Tennessee Trends
? Tennessee has only four players who have participated in an SEC Tournament game before. Brandon Crump is the veteran on the roster with two tournaments under his belt while Stanley Asumnu, C.J. Watson and John Winchester each have one tournament game experience.
? The Vols have held their last three opponents to under 40 percent shooting from the field. During those three games UT?s opponents have shot 37.6 percent from the field and 31.7 percent from 3-point range.
? Tennessee is shooting 52.9 percent (46-of-87) from the field over its last two games. In the home finale the Vols shot 55.0 percent against South Carolina (3/6/04), who entered its game with UT leading virtually every defensive category in the SEC stats. At Vanderbilt (3/3/04) the Vols had their best road shooting performance of the season by making 51.1 percent of their shots.
? UT?s 7-1 record in home SEC games tied with Kentucky for best home mark in the league.
? Freshman Dane Bradshaw has moved into the starting lineup in each of UT?s last three games. He is averaging 5.3 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 24.7 minutes of action during those three outings.
? C.J. Watson recorded his 300th career assist against South Carolina (3/6/04). In 56 career games he has recorded 302 career assists, including 142 this year.
? Scooter McFadgon?s 61 3-pointers this season rank ninth on UT?s single-season 3-pointers made lists. McFadgon, who has made 61-of-157 3-point attempts this season, needs two more 3-pointers to tie Brandon Wharton (63 in 1997-98) for eighth and three to tie Tony Harris (64 in 1998-99) for seventh.
? McFadgon is shooting 90.8 percent (129-of-142) from the line to rank second on UT?s single season free throw percentage list. Bill Justus has held the record at 92.0 percent (133-of-147) since the 1968-69 season.
| Team Statistical Comparisons |
| Tennessee | Stat Category | Alabama |
| 72.6 | Points | 71.8 |
| 70.9 | Opponent Points | 67.9 |
| +1.6 | Scoring Margin | +4.0 |
| .446 | Field Goal % | .453 |
| .430 | Opponent Field Goal % | .421 |
| .348 | Three-Point % | .383 |
| .347 | Opponent Three-Point % | .356 |
| .725 | Free Throw % | .700 |
| 37.3 | Rebounds | 35.2 |
| 33.6 | Opponent Rebounds | 33.6 |
| +3.7 | Rebounding Margin | +1.6 |
| 15.5 | Assists | 11.6 |
| 14.9 | Turnovers | 13.6 |
| 3.4 | Blocks | 3.1 |
| 6.0 | Steals | 6.5 |
| 15-12, 7-9 | Record | 16-11, 8-8 |
| Individual Statistical Leaders |
| Tennessee | Stat Category | Alabama |
| McFadgon, 18.1 | Points | Powell, 12.7 |
| Crump, 7.0 | Rebounds | Powell, 6.4 |
| Watson, 5.2 | Assists | Boynton 3.6 |
| Crump, .556 | Field Goal % | Balkman, .545 |
| Watson, .416 | Three-Point % | Boynton, .395 |
| McFadgon, .906 | Free Throw % | Gonner, .718 |
SEC Tournament Notebook
Tennessee in the SEC Tournament
The Vols are 53-39 all-time in the SEC Tournament ? Since the tournament was renewed in 1979, the Vols are 18-24 ... Tennessee?s four SEC Tournament titles are the third-most of any league member ? Only Kentucky (24) and Alabama (6) have won the tournament more times ? Only Kentucky (102 wins) has more SEC Tournament victories ? Tennessee and Alabama are tied for second with 53 wins.
Buzz Peterson In Conference Tournaments
Buzz Peterson, who is coaching his third SEC Tournament, is 11-6 all-time in conference tournaments ? He was 8-3 in four Southern Conference Tournaments at Appalachian State, including a 2000 SoCon Tournament title ? At Tulsa last season his Golden Hurricane were 2-1 in the Western Athletic Conference Tournament before bowing out to Hawaii in the championship game ? He is 1-2 in two previous SEC Tournaments.
UT As The East?s No. 6 Seed
Tennessee is 2-5 all-time as the East?s No. 6 seed ? This is UT?s first time as the No. 6 seed in the East since 1997 when the Vols lost to Auburn 54-67 in the first round.
Tennessee Against The Seeds
UT enters the 2004 SEC Tournament as the No. 6 seed in the East and will meet the West?s No. 3 seed Alabama in the first round ... The Vols are 2-3 against the West?s No. 3 seed since the SEC began seeding the teams in divisions in 1992.
Tennessee In Atlanta
The Vols are 6-8 all-time in the SEC Tournament when it is played in Atlanta ... UT is 24-40 all-time when playing in Atlanta ... Since 1964-65 the Vols are 7-7 when playing in Atlanta.
Ellis Honored As SEC Legend
Two-time first team All-America Dale Ellis will be honored as an SEC Legend at the Southeastern Conference Basketball Tournament in Atlanta ... A two-time SEC Player of the Year (1982 and 1983), Ellis led the Vols to the 1982 SEC Championship ... The Marietta, Ga., native still holds the conference record for field goal percentage in a season (65.4 percent) and ranks fifth on UT?s scoring lists with 2,065 career points ... The ninth overall selection in the 1983 NBA Draft, Ellis played 19 seasons in the NBA for nine different teams ... Considered one of the best 3-point shooters in NBA history, he led the league by making 46.4 percent of his 3-pointers in 1997-98.
The Series
Alabama leads the all-time series, 68-61 ? The Crimson Tide won this year?s regular season meeting, an 83-70 decision Feb. 14 in Tuscaloosa ? Tennessee and Alabama have met 12 times in the SEC Tournament with the Tide holding an 8-4 series lead ? Alabama has won the last four meetings in the series ... Alabama leads the series 40-15 when it is played in Tuscaloosa ? UT has lost 15 of its last 16 games against the Crimson Tide when playing in Tuscaloosa ? Tennessee holds a decisive 43-18 advantage when playing in Knoxville ? UT leads the series 6-4 when playing in Thompson-Boling Arena ? Tennessee won the first meeting, 49-13 between the two schools on Feb. 6, 1914 ? The Tennessee-Alabama rivalry is UT?s third-oldest in the SEC ? Only Tennessee?s series with Kentucky (1910) and Georgia (1913) date back further.
Last Meeting vs. Alabama
Alabama snapped a five-game losing streak with an 83-70 win over Tennessee Saturday, Feb. 14, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. ... Tennessee led by as many of six points in the first half but a Jermareo Davidson dunk with 13 seconds left in the opening half cut the lead to 36-32 at the break ... Alabama tied the score at 45-45 with 16 minutes left in the game ... The Tide then went on a 6-0 run to take a 53-47 advantage ... The Vols battled back to cut the lead to three points (55-52) but could get no closer ... Brandon Crump led the Vols with 19 points while C.J. Watson narrowly missed a double-double with 13 points and nine rebounds ... Scooter McFadgon was held five points under his scoring average with 13 points ... Earnest Shelton turned in a game-high 27 points to lead Alabama ... Chuck Davis added 20 points while Kennedy Winston scored 14 of his 16 points in the second half ... The two teams combined to commit 46 fouls and shoot 61 free throws.
Looking at Alabama
Alabama enters the SEC Tournament as one of the hottest teams in the Southeastern Conference ... The Crimson Tide dropped to 16-11 on the season and 8-8 in league play with an 81-82 overtime loss to SEC champion Mississippi State Saturday in Tuscaloosa ... The loss ended a four-game Alabama winning streak that included a 77-73 win over Mississippi State Feb. 21 at Starkville ... Sophomore forward Kennedy Winston leads the Tide with 17.3 points per game while making 41 percent (41-of-100) of his 3-point attempts ... Winston has won SEC Player of the Week honors three times this season, including the last two awards ... Earnest Shelton, who missed a pair of league games with a sprained knee is second on the team with 15.4 points per game ... Shelton, who is averaging 20.0 points over his last three games, ranks fourth in the SEC with a free throw percentage of 81.0 percent ... Chuck Davis, a 6-foot-7 sophomore forward, is the only other Bama player in double figure scoring with 10.8 points ... Davis leads the Tide in rebounding with 5.8 boards per game ... Former walk-on Antoine Pettway is averaging 9.5 points while ranking third in the SEC with 2.26 steals per game ... Five of Bama?s last six games have been decided by four points or less ... The Tide?s last two games have gone into overtime ... Alabama has made four or more 3-pointers in 26 of its 27 games this season ... UA is the SEC?s top 3-point shooting team, making 38.3 percent of its attempts from behind the arc ... Head coach Mark Gottfried (Alabama 1987) is 115-72 in his sixth season at Alabama and 182-97 in his ninth year as a head coach.
Alabama Connections: White Station Teammates Reunite
Tennessee freshman guard Dane Bradshaw and Alabama junior guard Earnest Shelton were teammates at White Station High School in Memphis for two seasons ... When Bradshaw was a freshman and Shelton a junior in 2000 the duo combined to lead the Spartans to a 34-4 record and a TSSAA Class AAA state championship ... Bradshaw went on to lead White Station to state championships during his junior and senior seasons also ... Shelton and Tennessee junior guard Scooter McFadgon were also teammates at Snowden Junior High School in Memphis and would often spend the night at each other?s houses ... Shelton and McFadgon remain close friends today ... UT?s Major Wingate and Alabama?s Jermareo Davidson were AAU teammates.
Buzz Against Bama
Buzz Peterson will be looking for his first win over Alabama as the head coach at the University of Tennessee ... Peterson has at least one win over every SEC team except Alabama ... Peterson is 1-4 all-time against the Tide ... As the head coach at Tulsa he led the Golden Hurricane to a 79-60 win over Alabama in the 2001 National Invitation Tournament championship game.
Last Time Out
Tennessee enjoyed one of its best shooting games of the season against the SEC?s best defense in a 63-56 win over South Carolina Saturday, March 6, at Thompson-Boling Arena ... The Vols built a 32-21 halftime lead and expanded the advantage to 13 points (40-27) when Brandon Crump put in a layup with just under 15 minutes left ... South Carolina responded with a 13-2 run to cut the lead to two points (42-40) on a Tre Kelley bucket with 8:25 remaining ... Scooter McFadgon kept the Vols in the lead by scoring nine of the Vols? final 15 points over the last 5:21 ... McFadgon finished the game with 17 points to lead the Vols ... Crump, who was 7-of-7 from the field, added 15 points and nine rebounds ... C.J. Watson, who recorded his 300th career assist, chipped in 15 points to go with six dimes ... Josh Gonner led four Gamecocks in double figure scoring with 13 points ... Tennessee shot 55.0 percent from the field against a South Carolina team that led the SEC in virtually every defensive category entering the game ... The Gamecocks had previously allowed just one team to shoot 50 percent or better all season ... USC?s bench outscored UT?s 12-1 ... Tennessee?s 7-1 record in home SEC games tied with Kentucky for the best home record in the league.
Scooter Late Scoring
Scooter McFadgon has stepped up late in Tennessee?s last two wins ... Against Auburn (2/28/04) he scored Tennessee?s final nine points to lead the Vols to a 75-69 win over the Tigers ... He went 13-of-13 from the free throw line, including 6-of-6 in the game?s final minute against Auburn ... In UT?s 63-56 win over South Carolina McFadgon scored nine of the Vols? final 15 points ... When USC had cut the Tennessee lead to two points, McFadgon scored Tennessee?s next two buckets, including a 3-pointer to give the Vols a more comfortable 53-46 advantage.
No Seniors On Senior Day
For just the third time in the last 51 seasons, and the first since the 1977-78 campaign, Tennessee did not have any seniors to recognize on Senior Day ... The Vol roster features four juniors, six sophomores and two freshmen this season ... The last time the Vols did not have a senior on its roster was during the 1977-78 season, the year after Ernie Grunfeld graduated and Bernard King entered the NBA Draft following his junior year ... The only other time on record that the Vols did not have a senior on its roster was during the 1953-54 season.
Vols Have Won Seven Home Finales In A Row
Tennessee has a seven-game winning streak in its final home game of the season ... The Vols have not lost their final home game since a 64-74 loss to No. 3 Kentucky on Feb. 25, 1997 ... This year Tennessee took a 63-56 win over South Carolina in the Vols? home finale.
Home Sweet Home
While the Vols have struggled on the road this season, they have been tough at home ... Tennessee is 14-3 at Thompson-Boling Arena this season ... Tennessee?s 7-1 mark in SEC home games tied for best in the conference this season ... UT?s only home losses have come to No. 9 Kentucky, No. 5 Louisville and No. 15 Georgia Tech ... Kentucky needed a 25-foot 3-pointer with 16.3 seconds left in regulation to send the game into overtime in the Wildcats? win.
Tennessee Against Ranked Teams
Tennessee is 2-6 against teams ranked among the Associated Press Top 25 this year ... UT has wins over 23rd-ranked Vanderbilt and No. 22 Florida and losses at No. 14 Florida, vs. No. 9 Kentucky, vs. No. 5 Louisville, at No. 11 Mississippi State, vs. No. 15 Georgia Tech and at No. 9 Kentucky this season ... The Vols are 81-186 all-time against teams ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 ... Tennessee is 39-116 all-time against teams ranked in the AP Top 10 and 17-27 against teams ranked in the Top 5.
Hitting The Boards
Tennessee ranks third in the Southeastern Conference with 37.3 rebounds per game ... The Vols have surpassed the 50-rebound mark two times with 50 boards at Nebraska (12/13/03) and 57 against The Citadel (12/17/03) ... UT is outrebounding its opponents by 3.7 rebounds per game which ranks fifth in the SEC ... UT is averaging 12.82 offensive rebounds per game.
| TENNESSEE CAREER STATS vs. ALABAMA |
| ? | G-GS | FG-A | 3FG-A | FT-A | Reb | Avg | A | TO | Blk | Stl | Pts | Avg |
| Albrecht | 1-0 | 0-2 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0-2-2 | 2.0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |
| Asumnu | 2-1 | 3-6 | 0-2 | 0-2 | 0-0-0 | 0.0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 3.0 |
| Bradshaw | 1-0 | 1-4 | 1-3 | 2-5 | 0-0-0 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 5.0 |
| Crump | 4-4 | 15-26 | 2-2 | 3-9 | 5-5-10 | 2.5 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 35 | 8.8 |
| Hendrix | 1-0 | 3-6 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2-3-5 | 5.0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6.0 |
| Herndon | 1-0 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-1-1 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| McFadgon | 1-1 | 3-10 | 1-4 | 6-8 | 2-2-4 | 4.0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 13.0 |
| Watson | 2-2 | 9-19 | 5-10 | 3-6 | 3-10-13 | 6.5 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 26 | 13.0 |
| Winchester | 2-0 | 1-8 | 1-4 | 6-6 | 2-1-3 | 1.5 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 4.5 |
| Wingate | 1-1 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 1-2 | 0-2-2 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
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