Stubhub! Legends Classic
November 22, 2007 09:33 PM | General
November 23, 2007
GAME NOTES
 |
||
| Alex Ruoff |
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia coach Bob Huggins is going to get a better read on his basketball team Friday night when the Mountaineers take on No. 7-rated Tennessee Friday night in one semifinal game of the Stubhub! Legends Classic.
The first game features Texas and New Mexico State at the brand new Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. The losers will play at 7 p.m. on Saturday night and the winners will play the championship game at 9 p.m. All four games will be televised nationally on Versus Network.
West Virginia (2-0) had little trouble in a pair of victories last week against Arkansas-Monticello and Prairie View A&M. In both games Huggins was able to empty his bench midway through the second half as the Mountaineers built substantial leads.
That is not expected to happen Friday night against a Volunteer team that is 4-0 following a 109-40 win over Middle Tennessee on Tuesday night. Tennessee traveled on to New York City where it spent Thanksgiving in preparation for Friday night’s game.
The Volunteers also own wins over Temple, Arkansas-Monticello and Prairie View A&M. Tennessee is coming off a 24-11 season in 2007, advancing to the NCAA tournament “Sweet 16.” Coach Bruce Pearl is 50-19 in his third season at Tennessee.
Pearl is expected to start a small lineup consisting of 6-7 forward Tyler Smith and 6-9 forward Wayne Chism, with a pair of 6-2 guards in the backcourt in JaJaun Smith and Chris Lofton. Jordan Howell, a 6-3 senior, is the third guard in Pearl’s three-guard lineup.
Smith is Tennessee’s leading scorer averaging 17.3 points per game. Smith is averaging 12.5 points and 3.0 rebounds per game, while Lofton is averaging 11.5 points and 3.5 boards per game.
Chism shows averages of 9.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.
West Virginia counters with a lineup that is expected to feature 6-7 sophomore Da’Sean Butler and 6-8 junior Joe Alexander at forwards, 7-foot senior Jamie Smalligan at center, with 6-6 junior Alex Ruoff and 6-2 senior Darris Nichols in the backcourt.
Ruoff is coming off a 22-point performance on 8 of 9 shooting against Prairie View A&M and has been the team’s leading scorer in both games, averaging 19.5 points per game. All five starters are averaging double figures with Alexander grabbing a team best 6.0 rebounds per game.
West Virginia and Tennessee last played in Morgantown on Dec. 21, 2002 when the Mountaineers came away with a 65-62 victory. The Mountaineers have won the last two against the Volunteers and lead the overall series 5-2. Tennessee’s last victory against West Virginia came on Dec. 2, 2000, when the No. 7-rated Vols beat West Virginia 79-78 in Morgantown.
Friday night’s game will tip off at 9 p.m.
