ponto
January 17th, 2006, 10:04 AM
Chris Lofton
Pos: Shooting guard
School: Tennessee
Class: So.
Size: 6-2, 197
The vitals: 15.6 points
The deal: The Vols had four players score in double figures in the loss to Louisiana State on Saturday and Lofton wasn't one of them. He only had two points on 1-for-7 shooting in 32 minutes. But he has led Tennessee in scoring in six of its 13 games, including back-to-back 21-point efforts in big-game victories over Texas and Oklahoma State.
Lofton, of Maysville, Ky., is a former Mr. Basketball (2004) in his home state. Some stores in Maysville began selling his No.5 Tennessee jersey. His popularity in his hometown is rivaled only by area natives George and Rosemary Clooney, and Heather French, Miss America 2000.
Still, he was passed over by both Louisville and Kentucky.
Lofton is probably the best long-range shooter in the Southeastern Conference. He's just as effective from the three-point arc (45.5 percent, 46 of 101) as he in front of it (48 percent, 71 of 148).
He's also an 83 percent free-throw shooter.
As an All-SEC freshman, his 93 three-pointers ranked second on Tennessee's single-season list and were the most ever by an SEC freshman, breaking Chris Jackson's record of 84 set at LSU in 1988-89.
Lofton shot 46.5 percent (93-for-200) from three last season to lead the SEC and rank fourth nationally. He was just the second freshman in league history to lead the SEC in three-point percentage, joining Alabama's Terrence Meade, who shot 42.3 percent in 2000.
Lofton's three three-pointers a game also led the SEC and ranked 22nd nationally last season.
Source (http://www.courant.com/sports/college/hc-courtcover1017.artjan17,0,6678103.story?coll=hc-headlines-sports-college)
Pos: Shooting guard
School: Tennessee
Class: So.
Size: 6-2, 197
The vitals: 15.6 points
The deal: The Vols had four players score in double figures in the loss to Louisiana State on Saturday and Lofton wasn't one of them. He only had two points on 1-for-7 shooting in 32 minutes. But he has led Tennessee in scoring in six of its 13 games, including back-to-back 21-point efforts in big-game victories over Texas and Oklahoma State.
Lofton, of Maysville, Ky., is a former Mr. Basketball (2004) in his home state. Some stores in Maysville began selling his No.5 Tennessee jersey. His popularity in his hometown is rivaled only by area natives George and Rosemary Clooney, and Heather French, Miss America 2000.
Still, he was passed over by both Louisville and Kentucky.
Lofton is probably the best long-range shooter in the Southeastern Conference. He's just as effective from the three-point arc (45.5 percent, 46 of 101) as he in front of it (48 percent, 71 of 148).
He's also an 83 percent free-throw shooter.
As an All-SEC freshman, his 93 three-pointers ranked second on Tennessee's single-season list and were the most ever by an SEC freshman, breaking Chris Jackson's record of 84 set at LSU in 1988-89.
Lofton shot 46.5 percent (93-for-200) from three last season to lead the SEC and rank fourth nationally. He was just the second freshman in league history to lead the SEC in three-point percentage, joining Alabama's Terrence Meade, who shot 42.3 percent in 2000.
Lofton's three three-pointers a game also led the SEC and ranked 22nd nationally last season.
Source (http://www.courant.com/sports/college/hc-courtcover1017.artjan17,0,6678103.story?coll=hc-headlines-sports-college)