University of Tennessee Athletics
Tennessee vs. Arkansas - Game Preview
February 24, 2005 | Men's Basketball
Feb. 24, 2005
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| Tennessee Volunteers vs. Arkansas Razorbacks
RADIO
TV LIVE STATS RANKINGS: THE COACHES: Arkansas Razorbacks
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Tennessee Trends
- If the season were to end today, Tennessee would have the SEC East's fifth seed and would play in the 7:30 (EST) game in the first round of the SEC Tournament. As the East's fifth seed, Tennessee would be matched up with the West's fourth seed. At this time, Arkansas is fourth in the West.
- The Vols are making a bid to become just the second UT team in the last 13 years to have more assists than turnovers. As a team, Tennessee has recorded 361 assists against 354 turnovers this season. The only other team to accomplish the feat in the last 13 years came in 2002-03, Buzz Peterson's second season at UT, when they had 452 assists and 442 turnovers. In 2001 Tennessee had a school record 528 assists but committed 528 turnovers. It would be just the eighth time in the 27 years that both assists and turnovers have been recorded at UT that the Vols had more assists than giveaways.
- Chris Lofton's 25 points against South Carolina (2/23/05) are the most by a Tennessee freshman since C.J. Black scored 25 against Wofford (2/1/97) in his rookie season.
- C.J. Watson has picked up much of the scoring load over UT's last nine games. He is averaging 14.4 points on 47.1 percent (40-of-85) shooting from the field and 45.9 percent (17-of-37) 3-point shooting over the last nine games. He has been the Vols' top scorer in three of their last seven games.
- Brandon Crump returned to the Tennessee lineup against Alabama (2/9/05) after missing four games with a sprained ankle. In the four games since his return, he is averaging 12.0 points and 6.3 rebounds in 24.5 minutes per game. He recorded his first double-double of the season with 22 points and 10 rebounds against South Carolina (2/23/05).
- Against Florida (2/12/05) Crump became the 23rd UT player to record 600 career rebounds. In 110 career games he has 617 rebounds. He ranks 24th all-time at UT with 1,218 career points.
- C.J. Watson, Chris Lofton and Andre Patterson are the only UT players who have not missed a game this year. Watson and Lofton are the only ones to earn starts in all of Tennessee's games.
- Tennessee is 9-2 when leading or tied at halftime.
- Four different players have led the Vols in scoring this season. Chris Lofton (8 times), C.J. Watson (7), Scooter McFadgon (6) and Brandon Crump (6) have all led UT in scoring.
- C.J. Watson became the sixth Tennessee player to have 400 career assists when he dished out seven assists against Kentucky (1/25/05). He ranks sixth all-time at UT with 431 career assists.
- UT's starters have accounted for 80.5 percent (1,453 of 1,804 points) of the Vols' scoring this season.
- Ten different Vols have made a 3-pointer this season.
- C.J. Watson became the first Vol in five years to record 10 or more assists in a game when he registered a career-high 10 dimes against Nebraska (12/30/04).
- C.J. Watson and Chris Lofton have tied a school record for single-game 3-point percentage by going 5-for-5 from 3-point range. Watson did it against Campbell (12/23/04) and Lofton accomplished the feat at New Mexico (12/18/04). They tied the mark set by Shane Carnes (5-for-5 against Michigan State on Dec. 20, 1994) and Thaydeus Holden (5-for-5 against Vanderbilt on Jan. 18, 2003).
- Tennessee's 70.0 percent (7-of-10) 3-point shooting against Xavier (12/11/04) established a new school record for 3-point success. It broke the record of 64.3 percent (9-of-14) set Jan. 27, 1992 against a North Carolina State team on which Buzz Peterson was an assistant coach.
- Tennessee has an all-time record of 1,343-881-2 in its 96th season of basketball.
- Freshman Chris Lofton is the third Kentucky Mr. Basketball to sign with the Vols. The 6-foot-3 guard averaged 26.7 points per game for Mason County HS. Allan Houston (1989) and Jermaine Brown (1991) also earned Mr. Basketball honors in the state of Kentucky.
- UT needs one more home win this season to reach the 200-win milestone in Thompson-Boling Arena. The Vols are 199-84 in 18 seasons of play in Thompson-Boling Arena. UT, which has averaged 12 home wins in Buzz Peterson's first three seasons in Knoxville, has 16 home games on the schedule this year.
| Team Statistical Comparisons | ||
| Tennessee | Stat Category | Arkansas |
| 69.4 | Points | 73.5 |
| 69.3 | Opponent Points | 62.2 |
| +0.1 | Scoring Margin | +11.3 |
| .459 | Field Goal % | .465 |
| .455 | Opponent Field Goal % | .410 |
| .381 | Three-Point % | .386 |
| .370 | Opponent Three-Point % | .290 |
| .690 | Free Throw % | .661 |
| 32.7 | Rebounds | 34.4 |
| 33.7 | Opponent Rebounds | 32.3 |
| -1.0 | Rebounding Margin | +2.1 |
| 13.9 | Assists | 14.8 |
| 13.6 | Turnovers | 14.1 |
| 3.4 | Blocks | 5.3 |
| 7.3 | Steals | 9.0 |
| 12-14 | Record | 17-9 |
| Individual Statistical Leaders | ||
| Tennessee | Stat Category | Arkansas |
| McFadgon, 14.1 | Points | Brewer, 16.4 |
| Patterson, 6.3 | Rebounds | Brewer, 4.6 |
| Watson, 4.8 | Assists | Ferguson, 4.1 |
| Crump, .593 | Field Goal % | Modica, .545 |
| Lofton, .481 | Three-Point % | Modica, .456 |
| Lofton, .871 | Free Throw % | Thomas, .778 |
Looking At Arkansas
Arkansas, which enjoyed not having a midweek game, enters Saturday's contest well rested and owning a 17-9 record on the season and a 5-8 mark in Southeastern Conference action ... The Razorbacks dropped their second consecutive game when they fell 65-79 at Vanderbilt last Saturday ... The Tennessee game starts a two-game homestand for the Hogs as they also host Mississippi State on March 1 before finishing the regular season schedule at Auburn March 5 ... Sophomore guard Ronnie Brewer, the son of former Arkansas All-America Ron Brewer, is leading the Razorbacks with 16.4 points and 4.6 rebounds per game ... In conference games the Fayetteville, Ark., native ranks fifth in the SEC with 16.3 points per game ... An NABC All-District 9 selection, Brewer's 2.65 steals per game are second in the SEC and his 48.1 percent shooting from the field ranks sixth in the league ... Junior guard/forward Jonathon Modica is the only other Arkansas player in double figure scoring with 10.4 points per game ... Point guard Eric Ferguson ranks sixth in the SEC with 4.08 assists and sixth with 1.81 steals per game on the season ... Ferguson leads the team with 40 3-pointers made this season ... Seven-foot freshman Steven Hill is leading the SEC with 2.04 blocks per game ... Darian Townes, a 6-foot-10 freshman center, is third on the squad with 9.9 points per game ... Townes is shooting just 67.1 percent from the free throw line on the season but in league games ranks third in the SEC by making 84.6 percent of his free throws ... The Razorbacks are holding their SEC opponents to just 29.7 percent shooting from 3-point range, the second-best mark in the league ... Arkansas' 7.46 steals in SEC games ranks second in the conference ... Stan Heath is 38-44 in his third season in Fayetteville and 68-50 in his fourth year as a head coach.
The Arkansas Series
Saturday's game in Bud Walton Arena will be the 20th all-time meeting between Tennessee and Arkansas with the Vols holding a 10-9 series lead ... Tennessee has won the last four meetings between the schools, the longest winning streak by either school in the series ... Last year the Vols took a 69-65 win in Knoxville ... Tennessee took a 70-62 win in its last visit to Fayetteville during the 2003 season ... It was Tennessee's first victory in Bud Walton Arena and the first win in Fayetteville since a 101-91 upset of the 13th-ranked Hogs in Barnhill Arena Feb. 16, 1993 ... The last six meetings have been decided by 10 points or less ... Tennessee leads the all-time series 6-1 when playing in Knoxville ... The Vols have won five in a row in Thompson-Boling Arena ... Tennessee and Arkansas have met five times on neutral courts with the Razorbacks winning three of those meetings ... Tennessee leads the series 9-6 since the Razorbacks joined the Southeastern Conference prior to the 1991-92 season ... The Vols have played fewer games against the Razorbacks than any other league opponent.
Last Meeting With Arkansas
C.J. Watson's 3-pointer with just over a minute left gave the Vols a lead it would not give up in a 69-65 win over Arkansas Feb. 11, 2004, at Thompson-Boling Arena ... Ronnie Brewer's layup with 2:55 left gave the Razorbacks a 65-63 lead with 2:55 left ... Brewer's layup capped a 13-2 Arkansas run that had erased a nine-point Tennessee lead ... Watson's trey from deep in the left corner gave the Vols a 66-65 lead with 1:04 remaining ... Scooter McFadgon hit a pair of free throws with 25 seconds left and then Brandon Crump sank the first of two free throws with 12.7 seconds remaining to seal the win ... Tennessee enjoyed its best shooting performance in over a month by converting 50.9 percent of its field goals while holding Arkansas to just 36.8 percent shooting from the field ... McFadgon, who was 5-of-8 from 3-point range, led all scorers with 19 points ... Brandon Crump turned in his seventh double-double of the season with 13 points and 10 rebounds ... Watson added 14 points, eight rebounds and six assists ... Olu Famutimi turned in a career-high 18 points to lead Arkansas ... Michael Jones came off the bench to add 13 points while Jonathon Modica and Billy Pharis each had 11.
Last Time In Fayetteville
Tennessee used a 15-0 run in the second half to turn a three-point halftime lead into a 70-62 win over the Razorbacks in Fayetteville Feb. 12, 2003 ... The win was Tennessee's first ever in Arkansas' Bud Walton Arena ... The Vols had previously been 0-4 in the facility ... In the game's final four minutes the Vols scored just one field goal but went 17-19 from the free throw line to help ice the game ... C.J. Watson, who finished the game with 15 points and four assists against just one turnover, sank 7-of-8 free throws in the final four minutes ... Thaydeus Holden made 8-of-10 free throws in the final four minutes, including 7-of-8 within the game's final minute ... Holden finished the game with 17 points ... Ron Slay, led the Vols by scoring 17 of his game-high 23 points in the first half ... Brandon Crump was a force in the paint for the Vols with six points and nine rebounds ... Dionisio Gomez led the Razorbacks with 18 points and nine rebounds while Jonathon Modica added 17 points before fouling out with 11 seconds left.
Last Game: Lofton's Career-High Leads Vols Past South Carolina
Chis Lofton's career-high 25 points and Brandon Crump's first double-double of the season helped lead Tennessee to an 80-72 victory over South Carolina Wednesday, Feb. 23, at Thompson-Boling Arena ... The Vols came out firing, building a 16-point (18-2) lead less than six minutes into the game ... UT kept the pressure on to build their lead to as many as 26 points before taking a 51-28 advantage at halftime ... The Gamecocks rallied in the second half by using a 16-7 run to cut Tennessee's lead to 64-53 with just under 10 minutes to go ... A pair of Lofton 3-pointers and an Andre Patterson dunk restored UT's lead to 16 points with 8:09 remaining ... Trailing 75-60 with six minutes left in the game, the Gamecocks rallied once again by going on a 12-0 run to cut the Vols' lead to 75-72 with 59.3 seconds left ... After UT missed the front end of three one-and-one opportunities, Brandon Crump made a pair of free throws with 36.2 seconds left and then added two more with 22 seconds left to seal the win ... Lofton scored his career-high on 7-of-13 3-point shooting ... Crump, who was still slowed by ankle injuries, had 22 points and 10 rebounds ... C.J. Watson narrowly missed the double-double with nine points and nine assists ... Dane Bradshaw had a solid outing with seven points, five rebounds and five assists against just one turnover ... The Vols were playing without leading scorer Scooter McFadgon, who missed his second consecutive game with a leg injury ... Antoine Tisby led USC with 18 points while Brandon Wallace and Carlos Powell each had 15.
Bernard King One Of 16 Finalist For Basketball Hall Of Fame
Former Tennessee Vol Bernard King (1975-77) has been named one of 16 finalists for this year's Basketball Hall of Fame class ... A three-time All-America selection, King averaged 25.8 points per game in his three seasons at Tennessee ... The Brooklyn, N.Y., native went on to score 19,655 career points in 14 seasons in the NBA ... A four-time NBA All-Star, he led the league in scoring with 32.9 points in 1984-85 and finished his career with a career scoring average of 22.5 points ... Playing for the New Jersey Nets Nets, Utah Jazz, Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks and Washington Bullets he scored 19,655 career points ... The new members will be announced April 4 at the NCAA men's Final Four in St. Louis.
Allan Houston A Finalist For Coach Wooden "Keys to Life" Award
Former Vol and current New York Knick Allan Houston is one of four finalists for the Coach Wooden "Keys to Life" Award that will be presented at the 9th annual Legends of the Hardwood Breakfast, on April 2 during the Final Four in St. Louis ... Other finalists include Grant Hill (Orlando Magic), Bobby Jones (5-time NBA All Star) and coach Lorenzo Romar (University of Washington) ... The award is presented to a past or present college or professional basketball player or coach, whom best exemplifies outstanding character and leadership in the home, on the court and in the community ... John Wooden was selected as the model for this award because his life, on and off the court, personifies the highest level of moral character, integrity, and faith ... Houston played for UT from 1990-93 and stands as the school's all-time leading scorer and 14th in NCAA history with 2,801 career points.
Crump And McFadgon Earn NABC All-District 7 Honors
Brandon Crump and Scooter McFadgon were named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-District 7 Team on February 18 ... Both were second team selections ... This is the second consecutive year that McFadgon has been a second team all-district selection by the NABC ... The teams are selected by a panel of member coaches of the NABC ... First team selections included Francisco Garcia (Louisville), Chuck Hayes (Kentucky), Rodney Carney (Memphis), Taquan Dean (Louisville) and Willie Jenkins (Tennessee Tech). Joining Crump and McFadgon on the second team were Anthony Winchester (Western Kentucky), Tim Smith (East Tennessee State) and Kelenna Azubuike (Kentucky).
Watson Named Finalist For Cousy Award
The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced Jan. 14 that Tennessee junior guard C.J. Watson is one of 19 finalists for the 2005 Bob Cousy Collegiate Point Guard of the Year Award ... This is the second year that the Cousy Award, which considers outstanding point guards from all three NCAA divisions, has been given ... Watson is the only other player from the Southeastern Conference listed among the finalists ... The award will be presented at a press conference at the Final Four in St. Louis. Mo., on April 4.
Tennessee Ranked Among Greatest Basketball Programs Of All Time
Tennessee was ranked as the 77th "Greatest Basketball Program of All Time" by Street & Smith's ... The Vols were one of six teams from the Southeastern Conference that were ranked in the publication that took into account factors such as postseason appearances and wins, conference championships, all-time wins and NBA Draft picks ... Kentucky (1), Arkansas (8), LSU (50), Alabama (54), Florida (96) and Mississippi State (99) were all ranked among the top 100 programs by the magazine.
Buzz's Bombers
Tennessee's starting backcourt of C.J. Watson, Scooter McFadgon have combined to make 154 3-pointers this season ... As a unit, they are shooting 40.3 percent (154-of-382) from beyond the 3-point arc ... Lofton, a freshman, is leading the Southeastern Conference with his 48.1 percent (74-of-154) 3-point shooting ... Watson is shooting 39.1 percent (43-of-110) from 3-point range while McFadgon is converting 31.4 percent (37-of-118) of his triples ... The trio has made 154 of Tennessee's 183 (84.2 percent) 3-pointers on the season and 78 of 86 (90.7 percent) in SEC games.
Lofton Among Nation's Top 3-Point Shooters
Freshman Chris Lofton arrived on the UT campus with a reputation as an extraordinary 3-point shooter ... In just the second game of his career he scored 22 points on 6-of-10 3-point shooting against nationally-ranked North Carolina at the Maui Invitational ... Since then, he has established himself as one of the best 3-point shooters in the nation.
- Lofton ranks sixth in the Feb. 21 NCAA statistics with a 47.5 percent ( 67-of-141) success rate behind the arc ... He currently leads the Southeastern Conference with his 48.1 percent (74-of-154) from 3-point range ... Is making a bid to become just the second freshman in league history to lead the SEC in 3-point percentage (Alabama's Terrence Meade led the SEC by shooting 42.3 percent in 2000) ... Lofton ranks third in the SEC with 2.85 3-pointers per game.
- His 48.1 percent (74-of-154) 3-point shooting qualifies him for UT's single season record books ... A minimum of 100 attempts is needed to qualify ... Jon Higgins has held the school record since making 48.6 percent (53-of-109) of his 3-pointers as a sophomore in 2000-01.
- Against New Mexico (12/18/04) he tied a school record by going 5-for-5 from 3-point range.
- Two times this season he has made six 3-pointers in a game (against North Carolina and at Florida).
- Lofton's 74 3-pointers rank fifth on Tennessee's single-season lists and are the second-most ever by a Tennessee freshman ... Allan Houston holds UT's freshman record with 83 triples in 1989-90.
- Allan Houston is the only Vol to make more 3-pointers in a single season ... Houston made 83 triples as a freshman, 99 as a sophomore, 82 as a junior and 82 as a senior.
- Lofton's seven 3-pointers against South Carolina are the most by a player in SEC games this season ... They are tied for the second-most in all SEC games this year.
- 66.7 percent (74-of-111) of Lofton's field goals this season have come behind the 3-point line.
- His 12.4 points per game ranks third on the UT roster this season ... In conference game he is averaging 12.8 points per game ... He has led Tennessee in scoring eight times ... His 12.4 points per game on the season ranks third among SEC freshmen.
- Lofton scored a career-high 25 points on 7-of-13 shooting from 3-point range against South Carolina (2/23/05) ... He has scored 20 or more points three times this season.
- He ranks second on the team with 35 steals ... He recorded a career-high four steals at Louisville (1/22/05).
- His 49.6 percent shooting from the field is fourth on the team ... A guard has not led the Vols in field goal percentage since Bobby Carter's 46.1 percentage (142-of-310) in 1960-61.
Watson Running The Point
Entering his junior season C.J. Watson had accumulated more assists over the previous two seasons (305) than any other player in the Southeastern Conference during that period ... This year the Las Vegas, Nev., native ranks fourth in the SEC with 4.85 assists per game ... He currently ranks second on the team with 12.5 points per game.
- In conference games he leads the team with 13.2 points per game and is making 39.6 percent (21-of-53) of his 3-pointers.
- His 39.1 percent (43-of-110) 3-point shooting ranks second on the team ... He ranks eighth all-time at Tennessee with 111 career 3-pointers made ... Against Campbell (12/23/04) he tied a school record for 3-point percentage in a game by going 5-of-5 from behind the 3-point arc.
- His 431 career assists are sixth all-time at Tennessee ... He became just the sixth Vol to record 400 career assists ... Recorded a career-high 10 assists against Nebraska (12/30/04) and had his best effort against a conference opponent with nine assists against Mississippi State (1/12/05) and South Carolina (2/23/05).
- His 4.54 assists per game in SEC contests rank second in the league.
- Watson's 50 steals lead the Vols ... His 1.92 steals per game rank fourth in the SEC ... He has averaged 1.5 steals per game over his career ... He sealed the win against Xavier (12/11/04) when he took the ball from Dedrick Finn before he could get a shot off at the final buzzer ... In the season opener he recorded a career-high five steals against Stanford at the Maui Invitational.
- He needs 78 points to reach the 1,000 career point milestone ... In 84 career games he has scored 922 points (11.0 per game) ... He would become just the third Vol to score 1,000 points and have 400 career assists, joining Allan Houston (2,801 points and 460 assists from 1990-93) and Tony Harris (1,588 points and 509 assists from 1998-01).
- In his last nine games he is averaging a team-high 14.4 points on 47.1 percent (40-of-85) shooting that includes 45.9 percent (176-of-37) shooting from 3-point range ... He is 33-of-41 (80.5 percent) from the free throw line in his last nine games.
McFadgon Leading Vols In Scoring
Scooter McFadgon has led the Vols in scoring in each of his two seasons in Knoxville ... After leading Tennessee and ranking fourth in the SEC with 17.6 last season, McFadgon is leading the Vols with 14.1 points per game in his senior season ... Six times this season he has led the Vols in scoring, including a season-high 23 point effort in Tennessee's overtime victory at Florida (1/19/05) ... He has scored in double figures in 20 of his 23 games this season.
- McFadgon ranks ninth all-time at Tennessee with 102 career 3-pointers made and eighth with 289 career 3-point attempts.
- After missing two free throws in the season-opener against Stanford (11/22/04), McFadgon went on a streak where he made 31 consecutive free throws without a miss ... The streak came to an end against Xavier (12/11/04) when he went 4-of-6 from the line ... It was the second-longest streak for him as he had a streak of 32 consecutive free throws made last year.
- He suffered a bruised right leg against Florida (2/12/05) and has missed Tennessee's last two games because of the injury.
Crump Reaching Milestones This Season
Brandon Crump's senior season has been a year full of milestones ... The Houston, Texas, native has reached the 1,000 point mark, 600 rebound and 100 blocked shot marks this year ... The 6-foot-10 senior forward has scored 1,218 points in 110 career games ... He currently ranks fourth on the team with 11.7 points and is second with 5.5 rebounds this year.
- He became the 37th player in Tennessee history to score 1,000 career points when he reached the milestone against UT-Chattanooga (12/5/04) ... He became just the fourth UT player 6-foot-10 or taller to reach the 1,000-point milestone ... He is the first Vol to reach 1,000 career points since Ron Slay accomplished the milestone in the 2002-03 season.
- Against South Carolina (2/23/05) he became the eighth player in Tennessee history to record 1,200 points, 600 rebounds and 100 blocks ... Crump became just the 23rd Vol to record 600 career rebounds.
- He ranks 24th all-time at Tennessee with 1,218 career points and 11th with 105 career rejections.
- Crump overcame a slow start to his senior season ... After the Vols' first five games he was averaging 8.8 points per game, six points less than he averaged as a junior (14.8 ppg) ... He broke out of his early season slump in style with a career-high 26 points on 11-of-14 shooting against Xavier (12/11/04) ... The 26 points were one better than his previous career high that he had accomplished two times (most recently against Mississippi in 2004).
- Crump suffered a sprained left ankle just two minutes into the Louisville game (1/22/05) and did not return ... He missed four games due to the injury before returning against Alabama (2/9/05) ... He is averaging 10.4 points and 5.2 rebounds in the four games since his return ... Against Florida (2/12/05) he led the Vols with 16 points and seven rebounds.
- He recorded his first double-double of the season and the 12th of his career with 22 points and 10 rebounds against South Carolina (2/23/05).
Patterson's Up To His Old Tricks
Andre Patterson's 6.3 rebounds per game leads Tennessee and his 57.9 percent shooting from the field is second on the squad ... The transfer from UCLA, who is in his first season playing for UT, led the Bruins and the Pac-10 Conference win a 60.8 field goal percentage in 2002-03 and his 5.5 rebounds also led the team ... The Los Angeles native recorded a career-high 16 points against Belmont (12/20/04) ... Five times this season he has recorded double figure rebounding marks, including four times against SEC opponents .. Going against a much larger front line versus LSU, Patterson recorded his second double-double of the season with 13 points and 12 rebounds.
- His 6.3 rebounds per game ranks 10th in the SEC this season and his 6.8 boards in conference games rank eighth in the SEC.
- Three times this season he has tied his career-high with 12 rebounds ... His 12 boards are the highest rebounding total by a Vol this season.
Bradshaw Stepping Up
After averaging just 12.4 minutes in UT's first 12 games, Dane Bradshaw has seen his role increase with the start of conference play ... In 13 SEC games the sophomore guard is averaging 20.3 minutes per game ... In non-conference games he averaged 1.7 assists but has improved that to 2.6 in league games.
- He has drawn five starting assignments in conference action, three of which came when the Vols went with a smaller starting lineup ... He is averaging 5.4 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.8 assists as a starter against SEC teams.
- In the smaller lineup, the 6-foot-4 Bradshaw has drawn defensive assignments against 6-8, 252-pound Brandon Bass of LSU and 6-10 Jermareo Davidson of Alabama.
- Registered his best game of the season against South Carolina (2/23/05) with season-highs for points and assists when he had seven points, five rebounds and five assists against just one turnover in 29 minutes of action.
Wingate's Role Increases
Looking for a bigger lineup, Buzz Peterson inserted Major Wingate in the Vols' starting lineup at Florida (1/19/05) ... In his eight games this year as a starter, Wingate is averaging 8.6 points and 4.0 rebounds in 26.3 minutes per game ... Wingate had earned 15 starting assignments as a freshman last season.
- When Brandon Crump went down with an ankle injury early in the game at Louisville (1/22/05), Wingate responded with his best game as a Volunteer ... The Florence, S.C., native scored 13 points and had eight rebounds against the Cardinals.
- Since Crump's injury, Wingate ranks fifth on the team with 8.0 points and third with 4.1 rebounds per game in the nine games.
- Since moving into the starting lineup he has responded with career marks ... Against Louisville (1/22/05) he had career marks in six categories including scoring (13 points) and rebounding (8 boards) ... He improved his scoring mark in his next game against Kentucky (1/25/05) with 14 points against the seventh-ranked Wildcats.
Former Vols Earn Degrees
Jon Higgins (1999-2003) and C.J. Black (1996-2000) received their college degrees on Dec. 10, 2004 ... Higgins, who is currently playing professionally in France, received a degree in political science while Black, who has played professionally in the U.S. and Europe, received an interdisciplinary studies - urban studies degree as a part of Tennessee's Renewing Academic Commitments (RAC) program.
Vols Enjoy Success On And Off The Court In Hawaii
Tennessee's win over Stanford in the first round of the EA SPORTS Maui Invitational isn't the Vols' only victory in Hawaii so far ... Pee-Wee Gash was the champion of the EA SPORTS March Madness 2005 video game tournament Saturday, Nov. 20 ... Gash defeated North Carolina's Rashad McCants in the finals ... Buzz Peterson, along with a local youth, won a free throw shooting contest that featured the tournaments head coaches Sunday, Nov. 21 ... Peterson made all 10 of his attempts in the two rounds of the competition ... The event was to raise money for local Maui schools.
Crump, McFadgon & Watson Named Tri-Captains
Seniors Brandon Crump and Scooter McFadgon along with junior C.J. Watson have been named team captains for the 2004-05 season ... It is the first captaincy appointment for McFadgon while Crump and Watson were also captains last season ... In 95 years of Tennessee basketball prior to this season, only four players had been two-time captains ... V.H. Klein (1913-14), Harry Anderson (1935-36), Garland O'Shields (1945-46) and Johnny Darden (1978-79) are the only other Vols to serve two terms as captain.
Crump Attending Graduate School
Senior forward Brandon Crump received a degree in sport management in May 2004 and is currently pursuing a master's degree ... A true scholar-athlete, he ranked second on the team with 14.8 points per game while leading the Vols with 6.8 rebounds per game in 2004 ... In the classroom, he was named to the 2003-04 SEC Winter Academic Honor Roll and was selected as the Edamerica Scholar-Athlete of the month in February 2004.
Home Court Advantage
Thompson-Boling Arena has provided the Vols with a definite home court advantage since the facility opened in time for the 1987-88 season.
- Tennessee is 199-84 (.703) in its 18th season in Thompson-Boling Arena.
- Since the 1998 season, the Vols are 100-25 (.800) in Thompson-Boling Arena.
- The Vols are 46-16 against SEC teams at home over the last six seasons.
- UT has won 60 of its last 67 home games against non-conference opponents.
Vols Sign Three In Early Period
Buzz Peterson announced that three players signed national letters of intent to play basketball at the University of Tennessee in the November signing period.
- Tyler Smith, a 6-foot-7, 230-pound forward from Pulaski, Tenn., was selected as one of the top 10 high school players in the nation when Street & Smith's named him a second team selection on the 2004 Boys High School All-America Team. As a junior at Giles County High School the first team all-state selection averaged 24 points, nine rebounds and five assists while leading the Bobcats to the state tournament. As a sophomore he earned tournament MVP honors after leading Giles County to a state championship. Rated a four-star prospect by Rivals.com, he was named the MVP of the all-star game at the adidas Superstar camp last summer in Atlanta.
- Matthew Dotson, a 6-foot-8, 210-pound forward from Centerville, Tenn., is rated a three-star prospect by Rivals.com. He was named the Class 3A Player of the Year for Hickman County High School's district last year. A big man who has a deft outside shooting touch that extends beyond the 3-point arc, he averaged 23 points and 14.5 rebounds as a junior.
- Damion Harris, a 6-foot-10, 275-pound center from Greenville, S.C., was a Class AAA All-State selection at Wade Hampton High School last season. As a senior in 2003-04 he led the Generals to the state tournament and as a junior he averaged 16 points, 14 rebounds and 6.5 blocks in leading Wade Hampton to the Class AAA Upper State finals. He first signed with the Vols last year, but is spending the 2004-05 season playing for Prince Avenue Prep in Pickens, S.C.
