Lets take a look at what the papers are saying in Tennessee about the Volunteers win over the Cats.
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Article from the [URL=”http://www.tennessean.com/article/20100228/COLUMNIST0201/2280357/2196/SPORTS”]Tennessean:[/URL]
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Tennessee Coach Bruce Pearl gathered his team before it left the locker room to play No. 2 Kentucky on Saturday.
He asked them how they wanted to be remembered after this season is over.
“I told them if they didn’t beat Kentucky, this won’t be a great season,” Pearl said after his team built a 19-point lead early in the second half, saw Kentucky tie it up late before the Vols steadied the ship [URL=”http://www.govolsxtra.com/news/2010/feb/27/inspired-vols-get-big-3-pointer-hopson-another-big/”]to take a 74-65 decision[/URL]
[/QUOTE]It would have been something to see how the Volunteers would have reacted if they have lost this game. Their season really could have been over. Pearl is really over the top and it sounds like he takes a lot of chances trying to motivate his players. I just hope they backfire soon.
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Compare Tennessee’s players against Kentucky’s and it is no match.
Some pre-NBA mock drafts have Kentucky with three lottery picks — junior Patrick Patterson and freshmen DeMarcus Cousins and John Wall.
But this was a 19th-ranked Tennessee team that refused to lose. The Vols weathered a 30-11 Kentucky run. At one point the Vols went 6½ minutes and scored only two points.
[/QUOTE]Not being able to get over the hump during the Volunteer drought was a big key to the loss for the Cats. Coach Cal said the team was worn out and they didn’t have a shoot around before the game because of it. It showed.
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I knew they were going to come back, and I was a little worried because to me Kentucky is the best team in the country in the last five minutes of the game” admitted Vols point guard Bobby Maze. “John Wall just fires away or drives and kicks the ball out (to open shooters).”
And what can be said about J.P. Prince, the Memphis southpaw with arguably the ugliest free throw form in college basketball? Prince made them when it counted. He hit four straight foul shots for the Vols’ final points.
[/QUOTE]I like teams to think the Cats are going to come back. Thinking like that can get teams to play more cautious and making it inevitable the Cats will have a chance to win even when they play bad. Prince won the game and it looked early on Coach Cal was going to let him beat them if he could. He did.
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Everybody knew they would pick J.P. I knew they would pick J.P.,” Maze said. “He told us in the huddle that they picked the wrong man.”
A 58.9 percent career free throw shooter, Prince delivered.
“The only thing that matters is if you make them in the clutch,” Prince said. “Nobody remembers what happens in the first half, but everybody remembers what happens in the last few minutes. That is what I want. I am running for the ball when the game is on the line.”
[/QUOTE]Prince hit the shots and the Cats lost. Can’t fault the decision to foul him.
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And it was Bruce Pearl who gave the rest of college basketball the recipe for beating a talented, but young, Kentucky team.
Tennessee started in man defense, but chose to play zone for much of the game. It proved effective. It led to a 40-29 halftime lead as Kentucky shot 24.1 percent from the field and hit only 1 for 11 from behind the 3-point line.
Pearl knew it wouldn’t last.
“They’re good. They are really good,” Pearl said of the 27-2 ‘Cats. “They played Thursday night. They traveled and played early (Saturday). I thought fatigue was a bit of a factor.
“The zone clearly slows them down. Your game plan for beating Kentucky starts inside. You have to start where they are dominant. It’s the way to play them. We had to play zone. We’re not a great zone team, but it was a pretty good match-up. Syracuse would not hold that team to 35 percent (from the field), and they are a zone team.”
For the Vols, it was one day in a season to remember.
[/QUOTE]I think anyone that coaches basketball can figure out how to beat the Cats, not just Bruce Pearl. Make the Cats hit shots!! Don’t let them get the ball in the paint and make them hit the 3. If the Cats doesn’t get more consistent from the perimeter it could be a very short run in March.
