BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Tyler Smith has just 20 blocked shots in Tennessee’s 35 games this season.
He picks his spots.
The 6-foot-7 sophomore soared for the latest of his game-saving swats Sunday afternoon, deflecting an A.J. Graves layup to keep the Volunteers up by two points in the final 40 seconds of their 76-71 overtime victory.
Smith has had similar moments in several big spots this season — including UT’s first-round NCAA tournament victory over American — but no blocks were bigger than Sunday’s.
Chris Lofton grabbed the ensuing loose ball and quickly had it stripped away before Vols forward Wayne Chism pounced on it and called timeout with 33 seconds left. Ramar Smith hit a driving layup moments later to put the Vols up by two possessions.
“I’ve got to give credits to my (teammates) for letting him by so I could get the block,” Tyler Smith said with a laugh. “I just had to go out there and stretch for it. I didn’t think I would get to the ball, but I got a fingertip on it.”
Graves darted around a high ball-screen and said he initially thought he had a “clear way” to the basket.
“Then I did see someone out of the corner of my eye, and that's why I didn't go all the way to the rim,” Graves said. “I lofted it in the air to see what would happen.
“And he got it. So that just happens.”
It has a funny way of happening when the Vols need a stop, and Tyler Smith is near the rim.
“Tyler’s big-time, and he makes big-time plays,” JaJuan Smith said. “That was a big-time play.”
Lofton limping?
Lofton maintained that his sore hamstring isn’t hindering him on the court, but UT’s All-American struggled all weekend at the BJCC Arena.
After going 1-for-7 from the field and 0-for-5 from behind the arc in Friday’s win over American University, he went 3-for-11 on Sunday.
Lofton picked up two personal fouls in the opening minutes and spent much of the first half on the bench.
“I wish I would have gotten more minutes, but (fouls) happen,” Lofton said. “My teammates stepped up and lifted me up. “Of course I’d like to shoot a great percentage from the field, but if I don’t and we win, it’s OK.
“We’re a team, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Sophomore guard Josh Tabb logged 12 minutes in place of Lofton. It was the most playing time he’s had since being taken out of the main rotation after the Vols’ Dec. 4 win at UT-Chattanooga.
“I didn’t expect that many minutes, but you never know when you’re going to be needed,” Tabb said. “I’m glad I got to help a little bit more today, but really, I’m just glad we won.
“I hope everybody on the team feels like that.”
Not just Tabb
UT also got a small boost from freshman center Brian Williams. After barely playing against American, Williams had three points and four rebounds in 11 minutes Sunday.
“It took every player on our roster to get this win,” Tyler Smith said. “You need everybody to help in a big game like this.”
Not that Chism is a role-player, but he continued his late-season surge to score a game-high 16 points.
“Some people think we’re not going to be as good when our senior guards are gone,” Chism said. “I love Chris and JaJuan, but those people are just wrong.”
Chism spoke about Lofton and JaJuan Smith for more than minute, saying his biggest motivation this month has been “keeping those guys in orange jerseys for two more weeks.”
Tyler’s one-liners
Tyler Smith gave three solid one-liners to reporters after the game.
When one reporter asked Tyler what Ramar Smith’s bounce-back performance “said about him,” Tyler responded, “It says he’s a Smith.”
Another reporter asked Tyler what he thought about Duke Crews’ comments on preferring close games early in the NCAA tournament, Tyler agreed before pausing.
“Oh, wait, hold on,” Tyler said. “I think I’ll take a blow out. Sometimes, when you get down to one minute like that — just like those four seconds today — he could have easily hit that shot. We played great defense, though.”
In closing, Tyler was asked about the best part of playing in his first Sweet Sixteen.
“We’ve got to go back to school (today), but we get three more days off this week,” he said. “So we extended our spring break.”
