Enough points

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — There are some serious advantages to being a high NCAA tournament seed.

Basically, though, it means a team can struggle in the first round like Tennessee did Friday afternoon and advance.

The Volunteers survived a surprise scare from American University, beating the Eagles 72-57 in BJCC Arena to avoid becoming just the fifth No. 2 seed to fall to a No. 15 seed in tournament history.

“We survived and we’re still in it,” UT sophomore point guard Ramar Smith said. “Now we just need to refocus, rest up and come out and play better Sunday.”

UT will play No. 7 seed Butler on Easter with a Sweet 16 berth at stake. That’s the Butler that blew the Vols out of last year’s preseason NIT, 56-44. It’s also the Butler that annihilated South Alabama, 81-61, after UT escaped the Eagles on Friday.

The Vols’ inconsistent point guard play took another twist against American. Smith didn’t play in Friday’s first half after starting 14 of the Vols’ previous 15 games. Senior Jordan Howell started at the 1 position for the second time since Jan. 22 — the first was senior day against South Carolina — but he struggled so badly that he didn’t play in the second half.

Sophomore J.P. Prince — who can play everywhere but center but usually plays wing — started the second half at point guard after playing several minutes there in the first half.

Thirty-win teams don’t usually have such troubling situations at the point this late in the season.

“I kind of knew a couple of days ago that I would start,” Howell said. “We’re just trying anything to get going at the point guard position. I didn’t know I wasn’t going to play in the second half, but I knew Ramar would get a shot.

“We’ve got to play better at the point guard position. We know it, but we know we can do it.”

Pearl said his decision to keep Smith and freshman center Brian Williams on the bench until the second half was simply a punishment for poor play. The players said that, too.

“Coach just felt like I wasn’t playing good in the last eight games,” Smith said. “It was a decision that I couldn’t do anything about, but I felt like I wasn’t playing good, too, so it’s all good.”

None of UT’s point guards had big numbers, though Prince’s 6-for-8 performance from the free-throw line was every bit as important as it was surprising. The trio combined to score 12 points on 1-for-5 shooting from the field and 10-for-16 free-throw success. They added five rebounds, five assists and four turnovers.

“We just go out there and try to do our jobs and contribute,” Prince said. “My job this game was to fill the void for a little bit. We’ll be fine. I’ll get better there, and it gives us another different look.”

All seven Vols who were asked about the point guard rotation said it didn’t bother the team’s offensive rhythm.

“We’ve been rotating all three of them all season long,” JaJuan Smith said. “That’s how our coach does things. He’s going to let the better player that day be on the floor.”

Added sophomore forward Duke Crews: “We all play with each other every day. All of us know all the play calls at all the spots we play.”

Prince and Ramar Smith both had their moments. Smith had no turnovers in 14 minutes, and the duo made six of eight foul shots in the final four minutes, when UT turned a four-point lead into a 15-point victory.

American coach Jeff Jones concurred with UT coach Bruce Pearl’s contention that star shooter Garrison Carr and point guard Derrick Mercer essentially playing the entire game hurt the Eagles down the stretch, too.

“They just wore us down,” Jones said

Before giving way to his admittedly “tired legs,” Carr drilled two of his six 3-pointers in one minute to tie the game at 40 with 11:22 left. His last trey completed American’s final spurt, getting the Eagles within 50-49 with 6:00 left.

JaJuan Smith sprinted back down the court and swished a 3 from the corner, though, and the Vols started to separate.

“At that moment, we had the opportunity to control the game,” Carr said. “But we made a big play, and then Tennessee came right back down. While we were making our run, they just played like the No. 2 seed and like a No. 1 team in the nation, and they made their runs right back.”

UT had other problems Friday — including a 39-27 rebounding disadvantage against one of the smallest teams in the tournament — but puzzling point guard play remains a mystery. Butler’s big-time backcourt could expose that hole in a hurry.

“We’re kind of just in a slump,” Howell said of himself and Ramar Smith. “Both of us aren’t playing as well as we can. We’ve both got to fight through it and get better for Sunday, for sure.”