Tennessee finds tough road in SEC

Posted 6:10PM on Monday 19th February 2007 ( 18 years ago )

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Tennessee lost on a last-second putback at Vanderbilt a month ago, and the Volunteers have been sliding downhill in Southeastern Conference road games ever since. Tennessee (18-9, 6-6) and LSU are the only teams in the league yet to win on the road. They're 0-6, but the road hasn't been kind to many in the SEC. Florida and Kentucky are the only teams to win at least three games on the road. The Vols haven't won a true road game since Nov. 27 at Louisiana-Lafayette. With NCAA tournament selection getting closer, it's a good thing the Vols are undefeated at home (14-0). ``I've never had a team that's as disproportionate as this. Our teams have always won on the road. This is by far the worst road team that I've ever had,'' coach Bruce Pearl said Monday. Last year's team, Pearl's first at Tennessee, was 6-2 in SEC road games, including victories at Kentucky and Florida. The Vols were 2-6 on the road in the SEC the year before, Buzz Peterson's last season. Tennessee's latest road flop was on Saturday at South Carolina when the Vols trailed nearly the entire game and lost 81-64. ``A lot is being made of our inability to win on the road,'' Pearl said. ``I guess it really started at Vanderbilt. ... To lose at the buzzer at Vanderbilt, we had to play really well. You look at what Vanderbilt is doing at home.'' The Commodores handed then-No. 1 Florida its first SEC loss in Nashville over the weekend. The Vols lost there 82-81 on Jan. 10 and followed it with losses at then-No. 5 Ohio State (68-66) and Auburn (83-80). Despite the road losses, Pearl takes solace in his team being close in most of the games except at Florida (94-78) on Feb. 3 and South Carolina, the last two road games. ``We played well on the road at times, and actually early in the season we played really well on the road. We just didn't get a win,'' Pearl said. ``Now, really since Florida when we played terribly in the first half, and then we played very poorly both halves at South Carolina, it's become a thing. It's become something.'' At home, the Vols have had supportive crowds, and being in Thompson-Boling Arena has overshadowed their weaknesses such has handling adversity. ``It's just they get covered up at home. They get exposed on the road,'' he said. For instance, Tennessee was called for three technical fouls at South Carolina, one each on Duke Crews, Wayne Chism and Pearl. Pearl said he needed to explain to the players what they were doing well on the road earlier in the season and hope they can get over the hump before the regular season ends. The Vols are back at home Wednesday against No. 25 Alabama, which is 1-5 in SEC road games this season. The Crimson Tide has a formidable presence inside with Jermareo Davidson and Richard Hendrix, tough matchups for Tennessee's freshman duo of Crews and Chism. Pearl said he'd classify Alabama as another big game for the Vols, coming off the loss at South Carolina. ``There is no margin for error,'' he said. Guard Chris Lofton continues to battle back from a right ankle sprain. He's played in four games after missing four because of the injury, and Pearl said Lofton is still not 100 percent. Tennessee's remaining games are at Arkansas, Florida at home and at Georgia to finish the regular season on March 3. The NCAA brackets are announced March 11 after the conference tournaments. Most believe the Vols could get into the tournament with at least an 8-8 SEC record and maybe 7-9. Tennessee was No. 15 in the RPI released Monday by the Collegiate Basketball News Co. The Vols had the fifth-best strength of schedule, playing five of the teams in the RPI's top 10.

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