On paper, the first half of the season and the first part of conference play haven't been kind to Tennessee.
The Volunteers, two years removed from a trip to the Elite Eight, are
8-9 overall and 1-2 in SEC play after Saturday's 65-62 loss to Kentucky,
their third straight in the heated rivalry.
Yet Tennessee had something to feel good about in a game that,
considering the talent gap between the squads, shouldn't have been as
close as it was. The debut of 17-year-old Jarnell Stokes, a 6-foot-9,
270-pound power forward from Memphis, went better than expected and
provided significant optimism heading toward an easier stretch of SEC
games.
Stokes, in 17 minutes off the bench, scored nine points, grabbed four rebounds and drew a charging foul.
"I think it was really him being really hungry to play, and I thought
the time was right to put him in," first-year Tennessee coach Cuonzo
Martin said. "We had one of those subs to just get him in, get a feel
for the flow, try to go right to him. I thought he did a good job
accepting the challenge."
Landing Stokes, one of the country's most highly demanded recruits, was
one monumental step in the right direction. Getting the early enrollee
SEC-ready after just four practices was just as significant.
The process will remain ongoing as the season continues. It's hard to
figure he'll see less playing time in games this week against Georgia
and UConn than he did Saturday against the Wildcats.
"I wouldn't be out here if I didn't feel like I could do it," Stokes
said. "Coach would've never put me in that situation if he thought I
couldn't. I thank Tennessee for giving me the confidence to go out
there, play and contribute."
NOTES, QUOTES
After an embarrassing effort earlier this month at Memphis, Tennessee
played arguably its three best games of the season, even though two
ended in losses. It fell to the Tigers by 18, but has since upset
Florida, been a basket away from defeating Mississippi State on the road
and put a legitimate scare into No. 2 Kentucky on Saturday.
"We try to hang our hat on toughness," F Jeronne Maymon said. "We just
go out every night and play team defense and team ball. Hopefully, we
get good results. That's how we all think. We all have to be tough. We
all have to be there for one another and have each other's back."
New addition Jarnell Stokes has established a fast relationship with F
Jeronne Maymon, who was averaging 11.5 points and 7.7 rebounds per game
through Sunday. Stokes said he's used Maymon as a role model of sorts
because of his high energy on the court, both in games and at practice.
Maymon insisted that he's not doing anything special.
"I make sure I show him the ropes and show him what other guys are going
to try to do to him, take him off the bounce and be extra physical with
him," Maymon said. "A lot of the guys in this league aren't as big and
physical as him, so he's doing a real good job out there."
Senior SF Cameron Tatum rebounded from one of his worst performances of
the season Thursday against Mississippi State with one of his best
Saturday against Kentucky. Tatum followed up his first zero-point effort
of the year with a team-high 16 points against the Wildcats. Tatum hit a
3-pointer late in the action to make it a one-possession game before
Kentucky pulled away.
"I knew I had to step it up and be aggressive," Tatum said. "My thing
right now is consistency. The guys on the team just tell me to be more
aggressive. They tell me I am a great scorer and a great passer but I
have to know how to get a mix of the two."
QUOTE TO NOTE
"Sometimes when you win a couple of games, you start to think you're
good or whatever the case is. Night in and night out, you have to go out
there and prove yourself once again. I just think our focus level is
turned up a little bit more and we're paying more attention to our
opponent." -- Tennessee F Jeronne Maymon.
