#TOUGHERBREED /// TENNESSEE DEFENSIVE NOTES “They just dug, scratched and clawed ... they played harder than we did.” - Jim Calhoun, Jan. 21, 2012
TENNESSEE’S DEFENSE: LAST THREE GAMES Game at Vanderbilt at Alabama Ole Miss 3-GAME AVG.
Points FG Pct. 3FG Pct. Turnovers Allowed Defense Defense Forced Blocks Defl. Steals 64 .522 .400 6 3 17 2 59 .392 .200 7 2 19 2 70 .413 .357 9 8 23 4 64.3 .442 .319 7.3 4.3 19.7 2.7
QUICK DEFENSIVE NOTES
¢ Tennessee has held four opponents to fewer than 55 points this season (Xavier, 49 on Nov. 29; Virginia, 52 on Dec. 30, Tusculum 51 on Jan. 4, LSU 50 on Jan. 7). ¢ Tennessee held projected 2014 first-round NBA draft pick Semaj Christon of Xavier to just four points in UT’s 64-49 dismantling of the Musketeers at the Battle 4 Atlantis (11/29/13). Christon also finished with no rebounds, one assist and two turnovers in 24 minutes of action. ¢ In Tennessee's three games against Xavier dating to last season, the Vols held Christon to an average of 9.0 points per game and forced him to commit a total of 10 turnovers. ¢ In that Nov. 29 win over Xavier, the Vols held the Muskies scoreless for seperate spans of 4:33 and 3:57. ¢ Freshman guard Darius Thompson recorded a season-high five steals against Tennessee State (11/22/13). It was the most steals by a UT freshman since current Orlando Magic forward Tobias Harris logged five in a game in 2011. ¢ In their win over Tennessee Tech (12/7/13), the Vols limited the Golden Eagles to just six points in the first 10 minutes of the second half. ¢ The Vols blocked 11 shots against Morehead State (12/23/13), setting a new team high for the Cuonzo Martin era. ¢ Tennessee held Wooden Award and Naismith Candidate Joe Harris, who was Virginia’s leading scorer, to just seven points on 2-of-9 shooting during a dominant 87-52 win Dec. 30. Jordan McRae was primarily responsible for guarding Harris. ¢ In Tennessee’s road win at LSU (1/7/14), the Vols held Tigers senior Andre Stringer scoreless for the first time in his career. Stringer was the SEC’s second-leading active scorer and was averaging 12.5 ppg. ¢ Armani Moore had a career-high four blocks (all in the first half) vs. Arkansas (1/22/14).
BACKCOURT BLOCK PARTY
¢ The players on Tennessee’s roster combine to boast 311 blocks. ¢ Interestingly, nearly 65 percent of those blocks (199 of 311) are by guards. ¢ The Vols’ backcourt blocks leaders are senior Jordan McRae and junior Josh Richardson, who own 80 and 58 career blocks, respectively. ¢ Tennessee’s guards accounted for 55.4 percent of the team’s blocked shots last year (72 of 130).
ACTIVE HANDS
¢ The Vols track the number of pass deflections they record every game. They average 17.0 deflections per game this season (374 total). ¢ Tennessee has had at least 10 deflections in all but one of its games this season. ¢ Those who attend a Tennessee basketball game in person are sure to hear Cuonzo Martin’s repetitive yell of, “Haaands!” whenever the Vols are on defense.
MARTIN HAS HISTORY WITH DEFENSIVE STOPPERS
¢ During Cuonzo Martin’s assistant/associate head coaching tenure at Purdue from 2000-08, the Boilermakers produced three Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year honorees. ¢ Guard Kenneth Lowe won the award in both 2003 and 2004, and guard Chris Kramer captured the honor in 2008. ¢ And in 2011, which was Martin’s third and final season as head coach at Missouri State, he coached Jermaine Mallett to a spot on the MVC All-Defense Team.
PROS WHO KNOW...
Jeffery Taylor - 10 pts (3/3/12)
Andre Drummond - 6 pts (1/21/12)
Bradley Beal - 9 pts, 5 TOs (1/7/12)
MARTIN-ERA BESTS Opponents’ Points Total
Georgetown 37 11/30/12 in Washington, D.C. Virginia 46 12/5/12 in Charlottesville Vanderbilt 46 2/13/13 in Nashville
Opponents’ FG Pct.
Oakland .286 Auburn .304 South Carolina .319
11/26/12 in Knoxville 1/28/12 in Knoxville 2/25/12 in Columbia
Opponents’ 3FG Pct. Kentucky Georgia Xavier Virginia Oakland
.100 1/31/12 in Lexington .105 1/18/12 in Athens .125 12/29/12 in Knoxville .125 12/5/12 in Charlottesville .125 11/26/12 in Knoxville
Opponents’ Turnovers Xavier Arkansas Middle Tenn.
19 18 17
12/29/12 in Knoxville 2/15/12 in Knoxville 3/19/12 in Knoxville
Blocks
Morehead State 11 12/13/13 in Knoxville Arkansas 10 1/22/14 in Knoxville Two times 9 Tusculum 2014, Xavier 2012
Steals
at LSU Arkansas Seven times
10 10 8
2/29/12 in Baton Rouge 2/15/12 in Knoxville
Opponents’ Longest Scoreless Droughts Virginia Georgetown Florida Kennesaw St.
6.41 12/5/12 in Charlottesville 6:23 11/30/12 in Washington, D.C. 6:23 2/11/12 in Gainesville 6:20 11/9/12 in Knoxville
NOTE: Martin’s Vols have put together 13 spans during which opponents have been held scoreless for longer than five minutes (six last season).
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