The Pinkie Previews: Kentucky (27-1, 12-1) at Tennessee (20-7, 8-5)

Remember when the Tennessee Volunteer philosophy was quite simple; deny the inbounds and then push, push, push when on offense. This season things are a little different.

The troubles that Tennessee has faced have been well-publicized. They have been forced to overcome the loss of Tyler Smith, an all-SEC performer who was dismissed from the team, and suspensions to Cameron Tatum, Melvin Goins, and Brian Williams. (Tatum, Goins and Williams have all since returned to the floor) Their ability to persevere through the dismissals and suspensions has actually been quite impressive. They are 10-4 since their love of weed and guns led to the loss of their best player and other contributors. Two games after this all went down they even defeated Kansas, 76-68. So they still have the ability to hang with, and beat, the best teams in the country.

Two weeks ago they proved to the Wildcats, firsthand, that they still have the ability to hang with elite teams. In a game that resembled UK’s effort to upset UT when they were without Patrick Patterson two years ago, Tennessee hung tough for the first 30 minutes before John Wall and Eric Bledsoe took over. The Volunteers ran clock, they packed into a zone, and they hung on for dear life.

At 20-7 overall, and 8-5 in the league, the ‘Vols are pretty much a lock for the big dance. But, a win over the Wildcats could improve their seed dramatically and put them in better position to have success this March.

In the past the Vols have struggled with their half-court defense but this season it is the reason they are winning games.  They are holding opponents to just 40-percent shooting and 65.1 points per game. In SEC play these numbers haven’t slipped and are about the same. They are also holding teams to just 30-percent shooting from beyond the arc and are  forcing them into 17 turnovers a game.

To score points the Volunteers rely heavily on Wayne Chism and Scotty Hopson, who both average 12.9 points-per-game. Chism, a a 6′9″ senior, gives them one of the best post players in the SEC. He also has the ability to step away from the basket and knock down fifteen footers and shots from beyond the arc. On the season he is shooting 48-percent from the floor and has knocked down 26 threes, shooting 35-percent from deep. He much betters serves Bruce Pearl and the Vols when he is in the paint but he often becomes shot happy from the perimeter. Although his numbers are down from last year he is still one of their best rebounders, averaging 6.9 rebounds-per-game, and you can probably attribute that to the fact that he wears his headband all awkward on the top of his head.

Midway through SEC play against South Carolina he scored 30 points, topping his previous best by three, and was 11-of-17 from the field. Last time out against Kentucky he scored just 12 points in 30 minutes of play. He finished 5-for-15 from the floor and brought down five boards.

When he is on his game, he has the ability to put the Vols on his back.

Hopson is a 6′7″ sophomore out of Hopkinsville, KY. After nearly averaging double figures during his rookie campaign, he has taken his game to another level this year. He is their best threat from deep, knocking down a team-high 42 threes on the season while shooting 38-percent. He is also their best, and really their only option, to create his own shot off of the bounce. He has scored in double figures in all but seven games this season and on January 31st knocked down an off-balance three at the horn to down the Gators, 61-60.

In their last contest, a 75-62 loss at Florida, he came off the bench and led the team in scoring with 20 points. In 32 minutes of play against Kentucky he scored 10 points on 4-for-9 shooting.

Bobby Maze is their point guard, but their offense often runs through J.P. Prince. Prince, a 6′7″ senior, does a little bit of everything for the Vols. He is averaging 8.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.6 steals per game. He is not a threat to score from the perimeter and too often is not a threat at all to score the basketball. When aggressive he is effective but he sometimes lacks the intensity necessary to really star.

If fans watching the game are really lucky, they will get the opportunity to see Steven Pearl play. Pearl is Bruce Pearl’s son and has no business playing the SEC. He plays hard but watch for him to roam around offensively, get in his own teammates’ way by clogging the paint, make two fouls in a minute of action because he gets out of position defensively, and geniunely suck at basketball. Two weeks ago against Kentucky he was forced to play the 4-spot for a little bit and it was funny. Just pay attention and hope that he gets the ball in transition.

The Volunteers are going to play Kentucky like they did two weeks ago. They are going to run clock. They are going to pack in a 3-2 zone in an attempt to clog the middle, which limits drive lanes and entry to UK’s bigs. They are going to gimmick Kentucky to death. Only problem with this style is if you get behind it’s tough to get back in the game.

I expect Kentucky’s offense to click against UT’s zone much better than it did last time. Therefore, if UT doesn’t knock down shots consistently at the end of possessions, this game could get ugly.

Kentucky 80, Tennessee 65