Following Tennessee’s loss to Texas in the Legends Classic last weekend in New Jersey, being named to the all-tournament team wasn‘t much consolation to Chris Lofton.

The All-American walked in the locker room and tossed the plaque in the trash can.

Jordan Howell was thinking to himself: I would have put that plaque in my trophy case.

“I thought about getting it out of the trash,” Howell recounted Friday night. “I don’t think it had his name on it.

“But that might have been awkward.”

Howell and Lofton, two Tennessee senior guards. Their perspective on awards, obviously, quite different.

There haven’t been many awards for Howell since he was a Mr. Basketball finalist in Alabama back in 2003.

That’s why his career-high 17-point performance in a 98-70 win over Louisiana-Lafayette felt so good.

But we’re getting a game ahead of ourselves ...

That’s why he was so ticked off at himself when he walked off the court at Thompson-Boling Arena on Tuesday night after UT routed North Carolina A&T.

His stat line read: 2 of 11 shooting. Tennessee had won. Great. But 2-of-11?

“I was thinking, ‘I’m never going to get 11 shots up again in a game,’” Howell said. “It left a bad taste in my mouth.

“I had the opportunity to do what I’ve wanted to do, which is show people in Tennessee I can shoot it a little bit.

“I’m a senior and this is my last chance to prove to people that I belong. That I’m meant to be here.”

There have been doubters about that.

Howell signed with Georgia out of high school. A coaching change led him to get his release and come to Tennessee at Buzz Peterson’s invitation.

He redshirted a year, then played only 116 minutes as a freshman, averaging 1.1 points.

Bruce Pearl’s arrival meant a fresh start but not a spotlight role.

Point guard was C.J. Watson’s job. When Watson left, freshman Ramar Smith arrived last year to take the baton.

Still, Howell’s minutes increased to 18 a game. His scoring remained an afterthought, but not because Pearl slapped any handcuffs on him.

Pearl believes you shoot when you’re open. It’s taken Howell a while to get back to the mentality that he’s got a green light — even after moving into the starting lineup four games into this season.

Then he popped up those 11 shots Tuesday night, 10 of them behind the 3-point arc.

And nine of them were clunkers.

“So,” said Pearl, taking up the story, “Jordan is in here two straight days, making use of Pratt Pavilion, and got up a boatload of shots.”

Come Friday, well, the other guys still aren’t guarding him. He got up 10 shots in 19 minutes and made six of them. He was 5-of-8 behind the 3-point arc.

“We still have the great players, so my role hasn’t changed all that much,” said Howell. “I’m just getting more open shots and taking’em.”

If defenses are geared to stop Lofton and JaJuan Smith, the shots are there for somebody else. Namely, Howell, the guy the scouting report says not to worry about.

“When you average four points a game, they don’t care about you that much,” said Howell.

That might change. Howell is making more of his senior year than a lot of people figured.

He’s basically splitting the point-guard minutes with Smith and playing well enough to stay in the starting lineup.

Opponents might be wise to take note.

“Coach Pearl told me, ‘Make me play you,’” said Howell. “That’s what he’s told me all the way.

“The incentive has been in the back of my mind to show people I can actually play a little bit.

“I’ve got this opportunity and it’s been a blast for me.”

And that’s even better than a plaque, no matter where it came from.

Mike Strange may be reached at 865-342-6276 or strange2@knews.com.

© 2007, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.