Focused Vols translate into dangerous tourney contender

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The dunks and runs came in relentless waves. And then there were some more. Then some more. And yet a lot more. After awhile, Tennessee's unforgiving athleticism left burn marks on the court.

The Ohio team that embarrassed Georgetown in the first round found itself humiliated by an on-again/off-again Tennessee team that one day looks like five LeBron James and in the next, five James Joyces. On Saturday, it was on, and it was scary.

Damn scary.

The Volunteers won 83-68, cementing their status as maybe, just maybe, one of the more dangerous teams left in the Sweet 16. That is, when they want to be. This time, they wanted to be. Next time, they might lose by 30. That's the Volunteer way this year. Step forward, step sideways; step forward, step back. Dunk here, blown shot there.

They can beat Kentucky or just as easily lose a pickup game at an East Kentucky YMCA.

Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl was asked who are the Volunteers and his answer was fair. "The sum of our parts are what's greatest," he said. "It's not five guys. Our top five guys aren't necessarily going to win in this tournament, but our 10 can. And so we are a team with -- that has got many dimensions. A team that plays hard defensively. When we defend [and] rebound we've got a chance to win. And obviously we have great balance."

It's all true but Pearl hasn't been able to completely decrypt this team and solve its complicated ciphers, puzzles and personality ticks. If he can in the next few weeks, the Volunteers' athleticism matches up with anyone. The key is that decoder ring.

Some of what they did against Ohio was stunning. Utilizing their leanness and athleticism on defense, Tennessee frustrated Ohio's guards by playing them tight and funneling them inside instead of allowing wide-open jumpers.

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"You don't see too many teams, regardless of our league -- I know even in previous places I've been at in different leagues, that have a two and three man that are 6-7 each," said Ohio coach John Groce. "That's pretty unique. I think Tommy [Freeman] alluded to that. But their perimeter defense, I was aware going into the game that they were -- I think teams were shooting right around 29 percent against three with them which was eighth nationally. And they do a terrific job of that and obviously have done that all year."

Offensively, Tennessee was just as good. The Vols went inside at will and the fast-break dunks and alley-oops looked like something out of Hollywood movie. Fifty-eight of Tennessee's 83 points came inside. That was something mighty Georgetown couldn't do to Ohio.

"We had a tough time defending them," said Groce in the understatement of the tournament. "We played 37 games and only four times I think, maybe it's five, has an opponent shot 50 percent against our defense. And one of them was at Tulsa. We lost by a point; one of them was at Pittsburgh, and one of them was at Miami of Ohio, and we lost and we were up nine at the half. When I look at the stat sheet and see Tennessee shot 57 percent, I'm not surprised.

"It's tough when a team shoots that type of percentage. Some of the high-percentage shots they got late in the game we started scrambling and gambling a little bit because of time and score, to try to increase the number of possessions in the game. Even with that, they still shot 58 in the first half. Just too high a percentage. You're not going to have a lot of success when teams shoot that type of percentage against you."

This is Pearl's third Sweet 16 in five years so he knows a little something about basketball. This, however, will be his biggest challenge because these Volunteers are frightening and frustrating, brilliant and uninspiring ... sometimes all in the same game. Sometimes in the same quarter.

Sometimes on the same play.