CHARLOTTE, N.C. — One season removed from a century of existence, the Tennessee men’s basketball still can’t advance past a Sweet 16 that tastes more bitter every year.
One of the most memorable seasons in Volunteers history, led by one of the most memorable senior classes, ended shy of the Elite Eight.
The Vols rallied from several double-digit deficits, getting within one point multiple times, before falling 79-60 to Louisville in a fast-paced, foul-plagued East Regional semifinal at Charlotte Bobcats Arena.
Starting at 9:58 p.m. Thursday and finishing well after midnight, the game probably felt longer than two days for the Vols. Coach Rick Pitino’s Cardinals sprinted to an early lead and answered the runs that have sent so many UT opponents down in defeat.
Chris Lofton never found the long-range accuracy that mysteriously vanished early in this NCAA tournament, as one of college basketball’s most prolific perimeter shooters finished his final game with 15 points on 3-for-15 shooting, just 2-for-11 from 3-point range.
“We’ve come so far, but this just hurts right now,” Lofton said. “Nobody wants to go out this way. I’d give anything to not go out this way.”
JaJuan Smith, Lofton’s senior wingmate, also struggled to find space on a court full of athletic Cardinals. Smith fouled out with 61 seconds left and the Vols down by nearly 20 points. Fittingly, Lofton was substituted out at the same time.
“We don’t give open looks on the wings,” Pitino said. “We’re quite long.”
Smith rebounded one of Lofton’s missed 3s and quickly fired the ball back to him midway through the second half, but Lofton misfired again to keep UT down by eight points.
After missing his first seven attempts behind the arc, Lofton got one through the rim to shrink the gap to 54-47 with 8:21 left. The Cardinals came right back, though. They did all night.
Derrick Caracter’s three-point play gave Louisville a 67-52 lead with less than four minutes left. If the Vols hadn’t fallen behind by 16 points in the first few minutes, they would have led at that point.
Still, down 24-8 early in the first half, UT avoided a complete meltdown and surged within one point early in the second. A J.P. Prince layup and two JaJuan Smith transition buckets comprised the 6-0 run that nearly erased Louisville’s 37-30 halftime lead.
UT sophomore forward Wayne Chism’s early-game recklessness re-emerged Thursday, as he picked up two fouls in the game’s first two minutes. He followed an obvious perimeter handcheck on Cardinals center David Padgett by hacking point guard Andre McGee near the rim with 18:15 left.
“Not two minutes!” Pearl screamed at an official. “That’s one of my best players!”
A Prince turnover with 10:44 left in the half was UT’s seventh consecutive possession without a point. Lofton, JaJuan Smith and Tyler Smith missed shots on the next two possessions, running the total to 10.
Moments after Tyler Smith’s miss — a turnaround jumper from the corner that didn’t draw iron — Terrence Williams sent in a transition slam to punctuate Louisville’s brilliant start.
UT fought back within 28-23 on a Ramar Smith layup with 4:00 left in the half, but the Vols’ recently demoted backup point guard missed the ensuing free throw and turned the ball over moments later, giving Caracter an easy slam to make it 30-23.
Prince was stripped at midcourt seconds later, and Jerry Smith turned that into a free throw that pushed Louisville’s lead to eight.
The Vols’ deficit swelled back to double digits, but two Lofton free throws pulled them within 35-30 in the final minute of the half. McGee responded with a runner just before the halftime horn, though, extending the edge back to seven.
Friday might also have been the last college game for Tyler Smith. Some analysts have suggested the 6-foot-7 sophomore will be a first-round pick in this summer’s NBA draft.
“I just don’t know yet,” Smith said after drying tears from his eyes. “This has been a dream to finally play here, but it’s also been a dream to play in (the NBA). I need some time to talk to people and think about it. ... It’s a tough decision.”
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