Bleacher Report - Articles by Clayton Martin

Santa Claus and The Temple of Doom

Clayton Martin — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 13:58:43 -0500

The Vols 88-62 loss at Temple was a broadcast of both clichés and surprises.

The commentators at ESPN love their cheesy little cliché one-liners and throughout their broadcasts they continually find variations of the same joke to repeat over and over.

Going into the game I was expecting plenty of Christmas puns compliments of Temple’s outstanding senior guard, Dionte Christmas.

Brad Nessler and Bill Raftery certainly brought their A-game.

Sure enough several minutes before the game even tipped off we got our first of many, “Christmas come early” remarks.

Then the game started and the rest of the broadcast was full of surprises, on the court.

In just their second home game of the season the Owls managed to destroy the Vols who had won eight straight true-road games previously dating back to last season.

Consequently the game was also the Vols only true-road game of December.

After a week of exams and “boot camp like” practices, the Vols looked to continue their efficient play that is evidenced by having outscored opponents by an average margin of 16 points per game against a legit opening schedule. The Vols bench had also outscored the opponents’ in all seven of the first games.

However they ran into a Temple team that despite a 4-3 record to start the season returned four players from last years squad that finished second (only to Xavier) in the A-10.

Last season when these teams squared off in the Vols season opener in Knoxville, they held Dionte Christmas to 12 points. This time Christmas countered with 35.

The Vols were also without junior forward J.P. Prince who was likely to start due to an ankle sprain Friday in practice. It isn’t expected to be too serious, but it will be x-rayed when the Vols get back to Knoxville.

Additionally freshman guard Scotty Hopson was missing from the starting line-up because he missed the team’s pre-game breakfast.

Things just clearly weren’t right for the Vols from the start.

Opening the game Tennessee couldn’t get any shots to fall and because of this they were unable to set up their press and disrupt Temple’s rhythm.

Tyler Smith, who recently recorded the first triple-double in Tennessee basketball history, really struggled early missing his first eight shots. Smith didn’t score until hitting a layup 13 minutes into the game.

The Vols hung around though during the first half until Temple ended the half on a 10-2 run, which contributed to a 34-25 lead at the break.
At the half, only five Volunteers had gotten on the books, two of which were off the bench. In fact, the starting five was only responsible for 13 points in the first half.

The biggest problem was that neither of Tennessee’s big men, Wayne Chism or Brian Williams, scored in the first half. It is also worth noting that point guard Bobby Maze only had three points and one assist in the half as well.

The second half was all Temple, and all Christmas to the commentators delight.

Here’s how Brad Nessler summed it up, “In the second half Christmas has lit it up like a Christmas tree.” Witty Brad, witty.

Bill Raferty wasn’t just going to let Nessler run away with the show, he contributed, “have yourself a merry little Christmas, holy smokes” after Dionte Christmas hit his third three in a row to give him 29 points with nine minutes to go.

Late in the game Temple’s foul troubles started to pick up. However it was clearly the Owl’s day as not one of their three players that picked up four fouls actually fouled out. They played smart and disciplined.

The Vols just couldn’t commit to going down low and really failed to take advantage of Temple’s foul troubles. Instead they chose to continue to launch three point shots despite only hitting six of the 26.

As a result the Vols ultimately lost 88-72. Tyler Smith led the Vols in the losing effort with 17 points, Maze followed with 15, and Chism had 10.

Temple shot 55% from the field in the game. 75% from the line. 40% from three. It was just one of those days for Temple where everything went their way.

Dionte Christmas had 35 points, which is just 2 shy of his career high. In fact, 27 of those were 2nd half points.

Senior center Sergio Olmos also contributed 19 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 blocks. He had an outstanding game that stretched far beyond his stats.

Ultimately 70 of Temple’s 88 points came from three players: Dionte Christmas (35), Sergio Olmos (19), and Ryan Brooks (16). The later two didn’t even start the game for Temple.

Finally as the broadcast concluded one more brilliant remark was made worth noting, and I’ll close with that

Nessler: “You’ve always been high on Christmas right, (laughs) well not literally.”

Rafferty:“Yea that’s a holy day.”

Nessler: “Yea for some.”

Tennessee certainly wasn’t celebrating Christmas early.

Reel Talk: Next Tennessee Coach a New Hope

Clayton Martin — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 14:56:57 -0500

“So this is the world, and there are almost six billion people on it. When I was a kid, there were three. It's hard to keep up.”

These are the opening lines of one of my favorite movies, Jerry Maguire. To put that in context, when I was a kid Phillip Fulmer was my coach. Now, no one knows.

Take a look at these lines from the recent film We Are Marshall. In that film the coach makes the claim that, “When you take that field today, you've got to lay that heart on the line, men. From the souls of your feet, with every ounce of blood you've got in your body, lay it on the line until the final whistle blows. And if you do that, if you do that, we cannot lose.”

These are ideals: things we like to teach and preach but not necessarily always live by.

Or maybe I took that a little too far. We may like to live by them in our minds, but we recognize that we would be crazy to conduct our business in such a way. From a business perspective, we believe that sport does have winners and losers.

Today we have a new creed (pun soon to follow).

Remember in Rocky II, what Adrian said to our hero?

Adrian: There’s one thing I want you to do for me.
Rocky: What’s that?
Adrian: Win. Win!

Just win. Plain and simple. Everyone just wants Tennessee to win.

If you surveyed Vols fans on the number one thing they want and expect out of the new coach, I promise you 100 percent would say “win” above all else. They would likely add a line about how winning solves all problems.

Well, you know who else wanted Tennessee to win?

Coach Phillip Fulmer. Watch the press conference where he said he wouldn’t let Tennessee be divided. You know, the one where a grown man cried. That man wanted to win just as much as you and I did.

And how does the saying go?

Where there’s a will, there’s a...err, maybe don’t want to preach that one anymore.

Maybe it’s just me. Maybe the way is a new coach, as so many people point to the fact that this “had to be done.”

People say he just wasn’t getting the job done anymore. I understand that argument. There are 50 statistics people throw out saying that he was backsliding. I’ve read them all and agree that no one wants to be 4-7.

But let’s briefly look at the new potential coaches from a business perspective, since that is all that matters these days. We’ve got to find a coach that can win, right?

Tom Hanks' character in Cast Away said, “I know what I have to do now. I’ve got to keep breathing because tomorrow the sun will rise. Who knows what the tide could bring?”

I don’t know what the tide could bring in, but the Tide brought in Nick Saban, and then our coach became an idiot who couldn’t win a ballgame.

“We as coaches didn’t become stupid over night,” argued Fulmer.

Maybe Mike Hamilton wouldn't use the term "stupid", but his actions went far to say that he thought a different coach was the right move.

So who is the right choice to replace our insufficient coach? Everyone seems to have an opinion.

Let’s ask a doctor—they’re smart, right?

Umm, you in the back eating someone’s brain—Dr. Hannibal Lecter, I believe it is. What are your thoughts on all this?

“As your mother tells you, and my mother certainly told me, it is important, she always used to say, ‘Always to try new things.’”

Right on, and a little creepy.

So Mike Hamilton decides that we need someone new. He uproots Coach Fulmer and looks at his options.

The apparent abbreviated list goes something like this:

1. Brian Kelly
2. Lane Kiffin
3. Mike Leach

Let’s go a little more old school for a sane person’s perspective.

We’ll go back to 1950 and classic Jimmy Stewart in Harvey. Stewart’s character, Elwood P. Dowd, stated that, “Years ago my mother used to say to me, 'In this world, you must be oh-so-smart or oh-so-pleasant.' Well, for years I was smart. I recommend pleasant.”

I know a coach that would agree with your mother, Jimmy.

The new craze is Brian Kelly. He is a smooth son of a politician that is quite a pleasant guy. Let the record show that the man can clearly flat-out coach as well. In fact, he’s got a career record of 148-54-2. Not a lot of coaches out there with such a great record and experience level, right (current Tennessee head coaches excluded)?

He also comes equipped with a nice $2 million buyout. Tack that on to the $6-7 million we are handing out to Fulmer and crew to leave, and you’re the proud owner of a new head coach with a lesser record at lesser schools.

I mean, was Fulmer really doing so poor of a job that he is worth handing out $8-9 million just to have access to Brian Kelly? Apparently.

Or choose door number two, and you can get Lane Kiffin.

Kiffin is a young buck with a little NFL experience and a proven record of recruiting well. However, the guy recruited for USC during a period where they were the team to beat. He wasn’t trying to sell oceanfront condos in Kansas—he was selling USC to high school kids.

The third amigo—or matey, as he prefers to be called—is Mike Leach. He is one of four current collegiate coaches who have never played college football. In fact, Leach holds a law degree from Pepperdine. He loves pirates and got into coaching because he thought it would be interesting.

But anyone who thinks his “basketball on grass” offense can work in the SEC needs to contact me about some nice condos in Kansas I’ve heard about. He also comes with a hefty buyout of his own to tack onto the $6 million-plus we are already handing out.

In my opinion, it would have been much more justifiable to fire Fulmer had we done so with a reasonable idea of a quality replacement prepared. We are losing a legend who loves Tennessee with all his heart, and we are now trying to select from a list of best-available candidates to replace him.

As Dicky Fox from Jerry Maguire points out in the film’s closing, “If this (points to heart) is empty, this (points to head) doesn't matter.”

I hope Mike Hamilton knows what the heck he’s doing.

Vols Hot Out The Gate: Much Left To Prove

Clayton Martin — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 13:33:19 -0500

Well it’s official. Two games down, 28 to go. The party that is the regular season marches on.

Bruce’s boys looked great throughout the first win over neighboring UT-Chattanooga. Then they came out hot against UT-Martin and somewhat fizzled out by the time the final horn went off.

However, I think that it is a fair assumption to make that fans are pleased with what they’ve seen thus far out of this young team that is still seeking an identity.

What I liked to see the most thus far was the emphasis on sharing the ball. The players legitimately seem to have just as much fun setting their teammates up for shots as they do getting their own (which is rare these days).

This is evident by the Vols school record setting 32 assists in the season opener, and then following that effort with a solid 23 assists in their second game. Also, the Vols have five players averaging double-digit points through the first two games.

Another interesting statistic to note through the first two games is the high point totals despite a poor three-point shooting percentage.

One of the big questions coming in to the season was how the team would cope with losing two of the most proficient three-point shooters in school history. Fans speculated the impacts of this on the offensive output.

As many people foresaw, the Vols have indeed struggled from behind the arc, but fortunately the offense hasn’t really suffered as a result. Despite shooting 28 percent from the three-point arc, the Vols are still averaging 103 points per game and are still winning by an average of 33 points per game.

On Friday the Vols will face their third straight solid in-state foe that will seek to prove themselves against the Vols. This time the Vols will have to hit the road for their first away game of the season against Middle Tennessee State.

Like UT-Chattanooga and UT-Martin, MTSU is projected to win their conference and they have gotten out to a hot start similar to the Vols.

MTSU is 2-0 and has won their first two games by an average of 29 points per game. They, like the Vols, have four players averaging double-digits in points.

That being said I really see little reason for concern in Friday’s game. Last season in Knoxville the Vols steam-rolled MTSU by a final of 109-40.

I’m not necessarily saying to expect to win by 69 points, but I wouldn’t lose any sleep worrying about this one as the Vols are still a far more athletic and talented team.

If the Vols first two games are any indication of what the rest of the season is going to look like, even with an obvious increase in opponent difficulty, the Vols should be just fine.

Friday’s game against MTSU can be seen by some on Sports South at 8 pm Eastern time.

State of The State Of Tennessee Basketball Address: Part 2

Clayton Martin — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 16:03:35 -0500

This is the second installment of the State of the State of Tennessee Basketball Address.

What I’ve done here is list each player on the Vols roster by position and then give a little insight into each player and what to expect.

By position

Point Guard
(3) Bobby Maze 6’2” Junior
(25) Josh Tabb 6’4” Junior
(10) Michael Hubert 6’2” Sophomore
(24) Tanner Wild 6’0” Senior
(2) Daniel West (academically ineligible) 6’1” Freshman

Shooting Guard
(32) Scotty Hopson 6’7” Freshman
(23) Cameron Tatum 6’6” Redshirt Freshman
(11) Quinn Cannington 6’4” Junior

Small Forward
(30) J.P. Prince 6’7” Junior
(0) Renaldo Woolridge 6’8” Freshman
(22) Steven Pearl 6’5” Sophomore

Power Forward
(1) Tyler Smith 6’7” Junior
(5) Emanuel Negedu 6’7” Freshman
(34) Ryan Childress 6’9” Senior

Center
(4) Wayne Chism 6’9” Junior
(33) Brian Williams 6’10” Sophomore
(44) Phillip Jurick 6’10” Freshman

Projected starting 5
G- Bobby Maze
G- Scotty Hopson
F- J.P. Prince
F- Tyler Smith
C- Wayne Chism
Bobby Maze

According to Bruce Pearl, “He is hungry. He can lead a team and make other guys better. He is a pass-first, score-second guy, but he definitely knows how to score”.

Maze is quite fittingly nicknamed “the solution”, as he will be just that for a up-tempo Vols team that has been hurting at the point guard position. Maze is a solid true point guard who eerily resembles Allen Iverson.

During the open practices Maze even sported the Iverson arm sleeve to go with his headband. All that said it is important to note that Maze is a true winner. He formerly played on an AAU team with Kevin Durant (2008 NBA rookie of the year) and UNC’s Ty Lawson. I’m excited to see what this guy can do seeing that he is expected to get upwards of 30 minutes per game due to the lack of depth at the position.

He certainly has the work ethic to thrive at Tennessee having been noted for routinely staying late after practice to work with trainers on his shot stating that shooting is “all about confidence”.

Josh Tabb

Defensively minded guy that isn’t flashy but has always come in and played solid consistent minutes. In fact in his last 17 games he has managed to dish out 10 assists while only incurring four turnovers. During that stint he also led the Vols in steals three times.

It is also worth noting that Tabb had the fastest times on the team in both the 60-yard and 300-yard shuttle. What all that should tell you is that Tabb is a solid back up that can come in and not force things. Also keep an eye on him because Pearl sat him for the two exhibition games due to academic problems but he should be good to go for the season opener.

Michael Hubert

This guy is by far the biggest wild card on the team.

Up until the day of the first exhibition game Bruce Pearl had inadvertently deemed the walk-on point guard “Mark” not even knowing his real name. However with Daniel West ineligible, Tabb sidelined by Pearl, Tanner Wild injured, and J.P. Prince injured Hubert ended up backing up Maze in both exhibition games averaging 11 minutes per game.

Another fun fact about Hubert is that last year as a freshman he tried to walk on at UT-Chattanooga and was cut. However according to Pearl he is good enough to be his backup point guard.

Tanner Wild

A walk-on reserve point guard who is going to be sidelined until December with a back injury.

Daniel West

Declared academically ineligible because his test scores got flagged by the NCAA. I’m not entirely sure what all was involved with that but he will either have to remain a student and pay his own way (out of state tuition), or transfer to a prep school for a year.

It’ll be interesting to see how that plays out but West was going to be relied on heavily to back up Bobby Maze at the point.

Scotty Hopson

Hopson is Tennessee’s first McDonald’s All-American since Vincent Yarborough back in 1998.

Hopson was ranked the number five overall player in the class of 2008 by rivals.com. As a senior Scotty averaged 24 points, 11 rebounds, 3 blocks, and 3 assists leading his team to a 30-5 record. He was also the AP Kentucky Boys Basketball Player of the Year. Hopson was offered a scholarship by Kentucky, Louisville, Texas, Cincinnati, and Mississippi State, but Scotty decided he liked Bruce Pearl and the Tennessee system best so he came to Tennessee.

Scotty is a potential one-and-done guy but only time will tell if he’s ready for that. I really liked what I saw from him in the two exhibition games. He has a lot of talent but you can tell a good bit of it is raw and still developing. He is a great all around scoring guard but the biggest problem I see in him is his size. Although he has added 15 pounds since enrolling in June he still looks like he could get pushed around by a physical defender.
Cameron Tatum

Tatum is an exciting guy to watch when he’s healthy. Unfortunately we haven’t seen a whole lot of that yet. After missing all of last season due to knee problems Tatum underwent arthroscopic surgery in October. He appears to be mostly healed though as he played in both exhibition games.

Tatum is a guy that averaged over 20 points per game for three seasons in high school and models his game after Carmelo Anthony. He is a very emotional player who plays with a lot of heart. Look for him to battle with Scotty Hopson for the starting position.

Quinn Cannington

If you see Quinn in the game, it is either a really good or really bad sign. This may or may not be relevant, but Quinn was a very good Tyler Smith for Halloween.

J.P. Prince

"P.J." as Memphis coach John Calipari referred to him is the Arizona transfer who is cousin of Detroit Pistons forward Tayshaun Prince. J.P. is last seasons reigning SEC Sixth Man of the Year. He is a very solid and athletic wingman that has from time to time been forced into running the point.

I went to high school with J.P. and he ran the point one year but that was just because he was the best player on the floor, not because he was a stellar point guard. He led White Station High School to three State Championships and a 142-12 record during his career there. The guy has more talent than he knows what to do with which is why you may have noticed Bruce Pearl being so hard on him.

If J.P. could just harness his abilities and play smart basketball he could definitely play at the next level. He got hurt in practice a few weeks ago but could be ready to return for the season opener.

Renaldo Woolridge

Woolridge sure didn’t waste any time getting his name out there once he arrived on Rocky Top. Renaldo “aka the answer” “aka swiperboy” Woolridge is the son of the former NBA player Orlando Woolridge who played 13 seasons in the NBA. At 6’8” Renaldo definitely has the size and potential to follow his fathers legacy.

It was questionable how much playing time he would see this season before practice started but Renaldo has really hit the weight room and bulked up a little and worked on his outside range and really worked his way into the rotation.

In the second exhibition game against Tusculum Renaldo had a team high 15 points including 3 three point shots. Renaldo also had the highest max jump on the team this fall with a vertical of 43.5 inches. If he can continue to play well consistently look for him to keep finding himself in the middle of the rotation.

Steven Pearl

As Bruce Pearl’s son Steven comes in and plays some tough, hard earned minutes. He is just a guy who works hard and helps those around him perform better. For example Tyler Smith credits Steven Pearl for helping him improve his offensive game because of how tough Pearl is on him in practices.

Pearl will probably never see a ton of minutes under his dad but when he comes in fans should be rest assured that his minutes will be worthwhile. Steven has also really bulked up benching 185 pounds a team-high 25 reps (he could only do 5 when he arrived as a freshman).

Tyler Smith

The former Iowa transfer almost speaks for himself as he is number one swingman in the nation according to rivals.com. He is also rated the SEC’s preseason player of the year and the SEC’s top NBA prospect.

Tyler attended the Lebron James Skills Academy over the summer and has really been working to improve on his three point shot. Early indication from the open practices and preseason games that I’ve attended points to a dramatic improvement.

I would look for Tyler to easily average a double double and find himself a lottery pick in next summers NBA draft.

Emanuel Negedu

“E-Man”, as he tells me the ladies call him, is from Nigeria and is an absolute stud athlete who can play the forward or center position.

Negedu originally committed to Arizona then later backed out and signed with the Vols. He has a 40 inch standing vertical leap and he ran a 3.02 in the three-fourths court sprint, which is the NBA equivalent of the 40-yard dash. If he had locked in that time at a NBA combine it would’ve ranked in the top 10 times ever posted.

Look for Negedu to not get a significant amount of minutes though because of the Vols depth but he should see some time providing a spark off the bench and could be a defensive asset.

Ryan Childress

“Chilly” is a forward who interestingly says he models his game after Wally Szczerbiak. Ryan has been sidelined ever since suffering a dislocated kneecap in a pick up game on June 11th. He is the only scholarship player on Tennessee’s roster that is a senior.

I wouldn’t look for Chilly to contribute too much this season even once he returns from his injury sometime in December. The guy has some skills to offer but ideally by the time he is healthy the Vols will already have a fairly routine rotation.

Wayne Chism

Chism is definitely the funniest player on the team, but more importantly he was voted second team All-SEC team at the center position by the coaches. Wayne generally flirts with double double numbers in each game and I would look for that streak to continue or even progress.

Brian Williams

For a guy that only started playing basketball seriously in 2005, Brian Williams is really coming along well. In that same time frame he has also dropped 107 pounds. The way he plays you would never really now of his inexperience because he plays a very smooth style of offense often looking to dish the ball and also hits the boards well.

I’d look for Williams to see some pretty significant minutes and continue to contribute pretty significantly.

Phillip Jurick

Not to state the obvious but my next-door neighbor, Phillip Jurick, is a very big guy.

Additionally he is a very big project.

Jurick is a solid rebounder and has good shot blocking skills (once had 21 blocks in one game in high school) but he simply doesn’t have the basketball IQ yet to see many minutes.

In fact, don’t really expect him to necessarily be in the rotation at all as a freshman. Jurick didn’t actually ever even play basketball until his freshman year of high school when over the previous summer he grew from 5’9” to 6’3”.

I would look for coach Pearl to continue to work on him and possibly by next season or his junior year maybe start to see some minutes. The Vols finally have enough size where it won’t necessarily to rush his development.

I’ve provided a lot of information here that may not be worth reading from start to finish but you can at least use this as a reference guide to familiarize yourself with this years team.

State of The State of Tennessee Basketball Address: Part 1

Clayton Martin — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 14:11:01 -0500

Arguably the most important figure in America today is Bruce Pearl.

OK, perhaps not arguably, but for a weary group of Vol fans, Bruce Pearl is giving off quite the glow around Knoxville these days.

The decline of the football team has left the surviving true Vol fans feeling like a band of brothers (minus Ron Livingston and Chandler from Friends thus far, though the verdict is still out on them).

Last season, the Vols faced the tough task of meeting expectations; a task most fans gladly embrace. I think that the consensus would be that this was also a challenge that they met very well.

The reason last season's team didn’t ultimately have more success was that they peaked too early in the season. They peaked when they won the Memphis game in what turned into an epic match-up resulting in the Vols first ever No. 1 ranking.

So what are the expectations coming into this season?

The expectations for the Vols are still definitely high (picked to win the SEC), but maybe a little bit lower than last season due to the loss of senior guards Chris Lofton and JaJuan Smith.

Chris Lofton finished his career as the SEC’s all-time three point shooter, as well as third all-time nationally. JaJuan Smith actually wasn’t too far behind him either finishing third all-time in Tennessee’s record books.

It will be a tough task for Bruce Pearl to replace the 30 points per game that those two averaged.

The Vols also lost forward Duke Crews who transferred to Bowie State in Maryland and Ramar Smith who transferred to Oklahoma City University.

Those are tough shoes to fill for the SEVEN newcomers to the Vols roster. Last season Tennessee finished sixth nationally in points per game at 82. Can these new guys get the job done? Most signs thus far have indicated that they can.

Clearly the three-point shooting will be less of strength. However, this year’s squad is longer, deeper, and more athletic than any of Pearl’s previous three teams.

As Pearl pointed out, “the talent is there, but there is absolutely nothing you can do to duplicate experience.”

But before you start questioning the legitimacy of this team step back and look at what Bruce Pearl has done during his time at Tennessee.

In his three years, he has taken a mediocre at best Tennessee team past Florida in the Eastern Division of the SEC the year they won the National Championship. He's won a SEC regular-season title and 77 games.

He's also increased home attendance by more than 8,000 fans per game. Not to mention that he has gotten 24,535 seat Thompson-Boling Arena renovated and the very nice new Pratt Pavilion practice facility built.

If anyone can be trusted with shaping this team to meet the high expectations, Bruce Pearl can. Pearl has been quoted saying that he thinks, “the high end of this team could be as high as it was last year.”

Bold words Bruce.

To complicate things, the Vols are looking at the toughest schedule in the country for the second year in a row.

The Vols open the season with UT-Chattanooga, UT-Martin, MTSU, and Siena. Not huge names, but all are picked to win their conference. These are all the types of teams that are often bracket busters come March.

If the Vols get past Siena in the Old Spice Classic, they face the winner of the Georgetown vs. Wichita State game. If they can advance past the second round too, they will face either Maryland, Michigan State, Oklahoma State, or Gonzaga.

Next they face UNC-Asheville and Temple who is always a tough team to face.

After those two the Vols travel to Nashville to play Marquette in the SEC/Big East Challenge.

Next up is Belmont who almost ousted Duke in the first round of the NCAA tournament last season. They follow that up with on the road at defending National Champions Kansas, and then back home against Gonzaga.

And then conference play starts…

So in addition to playing Florida, Kentucky, and Vanderbilt twice each, Tennessee also hosts Memphis this year. If you’ll remember, Memphis also played in the National Championship this past season.

Look for the Vols to win most of their games early on, but not necessarily impressively. I think that expectations are going to be a little too high going into the season for most fans who have just heard about all the new talent, but don't really have reasonable expectations for such a young team.

And as I alluded to in opening the article, the abysmal football team is going to do nothing but put more pressure on the basketball team to succeed.

Ultimately I think that the Vols will repeat as SEC Champions and probably thrive in Atlanta as well in the SEC Tournament. I'm not ready to put the Vols past the Sweet 16 yet though. I think it's too early to make such a judgment call because of all the factors involved in such a prediction.

In the next few days I’ll post an article breaking down the Vols new roster and delve further into what to look for from each player individually.

Wyoming: Why, Oh Why?

Clayton Martin — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 09:05:51 -0500

I walked into the student ticket office early last Thursday and picked up two tickets for the Wyoming game. To be honest, I was somewhat indifferent as to where I sat.

I sweet talked the lady though for a few minutes and ended up on the 40-yard line, and on row one. I now had a reason to be excited about the Wyoming game.

The week leading up to the game was certainly a unique one for any student currently enrolled at the University of Tennessee.

On Monday, Phillip Fulmer, who had been at the helm of the team for literally our whole existence as Vols fans, was kicked out the door. Everyone debated the fairness of the decision. The campus was a riot. I didn’t know where I stood to be honest.

Saturday morning I rose at 10 a.m. and tried to get excited. It was a little tough until I put myself through a re-watching of the Fulmer press conference. I again got a little emotional while recognizing that the man who embodied Tennessee football for me was about to be gone.

I managed to get the fire lit. I was pumped. I knew my team would go out and seek redemption; I knew they would carry the fight.

As the game kicked off, it quickly became apparent that the Vols were flatter than a new HD TV. A new HD TV which fans should've opted to stay home and watch a different game on.

At one point early in the first quarter, Fulmer gathered his offensive troops and tried to rally them. He tried to focus their attention. He definitely failed to.

I had a word in mind to describe the offense, but I’ll honor the women and children who may read this and use a euphemism instead, I’ll go with abysmal. The offense, to no ones surprise, was abysmal.

Consequently, the defense was only better because the offense set the bar so low.

Wyoming is a team that came into the game ranked 112th in total offense. The defense just allowed Wyoming to convert too many key first downs, too many “big” plays.

The Wyoming game is one that you don’t have an excuse for, no many how many pages you flip through in the excuse book. Wyoming is a team that beat North Dakota State by three points. Wyoming is a team that squeaked by Ohio by one point. Wyoming is now a team that beat Tennessee by six points.

Would you like to comment Kevin Garnett?

“Anything is possibleee!”

Great, thanks.

I have examined the box score. I have looked through the play by play. I simply wanted to pinpoint how to explain the loss. And quite frankly, I’m speechless.

I don’t know how you lose to a Wyoming team that was 3-6 in the Mountain West Conference.

Do you point to the high emotions that lingered in the stadium from Monday’s press conference? I guess. But that is quite the cop out. If as a player you’re so concerned with your coach getting fired unjustly, you don’t prove your point by losing to Wyoming at home.

It’s a sad day to be a Tennessee Volunteer. I don’t want to be embarrassed of my team that I’ve worked so hard to defend all season. But I have nothing in my repertoire for this.

Why Wyoming, why? I blame you Kevin Garnett.

What a waste of an amazing ticket.

Electing A New Legend: A Tough Task Ahead For Tennessee

Clayton Martin — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 09:50:23 -0500

It’s speculation time in Tennessee!

That’s right, it’s time for everyone to once again get in line and cast their vote, this time on who shall replace Phillip Fulmer as the Vols coach. What a responsibility it is for Tennessee Athletic Director, Mike Hamilton who holds 270 of the 538 votes here that actually count (see: electoral college). His vote not only greatly determines the future of the program, but also of his own job security.

This is the first time that the University has had a true election since 1926 when Robert Neyland was recruited from West Point to coach the Vols. Ever since Neyland held the reigns, the coaching position has stayed within the Volunteer family with one exception, Doug Dickey. Dickey, the former Florida quarterback, was hand selected, however, by then Athletic Director Bob Woodruff.

So, uh, what do we do? Where do we look this time to replace a legend? How do you make sure Tennessee doesn’t go through a significant down period like many other prominent schools have?

These are the questions that are being discussed around Knoxville just as much, if not more than, that other recent election…something about a new President?

Mike Hamilton is now following the Phillip Fulmer business model to find a new coach. That is, he is “workin’ like heck."

Before we begin speculating about some candidates, I’ll briefly discuss what to look for in a candidate and how to get the process started.

The first order of business for Hamilton will be to hire a search firm to scout the potential coaches out there. Expect that to be done in the next couple of days and look for Hamilton to hire The Parker Group out of Atlanta. This is the group Hamilton went to in order to find current baseball coach Todd Raleigh.

What such a firm brings to the table is the ability to do all your background checks, and additionally they can begin conversations with potential coaching prospects.

At this point in the mid-season Mike Hamilton will not have access to speaking to any other collegiate coaches and he cannot speak to any NFL coaches until after the NFL season. So what the firm would be able to do is go ahead and speak to some coaches and gauge interest in the Vols open coaching position. They can then create a list of possible candidates accordingly.

Now that all the groundwork is set I’ll point out what I would look for in a candidate based on Hamilton’s past.

Hamilton’s first hire was Bruce Pearl from Wisconsin-Milwaukee. A grand-slam selection. Note that he looked to a small school. However, also note that Pearl was always regarded as a great coach with a great record but he had been somewhat blacklisted because he turned in the coach at Iowa for violations.

Next Hamilton hired Todd Raleigh from Western Carolina. A good selection thus far. Also note that he again looked to a small school.

Based on these two selections logic points me to believing that Hamilton will once again look to a smaller school, and that’s what I’ve been hearing from some sources. However, I personally think that the Tennessee football program is a completely different situation.

When you are at a small school, you are creating something out of nothing and you’re doing it against weak competition. Both Pearl and Raleigh came from programs where they were successful with little talent, but each also took a Tennessee sport with mediocre talent and then translated it into success. That is not what the Tennessee football job is.

I would say to look for a few smaller school coaches to be in contention but also look for Hamilton to get the biggest and best name he can. As I opened the article pointing out, we are replacing a legend and it looks bad if you don't make it worthwile.

Now for my top four candidates to watch in a ballot of sorts (not necessarily MY favorites):

1. Lane Kiffin

Kiffin will be a college coach next season. He is the “sexy” selection. The question is if it will be Tennessee, Clemson, or Washington that lands him. Also, the rumor mill is cranking out news that Kiffin is in Knoxville today and playing golf with a prominent booster. This has also been confirmed by a Knoxville local news station.

2. Will Muschamp

Muschamp is a fiery guy that is an exciting defensive minded coach. I think he’ll be high on the Vols list, but won’t top the list. I also think that if Tubberville is out in Auburn, Muschamp could return and take over the head position there. The biggest thing holding Muschamp back at this point is his lack of experience as a head coach.

3. Mike Leach

Leach is a hot option right now in the coaching realm and if he doesn’t get a new contract after this season he could end up jetting. However, I just can’t see his system or coaching ideology working in the SEC. He has been quoted however saying that he would like to prove his worth on the top level.

4. Gary Patterson

Patterson above all else is proven. He is a conservative Fulmer-like choice that is a proven winner. He is currently on his way to his fifth 10 win season at TCU. That's pretty solid these days. Patterson could be an option if Hamilton stays true to his claim to look for a coach with great leadership abilities that can sell the program. The question would be whether or not he's interested in leaving.

There certainly are others that I could name or discuss, but those are the four that I would consider the ones to watch the most. Like it or not whomever Mike Hamilton chooses to replace Phillip Fulmer will certainly have a legend attached to his name from here on out. The question yet to be answered is whether or not it will be a legend he wishes he was a part of. On that note, happy voting!

Tennessee Volunteers Football: I Have a Dream

Clayton Martin — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 15:21:02 -0400

I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our Vol Nation.

It would be fatal for the Vol Nation to overlook the urgency of the moment.

Five Bama scores ago, hope still remained. Not the original hope for which we hoped for. Instead, a hope of crushing someone else's hope. Bama’s hope. However, in turn, it was our own secondary hopes that were then crushed.

When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of Rocky Top, they were signing the proclamation of a wish, nay, a dream.

This song was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the inalienable rights of tradition, fight, and the pursuit of victory.

But let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for victory by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred or that of the big orange Kool-aid. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline.

And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are asking the devotees of the Vols, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as the Vols are the victim of the unspeakable horrors of Bama brutality.

We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their selfhood and robbed of their dignity by Gameday signs stating, "Fire Fat Phil."

You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive.

Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed.

Let us not wallow in the valley of despair. I say to you today, my friends, even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the Volunteer dream.

I have a dream that one day this Vol Nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed. To carry the fight.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day be a part of a Sports Nation where they will not be judged by the color of their jersey but by the content of their character.

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its trashy, ignorant fans, with its coach having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; One day right there in Alabama, little Tennessee boys and Tennessee girls will be able to join hands with little Bama boys and Bama girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream where anyone who agrees with the previously mentioned statement also suffers much harm.

Yes, I have a dream today.

This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with a new meaning, "Rocky Top you’ll always be, home sweet home to me. Good ole Rocky Top, Rocky Top, Tennessee."

Whether you are still drinking the big orange Kool-aid or not this is a time to unite as Vols fans and stand behind our team instead of bickering over whom can find the best stat proving Fulmer should be fired.

There are people in place who get paid a good deal of money to make these tough decisions and do what is in the best interest of the program. While Fulmer’s days may and appear to be numbered, I don’t think that this is a time where any of us are going to be the ones to discover the next ultimate solution.

I am not here trying to advocate that the man should stay or go, instead that he is not the sole source of our teams struggles and us dividing our support can only work in counterproductive ways to what we are really striving for in our complaints.

I mean come on people, the man is 'workin' like heck' to turn things around. So let us do as those who have carried the fight before us have done and carry the fight together, as one Vol Nation, under God, indivisible, with the unified desire to seek and destroy all others.

I hope that many of you will join me in the sharing of my dream.