Men's Basketball Preview: Tennessee

The Bulldogs are in for a huge challenge tonight as they travel to Knoxville to take on 10th-ranked Tennessee in a non-conference matchup. UNC Asheville (0-1) fought hard on Friday night but fell, 86-70, in its season-opener at Charlotte. Meanwhile, Tennessee (1-0) easily dismantled Austin Peay, 83-54.

UNC Asheville bounced back from a shocking exhibition loss at the hands of Brevard to put together a quality effort against a talented Charlotte squad on Friday, but was unable to come away with the win. Playing without top returning scorer John Williams, the Bulldogs were led by sophomore Chris Stephenson, who came off the bench to record a career-high 22 points and 6 rebounds. Stephenson also led the Bulldogs in blocks (3) and assists (2). Junior guard J.P. Primm also had a solid outing, adding 15 points for the Bulldogs. Sean Smith, who scorched the nets for a game-high 22 points in the loss to Brevard, shot only 1-of-7 from three-point range and had 7 total points.

The Bulldogs trailed the 49ers 40-27 at the half, but made an impressive second half run, closing the gap to 48-47 with 11 minutes remaining. Asheville was unable to take the lead, however, and Charlotte pulled away over the final 7 minutes. Rebounding was a major area of concern for the Bulldogs. Charlotte dominated the glass in the first half, outrebounding Asheville 32-15. The Bulldogs cut down on this advantage in the second half, but the damage was already done.
Four Volunteers scored in double figures in Tennessee’s season opening victory on Friday night. Sophomore Scotty Hopson, an SEC all-freshman selection last season, was the high scorer with 16. The Volunteers are led by a pair of seniors, Tyler Smith and Wayne Chism, and both made their presence felt against Austin Peay. Smith, a first-team all-SEC player one year ago, filled out the stat sheet with 14 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, and a block. Chism, a second-team selection, had a double-double as well with 11 points and 10 rebounds.

UNC Asheville travelled to Tennessee last season and lost, 87-69. Smith led the Vols with a triple-double in only 24 minutes of play. Three Bulldogs scored in double digits in that contest, and Asheville will likely be without all of them tonight. Reid Augst and Jason Ridenhour graduated this offseason, and John Williams, who missed the Charlotte game due to illness, is officially listed as questionable.