If Tennessee played the way it did against Florida, one of the top teams
in the country, every game, there'd be no question about its postseason
plans. The Volunteers would be a lock for the NCAA Tournament.
Alas,
the Volunteers have been up and down throughout Cuonzo Martin's first
year as head coach, standing 13-12 with six games to play before the SEC
Tournament. Not even running the table would guarantee a spot in the
Big Dance.
Confidence, though, was high heading into that
stretch. Beating a team like Florida on its home court, 75-70, never
gets old, even when it was the second time Tennessee had defeated the
Gators this season.
"Our confidence and swagger is at an all-time
high," center Kenny Hall said. "We're going to enjoy this victory and
then focus on our next opponent."
The Volunteers' next six
opponents, presumably, present an easier challenge than the previous
part of a front-loaded schedule. Only its regular-season ending home
game against Vanderbilt comes against a team that currently sits ahead
of Tennessee in the SEC standings.
Martin, 25 games into his
first season with the Volunteers, sees a team that has finally come
together and is prepared for such a crucial couple of weeks.
"The
walk-throughs, the mentality, and I think we've gotten better as a team
in SEC play," Martin said. "We made the strides at home to get better
as a team."
NOTES, QUOTES
--Tennessee
hadn't won a game away from home against a Division I foe since March
2011 before it toppled Florida, 75-70, on Saturday in Gainesville.
Something always seemed amiss for the Volunteers when they stepped out
of the cozy confines of Thompson-Boling Arena before Saturday's triumph.
Coach Cuonzo Martin said he noticed a difference in the Volunteers
during the morning shootaround Saturday and didn't seem surprised by the
upset result.
"I felt like it was the first time we were able to
win a road game," Martin said. "We had the necessary pieces and the
necessary mindset to win the game. Before, we weren't mentally ready. I
let our guys know we could win our road games."
--G Skylar McBee
could be in the starting lineup for good after the way he's performed
in the past three games. The 3-point specialist has averaged 13.7 points
per game and has been tough on defense during the three-game stretch.
The Volunteers have won all three games.
Coach Cuonzo Martin said
he doesn't like to change his starting lineup often, so there's no
reason to believe he'll tinker with it to move McBee back to the bench.
--PF
Jarnell Stokes returned to the court Saturday after missing action
Wednesday against South Carolina because of a sprained wrist. Stokes
played 11 minutes and scored four points in Tennessee's win against
Florida. Stokes, a freshman, injured the wrist during practice.
QUOTE TO NOTE
"It
has really given us a good boost, especially the way we were practicing
and preparing the whole week to play against a top-ranked SEC
opponent." -- F Jeronne Maymon after Tennessee's 75-70 victory over
Florida.
THIS WEEK'S GAMES
--vs. Arkansas, Feb. 15
Arkansas
G B.J. Young is coming in to Wednesday's game against Tennessee red
hot. He scored 16 in a loss last week at Georgia and followed with 27
points in a win Saturday against South Carolina. The 27-point effort was
the most he's scored in nearly two months. A number of Volunteers could
draw the assignment of containing Young. Skylar McBee, Trae Golden and
Josh Richardson are all candidates.
--at Alabama, Feb. 18
Scouting
the Crimson Tide just got a lot more difficult for the Volunteers.
Alabama's top three scorers and another key contributor -- F Tony
Mitchell, F JaMychal Green, G Trevor Releford and G Andrew Steele --
were all indefinitely suspended for violation of team rules as of
Saturday. Freshman G Rodney Cooper, the Volunteers hope, could be the
toughest guy to guard on the floor. Cooper scored a career-high 28
points in Alabama's loss Saturday at LSU.
FUTURES MARKET
Freshman
PG Wes Washpun saw less than a minute of action in Saturday's win at
Florida, and in that span of time he was able to pick up a technical
foul for unsportsmanlike conduct. It was a fitting moment for a year
that has seen him on the floor less and less even though the Volunteers
don't have a reliable option behind starting PG Trae Golden. Washpun,
blessed with a massive vertical leap, has struggled with turnovers and
hasn't been reliable enough to merit much playing time against top
opponents. The upcoming offseason will be important for Washpun because
the Volunteers are likely to still be short on point guards.
PLAYERS NOTES
--When
he's at his best, Trae Golden is not only scoring points, but he's
helping others do the same. He did just that against Florida on
Saturday, netting 17 points and dishing out seven assists. The seven
assists matched his most in an SEC game.
--F Jordan McRae has
seen his playing time pick up lately, and he's made the most of it. He
averaged less than six points per game in conference play, but was
averaging nine points per game in his previous five, entering the week.
