Tennessee Getting Inside

The best season in school history over after a second straight regional semifinal loss, Tennessee now ponders how to make the next step as a basketball program. A 31-win team will return three starters and most key reserves for 2008-09, although the two starters it must replace just happen to be guards Chris Lofton and JaJuan Smith , who made the team as explosive as any in the nation for most of the season. Next year's team will be headlined by 6-foot-7 junior forward Tyler Smith, who proved to be one of the country's most versatile players. Smith led the team in rebounds and assists while also scoring in double figures. Six-nine junior center Wayne Chism seemed to turn his season around with an 18-point, 18-rebound performance against Vanderbilt in mid-January. From that point, he gave the Volunteers inside toughness and... [read full story]