel Hollingsworth on Feb 9, 2008 4:08 PM EST reply actions

Fouls

That's a huge thing for us. Nobody had more than 1. One of their starters (Randolph) already has 3. Expect the second half to have a lot more scoring, as LSU needs to protect their playing time.

by David Hooper on Feb 9, 2008 4:11 PM EST up reply actions

Ok, now

time to discombobulate!

by David Hooper on Feb 9, 2008 4:11 PM EST reply actions

UT is lazy

The passing is sloppy, and they're taking breaks on defense.

I think they're expecting to win it without any effort.

by David Hooper on Feb 9, 2008 4:13 PM EST reply actions

Ha

And they just might.

Go Vols!

by Joel Hollingsworth on Feb 9, 2008 4:15 PM EST up reply actions

O-boards

We have 15 offensive rebounds.

Go Vols!

by Joel Hollingsworth on Feb 9, 2008 4:22 PM EST reply actions

If you'd been told that would happen

with over 10 minutes left, would you believe we'd have less than 40 points?

by David Hooper on Feb 9, 2008 4:28 PM EST up reply actions

It's still sloppy

it's like they're jogging rather than running.

by David Hooper on Feb 9, 2008 4:27 PM EST reply actions

Yep

Lots of loose balls, scrambles, etc. Both sides.

Go Vols!

by Joel Hollingsworth on Feb 9, 2008 4:30 PM EST up reply actions

Gotta love that 0.315

shooting percentage by UT. Egad.

by David Hooper on Feb 9, 2008 4:37 PM EST reply actions

Yeah

What's happened to that law of averages of yours? Where'd you put it? I want it.

Go Vols!

by Joel Hollingsworth on Feb 9, 2008 4:42 PM EST up reply actions

4 on Randolph

Good. He's killing us inside.

by David Hooper on Feb 9, 2008 4:40 PM EST reply actions

This one's getting a bit . . .

. . . um, close.

Go Vols!

by Joel Hollingsworth on Feb 9, 2008 4:41 PM EST reply actions

It's UT's fault

entirely. The announcer's "matchup" theory is irrelevant. LSU wants it more. Just like Kentucky.

by David Hooper on Feb 9, 2008 4:43 PM EST up reply actions

Four for Lofton

One more for cushion.

Go Vols!

by Joel Hollingsworth on Feb 9, 2008 4:45 PM EST reply actions

3

They called one of those first-half shots a 2.

by David Hooper on Feb 9, 2008 4:46 PM EST up reply actions

huh

I don't even remember one of them being close. Oh, well.

Go Vols!

by Joel Hollingsworth on Feb 9, 2008 4:48 PM EST up reply actions

Oh

Good stop, just to give up the rebound, foul, and let them hit the follow. They could tie the game on the FT.

Go Vols!

by Joel Hollingsworth on Feb 9, 2008 4:52 PM EST reply actions

It's almost like

UT wanted LSU to feel better about themselves.

by David Hooper on Feb 9, 2008 4:53 PM EST reply actions

Got Lofton a shot

didn't fall.

This is not good.

Go Vols!

by Joel Hollingsworth on Feb 9, 2008 4:53 PM EST reply actions

Do we intentionally foul?

by David Hooper on Feb 9, 2008 4:56 PM EST reply actions

Two bad calls in a row

The charge that was a block and the over-the-back that wasn't called.

Go Vols!

by Joel Hollingsworth on Feb 9, 2008 4:56 PM EST reply actions

by Joel Hollingsworth on Feb 9, 2008 4:59 PM EST up reply actions

OH, YEAH!

Nice substitution by Pearl. Put J. Smith in for Prince for defense, and JuJuan immediately goes for a steal, gets it, and goes the distance for a layup.

The refs are looking at a late dunk by LSU to tie, but time was out.

Good win by the Vols. Could easily have been a loss as poorly as they played.

Go Vols!

by Joel Hollingsworth on Feb 9, 2008 4:57 PM EST reply actions