The BasketVols Thread

RALEIGH, N.C. -- If*Jarnell Stokes*plays well*Tennessee*is a decent basketball team. If Stokes and*Jordan McRae*play well Tennessee is a good basketball team. If Stokes, McRae and*Josh Richardson*play well Tennessee is a dangerous basketball team. If all three play well and get some help from the supporting cast … well, the Mercer Bears could be in deep trouble tonight (6:10 tipoff) at PNC Center.

Just ask the UMass Minutemen. They couldn't contain Stokes (26 points), McRae (21), Richardson (15) or*Jeronne Maymon*(11) in an 86-67 beat-down at the hands of the Vols on Friday.*Antonio Barton*showed some flashes.Armani Moore*and*Darius Thompson*provided solid play off the bench. Tennessee can be downright awesome when it exhibits that kind of balance.

"I think it's big," Richardson said. "Darius Thompson came off the bench and gave us big minutes, especially for a freshman. Armani Moore came in and gave us big-time minutes. Even Pops (Ndiaye) came in and gave us big minutes. It (balance) is especially good at this time of year, when guys can't play as many minutes because we've got another game coming up so fast."

Stokes was a virtual one-man wrecking crew versus UMass, grabbing 14 rebounds to go with his career-high 26 points. Still, he readily acknowledges how much more effective he is when his teammates are contributing, too.

"Most definitely," he said." Jordan did a great job, So did Tone (Anthony Barton) and Josh. Armani came in and got a big basket. Jeronne got a double-double. That helps out a lot."

Although Mercer is a mere 14 seed, the Bears have an impressive record (26-8) and are riding an emotional high after upsetting third-seeded*Duke*78-71 on Friday.

"We understand that Mercer's a very good team and they can hit shots," Stokes said. "I hate playing teams that can hit shots. They make you pay for any defensive breakdowns, so we have to defend very well … no breakdowns."

Mercer point guard Langston Hall seemed to exploit every Tennessee breakdown when the Bears beat the Vols in Knoxville last March, handing them a humbling loss in the first round of the 2013 NIT. Tennessee must play significantly better help defense tonight than it did last March or it will lose again.

"It's huge for us, especially playing against guys who can get in the lane like that," Richardson said. "It's tough, so we'll have to play great team defense. Langston Hall's a great point guard. He can score the ball and he can pass it. They're very experienced and they execute very well on offense."

The Bears are experienced, all right. All five starter are seniors. So, despite starting three seniors and two juniors, the Vols will be the "younger" team tonight.

Although both teams have loads of experience, neither has garnered much respect. Before stunning Duke, Mercer was one of the most obscure teams in the 68-team NCAA Tournament field. The Vols can relate. They are so lightly regarded by most of the national media that it is providing them with extra motivation.

As Stokes put it: "Sometimes the media perception gets to certain teams, and I feel like we're one of those teams."

Maymon couldn't care less what the national media. After wins against*Iowa*and UMass, he says Tennessee's confidence level is soaring.

"Most definitely. We didn't come here to lose," he said. "You can go ask our manager, and he'll tell you the same thing. You can go ask our trainer, and he'll tell you the same thing.

"We didn't come here to lose."*
 
RALEIGH, N.C. -- They were the last team to make the 68-team NCAA Tournament field. They needed a frantic rally to post an overtime win and enter the main bracket as an 11 seed. Then they had to upset a 6 seed to reach the Round of 32.

Given all of the above, the*Tennessee*Vols*should*be the Cinderella story of this year's NCAA Tournament. Instead, they'll be playing the ugly stepsister role when they face Mercer here Sunday at 6:10 in PNC Arena. The 14th-seeded Bears locked up the Cinderella mantle Friday afternoon by shocking third-seeded*Duke*… along with most of the civilized world.

Tennessee (23-12) is an eight-point favorite in the oddsmakers' eyes but Mercer (26-8) is the sentimental favorite in the fans' eyes. America loves an underdog, and The Bears are even bigger 'dogs now that 6-foot-11, 250-pound center*Monty Brown*is likely sidelined by an apparent concussion suffered in the first half against Duke.

Will public sentiment help the Bears? No doubt. But the Vols have some incentive, too. Mercer trounced them last March in Knoxville, ousting the Vols from the NIT and ending their season in humiliating fashion.

If you think the Big Orange has forgotten that setback, think again. Payback would be sweet.

"It's big for us," junior wing*Josh Richardsonsaid. "Mercer came into our own house and whooped us last year. We'll remember that when we're playing."

Tennessee coach Cuonzo Martin studiously avoids "revenge" angles and encourages his players to do the same. When asked if the Vols hope to avenge last March's loss to Mercer, junior post*Jarnell Stokessquirmed in his seat, then laughed nervously before answering.

"Not exactly," he said, clearly uncomfortable with the topic.

Senior wing*Jordan McRae*lapsed into coach-speak when asked what he recalled about the previous meeting.

"Not much," he said. "They're really well coached and they run good sets. That's all."

Even senior post*Jeronne Maymon, normally Tennessee's most candid player, had little to say when asked what he remembered about last year's meeting.

"I don't," he said "I know they beat us in the NIT and they're a really good team."

Reporters also had no luck getting the Vols to admit that they were looking forward to a Sunday matchup with Duke, arguably college basketball's marquee program.

"Not at all," Maymon said. "I don't care about playing Duke. It's whoever's in front of us. If it was Duke, then we've got to go through Duke. But it's Mercer, so we have to go out there and play our game against them on Sunday."

One Vol exhibited absolutely no sympathy for the devastated Blue Devil players as they filed past the Vols following Friday's loss to Mercer.

"We actually walked past them as we were entering the court," Stokes said, adding with a shrug: "It's the NCAA Tournament, and a lot of teams are waiting for this moment."

Martin said Duke's high profile was never a factor for his team.

"We didn't come into this tournament saying, 'OK, if we beat UMass, we can play Duke.' Not at all," the Vol coach said. "Our guys understand that it's one game at a time. Anything can happen this time of year."

Including a 14 seed beating a 3 seed with Coach K sitting on the bench.

Echoing his coach, Richardson said the possibility of a Sunday matchup with Duke never crossed his mind.

"No, we weren't even worried about the next game," he said. "We were just worried about beating UMass."

When a reporter noted that the 14-seeded Bears represent an easier path to the Sweet 16 than the 3-seeded Blue Devils, Richardson's response was incredulous.

"It's obviously*not*an easier path, since they came out and beat Duke," he said." It's going to be tough. Everybody's playing their best basketball right now, so we'll have to come out and play well."
 
well be braving the roosters and heavy winds for dem vols. ¡Vamos! V for f*n Life
 
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) —*Tennessee*came to Tobacco Road and turned it into "Raleigh Top."

Jarnell Stokes*had 17 points and a career-high-tying 18 rebounds, and the Volunteers denied Mercer a second straight upset in the NCAA tournament by routing the Bears 83-63 on Sunday night.

Josh Richardson*had a career-high 26 points and*Antonio Barton*had 18 for the 11th-seeded Vols (24-12), who outrebounded Mercer 41-19 and kept the Southeastern Conference perfect in the tournament.

They joined Florida and Kentucky in the round of 16 — the first time three SEC teams made it that far since 2007.

Tennessee will face second-seeded Michigan (27-8) in a Midwest Regional semifinal Friday night in Indianapolis.

Stokes broke his 2-day-old school tournament record for rebounds.

Langston Hall had 15 points to lead the 14th-seeded Bears (27-9). They knocked off Duke in the signature upset of the tournament but couldn't answer Tennessee's size.

Mercer trailed by double figures for the entire second half before the Bears threatened to give themselves yet another fantastic finish.

They had the ball down 12 with about 2½ minutes left when Jakob Gollon — one of the heroes of the Duke upset two days earlier — threw the ball away in the lane, then fouled out a few seconds later.

Jordan McRae*hit two free throws, and Richardson added a fast-break layup to push the Tennessee lead to 77-61 with 1½ minutes left.

McRae finished with 13 points for the Volunteers, who have won eight of nine with the only loss coming to the top-ranked Gators in the SEC tournament.

They are in the round of 16 for the fourth time in eight years, and the third team to go from the First Four to the Sweet 16 since the introduction of the extra round in 2011.

They also got a bit of payback: Mercer ended Tennessee's season last year with a 75-67 win in the first round of the NIT.

Ike Nwamu*scored 12 points, Anthony White Jr. had 11 andDaniel Coursey*added 10 for Mercer, the plucky Atlantic Sun Conference school trying to match Florida Gulf Coast's run last year to the regional semifinals.

The Bears drew a perfect matchup for their first game — and couldn't have had a worse one for their second.

They were bigger, more experienced and more precise than a Duke team loaded with high school All-Americans and a leaky defense, carving them up down the stretch in a 78-71 victory that ranks among the top upsets in the history of the tournament.

Mercer starts five seniors and has seven on the roster — but the Bears were down one with 6-foot-11*Monty Brownout with a possible concussion.

Even with him, a Tennessee team with Stokes — who set the school's short-lived NCAA tournament record with 14 rebounds in an 86-67 rout of Massachusetts — was going to be a challenge.

Without him, it was nearly impossible.

Tennessee never trailed and held a 24-4 rebounding advantage in the first half. Richardson scored 10 straight points midway for the Volunteers to turn a tight game into a double-figure lead. His 3 from the right wing made it 29-18 with 6½ minutes left.

Meanwhile, Stokes and Maymon effectively turned Mercer into a jump-shooting team: The Bears managed just one offensive rebound in the first half and didn't attempt their first free throw until there was just 8:40 left.
 
RALEIGH, N.C. — Somehow calling it the Sweet 16 doesn’t quite do it justice. Judging from the joy on the faces of theTennessee*Vols, the next stop on their rags-to-riches tour should be called the*Sweeter*16.

After derailing earlier this season, the 11th-seeded Vols have gotten back on track in March, rolling to an 83-63 blitz of 14th-seeded Mercer here Sunday at PNC Arena. The win sends the Big Orange against*Michigan*in Friday’s NCAA Midwest Regional semifinals at Indianapolis.

The fact Tennessee struggled mightily in November, December, January and February makes what is happening in March that much more meaningful. Junior wing*Josh Richardson*grinned when asked how it feels to overcome so much adversity en route to the Sweet 16.

“It’s sweet,” he said, smiling at the unintentional pun. “Sweet … yeah, that was good. It was nice to know all the blood, sweat and tears we put in paid off. I know that’s a cliché but to be able to prove our doubters wrong is nice.”

The doubters surfaced early, grumbling when the Vols lost their opener at*Xavier*in November. The grumbling grew louder when Tennessee suffered a lethargic home loss to North Carolina State in December. The discontent spread after the Vols lost at home to lowlyTexas A&M*in January. When the Aggies won the rematch at College Station in February, the Big Orange bandwagon got pretty close to empty.

Even as their doubters began to outnumber their fans, the Vols kept grinding in hopes they could salvage the season with a big finish. They have. Sunday’s win was their eighth in the last nine games, improving their record to 24-12.

“We didn’t want it all to be for nothing,” Richardson said of the adversity, “so we came out today and got the W.”

Richardson was the key to that W, going 9 of 13 from the field en route to a career-high 26 points. He scored 17 points in the NCAA opener versus*Iowa*and 15 in Round 2 versus UMass. Asked why he has suddenly become more of a scoring threat, he sheepishly replied, “I don’t know. I just have a different mindset, I guess. I’m just getting more assertive.”

Vols junior Josh Richardson scores two of his 26 points versus Mercer.(Getty Images)

Senior wing*Jordan McRae*said making the Sweet 16 touched different players in different ways.

“Some guys in here (locker room) after the game were crying, they were so happy with the win,” he said. “This team has been through a lot.”

Including the loss of a sizable portion of the fan base following some ugly losses.

“We’ve been ruled out this season a countless amount of times,” McRae said. “For us to do what we’re doing now and the fans we’re still having now, it’s phenomenal.”

Senior point guard*Antonio Barton*experienced three NCAA Tournaments at*Memphis*before transferring to Tennessee last summer but never advanced past Round 2. He described the Sweet 16 bid as “amazing,” adding: “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing. This is my first time. Me being a senior to get where I’m at … this is all I could imagine.”

Barton, who chipped in 18 points for the Vols, agreed that proving the doubters wrong makes the Sweet 16 berth especially meaningful.

“It’s a big thing,” he said. “A lot of people counted us out a couple of weeks ago but right now we’re here, and we’re not done. We’re going to keep going till we make it to the championship.”

Jarnell Stokes, who registered 17 points, 18 rebounds and a team-high 5 assists, also takes comfort in the fact Tennessee has silenced the critics.

“People continuously doubted us,” he said, “but as a team we came together as a whole, as a family. We’re in the Sweet 16, and I don’t think anyone expected that.”

McRae, who added 14 points, may have been the happiest player in the Vol locker room. Prior to this season his March memories included a 30-point first-round loss the 2011 NCAA Tournament, a second-round loss in the 2012 NIT and a first-round loss in the 2013 NIT.

“We’re having fun, man,” he said. “I mean, this is the time of everybody’s life. Nobody in this room has been this far before. This is something everyone will tell our kids about.”

As much as they relish making the Sweet 16, several Vols already are looking ahead.

“This is real,” Barton said. “It feels good. We’ll not settle, though. We’re never satisfied. This is a good feeling but we’re trying to go to the championship.”

Stokes is even more optimistic.

“I have to stay within myself because I know we have a tough challenge coming up with Michigan,” he said. “But, as long as we play our game, we shouldn’t have many problems.”
 
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