Martin, Warlick cement identities Austin Bornheim Assistant Sports Editor After an impressive first year at the helm of the Tennessee basketball program, head coach Cuonzo Martin is focused on improving the team and himself. “As far as our guys are concerned, I like where we are headed as a program, I like what our guys are doing,” said Martin. Last season Martin took a team that was expected to be in the bottom half of the SEC to second place in the conference by year’s end. Tennessee didn’t make it to the NCAA Tournament, but made a run to the second round of the NIT. Expectations are higher this year as the Volunteers are predicted to be in the Big Dance when March rolls around, but Martin is trying to keep things in perspective for his team. “With most ballplayers and competitive ballplayers you understand the task at hand and know what they have to do,” Martin said. “By the looks of things with workouts, they put the work and time into it but there is still plenty of work to be done. I think the biggest key for us is staying healthy and being as one unit, we will be fine." Though Martin has had early success at Tennessee, he admits he is still trying to improve himself. “I think for me as a coach, I don’t stand here going into my fifth year as head coach and say this is who I am,” Martin said. “I think 15 or 20 years down the road I can say this is who I am, but I think you are constantly growing as a coach.” Martin, who spent three years as the coach at Missouri State before coming to Knoxville, is open to adjusting things according to his team’s needs. “I think really we are always looking for different things,” he said, “the best ways for our guys to be successful. Is there a better defense out there that fits this personnel? Is there a different type of
offense to put (us) in the best position. We are always looking for that.” Even if Martin hasn’t discovered who he is, he knows what he wants to base his identity around: hustle. “I think the core of our program will never change. Playing as hard as you can play, be as tough as you can be, trying to go to class everyday, working as hard as you can work. Those things will never change regardless of personnel.” That philosophy of playing as hard as one can resonates with the players. “Practices are tough and he expects a lot from us, but he is also always there for us,” said senior forward Kenny Hall. “We spend a lot of time together as a team and we just feel like a family.” Team cohesion and sense of togetherness is an important aspect of Martin and the program he likes to run. “I think one of the things that we do as a staff and we do a good job, and I have to give my assistant coaches a lot of credit for this, is bringing our guys together,” Martin said. “We like to consider ourselves a family, we take a lot of pride in our guys being together as much as possible, not putting yourselves in vulnerable situations, not compromising your character and integrity and what you believe.” Freshman guard Armani Moore was impressed by the team’s closeness during his recruiting process. “The coaching staff was great and really tried to make me feel at home from the first time we spoke,” Moore said. “All the guys were really great and took the time to go out of their way and speak to me when I visited practice.” Martin is just in his second year, but he is firmly cementing his identity on the Volunteer basketball program and becoming an identity of Tennessee athletics in general. “He’s the face of our program,” said senior forward Jeronne Maymon.
Lauren Kittrell Sports Editor “Holly has it.” Senior Lady Volunteer Kamiko Williams said nothing was lost when first year head coach Holly Warlick took the reigns from Tennessee coaching legend Pat Summitt. Williams said Warlick’s years of experience under Summitt has made the transition a seamless ordeal. “Really I haven’t seen that much of a change,” Williams said. “Holly’s been involved in the program for a long time and a lot of the principles and concepts have been the same.” Warlick played basketball under Summitt from 1976-1980 and worked with Summitt as assistant coach for 27 years. For Warlick, there is no place she’d rather be. “It is personal. It is something I have always wanted to do,” Warlick said. To her fans and friends who question her ability to follow in Summitt’s footsteps, Warlick said the thought never crossed her mind. Warlick said she doesn’t feel any pressure to live up to Summitt’s accomplishments. “I don’t see it as that. I was taught by the best to be put in this position,” Warlkick said. “I think I am prepared. Mistakes along the way? Absolutely. As long as I keep learning from them.” Warlick said Summitt had spent years preparing her for the moment when the head coach emeritus would pass the torch. She said it’s been an honor to sit back and watch Summitt perform, but she’s ready for the task. “I have never said I am scared to do this, I don’t want to do this,” Warlick said. “I love the challenge and I love the opportunity to be here. It is in my blood. It is all I know.” For senior Taber Spani, this is an opportunity to take on a leadership role and show her teammates what it means to support a coach like Warlick. “I really want to be an extension of Holly out on the floor,” Spani said. “I want to do everything I
can to help her be successful and in turn help the team be successful.” As far as coaching differences go, Warlick said her style of coaching might differ slightly from Summitt’s, but that the objectives are the same. She said they both understand the importance of good defense and Summitt’s philosophy is her philosophy. “I don’t have a stare. I’m probably a little more active on the sideline,” Warlick said. “I don’t know if that’s good or bad — I haven’t coached a game yet, but I’m going to do what I think is best for these young ladies and if I see that my game plan isn’t working, then I’m okay to change it and say we have to change directions.” She expects just as much out of her players and herself as Summitt ever did. “As far as Pat, my expectations haven’t changed,” Warlick said. “We’re still going to class, we’re still going to graduate kids. That foundation has not changed. My expectation is that they play 100 percent on the court and I know that was Pat’s as well.” But some things will change. The Lady Vols were issued a preseason rank at No. 20, the lowest ranking the team has had since Warlick first stepped on the court in 1976. “For us, I think it’s low, but it is what it is and we’re not there, but it’s serving as a motivation for us,” Warlick said. “When you lose five starters, you lose the winningest coach in the country, (and) I understand that the expectations for this team will be lowered. But they aren’t lowered for me, they’re not lowered for this program, for these fans. We don’t like being ranked 20th, but it’s preseason and we’re using it as a motivation factor.” Players, fans and coaches all agree that Warlick is the best fit for the job and Warlick said she’s not going anywhere. “I think the country and women’s basketball would be shocked if I didn’t have on orange and white,” Warlick said. “They would think something was wrong with me, sick or something. It is just who I am and what I think I was chosen to do.”
Friday, November 9, 2012
2B • THE DAILY BEACON
Creative Director Kristi Frazier
BASKETBALL PREVIEW
bnm388@utk.edu
Design Editor Alex Cline
acline5@utk.edu
Moore adjust to Vols’ style of offense Austin Bornheim Assistant Sports Editor
Preston Peeden • The Daily Beacon
Freshman Armani Moore watches on with his teammates during practice on Nov. 8.
With a deep senior class and a perennial AllSEC forward in Jarnell Stokes, the Vols won’t need to rely heavily on the talents of freshman Armani Moore and Derek Reese. But that doesn’t mean the two freshman won’t have an impact on the Volunteers this season. “We recruited these young men for a reason,” head coach Cuonzo Martin said. “They have good skills, they know how to play the game of basketball and they are quality ballplayers.” Moore, a 6-foot-5 guard from Kennesaw, Ga., will see time this year as the backup to junior Trae Golden at the point guard position. “I like what I’ve seen from him so far,” Golden said. “We have some of the same characteristics. We both like to drive, we both are more of a scoring point guard but don’t mind passing if it’s what the offense calls for.” Moore averaged 22 points his senior season at Mt. Paran Christian School but realizes if he is going to fit into Martin’s system he will have to adapt to running an offense that goes through the post. “I’ve been working on my dribbling. You know as a point guard I have to be able to handle it well. There’s always room to get better, so each and every day that’s what I try to do,” said Moore. Martin is confident in the freshman’s ability to learn the system, but also doesn’t want to change what makes Moore such a dynamic player with the basketball. “He is good at what he does so we don’t want to change the type of ballplayer he is,” said Martin. “He has the ability to penetrate off the dribble and that’s a real strength of his and is something that can open up looks for some of our other guys. But with that we still
like to move the ball, have touches down low. I like what he brings, though.” To Moore, the team’s trip to Italy over the summer was important to helping him mesh with his new teammates. “It was a great experience,” said Moore. “It helped me adjust to the college flow, get to learn my team, and I feel like it was beneficial to me.” The freshman started his career as a Volunteer off on the right foot in the team’s exhibition game against Victory University at the beginning of the week. Moore scored 11 points, brought down four rebounds and snatched three steals in 20 minutes of action. “I was a little nervous playing in front of the crowd in Thompson-Boling Arena,” Moore said. “When I was in high school you see all the replays, the crowd and the jumbotron. It was crazy looking up and seeing myself on the jumbotron.” There was an adjustment period but the guard feels he is ready now. “I feel I have gotten the nerves out now,” he said. “From now on I think it is just like any other basketball game and I can block out all of the other stuff.” As for Reese, the freshman did not see any playing time in Monday’s exhibition. Martin has stressed that the Florida native will be an important player in the Volunteer program. “He has a good skill set. He has a nice shot and has the ability to make plays off the dribble,” Martin said. Reese is enjoying his time on campus so far. “Knoxville’s different from Florida, but it’s been great so far. I like the campus and the team is great to be around,” Reese said. Tennessee is deep this season, but the freshman will be figures on the Vols’ team for the next couple of seasons.
Friday, November 9, 2012
THE DAILY BEACON • 3B
BASKETBALL PREVIEW
Managing Editor Emily Delanzo edelanzo@utk.edu
Design Editor Caroline Gomphers cgomphers@utk.edu
Freshman learning Lady Vols’ way Lauren Kittrell Sports Editor The Lady Volunteers are rebuilding from the ground up. After losing the majority of their starting lineup and a transition away from 38-year head coach Pat Summitt, returning coaches and players are facing a season of change. First year head coach, and former Lady Vol point guard, Holly Warlick said she’s seen the incoming freshmen fitting in well and the upperclassmen stepping into leadership roles. “Our team has been working extremely hard. Are we there yet? No, but we’re putting in the time and the effort,” Warlick said. “Haven’t had to coach effort and that’s been one of my biggest concerns of our past teams. We’re playing hard.” Warlick said the team’s aggressiveness and ability to play with reckless abandon is something she likes to see in her players. The transition has only increased their intensity on the court. “I think secondly, practices have been tuned up a little bit, they’re a little bit more intense and our expectations are a lot more,” Warlick said. “We’re young, we’re trying to form great habits, so we probably turned our defense up a notch and our practice intensity up a notch and they’re responding.” Incoming freshmen include guard Andraya Carter, forwards Bashaara Graves and Jasmine Jones and center Nia Moore. Transfer sophomore guard Jasmine Phillips is a new face on the team as well. Warlick said that having five new players has slowed their process down a Brandon Crawford • The Daily Beacon bit. She said they’re focusing on teachBashaara Graves drives to the rim against Coker ing and not getting ahead of the game. on Nov. 4.
“We’re making sure that we’re getting certain fundamental things down and we’re trying to move on,” Warlick said. “How hard they play and what we expect of them, I think they have a clear vision of how we want them to play and where we need to go. We haven’t cut them any slack and I think it’s in a positive way for them to respond with how they’re performing right now.” Warlick said that having a younger team has put more pressure on the upperclassmen to step up as leaders. “It’s key for our veterans to give them a blueprint of how we want things done and it’s up to them to help us get there,” Warlick said. “It’s not about the freshmen. We’re (mostly) freshmen and sophomores and we have to have some kind of people who have been here who understand where we need to go.” Fourth-year guard Taber Spani is doing just that. Spani said she wants to be an extension of Warlick when she’s on the court and works to build team camaraderie. “I’ve been with upperclassmen for three years and having five new players you just try to get to know them,” Spani said. “We’ve had more team functions. I’ll cook for them and have them over if they want to or I lead a Bible study at my apartment. On the court is one thing, but trying to get to know them off the floor is something different because then you can understand what makes them tick and it will help you on the basketball court.” Spani said the relationships she’s working to build won’t end with the season. “Honestly, once we leave here, we’re gonna be family forever,” Spani said. “That’s just the way the Lady Vols do Vincent Walker• The Daily Beacon it.” Jasmine Jones shoots a layup against Carson Newman on Nov. 1.
Friday, November 9, 2012
4B • THE DAILY BEACON
Sports Editor Lauren Kittrell
BASKETBALL PREVIEW
lkittre1@utk.edu
Assistant Sports Editor Austin Bornheim abornhei@utk.edu
Spani takes leadership role Lauren Kittrell Sports Editor
Emily Delanzo• The Daily Beacon
File Photo • The Daily Beacon
From shy freshman to injured team captain, to leader and life coach, one Lady Vol has transformed into one of the most influential players to step on the court. When Taber Spani moved from Missouri to play for Pat Summitt’s basketball team in 2009, she wasn’t ready for the culture shock that met her. The former homeschooler had never been placed in a setting quite like UT. “I think the biggest thing and the biggest adjustment was understanding what it means to be with 11 to 14 other girls, coming together as a team with very different backgrounds and very different personalities,” Spani said. “That’s something that was a little bit foreign to me before I got here.” But the shock didn’t just affect her. Senior guard Kamiko Williams laughed and said the team was aware of Spani’s uncertainty. “I think she was nervous every day because she didn’t know what to expect,” Williams said. “I mean, we have all these strong personalities and then you have someone like Taber who’s been homeschooled and never really had to deal with a lot of people at one time who have personalities like we had. She was a little uneasy.” Williams, who has been with Spani all three years of her college career, said getting to know her teammate was well worth her time. “Now that I know her, she’s fun, she’s fun to be around,” Williams said. “She has a witty side, a sarcastic side that I have to tame a little bit.” Lady Vols head coach Holly Warlick said she wasn’t sure what to think when she and head coach emeritus Pat Summitt first recruited the 6’1” guard. “I’ve never recruited a kid that’s been homeschooled,” Warlick said. “The minute that I talked to Taber on the phone and especially when I went into their home, I thought this is one of the most mature and unbelievable kids I’ve ever been around. She blew me away and blew all of us away.” Williams said she loves Spani’s heart for others, her passion for her religion and her desire for serve and care for her friends and teammates. Williams said it’s been amazing to see her stand by her faith regardless of the ups and downs the past
three years have dealt her. “That’s something that I have a lot of respect for her,” Williams said. “Being with the team that she’s been with for the past three years and still be the person that she is and have her beliefs and stay strong in it, I have a lot of respect for her. She’s my angel.” Spani said that the past three years have been full of positives and negatives, but all have been learning experiences. “The last few years have been a lot of ups and down,” Spani said. “Obviously I rely a lot on my Christian faith and that’s what’s sustained me and helped me get through it. As a college athlete you go through times of joy and times of ... challenges and I’ve had my fair share of both.” Some of those ups and downs have been injuries that left Spani benched for much more of her career than she had hoped. Thankfully, with a family full of athletes, Spani had role models to look to in the face of adversity. Spani’s dad, Gary, a former NFL linebacker, was the first person she turned to. “Looking up to my dad first … seeing how he walked through the injury route and understanding what that looks like and then watching my sister who’d been through seven knee surgeries, having those real personal examples who are literally a phone call away is huge,” Spani said. “They’ve been super supportive. I’ve really appreciated that.” Williams said watching her through those trials has shown her to be a team player. “I know she gets frustrated, but at the end of the day she always puts the team first,” Williams said. “She tries to come out and do what she has to do to make this team better, whether that’s on the floor knocking down threes or that’s being off the court and just encouraging and just pushing people to play to their potential.” Williams said Spani’s positive mentality is something she hopes to emulate in her own life. “I’m trying to imitate her as much as I can, but it’s a working progress,” Williams said. “She doesn’t get down about (her injuries). She prays about it and she leaves it in the Lord’s hands.” Injured or not, Warlick said Spani never gives up. “She always gives 100 percent,” Warlick said. “She plays the game with reckless abandon and she does things right. She
gets in here and she puts up all these shots.” But Spani’s on-court performance and statistics aren’t what draws people to her. Warlick said Spani never wavers in her faith, and her testimony of faith has rubbed off on her coaches and teammates. “I understand her athletic ability, but the impact she’s had on young kids lives and her character is phenomenal,” Warlkick said. “What she does with going out to the community and with the university and her faith is so strong that it’s just infectious. It rubs off on you. I love her to death and I respect her so much. She’s a great kid.” Her attractive personality has made her a great influence on the team and put her in a leadership position. Starting the season healthy will add to her ability to support her teammates as someone to look up to. “I’m excited this year hopefully to be healthy and to lead this team and I’m excited about the role that I’ll have on this team,” Spani said. “More than anything, I’m just really excited and looking forward to this season.” That leadership role isn’t something Spani takes lightly. Spani said she has seen how crucial leadership is during her time at Tennessee and she can’t wait to take the baton. “With this young team, they need someone to look up to and show them that this is the way that we’re gonna do it and we’re not gonna back down from it,” Spani said. “Obviously I’m not perfect, I make mistakes all the time, but I want to learn and grow in that. I want to be an extension of Holly on the floor. I want to do everything to help her be successful, and in turn help our team be successful.” For Spani, her team will always have a place in her heart. “Honestly, whenever we leave here, wherever we go, we’re gonna be family forever,” Spani said. “That’s just the way the Lady Vols do it. The friendships that I’ve developed are something that I take very seriously.” Williams is confident that Spani’s love for the team is something that makes her unique and helps make her the best leader the team has. Williams was very decided in her love and respect for Spani. “She’s somebody that I would love to stay in touch with for the rest of my life,” Williams said.
Hall holds high hopes Austin Bornheim Assistant Sports Editor Since missing the final nine games of the 201112 season, senior forward Kenny Hall can’t wait to get back on the court in a regular season game. “I don’t have any nerves,” said Hall. “This is my fourth first game so if anything I am just ready to be back out in front of the Tennessee fans.” Hall missed the end of the SEC season and all three of the Volunteers’ postseason games due to an indefinite suspension, but over the off-season he continued to work hard to stay in basketball shape. “I feel great. It was tough having to watch from the bench at the end of last year because we really seemed to hit our stride just around the time I was out, which was tough to watch,” Hall said. “Of course I was happy for the guys, it just stinks not being out on the court and contributing.” Before the suspension Hall was averaging 6.2 points per game in just over 20 minutes of action. Hall was also the team leader in blocks per game. “I felt like I was having a really good year last year,” he said. “I struggled my sophomore year and didn’t play a whole lot and it was frustrating. Then coach (Cuanzo Martin) comes in and I felt I worked a little better under his style, I just made some mistakes that put a stop to my year. It’s behind us now, I’m back and ready to help this team.” “It was a tough situation with Kenny,” Martin said. “He was playing well, really helping our team but we have our rules and players have to honor those rules. We stayed in contact the whole time, two, three times a week and talked about what was going on. He’s a good kid, good ballplayer. We’re glad to have him back.”
During the off-season the 6-foot-9 senior has been in the gym as much as possible to improve his jump shot and defense. “He’s been shooting the ball well in practice,” Martin said. “With him it’s just a case of confidence because he can make that shot, he’s really good at the perimeter jump shot. He just needs that confidence because he can make it.” Tennessee will look to Hall to be a factor at the post and at the power forward position, depending on the group of players on the court. The big man likes being able to be versatile when in play. “I’ve been working on my shot a whole lot,” Hall said. “I think it benefits me and the team if I’m able to make shots from 15 feet or so. Just gives us another dimension.” Now that Hall is back on the court, he is focused to help the team succeed and live up to the expectations the media have put on the team. “The expectations for ourselves are to play hard and advance in the postseason. We want to make it to the Big Dance (NCAA Tournament) and boogie.” For Martin, he is glad to have Hall back adding depth to the post position. “I think Kenny Hall, with the addition of probably 10-plus pounds on his body, he is getting hits in practice, he is finishing those baskets, and his game has really improved,” Martin said. With the start of the regular season so close, Hall says the team is more ready than ever. “I think I speak for the team when I saw we have tunnel vision. We’re headed for the number spot, not just in the east but in the whole SEC. We want that number one spot.”
Friday, November 9, 2012
THE DAILY BEACON • 5B Sports Editor Lauren Kittrell
BASKETBALL PREVIEW
lkittre1@utk.edu
Assistant Sports Editor Austin Bornheim abornhei@utk.edu
Parker Eidson • The Daily Beacon
Left to right: Trae Golden, Cuonzo Martin and Skylar McBee. Bottom from left to right: Kenny Hall and Jeronne Maymon.
Golden, McBee: Battle for Best Beard Preston Peeden Associate Editor There are more questions than answers going into this season for the Vols’ basketball season. While issues like “Can Jarnell Stokes continue to develop as a legit post threat?” and “Can Trae Golden be a pass-first point guard?” grab headlines, one of the biggest debates among the team over the off-season was a question of face fuzz. Simply put, who has the best facial hair? Sitting with his back against the wall in a crowd of reporters during the Vols’ media day, junior guard Trae Golden has a quick answer to the 2012 Beard Debate. “My facial hair has a Twitter, @TraeGoldenbeard,” he said with a smile. “Until somebody else get’s that, come on … It’s not even a question. I mean why else would anybody be interviewing me?” Despite Golden’s confidence, his assertion is obviously in question as three other teammates have a claim to the crown of follicle superiority: senior forwards Kenny Hall and Jeronne Maymon and senior guard Skylar McBee. “(Of) course I’m going to think I got the best connects all around,” Hall said with complete sincerity. “I got the best goatee, easily … I’m a seasoned vet of the beard game.” Hall is also quick to point out the deficiencies in his teammates’ looks. “Skylar already had the mustache, but he’s new to the beard game. He doesn’t know how to groom it,” he said. “ … He looks like a peeping Tom. That’s the kind of beard you find outside somebody’s window in the bushes. “As for Trae, his is spotty. And Jeronne, his looks like a jun-
gle. It’s like that episode of ‘Family Guy,’ where a bird was living in Peter Griffin’s beard. I think there’s a bird’s nest in there. In Italy, when we were on a bus together, I swear I heard chirping coming from it.” McBee, however, readily defends his own look. “My thing to Kenny would be, how does he know what a peeping Tom’s beard looks like? And how can he generalize the looks of all peeping Toms? I don’t know any, so I don’t feel comfortable trying to do that one.” For McBee, his facial hair has been making headlines on Rocky Top for over a year now. Last year it was the mustache, but now the sharpshooter has added a goatee to the equation. “It’s a goatee, but it would be better if I could connect it all the way,” McBee said with a smirk as he points out the two hairless areas of his upper chin. “I guess it’s because of my gene pool. But I’ve been working on it for over three months … This is what I’ve worked the hardest on over the off-season. My beard and my shot … It’s magical.” When it comes to facial hair, the work McBee puts in is no laughing matter. “Every morning I put some shampoo in it, and sometimes give it a nice condition, usually it’s a dose of ‘Pert Plus.’ It’s a go-to,” he said. “Then I dry it off, give it a comb through, pat it down, a little fluff up and I’m out the door. I also use ‘Irish Spring’ on the mustache. ‘Pert Plus’ down here and ‘Irish Spring’ up top, the two combine to make one really nice smell.” This growth in facial hair hasn’t been all fun and games for these players, however, as their endeavors have come at a price. “It took a long time. My girlfriend and my mom kept on telling me to cut it,” Golden said. “It was so much negativity. But I just pushed through.”
Golden wasn’t the only one to share this sentiment, as other players also had problems due to their facial hair. One such example of this is McBee, who turned lemons into lemonade with his problem. “There’s some foods I couldn’t do,” he said. “Occasionally some stuff falls in it. But now, I just save it for later…It gives me a snack.” Opinion around the team was split between McBee and Golden, as Hall’s “veteran” looks and Maymon’s face “jungle” fell to the wayside. On Team McBee are head coach Cuonzo Martin and senior forward Rob Murphy. “He makes me laugh,” Martin said. “I like looking at it and I love his confidence in wearing it … I have to give him that.” This praise was echoed by Murphy. “It’s great,” Murphy said. “It gives him character and it’s now a part of who he is. His could be the best or the worst, depending on how you look at it. But I’m going to say best.” Sophomore guard Brandon Lopez isn’t as quick to concede the title to McBee. “It’s tough, but I’m going to have to go with Trae,” Lopez said. “McBee’s is tough to go against, but in the end Trae’s is the best.” While there seems to be no clear winner in the Beard Debate as of yet, one hairstyle superlative was won without contest. “Coach Martin has the best bald head ever,” Hall said. “It’s always shiny. I don’t know his secret … He has the best bald head since Michael Jordan and R-Kelly back in his day.” As for the question of facial hair, the battle will probably continue on into the season, as only time and the consequences of No-Shave November will tell.
Friday, November 9, 2012
6B • THE DAILY BEACON
Editor-in-Chief Blair Kuykendall
SPORTS
bkuyken@utk.edu
Associate Editor Preston Peeden
ppeeden@utk.edu
Lauren Kittrell Sports Editor Vols Tennessee men’s basketball is on the rise. After the Bruce Pearl debacle of 2010, the Volunteeers have been through several ups and downs, but with head coach Cuonzo Martin at the helm, the Vols are looking pretty solid. One year into Martin’s new system/style of coaching, the team is confident in their roles and ready to prove themselves on the court. Trae Golden, Jarnell Stokes, Yemi Makanjuola, Jordan McRae and Jeronne Maymon are just a few names from the Vols’ stellar lineup this season. The Vols only have two true freshmen, guards Armani Moore and Derek Reese. Redshirt freshman Quinton Chievous looked pretty solid in his first on-court appearance during the team’s Victory University exhibition game. He was the leading scorer, along with McRae, combining for 30 of the team’s 99 points. Fans can plan on the Vols putting up numbers they haven’t seen in a while. Though unranked in preseason polls, Martin’s coaching style and his emphasis on defense should put a stop to the opposing offense and give Tennessee more upsets than one would imagine. That, combined with an offense that doesn’t back down, gives the Vols a chance to surprise their skeptics. Unfortunately, the Vols may be overhyped due to recent issues with other Tennessee sports. Fans have turned their attention from football to basketball, setting their hopes on things to come. The question remains whether the basketball program is ready to carry that burden. Fans may be disappointed if the Vols don’t perform to their standards. While the team is focusing to do every-
thing in their power, the expectations set on the Vols by their fans may be more than they are capable of living up to. Predictions: 18-12 (10-8 SEC) NCAA Second Round Lady Vols Tennessee women’s basketball is ranked No. 20, which, for the Lady Vols, is unacceptable. Granted, they have four incoming freshmen and one transfer sophomore. Granted, 38-year head coach and eighttime National Championship winner Pat Summitt stepped down earlier this year. But first-time head coach Holly Warlick sees the preseaon ranking as a challenge. She sees it as a bump in the road that she is ready to demolish. The Lady Vols ran away with their exhibition games and there doesn’t seem to be any concern on the home front. There’s no doubt in anyone’s mind that Holly Warlick is the woman for the job. She’s capable and qualified and no one refutes her claim to Summitt’s throne. Even the players said there wasn’t much difference in her coaching style. The only difference might be a faster paced offense/defense, but that can only be a positive. The Lady Vols basketball team is one of the few shining spots in UT athletics and Warlick isn’t going to let that slip. She’s going to keep the program in top shape. Unfortunately, the team has a very difficult season in their future and there isn’t much breathing room. Between conference threats like North Carolina and teams like Texas, Baylor, Stanford and Rutgers waiting to pounce, the Lady Vols have a lot to live up to. The few returning upperclassmen, Kamiko Williams, Taber Spani and Meighan Simmons, will have to take on major leadership roles and the incoming freshmen will have to learn quickly. Warlick won’t accept anything less. Predictions: 17-13 (8-2 SEC), NCAA Eight Round
es out to somewhere near the Dominos’ stand in concourse 104. Head coach Cuonzo Martin is also blessed with a deep bench, where seniors Dwight Miller and sophomores Josh Richardson and Yemi Makanjuola will look to garner a big chunk of the minutes.
Preston Peeden
Prediction: 22-8 (12-4 SEC) NCAA Tournament Second Round
Associate Editor Vols Hope springs eternal on Rocky Top, as the Vols basketball team enters this season with an optimistic outlook to return to their winning ways following a marked improvement in the second half. Last season’s midseason improvement and this year’s optimism can all be attributed to sophomore forward Jarnell Stokes and his size 20 adidas. After graduating from high school early, Stokes was able to join the Vols in late December and nearly propelled them to a birth in the NCAA Tournament. This year Stokes, who shined as a member of the USA Basketball Men’s U18 National Team, will be looked to as the rock from which this team will build their success upon. The men’s team, however, will not be a one man show. Joining Stokes down low is the burly Jeronne Maymon, who stole the show in the Maui Invitational Tournament. Maymon is an undersized four who uses every bit of his 6-foot-6-inch, 270 pound frame to out-muscle opponents to the rim or for rebounds. In the offseason, Maymon stated that he has been working on his jump-shot, not only improve his versatility, but also to give defenses one more thing to worry about when the ball is in his hands. On the perimeter, the Vols will be led by a trio of experienced guards who all have a knack for putting up points in bunches. The point guard position will be held by junior Trae Golden, who plays the game with a more point-scoring mentality, but who also has shown the capability to dish out assists when needed. Many of those assists will be fed through either the mercurial junior Jordan McRae, who can on one day look like the second-coming of Vincent Yardborough in college and on others like the second-coming of Vincent Yardborough in the NBA, or fan-favorite senior Skylar McBee, whose range stretch-
Lady Vols This season for the Lady Vols will be filled with a lot of firsts, but none will be bigger than when new head coach Holly Warlick steps onto the court for the first time as head coach against the University of Tennessee Chattanooga. For nearly four decades the Lady Vols were led by the nearly infallible Pat Summitt, but with her retirement last spring, Warlick now stands as the first new women’s basketball coach here since the Ford administration in the 70s. To the average fan, this year’s crop of Lady Vols resembles their coach — they’re fresh faced, untested and unproven. While this year will see an entirely different starting line-up from the SEC Tournament team, many of those supposedly “new” pieces are actually proven veterans, who should easily step in to start Warlick’s legacy off with success. At the point, sophomore Ariel Massengale will be looked to hold down the team and guide it smoothly through Warlick’s offense, which is nearly the exact same as Summitt’s, though more uptempo. While Massengale started over 20 games last season, she will need to improve on her decision-making skills, as she had a poor assist-to-turnover ratio. Massengale will have ready targets on the wings in the oft-injured and yet ubertalented senior Taber Spani, who can score in buckets, and fellow junior Meighan Simmons, who can drive to the basket nearly at will on any defender. At the post, the Vols will be led by a trio of talented underclassmen in sophomore Cierra Burdick, and two freshman, Bashaara Graves and Nia Moore. The SEC is in for a down-year, and Warlick is a much more experienced coach than people will give her credit for. This team will exceed the expectations from their preseason ranking. Prediction: 21-8 (10-6 SEC) NCAA Sweet Sixteen
Austin Bornheim Assistant Sports Editor Vols Cuonzo Martin has raised hopes on Rocky Top after an impressive first season by taking a team that most thought were bottom dwellers in the SEC to second in the conference. People are believing in the second year coach. Tennessee returns the core of their lineup, including Jarnell Stokes and Jeronne Maymon down low and Trae Golden at the point, so the adjustment period of last season is a none issue this year. It’s easy to forget that Stokes came straight from his high school halls and stepped onto the floor against the No. 1 Kentucky Wildcats in his debut. Stokes has now had an entire offseason to train and get in shape for the college game. The coaching staff is impressed with how much his game has developed and how dynamic he has become with an off season to train. Freshman Armani Moore and junior college transfer D’Montre Edwards will both contribute this season and give the guard position more depth. By bringing in Moore, Martin will be able to keep Josh Richardson at the wing instead of using him as the utility guard. This will help Richardson be more comfortable on the wing and have a point guard who can give Golden a break when it’s needed. The schedule is also much easier than the 2011 year. The Vols still travel to face Big East foe Georgetown, host Xavier and No. 17 Memphis, but compared to a season ago when the Vols faced Memphis twice, Duke and Pittsburgh the road to the postseason is clearer this season. The Vols will play both SEC newcomers Missouri and Texas A&M. The Aggies will struggle in the conference this year, but the Missouri game in Knoxville on March 3 should be good judge of where the team stands headed into postseason play. Tennessee proved a lot of people wrong
last year and this team should be better than the last. They know where their points are going to come from and most importantly they play defense. Expect Tennessee to be near the top of the SEC this year. Prediction: 20-10 (12-6 SEC), NCAA Second Round Lady Vols Pat Summitt is no longer at the helm of the Lady Vols program but that is no cause for alarm. Holly Warlick was at the side of Summitt for 27 years and has made the transition from the Hall of Famer as seamless as possible. That being said the Lady Vols lost five seniors from last season, including three WBNA first round draft picks. That’s going to hurt any program, but Tennessee is Tennessee. As usual the Lady Vols have one of the toughest schedules in the nation, facing Texas, National Champion Baylor, Final Four team Stanford and Rutgers in a two week period. These games will test the young team and give fans a gauge on where they stand midway through the year. Seniors Kamiko Williams and Taber Spani will be relied upon heavily and the ability of Spani to be consistent from behind the arc will be key for the Lady Vols if they are going to be successful this season. Warlick will also need junior Meighan Simmons to take the next step in her game as a more consistent scorer game-in and game-out. Simmons has shown she can take over a game but emotions have been able to get the best of the guard at times. The biggest key to the Lady Vols success will be the impact the four freshman and sophomore transfer Jasmine Phillips will have this year. There is no question they will have to play, but in order for Tennessee to keep its level of sustained success they will need to adapt to the college game quickly. The group of freshman - Bashaara Graves, Andraya Carter and Jasmine Jones - are highly touted and are the three to look for. Graves, Carter and Jones ranked No. 5, No. 21 and No. 39 on the ESPN 100 Rankings respectively. They have the talent, they just need to show it. Prediction: 16-12 (10-6 SEC) NCAA Sweet Sixteen