Articles:Bye week bits

[orange+white=heaven]

It's bye week of course, and there's not much being written, but there are couple of things.... a piece on the role Chism now steps into for the BasketVols and another on what the football team's doing with a bit of time off....

To the Times Free Press, thanks for the reading material guys...

tfpOnline:Vols Ready To Push New Big Man Chism

Beginning with tonight’s season-opening practice at Thompson-Boling Arena, the next few weeks probably won’t be a lot of fun for Chism, a soft-spoken 6-9, 245-pounder. Coaches have pushed and will push harder.

"It seems like half my body is saying you’re not (ready)," he said. "But to me, I have to push myself to that point where it makes me ready for this."

Chism has asthma....

As Chism will soon find out, Volunteers preseason under Pearl resembles boot camp. Last year there wasn’t as much actual basketball as fastbreak drills, jogs around the court and grueling wind sprints upon wind sprints to top off the day.

Pearl doesn’t sound overly concerned about Chism’s medical condition in Tennessee’s run-and-gun world.

"He has medication and a breather and things for it," Pearl said. "It’s something that we’re going to deal with. It’s also something that could go away. It comes and goes."

In addition to Chism, point guard Ramar Smith and forward Duke Crews were both big-time recruits. Guards Marques Johnson and Josh Tabb weren’t far behind on the ranking lists.

Like Chism, they’ve all heard enough to be prepared.

"I don’t have a choice," Crews said. "I’ve been working hard in the weight room, on conditioning. It’s time to put up or shut up."

tfpOnline:Stern Warnings About Time Off

Until Sunday night, Fulmer won’t be able to keep a comfortable watch on his players’ actions and whereabouts. It’s an uneasy feeling a week before rival Alabama visits.

Fulmer left his players with clear instructions.

"Don’t be playing pickup basketball," he said. "Don’t be running around with the old high school buddies that the reason they’re not in college is they didn’t do their schoolwork or they got their butts in trouble or something. "It’s a very dangerous time for us."

Quarterback Erik Ainge flew Thursday to his home state in the Pacific Northwest, where he plans to attend Saturday’s Oregon-UCLA game.

"It’s hard for people like me to go all the way back to Oregon," Ainge said. "That’s a full-day trip there and back. So that’s tough, but it’s good for all these guys. We get to see our families on weekends a lot, but it’s never more than a couple of minutes usually."

Ligon doesn’t want anything to sway this season’s promise.

"A lot of people, they’ll go out and they’ll drink all weekend," Ligon said. "That’s something we don’t need. Alcohol will crush your endurance. It breaks down your muscle tissue and things like that. A lot of people will do that and they’ll come back and they’ll be real winded. I’m hoping our guys don’t make that mistake."

"They’re going to go home and everybody’s going to tell them how good they are," Fulmer said, "which is not true."

Bammer Week Looms Folks....

Go Vols!!!

 

[hohenfelsvol]

8 days until we eat Elephant burgers.

 

[tidwell]

Good stuff. :rock2: