If you don't like long, skip to the next thread. :wavey:
1. Outstanding. Bruce Pearl just took his team to the Elite 8 and lost by 1 point to the greatest Elite 8 coach in our time. And Pearl did it without his top preseason player (Tyler Smith) and with Steven Pearl getting minutes that were supposed to go to physical freak, Emmanuel Negedu. Pearl should be coach of the year in the NCAA hands-down. Now, just a bit on some key contributors for next season.
2. Center. Brian Williams. Who would have thought that Brian Williams would finish with such a flurry? He scored the winner against OSU and he almost landed a rebound off of Hopson's FT miss against MSU. His defensive footwork last against Turner in the OSU game was superb. Williams has a new lease on life. A guy I thought would be backing up Kenny Hall next season at Center has shown a burst. His two aggressive dunks in St. Louis in the post is what we've been looking for at the Center position. Kenny Hall has unlimited potential. Some more beef on him and we are gonna have two really solid big men at Center. Kenny's offensive and rebounding skills and potential are off the charts.
3. Power Forward. Tobias Harris. The kid will replace Chism's scoring. He has range from the three point line to the rim. Chism had game at the three point line and at the rim, but seldom in between. Harris is the guy who beats teams with the last shot. He won't have Chism's low post beef, but the kid is going to be a special PF, perhaps the best PF fit ever in the Bruce Pearl system. Remember all those 6'6 to 6'8 250 pounders for MSU? Think Jeronne Maymon. The kid is not a big, at 6'6, but he is a "big" at 240. He was top 50 last season, rated higher than Leslie McDonald, Derrick Nix (MSU), and Kahwi Leonard. He will be a very athletic change-up at PF.
4. Shooting Guard. Cam Tatum. Developed as our go-to shooter late. I believe he'll be our starter at Shooting Guard in 2010-11. Needs to work on his FT shooting and continue to develop his drive to the tin offense. Trae Golden. Brings a great handle at 2G and a nice outside shot. Skylar McBee needs to work on his consistency. It'll be nice to have your 3rd team SG with as much game experience as Skylar got in 2009-10
5. Point Guard. Melvin Goins. Showed a very consistent mid-range jumper and some pop from three point range late. Very good defender. Needs to work on his decision-making. Look out for Josh, but I'm not talking about Bone. UT is very much in the thick of things with Josh Selby. This kid would be the final piece to make UT a top 10 preseason pick and on the short list for the Final Four in 2011. Josh Bone is a great ace to have in the pocket as a utility player.
6. Small Forward. I see Hopson making the move from 2G to Small Forward. He has freakish athleticism, but needs some N.O. Xplode before each game. Needs to work on FT shooting, ball handling, and intensity. If he improves his handle, he can't be stopped getting to the rim. Could be a shut-down defender if he gets the "want to". Jordan McCrae is silky smooth and brings wingspan, outside shooting, and a mid-range game to the table. The Vols are really upgrading their offensive game with this recruiting class. He gets in the rotation at SF. If Woolridge sticks around, I think he is a SF/PF utility.
7. The Bruce Pearl late surprise. Bruce always has a way of pulling one out. The the Vols' pull-back on Moses Abraham wasn't a coincidence? There is another big out there that has UT's interest. Look out for a Spring surprise. It isn't Luke Cothron, but he is in the game as well.
8. The future. Bruce has got this thing rolling. Kevin Ware and Chris Jones are as dynamic a pair as you'll find in the backcourt. 2011 looks bright indeed for the Vols. Bruce has a real talent for identifying talent. I was reminded of that as I watched many players in the Dance that came down to UT and the team they were playing for. With Harris, Maymon, Hopson, Hall, Tatum, Golden, McCrae, Jones, and Ware, along with a couple of others on the 2011 team, the Vols are in good shape to be playing in late March for the next few years.
9. Make no mistake, the way this year played out looks really good for the Vols in the recruiting chatter. Calipari did less with more, Vandy was a flop when it counted, and Florida doesn't seem to know how to replicate (even close) its previous success in basketball. There was only one NCAA basketball game on at 2 p.m. yesterday for the world to watch and the Vols were playing in it and not just playing in it, but putting on a show with one of the heavy-weights of the last 10 years. Unlike Kentucky, which flopped, Bruce had his guys laying it all out there in one of the Elite games of the Elite 8. Bruce & Co. will waste no time in taking advantage of this year's success. Why Tennessee? Why not Tennessee? At half-time of our game, Kansas' Coach was in the studio talking about us -- and he should know because we beat his team this year.
10. One shining moment. When have the Vols ever appeared in that video? They will this weekend. Look for JP Prince and Wayne Chism to both make appearances.
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