Northwest Sports & Entertainment Inc. is pleased to announce the return of the Comcast Battle in Seattle. The game will feature the University of Tennessee’s first-ever game in the state of Washington when Bruce Pearl and the SEC title favorite Volunteers vs. face the defending West Coast Conference Regular Season and Tournament champion Gonzaga Bulldogs in the annual contest held at KeyArena. The event will again take place during the Holiday season on December 29th.
Tennessee Head Coach Bruce Pearl brings his run and gun style to the Northwest. Coach Pearl career includes an overall record of 339-92. In 14 seasons as a head coach, Pearl’s teams have received postseason bids 13 times and have advanced to the Sweet 16 seven times. Five times he has been named league coach of the year and 13 times his teams have registered at least 20 wins. Last season, Tennessee led the SEC in scoring offense (80.4 ppg), assists (16.97 apg), steals (10.03 spg), turnover margin (+5.30), assist/turnover ratio (1.32), and 3-point field goals made (8.80 3pg). Pearl coached the Vols to the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2005, and the Sweet 16 last year losing a memorable game to eventual national runner-up Ohio State 84-85.
Leading the way for the Vols in 2007-08 will be the senior trio of Jordan Howell, Chris Lofton and JaJuan Smith. Lofton is the reigning SEC Player of the Year and a 2007 second team All-America selection after leading the SEC with 20.8 points per game. Smith ranked ninth in the league with 15.2 points and was second in steals with 2.09 per game. Howell has provided a steadying influence on the squad, owning a 2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio while running UT’s up-tempo offense.
Tyler Smith joins the lineup featuring two returning Smiths, JaJuan and Ramar (no relation), SEC player of the year favorite, Chris Lofton, at guard, and forward Wayne Chism. Lofton is among 30 of the nation’s top collegiate players to have accepted an invitation to participate in the July USA Basketball Men’s Pan American Games Team Trials. Last year Lofton earned Associated Press All-American second team and National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-American third team recognition, along with being All-Southeastern first team. Lofton considered entering the NBA draft this year but instead opted to stay at UT for his senior season to work on his game and get more education.
Meanwhile, Gonzaga University head coach Mark Few continues to engineer what has evolved into the top men’s basketball program on the West Coast and one of the elite programs nationally.
In his eight seasons as head coach, Few has posted a 211-52 record. He finished his eighth season as head coach fourth on the all-time NCAA Division I wins list for 8-year head coaches.
The 2007 season saw the Bulldogs capture their seventh straight West Coast Conference regular-season title and their eight WCC Tournament title in the last nine years to make a night straight trip to the NCAA Tournament. Gonzaga posted its 10th straight 20-win season, and Few has yet to win less than 20 games in any of his eight seasons as head coach.
Gonzaga returns for the 5th annual Comcast Battle in Seattle with Co-Captains David Pendergraft and Jeremy Pargo. Dave, 2007 WCC All-Tournament, is the lone senior on this year’s squad while All-WCC player Pargo will be a strong candidate for conference player of the year.
Other Gonzaga returnees include Abdullahi Kuso, Matt Bouldin, Micah Downs, Will Foster, Larry Gurganious, Josh Heytvelt, and Matt Bouldin.
Bouldin, sophomore, was a member of the U19 USA Basketball World Championship Team who took home a silver this past summer in Serbia. As one of the top freshman in the league Matt, earned All-WCC Freshman Team Honors as averaged 8.9 ppg, 3.6 rpg, and 3.1 apg. He led the Zags with a 1.51 assist/turnover ratio and had 13 double-digit scoring nights with a season-high 21 points twice.
Gonzaga’s Comcast Battle in Seattle record is strong at 4-1. Previous outcomes at Seattle’s KeyArena include the Zags outlasting the Missouri Tigers in overtime 87-80 in 2003, disposing of UMass 68-57 in 2004, inching by Oklahoma State 64-62 with Adam Morrison’s unlikely 25-foot 3-point bank shot with 8 seconds to play. Last year Gonzaga faced their first Battle Defeat as they could not overcome the Nevada Wolfpack 82-74.