University of Tennessee Athletics
Western Kentucky-Tennessee Preview
December 15, 2007 | Men's Basketball
Tennessee has looked like one of the top teams in the nation when it plays at home. When it goes outside Knoxville, however, that's another story.
The 12th-ranked Volunteers look to improve their play away from their home court when they meet Western Kentucky Saturday in the Sun Belt Classic in Nashville.
Playing its first true road game of the season its last time out, Tennessee (8-1) survived a scare to beat Chattanooga 76-70 on Dec. 4. The Vols shot a season-low 36.4 percent from the floor and made only 11-of-37 (29.7) of their 3-pointers. The close win dropped them two spots in the latest AP poll.
"Maybe for a basketball purist it was ugly," Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl said. "Maybe Tennessee fans would expect us to come down here and blow these guys out, but that was not our expectation. We are going to be a good basketball team. We're not yet."
The Vols, who defeated West Virginia and lost to then-No. 15 Texas on a neutral court last month, haven't looked sharp away from home.
Tennessee is averaging 76.0 points and connecting on just 38.2 percent from the floor in its three games away from Thompson-Boiling Arena, compared to averaging 95.0 points and shooting 51.5 percent in its six home games.
In the 2006-07 regular season, the Vols won all 16 of their home games, but went 6-9 away from Knoxville.
Tennessee was also outrebounded 46-31 against the Mocs, and has been outrebounded in four games this season.
"To get outrebounded the way we did, should be a surprise," Pearl said. "Rebounding is not our strength, but we got exposed."
The Vols were outrebounded 38-27 in last season's 93-79 victory over the Hilltoppers, the first meeting between the schools.
Chris Lofton had 32 points on 11-of-15 shooting, including 5-of-9 from beyond the arc, in last season's win over Western Kentucky.
Lofton, who finished with 16 points and shot 4-of-12 from 3-point range against the Mocs, is five 3s away from tying Allan Houston's school record of 346 set from 1989-93. The senior guard is shooting 41.0 percent (25-of-61) from beyond the arc in his last six games after connecting on just 3-of-17 in the first three games.
Senior JaJuan Smith had 21 points against the Hilltoppers last season, and is averaging a team-high 14.6 points.
Tennessee will be without sophomore forward Duke Crews, who is sidelined with an unspecified heart condition. Crews, who has started the last two games, will have more tests until doctors determine he's healthy enough to practice and play, the team said Friday.
Western Kentucky (7-2) defeated Eastern Kentucky 77-60 last Saturday to win its second straight game.
The Hilltoppers shot 55.2 percent from the field and made nine of their 18 3-point attempts as they built a 25-point second-half lead.
Forward Courtney Lee, a first-team all-Sun Belt Conference selection the past two seasons, leads Western Kentucky with a 21.3 points per game.
Lee finished with 23 points on 9-of-15 shooting last Saturday after scoring 25 points and making 7 of 29 shots in his last two games combined. Lee had 17 points on 7-for-13 shooting against the Vols last season.
Western Kentucky, which was picked to finish first in the Sun Belt before the start of this season, has already defeated Michigan and Nebraska.
In their only game against a ranked opponent this season, the Hilltoppers lost to then-No. 14 Gonzaga 74-71 in the Great Alaska Shootout on Nov. 22. They are 1-11 against Top 25 teams since 1996.
