Tennessee

Poll: Who is the SEC's Top Incoming Freshman?

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 08:29:47 -0700

Rise and Fall: SEC Program Review

Shawn Siegel — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 09:58:57 -0700

Like civilizations, all great basketball programs eventually fall.. replaced by an upstart newcomer. In this week's Rise & Fall series, we'll take a look at which BCS programs are rising, falling, or merely treading water. Up today, the:

SEC

ALABAMA - DECLINING (SLOWLY )

Since 2002, when Bama was a Top 10 team, the results have steadily been going in the wrong direction. Last season was the low of the low, a 5-11 SEC record and a sub-100 RPI. Despite the graduation of Riley and the departure of Hendrix to the NBA, everyone expects improved play in 08-09 due to the return of Ronald Steele, and some intriguing prospects such as future pro Jamychal Green. Still, I see this as a make or break year for Gottfried and the Tide. Another sub-.500 season in SEC play and the big recruiting hauls will be harder to come by.. and Gottfried won't have a job.

ARKANSAS - STATUS QUO

A year or two ago, I would have said that the Razorbacks were an improving program. But now that the extremely lean 03-04-05 teams are in the past, the program has settled into being a middle of the SEC squad. Too many seniors depart to list them all, so what you're left with is Patrick Beverley and a whole bunch of recruits. While only 5 or 6 SEC wins should be expected, a return to the NCAA Tournament should be expected in the following season. Anything less and the 'Backs will return to the declining bin.

AUBURN - STATUS QUO

While Tiger fans have hoped for a breakout in recent seasons, it's simply not happening. Last year's experienced roster struggled to a disappointing 4-12 league record.. and their overall 14 win total was boosted by some brutally easy non-conference games. Though some solid recruits join the program in '08 and Andre Malone could be a steal in '09, there's simply no reason to expect anything spectacular this season. Another sub-100 RPI ranking (the 6th in a row) should be a lock.

FLORIDA - STATUS QUO

Even though last year's group exceeded the expectations of many, the so-so results broke a streak of eight Top 25 teams in a row from 2000 to 2007 (and 9 Tourney bids in a row as well). Led by Nick Calathes, a return to the Big Dance is a lock, and the Top 25 is certainly within reach. This year's class is easily the cream of the SEC's crop, and Billy Donovan is already lining them up for 2009. So long as Billy maintains the recruiting magic, there's no reason not to expect another long streak of Top 25 teams to commence.

GEORGIA - DECLINING (SLOWLY)

Last year's freak Tourney bid aside, this is still a program lacking any semblance of direction. Sundiata Gaines graduates, Billy Humphrey was finally dismissed after managing to clog up the court system by himself, and Jeremy Jacob (one of last year's big recruits) transferred. While the recruiting class, led by the highly-athletic Howard Thompkins, provides hope, there's not enough returning talent to even think that an NIT bid is in reason. Compared to the all-time bad 2005 season, anything is an improvement, but this might be the Dogs worst season since then.

KENTUCKY - RISING (SLOWLY)

Going purely by results, Kentucky is in the midst of a downward spiral since peaking in '03 & '04. But it would be misleading to suggest the program is declining. In reality, and this is mainly due to the respect I give Billy Gillispie, the program is now back on the up and up. While last year's tourney bid was simply not deserved, it's still an impressive feather for Gillispie's cap. With the program fully in his hands, big time recruits like Liggins and Miller aboard, and Patrick Patterson returning to full health, the Top 25 should be attainable.

LOUISIANA STATE - DECLINING (SLOWLY)

Considering the Tigers RPI has dropped from 13th in 2006 to 174th last year, the program might appear to be in a freefall. But I see this dip more as a result of some bad luck (players leaving school too early or getting hurt), as opposed to the utter collapse of LSU basketball. Getting a healthy Tasmin Mitchell back will be a major help, as will the handful of underrated recruits joining the program. An NIT bid is certainly within reason, which would be a major improvement over last year, but still worthy of the "Declining Slowly" category considering the Final Four run in 2006.

MISSISSIPPI - RISING (SLOWLY)

After starting the season 13-0, last year's putrid finish was a major downer. But its not enough to complete quash the positive momentum that's been building in recent seasons. Don't forget that this was a simply horrendous program from 03 to 06. With players like Chris Warren aboard, and one of their best recruiting classes ever about to step onto campus, the Rebels best seasons in almost a decade are just around the corner.

MISSISSIPPI STATE - STATUS QUO

In ten years under Rick Stansbury, the Bulldogs have never advanced past the 2nd Round. With so many important players departing, due to graduation (Rhodes), poor NBA decisions (Gordon), or transfer (Hansbrough), that streak will definitely continue. But hope springs eternal due to to the recruitment of Osby and Bost. While this could be one of the worst Bulldog teams in awhile, the program should continue to flutter in the fringe-NCAA/NIT range for awhile.

SOUTH CAROLINA - STATUS QUO

Darrin Horn did a great job at WKU, but he's got his hands full with a sputtering Gamecocks program. Perhaps its the curse of Coppin State, but South Carolina hasn't had a legitimately good team since 1997 when they lost in the opening round as a 2 seed. If Dave Odom was still around, SC would definitely be in the "Declining" category, but I'll give Darrin Horn the benefit of the doubt and assume he'll stop the bleeding.

TENNESSEE - RISING (SLOWLY)

The only reason Tennessee isn't rising quickly is because of the huge strides that have already been made. While a deep talent base and big-time recruiting prestige (see Scotty Hopson as an example) are now solidified, the next major step is busting through the Sweet Sixteen barrier. Despite a couple of senior departures, this could be Bruce Pearl's first Final Four team.

VANDERBILT - RISING (SLOWLY)

The Shan Foster era, which culminated in back to back 10-SEC win seasons, is over.. but the future is as bright as ever in Nashville. The impressive Aussie Ogilvy returns, and he'll be joined by what is probably Kevin Stallings' best ever recruiting class. For whatever reason, big-time prospects are taking Vandy more seriously now, which will lead to impressive results in the near future.

- Up Next: Rise & Fall: BCS -

Additional Resources:

Rise & Fall: ACC

Rise & Fall: Big East

Rise & Fall: Big Ten

NCAA Tournament: Weekend Review

Jason Brubaker — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 08:13:09 -0700

Is there any better time of year than March? When else could millions of people sit on a couch all day long, and not feel the least bit guilty? When else could you carry on an in-depth conversation at a bar about UNC's press break or Kevin Love's outlet passes or Stephen Curry's ability to move without the ball with a total stranger... and feel like it's perfectly normal? When else could you field a phone call at 3 a.m. because a friend's team lost and they just need to vent? I know June brings the warm weather, and December brings Christmas and days off work...but for my money, nothing beats March. And this weekend was a testament to that.

- What else can be said about Tyler Hansbrough that hasn't been said already? The unrelenting UNC big man simply would not let the Heels lose to Louisville on Saturday, draining some late jumpers to thwart a Cards comeback. Hansbrough was bothered early with Louisville's athleticism and size down low, but like he always does, he just kept attacking. Perhaps the highlight of the night was a thunderous tip dunk off a Danny Green miss that pushed the lead back to six points and got the pro-UNC crowd on their feet.. Hansbrough's monster effort and will helped the Heels finally shake off the sting of last year's Elite 8 collapse to Georgetown, and they enter the Final Four as hot as anyone. With Hansbrough leading the way, the Heels have a great chance to cut down the nets in San Antonio this year.

- Similarly, we're running out of superlatives to describe UCLA's freshman phenom Kevin Love. On a veteran team with two Final Fours under their belts, it was Love who carried this team to San Antonio, providing scoring, rebounding, and at least one how-did-he-do-that outlet pass every game. Love has not only lived up the massive hype surrounding his arrival in Westwood, he's exceeded it with a remarkable season. He's an absolute beast down low, using his strength to get into position wherever he wants. However, the big man has no problem stepping out to the perimeter, where he drained two clutch three-pointers to keep a pesky Xavier team at bay. Enjoy him now Bruins fans - this will probably be your only shot.

- Speaking of Memphis - think they were a little upset that they were the most commonly picked #1 seed to get upset? The Tigers played all weekend with a chip on their shoulder, absolutely destroying Michigan State before dispatching Texas easily to reach their first Final 4 since 1985. In both games, freshman guard Derrick Rose set the tone, using his superior athleticism to get the Tigers off and running. The game against the Spartans featured no fewer than three one-on-zero fast breaks for Memphis, including a double-pump reverse stuff for Rose, who appeared to be jumping off a trampoline. Then, they simply overwhelmed the tremendous Texas backcourt of DJ Augustin and AJ Abrams, holding them to 10-34 shooting as they took all the drama out of the game early on. If they continue to play as focused as they did all weekend, they just might walk away with their first-ever national title.

- Finally, Kansas managed to put an end to the Stephen Curry show, but not before a little drama to wrap up the weekend. The Jayhawks played sloppily all day, despite the presence of veteran guards, and they were a missed Jason Richards three-pointer at the buzzer away from another disappointing exit from the tournament. However, there’s no denying Kansas' talent, as they have a ton of offensive weapons both inside and out. When Brandon Rush is dialed in, he's among the most lethal scorers in the country. The same can be said of Darrell Arthur down low, who has the potential to dominate whenever he wants, but doesn't always showcase it. Throw in Russell Robinson, Mario Chalmers, Darnell Jackson, Sherron Collins and Sasha Kaun, and the Jayhawks have more than enough firepower to grab their first title since 1988.

- As with every tournament, there's always some bittersweet moments, no matter who you're rooting for. Davidson, who captured the country with their magnificent run, saw their season end on Sunday, but there should be no head-hanging in that locker room. Undersized and outmanned athletically in all four games of the tournament, the Wildcats refused to back down, knocking off the Big East champ (Georgetown) and the Big 10 champ (Wisconsin), and nearly knocking off Big 12 champ Kansas before bowing out. Sophomore Stephen Curry played his way into the heart of every college basketball fan over the past two weeks, draining 22 three-pointers on his way to averaging 32 points per game. Senior guard Jason Richard also had an incredible run, averaging 13 points and nine assists. The Wildcat faithful should be proud of this team for showing the heart and determination that makes college basketball so special.

- The same can be said of Western Kentucky, who started the tournament with a buzzer-beater to upset Drake, and never let off the gas pedal after that. Even facing a 21-point deficit against the big, bad UCLA Bruins, the Hilltoppers staged a valiant comeback, leaving everything they had on the floor. Senior point guard Tyrone Brazelton nearly brought the 'Toppers back by himself, dropping in 25 second-half points. Though their season ended in the Sweet 16, these kids certainly made their fans proud.

- A remarkable run by Xavier also ended over the weekend, as the rock-solid Musketeers were simply overmatched by UCLA. Under the radar all season, Xavier was a team in every sense of the word, with six players averaging between nine and 12 points per game. The Muskies made quite a run themselves in the tournament, staging a second-half comeback to beat Georgia, holding off a solid Purdue team and then surviving an overtime scare against West Virginia before being humbled by the Bruins. A terrific senior class of Josh Duncan, Stanley Burrell and Drew Lavender shed tears and shared hugs as they exited the floor Saturday night, but these guys have nothing to be ashamed of. They played the game the right way, and made their fans proud as they visited the Elite 8 for only the second time in school history after dominating the A-10 regular season. Commentator Bll Raftery referred to Lavender, all 5'7" of him, constantly throughout the weekend as the "little guy with a big ticker", a label I think is appropriate for everyone on this tough, gritty, never say-die squad.

- Tennessee's fantastic season, which saw them reach the #1 ranking for the first time ever, ended Thursday, amidst some bizarre decisions by Coach Bruce Pearl. A close friend of mine, who happens to be a Tennessee fan, wondered aloud, "Why change the rotation now? We won 31 games, and now he's gonna mess with the line-up? Give me a break!"

Indeed, Pearl's decision to take the ball out of Ramar Smith’s hands and let JP Prince assume more ball-handling duties backfired, as the Vols couldn't handle the Louisville pressure. Combine that with Lofton's cold streak, and the Vols were no match for the Cards, losing by 19 in what was thought would be a close match-up. Pearl has certainly instilled energy and enthusiasm into the program, but his in-game coaching may be questioned this off-season.

- Stanford, Washington State, Villanova and Wisconsin also took their final bows, exiting with double-digits losses. Stanford simply couldn’t contain the Texas guards, even though head coach Trent Johnson stuck around the entire game and theoretically could have made adjustments. Villanova's hot streak ran out against Kansas, while Wazzou's defense proved to be little more than a minor annoyance to UNC, who still won by 21 points despite scoring only 68 points. As already noted, Wisconsin ran into a buzz-saw named Stephen Curry, who riddled them for 33 points as the Badgers were blown out. Thanks for playing guys - see you again next year.

- And finally, for the first-time ever, all four #1 seeds will play in the Final Four, meaning the potential of this coming weekend is through the roof. In one match-up, basketball blue-bloods UNC and Kansas will battle, pairing UNC's Roy Williams against the school he led to the Final Four as recently as 2003. Both teams are deep, talented, well-coached and hungry.

In the other match-up, UCLA and Memphis are also out on a mission. The Bruins return to the Final Four for the third straight season, yet are still searching for their first title since 1995. Memphis on the other hand, finally broke through after two straight Elite 8 losses Ironically, although both teams have veteran players, the key may be how well the two superstar freshmen - Love and Rose - handle the bright lights. Neither has appeared phased so far, I look for UNC to knock off Kansas, while UCLA will outlast Memphis, setting up a great championship game on Monday. When it’s all said and done, I look for Roy Williams to hoist his second national title trophy since returning to his alma mater, as the Heels cut down the nets in San Antonio.

CBS Coverage Maps: Sweet Sixteen Thursday

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 09:06:50 -0700

One of the fun but also sometimes frustrating aspects of the NCAA Tournament is that CBS televises multiple games at once. This can lead to some exciting in-game looks at close exciting games, but it also means you might be missing the game you really want to see. CBS released their coverage maps of Thursday's Sweet Sixteen action, and I've linked to the maps for each time-slot below.

Here's what important regions/cities will be seeing:

New York/Tri-State Area

7:40 - Washington St vs UNC

9:40 - Louisville vs Tennessee

- Nothing to exciting to note here. None of the games are "constant" here, meaning you'll be going back and forth to whatever's good.

Los Angeles/Southern California

7:40 - Washington St vs UNC (swing)

9:40 - WKU vs UCLA (constant)

- Main thing here is that even if UCLA is a horrible game, you'll be watching the whole thing

Chicago

7:40 - Washington St vs UNC

9:40 - Louisville vs Tennessee

- Like everywhere else, no love for WVU/Xavier here.

Boston

7:40 - Washington St vs UNC

9:40 - Louisville vs Tennessee

- Pretty much the entire East Coast has this same schedule outside of small pockets.

Washington DC

7:40 - Washington St vs UNC

9:40 - Louisville vs Tennessee (swing)

- "Swing" for the latter game means that CBS is committed to showing the UL/Tenn game here more than the previous game, but it wont be 100% "constant" coverage.

Other Notes

- Even in western Kentucky, you won't be getting the Western Kentucky game.

- Western Pennsylvania's the only area east of the Mississippi to get the UCLA/WKU game.. I guess due to the Pitt/Howland relation??

- Outside of WV and Ohio, the WVU/Xavier game is being shown in scattered odd regions. Mainly Central Connecticut, Syracuse, south Jersey, and west Tennessee.

CBS Regional Coverage Maps: Friday (from HD Sports Guide)

Window 1: 7:10 PM ET - Coverage Map
7:10 West Virginia vs Xavier - 13%
7:27 Washington State vs UNC - 87%

Window 2: 9:40 PM ET - Coverage Map
9:40 WKU vs UCLA - 20%
9:57 Louisville vs Tennessee -80%

- Sweet Sixteen Viewer's Guide

- Complete 2008 NCAA Tournament Coverage

- NCA Tournament Capsules

Poll: Who Will the East Region?

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 12:41:34 -0700

Writers Picks: All-Tournament Team

CHN — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 08:40:54 -0700

Along with our writer Final Four Picks and our writer Upset Picks, we present our All-Tournament Team picks. No surprise that Kevin Love and Tyler Hansbrough dominate the selections, but there's certainly no consensus. The player in bold is that writer's Most Outstanding Player pick.

	Brubaker	Fox	Johnson

G	Chris Lofton	Darren Collison	Drew Lavender
G	Brandon Rush	C. Douglas-Roberts	Derrick Rose
F	Tyler Hansbrough	Tyler Smith	C. Douglas-Roberts
F	Kevin Love	Tyler Hansbrough	Tyler Hansbrough
F	Brook Lopez	Kevin Love	Roy Hibbert

	Siegel	Teitel	Tomassini

G	Darren Collison	DJ Augustin	DJ Augustin
G	C. Douglas-Roberts	C. Douglas-Roberts	Mario Chalmers
F	Tyler Hansbrough	Brandon Rush	Gerald Henderson
F	Kevin Love	Tyler Hansbrough	Luke Harangody
F	Roy Hibbert	Kevin Love	Brook Lopez

	White

G	Darren Collison
G	Brandon Rush
F	Tyler Hansbrough
F	Kevin Love
F	Brook Lopez

Consensus

G: Darren Collison

G: Chris Douglas-Roberts

F: Tyler Hansbrough

F: Brook Lopez

F: Kevin Love

- Complete 2008 NCAA Tournament Coverage

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2008 Tournament: Who Will Be the Most Outstanding Player?

Jeff Fox — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 11:08:19 -0700

It doesn’t take a whole lot of research to make an educated prediction on who the Most Outstanding Player of this year’s NCAA tournament will be. As history shows, it normally goes to the superstar of the winning team – the Lew Alcinders, Bill Waltons and Christian Laettners of the college hoops world. You don’t often see a role player grab the top honor of the tourney – the last time that you could argue that this happened was when North Carolina’s Donald Williams was the MOP of the 1993 tournament.

With only a handful of teams that truly have a legit shot of winning this year’s title (UCLA, North Carolina, Memphis, Kansas and Tennessee) the choices for potential MOPs get even smaller. With all that in mind, here are the best bets to be named the 2008 NCAA Tournament MOP:

Kevin Love, UCLA

Last UCLA player to win MOP – Ed O’Bannon, 1995

You don’t often hear Kevin Love and Carmelo Anthony compared to one another, but that could very well change after April 7^th. Considered by many to have the easiest path into the Final Four of all the top seeds, the Bruins hope to not go home empty handed from the final quartet for their third straight year. If that is to happen, then Love will have to keep up his double-double ways and get in touch with his inner-O’Bannon. He just has to hope that he has a better NBA career than Mr. O’Bannon.

Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina

Last UNC player to win MOP – Sean May, 2005

Like stated in the opener, it isn’t rocket science picking potential tourney MOPs. North Carolina is a good bet to make it to the championship game and Tyler Hansbrough is their best player, if not the best player in the nation. There are few, if any, big men in the tournament that can handle Hansbrough, so a potential NCAA Final of UCLA & UNC would be great to see. With Love & Hansbrough banging each other down low it would resemble a UFC pay-per-view, with the winner of that cage match more than likely walking away with the championship and the MOP award.

Chris Douglas-Roberts & Derrick Rose, Memphis

Last Memphis player to win MOP – No one

If the Memphis Tigers are to continue their dream season and win the championship, there is no doubt that Chris Douglas-Roberts or Derrick Rose would be the ones grabbing the MOP trophy. As the only double-digit scorers on the Tigers’ roster, they are the only true stars on team.

If the Tigers are to get through potential roadblocks in Pittsburgh, Stanford or Texas, they’ll need Douglas-Roberts filling it up and Rose being the straw that stirs the Tigers’ drink.

Brandon Rush, Kansas

Last Kansas player to win MOP – Danny Manning, 1998

On a team full of stars, it is hard to pick the player that will shine the most if the Jayhawks are to win the NCAA championship. However, Rush seems to be a good pick at this time due to many factors. He’s experienced, he seems to have the proper demeanor to not allow the tournament pressure to get to him, and he is on an incredible roll. His 13 three-pointers made in this year’s Big 12 Championship tournament was the second most hit all-time and in the final versus a very good Texas team, he had 19 points, six rebounds, six assists and three blocks. His do-it-all skills makes him an ideal candidate for the tournament MOP, assuming Kansas can get the job done.

Tyler Smith, Tennessee

Last Tennessee player to win MOP – No one

Speaking of do-it-all players, the Volunteers have their own in Tyler Smith. While senior Chris Lofton seems to have found his mojo again, it is Smith’s all-around game that will be key for Tennessee if they are to cut down the nets on April 7^th. If they are to get through North Carolina in the Elite Eight they’ll need Smith to play like he did in the Volunteers last game, the loss to Arkansas, when he was 10-13 from the field and had six boards.

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Poll: Who Will Get the Last #1 Seed?

Shawn Siegel — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 09:36:47 -0700

Bracket Tactics: Saturday's Tip of the Day

Shawn Siegel — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 14:22:55 -0700

Leading up to the 2008 NCAA Tournament, we'll be presenting daily tips to help you fill in your bracket.

Today's Bracket Tactic

FACT: The last time that both teams in a title game were making their first-ever appearances in a Final 4 was 1945 (when Oklahoma A&M played NYU).
BRACKET TIP: If you pick Butler, Clemson, Gonzaga, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, or Xavier to play in the title game, then make sure you have them facing off against a team that has previously been to a Final 4.

Today's tip from the editor: One seeds tend to be the real deal.. substantially bigger locks than any other seed. No matter how overrated you think Memphis is, there's historically been an 86% chance that they at least make the 3rd round.

- Archived Bracket Tactics

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Bracket Tactics: Today's Tip of the Day

Jon Teitel — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 06:59:43 -0700

Leading up to the 2008 NCAA Tournament, we'll be presenting daily tips to help you fill in your bracket.

Today's Bracket Tactic

FACT: Since 1979, the only national champion without a McDonald's All-American on the roster was Maryland in 2002.

BRACKET TIP: Do not pick Michigan State, Pitt, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, or Washington State to win it all this year.

Today's tip from the editor: Even though 9 seeds have historically done better than 8 seeds (winning 55% to 45%), this split is statistically insignificant so simply focus on the better team. However, be sure to know whether there's a bonus point for picking a 9 over 8 upset. If this is the case, it might be smart simply to pick all 9 seeds!

- Archived Bracket Tactics

- More 2008 NCAA Tournament Coverage

- Sign up for the free CHN Tournament Challenge and win great prizes!

- Check out various printable & downloadable NCAA Brackets