View from 315A

With Sunday’s 89-56 win over South Carolina, Tennessee finished a second consecutive undefeated season at home. The sixteen wins at Thompson-Boling Arena ties the arena record. The current 32-game streak is the second longest in school history.

The game’s one-point half time margin expanded in the second half as Tennessee obliterated the Gamecocks, 51-19. Tennessee shot a blistering 62% from the floor in the second half.

USC was very worn down. The gym seemed hotter than usual and perhaps this was strategic to take advantage of the Vols' superior depth. SMA noted that Tennessee players may be benefiting from a summer spent playing in un-air conditioned Bearden High School. I am glad someone benefited from it.

The game was South Carolina’s worst loss of the season. Its second worst loss also came to Tennessee, 80-56, on January 12th, in Columbia.

Tennessee’s biggest obstacle on this day was daylight savings time. Three players arrived an hour late leading to Steven Pearl and Ryan Childress meriting unprecedented first-half minutes due to disciplinary action. It least there were no legal matters involved.

The game was sandwiched between two celebrations. Prior to the game, Tennessee’s three seniors were honored in their last home game and after the game, the team cut the nets to celebrate the school’s first outright conference championship in 41 years.

The three seniors played well. Chris Lofton scored 28 points, including six three-point shots. The last image he left the hometown fans was hitting a three-point shot. He was pulled from the game at the 3:11 mark immediately after his final shot. JaJuan Smith fouled out with 3:30 left after scoring 17 points and grabbing nine rebounds. He was largely responsible for holding South Carolina guard Devan Downey (18.9 PPG) to a career low of two points. Jordan Howell had three rebounds and two assists. He was the last senior to leave the court.

Prior to the game, all fans received this commemorative picture of the three seniors. The pictures were all taken during the season’s first game against Temple. (They are obviously early in the season as Ryan Childress is in the background of two of them and he has played very sparingly since becoming engaged, er, getting the flu.)

Tennessee’s next game will be Friday at 1 pm as part of the SEC Tournament against the winner of LSU-South Carolina. Based on this season’s results, I am rooting for the Gamecocks.

Some random game thoughts:

• Prior to the game retiring South Carolina coach, Dave Odom, was honored in his last regular season game. He received an ovation.
  
• The half-time show honored the national championships of the Vols' dance team and Smokey as the national mascot champion. The cheerleaders finished 2nd in the nation as well. ESPN will be airing the competitions in the near future.
  
• Wayne Chism averted two disasters during the day. He led the fastbreak and made a remarkable behind-the-back pass to Steven Pearl for a bucket in the first half. I, for one, was shocked. After the game, there was no incident during the net cutting ceremony. Scissors, a ladder, and Chism did not seem like a good combination, but we came out unscathed.
  
• Steven Pearl continues to wear #22 despite the jersey having been retired in honor of Ernie Grunfeld during the last home game. He played his best game of the season, with 4 points and 3 rebounds in 8 minutes. Perhaps he is trying to live up to the jersey's heritage.
• During the post-game net cutting, the team all held the ladder for the massive Brian Williams. Even Cameron Tatum cut the nets on crutches.
  
• Has anyone else noticed that JaJuan Smith wears light contacts for TV interviews?
  
• JaJuan wore his championship jersey backwards. Since he wore his hat the same way, I will assume it was an intentional fashion statement as opposed to the alternative.
  
• Lofton now has 2,068 career points and passed sharp-shooter Dale Ellis for fifth place of the all-time Vols scoring list...
  
• GoVols.com has a great compilation of senior Jordan Howell singing through the years. It can be viewed here.