A few reasons why Tennessee basketball is retiring Chris Lofton's jersey | Mike Strange
Chris Lofton’s jersey ascends to the rafters in Thompson-Boling Arena this week. It couldn’t happen to a nicer guy.
No face better represents the best aspects of the Bruce Pearl era of Tennessee basketball than the diamond in the rough who found his way to Knoxville from small-town Kentucky at the perfect time.
I’m certain much will be written and said this week about Lofton’s legacy, honors and records. I’m going to breeze through a mental slideshow of my favorite Lofton moments.
The Start: It was December 2005 in Austin, Texas, when Lofton, a sophomore, led the barrage that stunned No. 6 Texas, 95-78, and announced to the college basketball nation that the Pearl era might be worth watching.
The Steal: Lofton scored 29 points when the Vols knocked off unbeaten No. 2 Florida on Jan. 21, 2006, in Thompson-Boling Arena. But it was his steal to thwart a 2-on-1 Florida fast break with 20 seconds left and the score tied 76-76 that saved the day. He fired ahead to wide-open Dane Bradshaw for the go-ahead bucket, then iced the 80-76 upset with two free throws.
At Rupp: A couple weeks later Lofton returned to Kentucky and showed the Wildcats what they missed out on by not recruiting him. He torched the Cats for 31 points on 7-of-10 3-point shooting and went on a late one-man 7-0 run to turn a nail-biter into a 75-67 Vol win.
Dawg Killer: Kentucky wasn’t even his best game of the week. Lofton bombed 33 points and a school-record nine 3-pointers in an 83-78 win at Georgia. For his career, Lofton was 8-0 against the Dawgs, a personal nemesis to struggling Georgia coach Dennis Felton. He sank seven treys in another game and six in yet another.
Over Durant: Lofton’s career high, 35 points, came in a 111-105 overtime win over Texas in Knoxville. The iconic image is Lofton’s long, long 3-pointer over Kevin Durant to erase a Longhorn lead in the final minute of regulation.
Even Longer: I recall one shot that might have been longer than the one that surprised Durant. In a 2007 game at Vanderbilt, the first-half clock was ticking down with Lofton dribbling at the edge of the center jump circle. He took a step toward the basket and swished a trey.
Survive and Advance: Few players ever hit a more difficult game-winning shot in the NCAA tournament than Lofton’s contested fall-away shot at the baseline with :00.4 on the clock to deliver a 63-61 2006 first-round win over Winthrop.
More Than a Bomber: When John Calipari’s Memphis Tigers came to Knoxville on Dec. 6, 2006, Lofton showed he could do more than hit 3-pointers, tormenting Memphis for 34 points on a variety of offensive spins and drives in a 76-58 rout.
One Vs. Two: Lofton was quiet in UT’s fabled 2-beats-1 win at Memphis in 2008. But with the Vols protecting a 64-62 lead, Lofton nailed two free throws with 4.5 seconds left for a 66-62 edge that was the final score.
Clutch: An even better example of Lofton being money at the free-throw line came in a tense 2007 second-round NCAA tournament showdown with Virginia in Columbus, Ohio. Lofton went 6-for-6 at the stripe in the final 27 seconds to deliver a 77-74 win.
Final Game-Winner: Lofton was having a rough shooting day in the 2008 SEC tournament opener against South Carolina in Atlanta. Yet, Pearl set up Lofton for the biggest shot of the day. With the Gamecocks leading 87-86, Lofton got a screen and nailed the winning 3-pointer with 11.4 seconds to play.
Mike Strange is a former writer for the News Sentinel. He currently writes a weekly sports column for Shopper News.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Mike Strange: Why Tennessee basketball retiring Chris Lofton's jersey
