Everybody hurts

Yesterday, it seemed like every time I checked my twitter feed, there was more news about a playing getting injured. By the time last night's games were over, four significant contributors to potential NCAA Tournament teams were on the mend. These are their stories:

• Scotty Hopson, Tennessee: Hopson injured his left ankle yesterday in practice. He says he will be fine, but with a game tomorrow night against Auburn it will be interesting to hear about how much pain he is in today. He was placed in a protective boot and left Thompson-Boling Arena on crutches, but that doesn't necessarily tell us the extent of the injury. Often times, teams do that for preventative measures. Just as worrisome is that Tobias Harris is also dealing with an ankle injury. Will the Vols be down their two best players?

• Justin Brownlee, St. John's: Brownlee has a non-displaced hairline fracture in the distal phalange of his left thumb. I don't know what that means, but I do know that Brownlee injured the thumb against Duke and returned to the game. He finished with 20 points, nine boards, and six assists, so maybe the injury isn't all that bad. He won't miss any game time, but he will have to wear a fiber glass splint.


• Jeff Brooks, Penn State: The Nittany Lions most important player not named Talor Battle crumbled to the floor in a neap in late in the first half of last night's loss to Illinois. Brooks separated his right shoulder, and the Nits simply did not look like the same team without him on the floor. David Jones texted the Penn State trainer, who responded: "Real variable but usually at least two weeks or more. Previous injury, bone contusions, tendon injury all add to the time out from the ligament problem."


• Christian Watford, Indiana: First, it was Maurice Creek, whose season ended when he fractured his patella. Then, it was Verdell Jones, who has missed the last three games with a bum knee. And now its Watford, who could miss the remainder of the season after undergoing surgery for a hand he broke against Michigan State on Sunday.
  

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Bruce Pearl gets another big win, but are the Vols really that good?

So how good is Tennessee?

Well, they are a team that has lost to USC by 22 and Georgia by 15. They're a team that has lost an all-SEC player due to legal troubles. They are a team that was swept by Vanderbilt. They are currently sitting in third place in an SEC that could end up with just three teams in the tournament. And while they may be in the top 20 in the RPI and the polls, they are 30th in the all important KenPom rankings.

But they also have what may actually be the best two wins in the country, as they have beaten both Kansas an Kentucky at home.

Can anyone else in the country boast two wins as good as those?

(Hint: No)

Scotty Hopson did the John Wall dance after beating Kentucky/
(photo credit: Kentucky.com)

Which is the real Tennessee? What team is going to show up in March?

Maybe it will depend on what seed Tennessee gets.

Let me explain.

Bruce Pearl has, for a long time, been known as a big game coach. He's developed a reputation for being a coach that excels at winning games as the underdog. I'll let Pat Forde explain it:

After the Vols lost a 19-point lead against Kentucky, then regrouped to close the game on a 9-0 run for a 74-65 victory, Pearl is now 17-12 against ranked opponents. Six of those wins have come against teams ranked sixth or higher: No. 6 Texas in 2005; No. 2 Florida in 2006; No. 5 Florida in 2007; No. 1 Memphis in 2008; and this year alone, Tennessee has beaten No. 1 Kansas and now the No. 2 Wildcats. In Pearl's tenure, four top-five opponents have played at Thompson-Boling Arena. All four have lost.

Let's not forget that Pearl also led Wisconsin-Milwaukee to a Sweet 16 in 2005 as a 12 seed.

As good as Pearl has been as the underdog, he's never been able to use that to get a team past the Sweet 16.

Could this be the group that does?

Well, if there is one thing that we can be certain of, its that Tennessee can beat anyone in the country. And in a change from the last few seasons, that is a result of their defense. Tennessee isn't pressing as much as they used to in the past, instead playing tough man-to-man defense in the half court. They are very good at forcing turnovers and force opponents into taking difficult, low-percentage shots.

As good as Tennessee looked in building that 19 point lead against Kentucky, the team that will stick with me is the one that couldn't score in the second half. The team that struggled so much to find any shot, let alone a good one; Tennessee has to lead the country in shot clock violations.

Its not like the Vols are devoid of talent on the offensive end. Scotty Hopson is turning into one of the best players in the SEC. Wayne Chism is an above-average post scorer. Guys like Bobby Maze, Cam Tatum, and JP Prince show flashes of being very dangerous scorers.

There just seems to be a piece missing at times.

I like this Tennessee team. I love Bruce Pearl. This group has overcome a lot this season, and their win over Kansas with just six scholarship players -- and walk-on Skylar McBee hitting the game-winner -- is the kind of game that will be talked about in Knoxville 30 years from now.

But I just don't see this team making an extended tournament run with these offensive struggles.

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No. 12: 2009-2010 Team Preview: Tennessee Volunteers

2008-2009 Record: 21-13, 10-6 SEC East (t-1st)

Key Losses: Josh Tabb (3.4 ppg), Emmanuel Negedu (1.9 ppg, 1.7 rpg)

Key Returners: Tyler Smith (17.4 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 3.4 apg), Wayne Chism (13.7 ppg, 8.0 rpg), JP Prince (9.9 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 1.5 spg), Bobby Maze (8.2 ppg, 3.3 apg)

Newcomers: Melvin Goins, Josh Bone, Skylar McBee

Tyler Smith will be the Vols leader once again.
(photo credit: YouGotDunkedOn)

As has been the case since Bruce Pearl arrived in Knoxville, Tennessee will be loaded with talent, athletes, and potential. The Vols get their top seven scorers back from last season, and a lot is going to be expected of this team.

The best player will once again be Tyler Smith. Smith is such a difficult match-up on the floor. He plays the power forward spot, but his skill set is much more suited to being a small forward. His offensive game is perimeter oriented, as he is the most successful when he is putting the ball on the floor and attacking. Smith is the best creator for the Vols, and since so many other guys on the floor are going to struggle to create their own shots, he will be instrumental in the Tennessee offense.

Joining Smith up front will be Wayne Chism. Chism is a big body in the post and has shown an ability to score with his back to the basket, but he has a tendency to fade to the perimeter. While Chism is not a bad shooter, in fact it is an asset because he does have some ability to put the ball on the floor, he will sometimes fall in love with the shot. The more he stays in the paint, the more effective Chism is. Brian Williams is the other big man on this roster. Williams has a soft touch and is an effective rebounder, but he has battled weight and conditioning issues throughout his career. Freshman Kenny Hall will also provide a lot of minutes. Hall gained a lot of hype throughout his senior season in high school. He is a 6'9", athletic big man that has shown signs of having a decent back-to-the-basket game.

At the point is where Tennessee had some issues last year. They were a bit thin to start the year as Ramar Smith, who was expected to share time with Bobby Maze, was kicked out of the program before the season started. Maze had a solid, if unspectacular, junior campaign. He showed flashes of being a big-time point guard, but all in all he was inconsistent. Tennessee is going to need more play-making from the point guard spot this year, and junior Melvin Goins may be able to help. Goins is a strong ball handler and creator, but he isn't the scoring presence that Maze is. He should also add some defensive intensity, which will be just as important.

On the wings, Tennessee has a number of guys that will play. JP Prince, Cam Tatum, Scottie Hopson, and Renaldo Woolridge will all play significant minutes. And to be honest, there is not a lot of difference between these guys. Prince is probably the best, as he is an excellent defender and can create off the bounce offensively. Cam Tatum was probably the most dangerous of the group on the offensive end. He is a bit streaky, but when he is hot he can score in bunches. Scottie Hopson and Renaldo Woolridge are similar players - they are both long, athletic perimeter guys with a ton of potential that have yet to really learn how to utilize their physical tools. When its all said and done, these four guys are essentially interchangeable, but if the Vols want to win the SEC, someone from this group is going to need to step up their game and become an all-league caliber player.

Outlook: Tennessee did not press as much as last season as many people expected. Why? Because they were young and Pearl did not think that they had the ability, especially in the back court, to be effective. This season, expect the Vols to play at a much quicker pace. Offensively, Tennessee is going to be at their best when they are playing in the full court. Outside of Smith, they really don't have anyone that opponents will fear in the half court. Maze is decent, Chism and Hall can be good, but overall they were stagnant and forced too many tough threes last season. If guys like Maze, Tatum, Goins, and Prince can provide the first level of defense on the Vols press, than Tennessee has a chance to be very, very good simply because there are so many guys that are long and athletic. Think about how effective Louisville's press was last season with Terrence Williams and Earl Clark wreaking havoc picking off passes. My biggest worry with Tennessee is that they did, in fact, bring everyone back. The Vols were a disappointing team given their talent level last season. Unless some of their key guys developed during the off-season, this ranking could look way too high come March.
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