South Carolina’s Bruce Ellington, left, drives as he’s defended by Tennessee’s Cameron Tatum during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2011, in Knoxville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)KNOXVILLE – It could have been the kind of game to signal a changing of the guard. Fouling out in just 17 minutes at Florida last Saturday, Tennessee senior Cam Tatum took no shots, scored no points and turned it over twice.
The game before that he’d scored just six points and committed three turnovers against South Carolina.
But did UT coach Cuonzo Martin consider for even a split-second benching Tatum against Arkansas on Wednesday night?
“He may have struggled with his shot,” said Martin at the close of the Vols’ 77-58 victory over the Hogs. “But Cam continues to bring his hard hat every day to practice. He’s stayed consistent. And he came back with a good game tonight.”
Indeed, Tatum’s 26th start in UT’s 26th game produced the kind of stat line any player would be proud to call his own: 11 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals.