Different Sport, Same Result - Vols Dominate Dawgs

Which beating was worse - the football Vols' victory over Georgia or the basketball Vols' victory over Georgia?

Last night, the basketball Vols gave up the opening basket to UGA, then proceeded to out class, out hustle and out score the Georgia Bulldogs 85-69. At one point during the second half, my wife pointed out that, "this game is boring."

She was right. Georgia put up listen resistance to the Tennessee onslaught and looked like a December warm-up game more than an SEC conference contest.

The Vols looked especially motivated after the disappointing loss at Rupp Arena as they were physical and aggressive offensively. Kentucky pushed around the Vols in the post, but Tennessee looked like the stronger, more physical team last night.

The biggest difference, however, between the Kentucky game and the Georgia game was Tennessee's offensive execution. More specifically, they actually executed. Instead of settling for 25 seconds of meaningless baseline flex cuts before a forced drive and kick/shot, the Vols got right into their sets and found shooters open both inside and out. Kentucky is clearly a superior defensive team, but there was no mistaking that Coach Pearl spent the days between the games working on getting better shots more quickly.

It was also clear that Chris Lofton is feeling better about his shot after scorching the nets at Rupp. Lofton knocked down seven 3-pointers against Georgia and looked like the Lofton of old. There is no doubt that Tennessee is a much more lethal offensive team when Lofton is working for his shot and putting it up with the confidence he has shown the last two games.

Welcome back, Duke Crews! He looked a little rusty, but played fine in his return to the court after the heart scare. Crews provides depth, energy and scoring for Tennessee. With Brian Williams playing better and better, the Vols can send waves of fresh post players at their opposition.

It was also nice to see Ramar Smith back in the starting line-up. I like Jordan Howell just fine as a back-up, but Ramar takes the offense to another level with his speed and slashing abilities. He is going to turn the ball over more often than Howell, but he is also going to provide much more punch for the Vols.

There were a couple more interesting developments last night. Josh Tabb saw some minutes for the first time in a long time. He even got a quick run at the end of the first half. Tabb looked to be a part of Coach Pearl's plans when the season began, but quickly fell out of favor. He can definitely defend, but Tabb is not much of a threat with the basketball. If he can provide 4-6 minutes of turnover-free, lock down defense, he can help the Vols win the SEC.

What about Ryan Childress? He did not get off the bench until the end of the ballgame. It looks like Duke Crews will be taking Childress's minutes, though frankly Childress has made that switch an easy one. He has looked completely overwhelmed in the post throughout the year, often looking to the referees when he is clearly getting pushed around because he lacks the strength and speed to compete against most SEC players. He has taken poor shots, continued to try to finish inside with one-handed dunks (that have not worked) and generally slowed down the Vols attack. I have always liked Childress's ability to stretch the defense with his outside shooting, but he looks to be the odd man out right now.

The Vols next contest is Tuesday night at Alabama on ESPN. The Tide beat rival Auburn by 20 points over the weekend, so the Vols can expect more resistance than they got out of Georgia.