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Jordan Howell's Pearl of wisdom
Friday, February 17, 2006
By PAUL GATTIS
Times Sports Staff pgattis@htimes.com
Former Bob Jones star likes UT coach's philosophy
In a single conversation Thursday afternoon, Tennessee sophomore Jordan Howell described coach Bruce Pearl as "a goofball" who desires "to be the most hated coach in the SEC."
In case the No. 8 ranking in the Associated Press Top 25 poll, the No. 3 ranking in the RPI and the headlines from coast-to-coast haven't been enough, allow the former Madison resident to take you inside the euphoria that is Tennessee basketball.
Howell led Bob Jones High to the Class 6A championship game in 2003 and through a circuitous journey has landed in the middle of perhaps the story of the year in college basketball.
In Pearl's first year, the Vols have gone from Hamburger Helper to filet mignon, from the outpost of planet Pluto to the center of the college basketball universe.
And it all has been orchestrated into this symphony of joy by Pearl - the goofball who wants you to hate him.
"His personality is, he wants to be the most hated coach in the SEC," Howell said. "If you're losing, everybody likes you. But if you're winning, everybody hates you. And we're all coming with the same attitude."
Indeed, there's a sort of fascination with Pearl:
Who is this guy and how is he winning at Tennessee with the same players who weren't even good enough to play in the NIT last year?
He seems part carnival barker, part basketball genius and 100 percent "goofball."
And Saturday at Coleman Coliseum, Alabama will play the Vols before the first sellout of the season - more than 15,000 people eager to see the coach as if he was Pearl Jam and not just Pearl.
It's a new brand of Vol ball - a swarming, full-court pressing team that's shot more 3-pointers than any team in the SEC. That has led to a 19-3 record, including an SEC-leading 10-1 league mark, and ignited a frenzy of excitement for what was a moribund program last year.
Howell on Pearl, the coach: "I'd be glad to say he's one of the best coaches I've ever seen on the court teaching the game. He's a teacher of the game in practice. He's going to let you know what he wants. During the game, he wants us to lay it all on the line."
Howell on Pearl, the, uh, goofball: "He's always joking with people. He's not somebody that's standoffish at all. He jokes with everybody. He's going to joke like he's one of the guys. That's what makes everybody so receptive to him and just gets a kick out of being around him."
You then ask Howell for a favorite Pearl story - "There's so many," he said - and it's as if trying to decide which of the four aces he's holding is the best.
Finally, Howell decides on Midnight Madness - the celebrated first day of practice in October.
"We're all getting ready and Coach Pearl disappears for a minute," Howell said.
"And the next thing you know, he's walking out on the court and all the fans are going crazy. He's walking on the court in a sumo costume. He sumo-wrestled one of our students. He's just living it up. But that's just how he is.
"He's a goofball just like everybody else. It's fun and everybody has fun with him. And he went out and slammed some student to the court and he started coaching in the sumo outfit."
Guess you call that Pearl Slam.
"We were all shocked," Howell said. "We didn't know what was going to happen. We were all sitting there on the bench getting ready to take the floor.
"And here he comes prancing out, getting the crowd up. It's pretty fun."
No, fun doesn't describe it. In fact, Howell said the magical ride the Vols are on is "indescribable."
And perhaps especially for Howell.
He signed with Georgia out of Bob Jones, but the scandal that led to the firing of coach Jim Harrick erupted before Howell graduated from high school. So Howell looked elsewhere and landed at Tennessee playing for Buzz Peterson.
As a redshirt freshman last season, Howell played in only six of the 16 SEC games as the Vols plummeted to a 14-17 record and Peterson was fired.
Then Pearl arrived after guiding Wisconsin-Milwaukee to the Sweet 16 last year and Howell's joy now is electric even over the phone.
He has played in all 22 games this season, though averaging a modest eight minutes and two points per game.
"It's so much fun this year," Howell said. "It's just amazing how fun it is and how well this team is doing.
"Everybody on this team just absolutely loves him."
Friday, February 17, 2006
By PAUL GATTIS
Times Sports Staff pgattis@htimes.com
Former Bob Jones star likes UT coach's philosophy
In a single conversation Thursday afternoon, Tennessee sophomore Jordan Howell described coach Bruce Pearl as "a goofball" who desires "to be the most hated coach in the SEC."
In case the No. 8 ranking in the Associated Press Top 25 poll, the No. 3 ranking in the RPI and the headlines from coast-to-coast haven't been enough, allow the former Madison resident to take you inside the euphoria that is Tennessee basketball.
Howell led Bob Jones High to the Class 6A championship game in 2003 and through a circuitous journey has landed in the middle of perhaps the story of the year in college basketball.
In Pearl's first year, the Vols have gone from Hamburger Helper to filet mignon, from the outpost of planet Pluto to the center of the college basketball universe.
And it all has been orchestrated into this symphony of joy by Pearl - the goofball who wants you to hate him.
"His personality is, he wants to be the most hated coach in the SEC," Howell said. "If you're losing, everybody likes you. But if you're winning, everybody hates you. And we're all coming with the same attitude."
Indeed, there's a sort of fascination with Pearl:
Who is this guy and how is he winning at Tennessee with the same players who weren't even good enough to play in the NIT last year?
He seems part carnival barker, part basketball genius and 100 percent "goofball."
And Saturday at Coleman Coliseum, Alabama will play the Vols before the first sellout of the season - more than 15,000 people eager to see the coach as if he was Pearl Jam and not just Pearl.
It's a new brand of Vol ball - a swarming, full-court pressing team that's shot more 3-pointers than any team in the SEC. That has led to a 19-3 record, including an SEC-leading 10-1 league mark, and ignited a frenzy of excitement for what was a moribund program last year.
Howell on Pearl, the coach: "I'd be glad to say he's one of the best coaches I've ever seen on the court teaching the game. He's a teacher of the game in practice. He's going to let you know what he wants. During the game, he wants us to lay it all on the line."
Howell on Pearl, the, uh, goofball: "He's always joking with people. He's not somebody that's standoffish at all. He jokes with everybody. He's going to joke like he's one of the guys. That's what makes everybody so receptive to him and just gets a kick out of being around him."
You then ask Howell for a favorite Pearl story - "There's so many," he said - and it's as if trying to decide which of the four aces he's holding is the best.
Finally, Howell decides on Midnight Madness - the celebrated first day of practice in October.
"We're all getting ready and Coach Pearl disappears for a minute," Howell said.
"And the next thing you know, he's walking out on the court and all the fans are going crazy. He's walking on the court in a sumo costume. He sumo-wrestled one of our students. He's just living it up. But that's just how he is.
"He's a goofball just like everybody else. It's fun and everybody has fun with him. And he went out and slammed some student to the court and he started coaching in the sumo outfit."
Guess you call that Pearl Slam.
"We were all shocked," Howell said. "We didn't know what was going to happen. We were all sitting there on the bench getting ready to take the floor.
"And here he comes prancing out, getting the crowd up. It's pretty fun."
No, fun doesn't describe it. In fact, Howell said the magical ride the Vols are on is "indescribable."
And perhaps especially for Howell.
He signed with Georgia out of Bob Jones, but the scandal that led to the firing of coach Jim Harrick erupted before Howell graduated from high school. So Howell looked elsewhere and landed at Tennessee playing for Buzz Peterson.
As a redshirt freshman last season, Howell played in only six of the 16 SEC games as the Vols plummeted to a 14-17 record and Peterson was fired.
Then Pearl arrived after guiding Wisconsin-Milwaukee to the Sweet 16 last year and Howell's joy now is electric even over the phone.
He has played in all 22 games this season, though averaging a modest eight minutes and two points per game.
"It's so much fun this year," Howell said. "It's just amazing how fun it is and how well this team is doing.
"Everybody on this team just absolutely loves him."
