Volunteers overwhelm Buckeyes but fall to Spartans
Mar 29th, 2010 by Aaron Hotchner
St. Louis, 3/28/10 “Look what’s happening out in the streets/Got a revolution, got to revolution/Hey I’m dancing down the streets/Got a revolution, got to revolution.” - Jefferson Airplane, “Volunteers”
A clarion call for Vietnam protest, Jefferson Airplane’s blazing 1969 single could also describe the sense of elation gripping the University of Tennessee campus Friday night. Bagging 2nd seeded Ohio State’s Buckeyes 76-73 despite heroics by guard Evan Turner, the 6th seeded Vols sat atop the world, heading to the first Elite Eight in school history.
Like many revolutions, a future of limitless potential is glimpsed via rose-colored glasses. Next round match-up Michigan State was injured & had barely survived challenge by the plucky Northern Iowa University. Once their supply of Band-Aids ran out, reasoning went, they’d be easy pickings for a Volunteers squad boasting a long & brawny front line.
Like many revolutions, the end came soon, the wave breaking some 36 hours after its crest. Michigan State’s Spartans – veterans of last year’s Final Four – drew heart from their coach & inspiration from the injured teammate that got them there. After an intense, down-to-the-wire battle, M. State emerged victorious Sunday 70-69, the difference a single free throw.
Now, from breathless heights to hopeless depths:
Though packing bags for home, Buckeye junior Evan Turner can find consolation. As the expected #2 pick in the upcoming draft, his future is bright. Against Tennessee, he left it all out there, scoring 21 of 31 total in the second half. Throw in seven rebounds, five assists, & 9-9 from the free throw line, and accusations of anything less than 110% effort are lacking cause or merit. Instead, Ohio State’s star collided with a Volunteers team playing nitro-fueled power basketball. The Vols dominated both the offensive & defensive boards for a 36-23 margin. Brian Williams (Tennessee’s center, not him) and power forward Wayne Chism alone accounted for 23 of those rebounds, & 31 points. While Turner’s 6′7” frame allows him to shoot over smaller guards, Tennessee guard J.P. Prince (14 points, 6 rebounds) is equally long & lanky, allowing him to block the last second, chance-to-tie three pointer Turner shot. At the end of all things, it was textbook: the better team beat the best player.
Facing Michigan State, Tennessee’s odds looked favorable. Kalin Lucas had ruptured his Achilles tendon in the second round, depriving the State of their high-man for both points & assists. Chris Allen (8.5 ppg, foot injury) & Delvon Roe (6.5 ppg & 5 rebounds/game, torn meniscus) were playing hurt. The Vols were coming in on a head of steam, looking past this night towards Indianapolis & Final Four glory. The Spartans though, refused to be buried before they were actually dead. On the back of a 21 point outburst by guard Durrell Summers & Lucas’s crutched cheer-leading, they battled back from the brink & sealed their return ticket. For Summers, stepping up meant listening to Coach Tom Izzo, the same coach who’d benched him after an earlier conflict.
“[Izzo told me to] be more aggressive and it starts on the defensive end,” Summers said. “I think throughout the whole tournament my defense has been on a different level than it was in the beginning of the year, and that’s just been able to translate to my offense.”
Summers’ aggression was tempered by knowing when to shoot the ball – witness his 80% mark from the field & the clutch 3-pointer that put Michigan ahead with less than three minutes to play. Tennessee’s play wasn’t substandard either – Chism, Williams, Prince & sophomore guard Scotty Hopson all scored in double figures – and the Volunteers shot better from the field & from three-point land. Michigan’s defense play – a pedigree instilled by their coach – made the difference, as the Spartans edged out Tennessee in both blocks (8-3) & steals.(8-6) Credit M. State for their free throw acumen as well, as they almost 10 percent better than the Vols, (76.2% – 66.7%) crucial in a game decided by a single free-throw scored point.