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ATLANTA - You know how much impact coach Bruce Pearl has had on Tennessee basketball. But you can only guess at his impact on the SEC.
My guess: It's considerable.
Other athletic directors and school boosters can't help but notice what Pearl has done, and how fast he has done it.
Pearl hasn't just won at UT. He has filled the seats in one of the nation's biggest arenas.
The obvious question: If he can do it at Tennessee, why can't someone else do it at Georgia, Auburn, Alabama, South Carolina or anywhere else in the conference?
When a reporter asked LSU athletic director Skip Bertman about coaching candidates, Bertman mentioned Pearl by name - not as a candidate, but as a type. He wants a coach who can help sell tickets as well as win games.
Comparing Pearl and UT to other conference coaches and programs might be unfair, but it's inevitable. And it might be a factor in the conference's coaching turnover.
After Pearl's second season at UT, two SEC programs - Arkansas and Kentucky - made coaching changes. This season, LSU fired John Brady, and South Carolina coach Dave Odom announced his resignation, effective at the end of the season.
There still could be more changes.
Georgia coach Dennis Felton was campaigning for his job after his last regular-season loss. Mark Gottfried is in trouble at Alabama.
Coaches Blew It: The media won't make the same mistake the SEC coaches made. When their all-conference team is announced next week, Pearl won't have to share the coach-of-the-year award.
Pearl and Kentucky's Billy Gillispie were named co-coaches of the year Tuesday in a vote of conference coaches.
In most cases, Pearl will get more credit from the media than his peers.
Fan Of Pearl: Odom said he doesn't know what other conference coaches think of Pearl, but he likes him.
"I judge a person by how they treat me and others," Odom said. "You can talk about his fanfare - like it or dislike it - but nobody can (question) that he's a good coach. He touches all the bases."
As an example of Pearl's coaching thoroughness, Odom cited UT's defense on inbounds plays.
"Undoubtedly, they're the top team in causing five-second calls," Odom said. "I don't have to worry about that against other schools. We can get the ball inbounds.
"But it's a factor (against UT.)"
Top 75: Bernard King at No. 3 was the highest ranked Vol on the top-75 list of SEC basketball players. Gainesville Sun sports columnist Pat Dooley polled media throughout the Southeast to rank the SEC's top 75 players in conjunction with the league's 75th anniversary.
The results of the poll will be announced today.
King is one of eight Vols to make the team. The other UT players and their ranking: Allan Houston (11), Ernie Grunfeld (13), Dale Ellis (14), Chris Lofton (45), Reggie Johnson (49), Tony White (59) and Tom Boerwinkle (72).
The top-10 players overall: 1. Pete Maravich, LSU; 2. Shaquille O'Neal, LSU; 3. King, UT; 4. Dan Issel, Kentucky; 5. Bob Pettit, LSU; 6. Dominique Wilkins, Georgia; 7. Chuck Person, Auburn, 8. Chris Jackson, LSU; 9. Bailey Howell, Mississippi State; and 10. Charles Barkley, Auburn.
Transfer Power: The SEC has become a great second-chance league for basketball players. Some of the conference's best players either transferred from other colleges or junior colleges.
Where would UT be without Tyler Smith, who transferred from Iowa, and J.P. Prince, who transferred from Arizona?
Ole Miss' Dwayne Curtis, who leads the conference in rebounding in league games, transferred from Auburn. South Carolina point guard Devan Downey, who transferred from the University of Cincinnati, ranks third in the SEC in scoring, second in assists and first in steals.
LSU's Marcus Thornton, a transfer from Kilgore Junior College, ranks second in the league in scoring and fourth in 3-pointers made.
Arkansas' Sonny Weems, who made first-team All-SEC is another junior college transfer. Quan Prowell, Auburn's leading scorer, transferred from Furman.
Sports editor John Adams may be reached at 865-342-6284 or adamsj@knews.com.
© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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Posted by cdldoc on March 13, 2008 at 12:13 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Wow John, nice article. Is there a hidden LSU endorsement in it somewhere that I did not see?
Posted by newtonrail on March 13, 2008 at 12:22 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I realize rankings such as these are subjective, but if you had been in Tennessee, instead the Lousy Stumps Univ. in 1963-1967, you would have actually seen Ron Widby play.. More than just read Mattingly write about the last UT Team to win the Overall in 1967. I believe he would play as a small forward or shooting guard today, and his silky smooth would work today. This list is heavily weighted by pro play, no matter MISTER Adams says.
Posted by newtonrail on March 13, 2008 at 12:26 a.m. (Suggest removal)
One shouldn't write mad: Picking up with my next to last sentence should read: ", and his silky smooth moves would work today. This list is heavily weighted by pro play, no matter what MISTER Adams says.
Posted by wjtenn on March 13, 2008 at 1:02 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Goodness Gracious
I sure am glad I am not a Newspaper writer/editor. My skin is NOT thick enough.
Sure, this idea of ranking players is, at best, a questionable idea. Our memories are all different.
Hey complainers, try these 3 (all are in some SEC record books):
Bill Spivey--UK
Carl Widseth--UT
Clyde Lee--Vandy
OR Go back further to Bernie Mahan and others I only have heard about?
So, why don't you other posters look at the positive things instead of always throwing rocks?
Posted by TommyJack on March 13, 2008 at 3:35 a.m. (Suggest removal)
newtonrail: Right about Widby. He was the real deal...then or now.
Posted by vol88 on March 13, 2008 at 7:45 a.m. (Suggest removal)
What about that top 10 list? Talk about a dream team.
Posted by GreerVol22 on March 13, 2008 at 8:02 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Its very rare to see a good movie and have good popcorn at the same time.
The real reason folks are in the seats is that the basketball is great again...and Pearl is the "popcorn".
Posted by tndrum on March 13, 2008 at 8:07 a.m. (Suggest removal)
newton-I couldn't care less what you think of John Adams, but this list is not his. As he mentions in the article, it was a poll of media throughout the Southeast, and compiled by Pat Dooley at the Gainesville Sun. But the fun thing about lists like this is coming up with who should have been on it, and Widby deserves to be there as much as anybody.
Posted by foreverorange on March 13, 2008 at 8:25 a.m. (Suggest removal)
So chris lofton is the SEC's all time leading three point shooter and he is ranked the sec's 45 best of all time, that doesn't make any sense to me.
Posted by TheVolMan on March 13, 2008 at 8:34 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Great article. Pearl was an amazing hire by Hamilton with a huge assist from Ernie. And, the weenies still bashing Adams need to stay away from his articles if they are so hell-bent on boycotting the KNS.
Posted by jawbreaker on March 13, 2008 at 8:36 a.m. (Suggest removal)
So other SEC schools will be looking for their own "Bruce Pearl". How many possible candidates are out there? There may be only one, and he belongs to the Vols.
Posted by jopad on March 13, 2008 at 9:01 a.m. (Suggest removal)
wjtenn-those are 3 good players, the only question I have about them is regarding Spivey, remember he was one of the Ky. players who was alledgely(sp/) involved in the point shaving scandal in his playing day. If I remember correctly he did not finish his eligibility at Ky. Too bad, a great player!! I was at UT when Widseth was playing. He and Ed Weiner were about the only good players we had at that time. GOOD LUCK TO THE VOLS IN THE SEC AND NCAA TOURNEYS. WIN THEM BOTH.
Posted by camoman270 on March 13, 2008 at 9:04 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Great article!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by sevenmaxims on March 13, 2008 at 9:30 a.m. (Suggest removal)
A. W. Davis had an impact on this league.
Posted by alfrizzle097 on March 13, 2008 at 9:36 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Don't know why anyone would complain about Lofton being ranked 45. He has made a bunch of threes, but is still fifth in scoting at UT. He wouldn't even catch Allan Houston if he had a fifth year to play. He doesn't get to the freethrow line as much as other players and his inside scoring, while effective, gets forgotten at times.
He hasn't even been the best player in the league any of his four years (He split with Byars last year in the AP). Just saying that if you have 75 years of basketball, the top 2/3 of the list are probably going to be players of the year.
Posted by GoVol on March 13, 2008 at 9:46 a.m. (Suggest removal)
JA - why are you still writing..no one is reading?
Posted by teedub on March 13, 2008 at 10:30 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Pearl's off the court energy certainly helped the Vols with attendance for the first couple of years. However, I think his effort would have flopped had the hustle not been there from the team. I remember watching because I knew there was an effort there that I hadn't seen in a long time. Pearl's antics were "gravy". My point - other SEC teams can hire "personality" coaches all they like, but it won't work unless there is tremendous effort on the court to back it up.
Go Vols!!
Posted by wewhite on March 13, 2008 at 10:51 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Pearl's biggest asset is that he has such a passion for his team, for his university, and for his game that his enthusiasm is infectious. He's got more energy than the entire UT football coaching staff combined. Of course, outstanding win-loss ratios, SEC championships, elite eight appearances, and almost nightly sound bites on ESPN don't hurt either.
Buh-roooooooooo-ce!
Posted by Bigger_Al on March 13, 2008 at 10:58 a.m. (Suggest removal)
John Adams snorts when he laughs.
Posted by GreerVol22 on March 13, 2008 at 11:27 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Bigger...and probably poots too.
laugh..snort...poot......laugh...snort...poot
Posted by VolnDothan on March 13, 2008 at 11:38 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I'm still confounded by the selection of Gillespie as "Co-SEC Coach of the Year". WTF?
Posted by Silent_Fulmer on March 13, 2008 at 12:05 p.m. (Suggest removal)
BBBBBRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCEEE
Posted by anthony on March 13, 2008 at 1:25 p.m. (Suggest removal)
THIS IS GREAT, THE REVENGE OF THE VOLUNTEERS, FINALLY!! GO AHEAD AND FIRE THE REST OF THEM AND WE WILL BE ATOP THE SEC FOR YEARS!! THIS IS MY PREDICITION. WHY/? COACH PEARL IS HARD TO CLONE!! WHY?? YOU FIGURE IT OUT. MORE TO COME ON THIS. JUST KEEP READING OUR BLOGS AND POSTS.
Posted by knoxsingle on March 13, 2008 at 4:53 p.m. (Suggest removal)
More waste of space. I'll read nothing written by John Adams.
Posted by mnx on March 13, 2008 at 5:49 p.m. (Suggest removal)
a fair article...
glad to see Coach Pearl and this team get the recognition they deserve
just a thought...if it could happen...a dream final four should include Vanderbilt, Tennessee, and U of Memphis...wow
Posted by rabidvolfan on March 13, 2008 at 9:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Adams,a true champion.
Posted by nafslov on March 13, 2008 at 10 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Great article , John ! Coach Pearl is the only "real" men's coach UT has ever had ! Go Vols ! Mark Packer is NOW being "boycotted" by ALL real UT fans and players !
Posted by budrhon on March 13, 2008 at 10:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)
It's like everyone forgot how Vandy beat the crap out of the Wildcats in Nashville. It was their worst road loss ever. The Wildcats lost to at least 3 C-USA teams so we know they couldn't beat Memphis. Gillespie getting Co-Coach of the year in the SEC with CBP is all political. CBP is an Outcast, the left hand Guitar Player, the Guy that does it his way. He's proven it around the Country by beating teams on their Home Floor. True the Vols were picked to win the SEC, but games against Gonzaga, Xavier and Memphis were not games anyone thought the Vols might win. To me that's the difference in Pearl and Gillespie. Road wins and Non conference wins far exceed what the Wildcats did this season.
Posted by murrayvol on March 13, 2008 at 10:54 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Contrary to minority opinion GoVol, most of us are still reading and will be doing so for a long time to come.
Did anyone else see the AP photo w/Pearl holding the net and wearing a baseball cap. Bruce should never wear a cap.
Posted by murrayvol on March 13, 2008 at 10:56 p.m. (Suggest removal)
nafslov, you can tell us. Did Ray Mears refuse to give you an autograph at some point in your tortured existence?
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