by Paul Jordan
GAME 29 – 2/27/2010
THOMPSON-BOLING ARENA – KNOXVILLE, TN
12 PM – TV- CBS
#17 TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS 20-7 (8-5)
KENTUCKY LEADS SERIES 142-65
RECENT MEETINGS:
2/13/2010: KENTUCKY 73 TENNESSEE 62
2/21/2009: KENTUCKY 77 TENNESSEE 58
1/13/2009: KENTUCKY 90 TENNESSEE 72
3/2/2008: TENNESSEE 63 KENTUCKY 60
1/22/2008: KENTUCKY 72 TENNESSEE 66
2/13/2007: TENNESSEE 89 KENTUCKY 85
1/28/2007: KENTUCKY 76 TENNESSEE 57
Weren’t we just here two weeks ago? Indeed we were. Kentucky has been a perfect 3-0 since the last time these teams met and are on the verge of wrapping up their 44th regular season SEC championship. The Vols are coming off a blow out loss to the Gators in which they fell to fourth in the SEC East and desperately need a win over the Wildcats to restore some luster to their NCAA resume. Make no mistake, the Vols are going dancing, but you have to wonder what kind of seed they will get if they drop this game and boast an 0-4 record versus UK and Vandy. The Vols really have just one quality win on the season, and it was that home court win over Kansas. Tennessee desperately needs this win and to be honest, I don’t know how many teams have knocked off the #1 and the #2 team in the country, but Tennessee will be looking to recreate that Thompson-Boling magic.
Just a word on the probable starters. That wacky Bruce Pearl was being really tricky and unpredictable and did not start Scotty Hopson against Florida, going with Williams instead. If he is sane, Hopson will start.
THE STARTERS:
G – SCOTTY HOPSON – SO 6’7 200
12.9 ppg, 3.6 rebs. 1.3 assists
G – BOBBY MAZE – SR 6’3 195
9.4 ppg, 2.7 rebs, 3.1 assists
F – J.P. PRINCE – SR – 6’7 205
8.3 ppg, 3.9 rebs, 3.1 assists
G – MELVIN GOINS – JR 5’11 195
5.4 ppg, 2.1 rebs, 2.0 assists
F/C – WAYNE CHISM – SR 6’9 246
12.9 ppg, 6.9 rebs, 1 assists
Scotty Hopson is quick and long, and could present matchup problems. Only a sophomore, Hopson has gotten more assertive and is especially elusive in getting to the rim. He is a decent three point shooter at 37.8 and is coming off a 20 point game against the Gators. The downside? As good a shooter Hopson is, he is anemic from the line (59.3%) and has a horrible A/TO ratio (.60) and is a pretty average rebounder for a 6’7 guy. Bobby Maze has done of good job of becoming the Vols floor general with a 2.24 A/TO ratio for the season, but that ratio has been just 1.30 the last four games. He has become a consistent scorer, hitting double digits in five of his last six games ans been on fire from beyond the arc in this games, hitting 7-15 treys. That has brought his 3-point percentage up to 26% on the season. Maze is at his best as a PG against the better teams – against Purdue, Kansas and Vanderbilt, Maze had a total of 19 assist and 3 TO’s. although he had just one assist and three turnovers versus the Cats. Melvin Goins has moved into the starting lineup lately, but has been pretty ineffective, scoring just 7 points in his last three games and has just two double digit games in his last eight.
J.P Prince is a nice all around player with great length and ability to score in the paint. Prince is capable of the occasional scoring game as he has scored in double digits eleven games. Prince does tend to disappear scoring wise in the games where he is not putting up big numbers and he has 12 games where he has put up 5 points or less. Prince is a pretty consistent rebounder and ball handler and leads the Vols in steals. Wayne Chism is a bit undersized as a center and to be banging around with Cousins, yet that is the task that will probably fall to him. Chism has really stepped it up, the last four games, averaging 20.5 ppg and 9 rebounds over the past five games. For a big guy, Chism can score from all over the court and has hit 34.7% of his treys on the season. Chsim suffered an injury in the Florida game, but from all indications, he will be playing against UK.
G Cameron Tatum has seen both his production and playing time decrease since returning from suspension. He has played in just two of the last five games, but did score 13 against the Gators. He is hitting 41.5% of his treys. G Renaldo Woolridge has been banished back to the bench as Goins has gotten back up to speed but has played two minutes in the lat three games. Woolridge is averaging 3.8 points and 3.3 boards a game. C Brian Williams brings his 6’10 frame and 4.9 ppg and 4.8 boards to this game, but has been strangle ineffective since returning from a 10 game suspension. To counter Kentucky’s length, Williams may get a surprise start. Tennessee also has a couple of bench players that you will love to hate: G Skylar McBee and Daddy’s Boy F Stephen Pearl. McBee is averaging 4.0 points in 15 minutes a game and Pearl is good for 9 minutes and 1.6 points.
OUTLOOK
Face, the Vols are desperate and they will have a sold out stadium backing them. I would have counted this game in the loss column before Kentucky went on the road to Mississippi and Vanderbilt. That said, there will some blue in the stands and UK is battled tested in hostile environments. That will bring the game down to pure talent and Kentucky wins that game easily. Chism has been playing banged up the last four or five games and you have to wonder how effective he will be against Cousins, Patterson, and Orton. Chism watched most of the Florida game in pain from the bench and if this game gets physical, he will be targeted.
Tennessee has played mostly uninspired basketball the last four games and were embarrassed by the Gators this week. A loss will certainly drop the Vols out of the top 25 and could start pushing them near that dreaded 8-9 seed range. Kentucky can expect the Vols best effort this game but Kentucky has played desperate teams on the road lately and face it, nothing could be sweeter than wrapping up part of a 44th SEC crown on the Vols home court. It will be tough, but look for Kentucky’s new found defensive intensity to pull out a gritty win. UK 81 Tennessee 78
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