Tenenssee's Josh Richardson (1) drives into Arkansas' Jabril Durham (4).KNOXVILLE -- If only the Tennessee men's basketball team could face more ranked opponents in Thompson-Boling Arena.
The Volunteers first shocked the world this season when No. 15 Butler breezed into town on Dec. 15 but wheezed away with a 12-point defeat.
But that was nothing compared to what took place Tuesday night inside the Boling Alley when high-flying, No. 19 Arkansas brought its SEC-best 83.9 points per game into an arena where the Vols had scored only 38 points three days earlier in an 18-point loss to Alabama.
Given that Saturday stinker, one could reasonably have expected even the most loyal UT fans to pass on the probable carnage. First-year Vols coach Donnie Tyndall later admitted he half-expected a half-empty building.
"I was worried the fans wouldn't come back," he said. "But they were amazing."
Perhaps that was because Tyndall's team was more amazing in holding off the Hogs 74-69 as those 13,366 fans roared their approval from opening tap to closing horn.
"We had the right mentality," the coach said afterward, perhaps mindful that the Vols have posted multiple wins against ranked opponents for the ninth time in the last 10 years, last season being the long exception.
"We weren't feeling sorry for ourselves. Our kids really competed."
Competed. Everywhere. At all times.
Against a team so physically gifted that Tyndall said the Razorbacks were "arguably the most talented team we've played all year ... maybe slightly behind Kansas ... this Arkansas team is a fantastic team," the Vols nevertheless grabbed one more rebound (33-32), shot better from the field in general and the 3-point line in particular and had more steals and fewer turnovers.
They even had one more block, despite the Hogs starting 6-foot-10 Moses Kingsley and 6-11 Bobby Portis, the SEC's leading scorer entering Tuesday night.
"Coach Tyndall did a great job of getting us back in the gym," said senior wing Josh Richardson, who led the Vols with 20 points and four assists. "Just not letting us dwell (on Alabama). I think that was really important with such a young team."
Tyndall may not have dwelled on the Alabama loss, but he made certain to convey that such performances never are acceptable.
"Sunday was pretty painful," said sophomore guard Robert Hubbs III, who scored a career-high 16 points while hitting six of seven shots from the field and both his free throws. "He was on our neck from the get-go."
Actually, he was on them in the film room, breaking down the Alabama loss for three hours before putting them through a 45-minute workout.
"I wasn't in the best of moods the last few days," Tyndall said. "With a young team, that's probably the way I need to be. Keep them on edge."
It kept Hubbs on edge enough that he shot 500 or more extra jumpers Sunday and Monday to find the groove that has so often eluded the five-star recruit thus far.
But the entire Big Orange Nation was on edge with five seconds to play after Richardson fouled the Hogs' Anton Beard on what could loosely be called a 35-foot 3-point attempt. Up three at the time, UT could find itself tied in a game it had led for more than 30 minutes if Beard made all three free throws.
As Tyndall groused to veteran official Ted Valentine, "I find it hard to believe he's going to shoot a half-court shot with five seconds to go."
But since Valentine wasn't going to reverse it, Hubbs had another idea.
"I actually know Beard," he said. "We were roommates at USA basketball tryouts in Denver. I just tapped him on the shoulder, winked and said, 'Hey, this is it right here, man.'"
Beard blinked. Three times. Armani Moore gobbled up the last one, hit two free throws and the Vols prevailed by five, a win to make them 10-5 overall and 2-1 in the SEC heading into Saturday's game at Missouri.
"We text Coach all the time: Stay on us, we're getting better," Hubbs said.
You can say that Arkansas lost this game as much as UT won it. The Razorbacks got Portis just 14 shots, although he towered over anyone the Vols put on him. In one of the most shocking stats imaginable, the Hogs have failed to win their first two SEC road games of the year a single time. That's right, in 24 years in the SEC they never have begun a conference season with a 2-0 road record. And after winning at Georgia last week, they continued that ignominious streak against the Vols.
Still, a 2-0 home record against ranked opponents this season for a school that was voted to finish 13th among 14 SEC programs in the preseason is nothing to brush aside.
"It lets us know we can play with anybody," Richardson said. "It gives our young guys a lot of confidence."
And if it continues, it could give the NCAA tournament selection committee something to think about on Selection Sunday.
Contact Mark Wiedmer at mwiedmer@timesfreepress.com.