Adversity Helps Team Overcome Tremendous Odds

You've probably heard all of the cliches: "Tough times don't last but tough people do", or "When the going gets tough, the tough get going". We've seen adversities such as hurricanes and other natural disasters bring communities together. In this case, nothing tragic happened (at least no one was hurt or killed), but for the Tennessee Men's Basketball Team, adversity earlier this week molded them into a true "team".

Sunday night, the Vols, with only 6 scholarship players and three walk-ons, toppled undefeated and #1 ranked Kansas 76-68 in front of a crowd of at least 19,000 at Thompson Bowling Arena in Knoxville. "It's pretty amazing what chemistry can do when guys put their minds to something and know their backs are up against the wall a little bit and they rally, and they don't quit and they believe in themselves," Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl said.

Earlier last week, Tennessee's leader, Sr. Forward Tyler Smith, was dismissed from the team after being arrested for involvement in drug and weapons charges. three other players who were involved in the scandal, Cameron Tatum, Melvin Goins and Brian Williams, were suspended indefinitely. that left the Volunteers with only 6 scholarship players (no disrespect to the walk-ons). However, Coach Bruce Pearl and his charges used this set back to come together and accomplish something that most of the college basketball world thought was impossible.

The Vols did much of it through defense, using six scholarship players and three walk-ons. The Jay hawks came into this game shooting 51.3%, but Tennessee was able to limit Kansas to a 37.7% shooting percentage. Early in the first half, Tennessee trailed the Jay hawks but went on a 14-2 run keyed by three consecutive three pointers by UT's Rolando Woolridge. The first half ended with the Vols on top 30-20.

One of Tennessee's walk-ons, Freshman Guard Skylar McBee, proved that hard work will eventually pay off. With 1:14 left int eh game, Tennessee led 71-68 after Kansas Guard Tyshon Taylor hit a three pointer. McBee answered with his own trey pushing the lead back up to 6. This proved to be a crucial basket leading to Tennessee's win. "McBee's shot was worth how many hours in the gym?" Pearl said. "When other kids were doing everything else, you could see McBee in the gym practicing all night long. It paid off -- the beautiful thing about sports."

It is truly a beautiful thing when someone unexpected contributes in a very big way. McBee was not expected to play much this season. For him to come through in the clutch like he did proves that a players who don't get the notoriety are still capable of contributing to the success of their team. It also shows that reserves must always be ready when their name is called. In the case of McBee, he was.

As for the Jay hawks, Head Coach Bill Self is still not convinced his team is really a true "team". "The thing I will tell you is this: I don't know if Tennessee was a team until this past week. I don't know if Kansas is a team yet," Self said. In the case of the sport of Basketball, a team on the court is made up of 5 players "functioning as one unit". That was the quote of the Hickory high School Coach in the movie "Hoosiers" Duke Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski put it something like this: "You accomplish as a team what no one person can do alone". I don't know if those were his exact words, but that is the message Coach K was trying to convey.
All of those sayings mentioned above are very true, through times of adversity, people, and especially teams, come together, grow stronger, and are able to muster enough will power to accomplish great things.