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Top 10 Tennessee Vols legends not born in the state

By Caleb Calhoun

KNOXVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 29: Former Tennesse quarterback and current quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts Peyton Manning is honored before the start of their game against the South Carolina Gamecocks on October 29, 2005 at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo By Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 29: Former Tennesse quarterback and current quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts Peyton Manning is honored before the start of their game against the South Carolina Gamecocks on October 29, 2005 at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo By Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /
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Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images
Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images /

Take out the NBA resume, and Chris Lofton may be the best basketball player in the history of the Tennessee Vols. He’s certainly the best shooter in the history of not just Rocky Top but the entire SEC, and he was impossible to guard during his red-hot shooting days.

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    • And part of his story is directly related to him being from out of state. As a junior and senior in high school, Tubby Smith had the Kentucky Wildcats among the top five programs in the country. Lofton, a Kentucky prospect, wanted to go there.

    But despite his elite shooting, recruiting services over-focused on his lack of athleticism or size. So he fell to a three-star, and Smith didn’t target him.

    Lofton went to UT and, at the time, Buzz Peterson instead. He showed his greatness his first year there, becoming a red-hot shooter.

    But when Bruce Pearl came and established his up-tempo offense, Lofton thrived. An offense predicated on shooting if they could get the ball past half-court half enough, Lofton was able to put up numerous three-pointers. And he began hitting them at high levels.

    As a result, he was the catalyst for restoring the Tennessee Vols basketball program under Pearl. A three-time All-American, Lofton helped Pearl’s first three teams to the NCAA Tournament. All of them finished in the Top 25. And the final team is the greatest in school history, capturing the regular season SEC title and a No. 1 ranking.

    And this all came from a Kentucky product. Smith’s lack of interest in him had as much to do with Wildcats fans pressuring him out as anything. So of course he was going to be on here.

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