Vols’ five starting points

KNOXVILLE — Dozens of moments have led the University of Tennessee men’s basketball team to this point.

Nearly every player in Coach Bruce Pearl’s rotation has lifted to the fourth-ranked Vols (28-3, 14-2 SEC) to victory throughout the best regular season in the program’s 99-year history and a bye in today’s first round of the Southeastern Conference tournament.

There was freshman center Brian Williams getting 16 points and 14 rebounds to help UT hold off NCAA tournament-bound Western Kentucky in Nashville on Dec. 15. Eleven days earlier, there was senior point guard Jordan Howell hitting three big 3-pointers to help the Vols hold off a determined, then-fully-healthy University of Tennessee at Chattanooga team in McKenzie Arena.

Wayne Chism played a key role for UT with 18 points and 18 rebounds in the Vols’ win against Vanderbilt in Knoxville.

There was sophomore forward Duke Crews’ late-January return from a month-long, mandatory medical leave of absence with a heart condition, which boosted a team in desperate need of rebounding help. Since Crews’ return to the court against Georgia on Jan. 26, the Vols have been beaten on the boards just once in 13 games.

And there have been many big buckets from stars Chris Lofton, JaJuan Smith and Tyler Smith, as well as Lofton finding his form in a Jan. 22 loss at Kentucky.

“You’re not going to have a season like ours with just one or two guys doing everything,” Crews said. “It takes a whole team playing together and different guys stepping up at different times.”

But some moments were bigger than others. Here are five of them:

1. June 22, 2007 — Tyler Smith’s waiver granted

The first paragraph of the Chattanooga Times Free Press’s story that day said, “Let the Final Four predictions begin.”

It was that clear from the very beginning what Iowa transfer and Tennessee native Tyler Smith would mean for the Vols. The dynamically talented and team-oriented 6-foot-7 Smith fits like old blue jeans as a power forward in Pearl’s system.

Make no mistake about it. Tennessee’s half-court offense, especially late in games, runs through Tyler Smith. As soon as the NCAA granted his immediate eligibility waiver, the Vols became a legitimate national championship contender.

Tyler Smith has lived up to his immense billing, averaging 13.3 points on 53.3 percent shooting from the field and leading the team with 6.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game in a first-team All-SEC season. Smith averaged 13.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists in conference play.

2. Dec. 22, 2007 — J.P. Prince emerges at Xavier

One dazzling performance from a talented Arizona transfer added much-needed versatility to Tennessee’s offense.

Sophomore wing J.P. Prince led the Vols with 23 points in an 82-75 win at Xavier on Dec. 22 — a victory that keeps looking better and better as the Musketeers (26-5) have risen to No. 12 nationally and are a trendy Final Four darkhorse pick by some analysts.

The 6-foot-7 southpaw slasher and cousin of Detroit Pistons player Tayshaun Prince has been erratic but occasionally spectacular, as evidenced by his SEC sixth man of the year award. Despite a lack of perimeter shooting accuracy, Prince’s ballhandling skills and athleticism have been a welcome asset to UT, which had been primarily a perimeter shooting offense.

3. Feb. 23, 2008 — Vols win at top-ranked Memphis

A week’s worth of unbelievable hype ended in of the biggest nights in Vols’ hoops history when then-No. 2 Tennessee beat then-No. 1 Memphis in FedExForum.

The highest-rated television audience in ESPN’s basketball history culminated with a fantastic finish, as Prince — then a sub-50 percent free-throw shooter — sank two fowl shots in the final seconds before two Lofton free throws put away a wild, 66-62 win.

That Saturday night was another stage to show Prince’s impact, as he scored six consecutive points and finished with 13 against his hometown team. The former Memphis ballboy and son of a former Tigers assistant coach also got the last laugh on UM coach John Calipari, who joking referred to him as “P.J.” multiple times throughout the week.

“Maybe from now on he’ll say my name right,” Prince said.

People from all over the country knew a lot more about Prince’s coach and teammates after that night.

4. Feb. 25, 2008 — UT takes first No. 1 ranking history

Tennessee’s first No. 1 ranking in history was short-lived — as the Vols were upset at in-state rival Vanderbilt on Feb. 26 — but few in orange doubt its sweetness.

UT coaches said elite high school prospects are now calling them and making sure their highlight tapes are mailed to Knoxville.

“All that matters is who is No. 1 at the end of the season, but yeah, that was fun to see our names at the top of the polls ... especially for those of us who know what it used to be like around here,” Howell said.

UT is still receiving two of the 72 first-place votes in this week’s Associated Press poll. Top-ranked North Carolina has 52, second-ranked Memphis has 13 and third-ranked UCLA has two.

5. March 5, 2008 — Vols come back at Florida, clinch SEC title

The Vols trailed by 16 points and overcame a 13-point, halftime deficit to win 89-86 at Florida and clinch their first outright SEC championship in 41 seasons. UT ultimately finished two games in front of Kentucky and Western Division champion Mississippi State, and at least four games up on every other team.

“We’ve come from the bottom of the SEC all the way to the top,” Lofton said last week. “It’s been a trip ... but we’re not done yet.”

Added JaJuan Smith: “I hope that’s not the only banner we can hang in here. I hope we’re just getting started this year.”