The University of Tennessee basketball team held its annual postseason awards banquet Friday at the Knoxville Marriott to honor one of the most successful teams in the 99-year history of the program.
The Vols posted a school record number of wins, achieved the program’s first No. 1 national ranking, won their ninth overall Southeastern Conference title and then advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive season.
Tennessee finished the season with a 31-5 overall record, easily breaking the previous school record of 26 wins in a season. The Vols’ 14 league wins are the school’s most since the SEC went to a 16-game schedule.
Third-year head coach Bruce Pearl was named the league’s coach of the year and the Adolph Rupp National Coach of the Year while Chris Lofton and Tyler Smith each earned first team All-SEC recognition, and JaJuan Smith was a second team pick.
A second team All-America selection for the second time in his career, Lofton finished his career third in NCAA history with 431 career 3-pointers and fourth in school history with 2,131 points.
2007-08 Tennessee Basketball Awards
Burchfield-Moss Most Courageous Award – Tyler Smith
Lowell Blanchard Most Improved Award – Wayne Chism
Team Before Self – Chris Lofton
John Stucky Lifter of the Year Award – Jordan Howell and Chris Lofton
Thornton Athletics Student Life Center Awards
VOLScholar Individual Awards – Quinn Cannington, Ryan Childress, Wayne Chism, Rick Daniels-Mulholland, Jordan Howell, Justin Jackson, Steven Pearl, J.P. Prince, Tanner Wild and Brian Williams
VOLScholar Team Awards – Ryan Childress, Jordan Howell, Cameron Tatum, Justin Jackson, Quinn Cannington
Highest Fall Grade Point Average (Term) – Tanner Wild and Jordan Howell
Highest Fall Grade Point Average (Cumulative) – Quinn Cannington
Most Improved – Brian Williams
Best Attitude – Wayne Chism