Take Five: C.J. Watson

Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2006 | 8:12 a.m.

University of Tennessee senior guard C.J. Watson experienced the highs and lows of college basketball within three days last week when the Volunteers followed a defeat at Memphis with a rousing victory over second-ranked Florida.

Orange-clad fans rushed the court at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville after the victory against Florida as if a Final Four berth had just been claimed.

That's something Tennessee has never done.

With a new coach (Bruce Pearl) some guidance from experienced players such as Watson and more victories such as Saturday's, a Final Four spot in Indianapolis might not be such a long shot for the 12-3 Vols.

* Age: 21

* Height/weight: 6 feet 2 inches, 180 pounds

* Hometown: Las Vegas

* Family: parents, Cathy and Charles; sister, Vonyetta; brother, Kashif.

* High School: Bishop Gorman, where he's the career-best scorer with 1,732 points. As a junior and senior, Watson was named the best player in the state by Gatorade and USA Today. He led Gorman to three consecutive appearances in the Class 4A state championship game, which it won in 2000 and 2002. The Gaels were 85-14 with Watson on the team.

* College: This season, Watson joined Allan Houston and Tony Harris as the only Tennessee players with 1,000 career points and 400 assists. He has played on several U.S. national junior teams, including one that went to Greece three summers ago, and helped the United States win a gold medal in the Global Games in Dallas that same summer.

* Averages: 15.9 points, 4.2 assists, 3.1 rebounds, 2.3 steals.

* Shooting: .474 (field goals), .407 (3-pointers), .867 (free throws).

1. Go east, young man

Constant rumors about former UCLA coach Steve Lavin's demise sullied Watson on Westwood, and Lavin was fired after Watson's freshman season at Tennessee. In Knoxville, he is surrounded by relatives. "Hundreds," Watson said. Grandma's house, a 2 1/2-hour drive away in Nashville, is where he usually feasts on greens and cornbread, macaroni and cheese and fried chicken.

2. Transition

Pearl replaced Buzz Peterson, who is now coaching Watson's good friend and Cheyenne High grad Chad Ferguson at Coastal Carolina, after last season. Watson adores the orange-suspendered Pearl. "A great player's coach," Watson said. "He lets me attack more, and he likes to press. That's his nature. He's an aggressive and fun guy."

3. Quiet storm

Watson's sister gave him that nickname, and C.J. had the moniker tattooed onto his right arm when he was a junior at Gorman. "She said it's because I have a quiet nature," he said, "but my basketball hits you like a storm."

4. The psychology major

Watson gets the most out of his studies. "Every game, I try to out-think my defenders," he said. "Mind games. And I'll trash talk, even though I don't talk that much. It helps me figure out people a lot easier."

5. The leader

Two summers ago, Watson attended the prestigious NCAA Leadership Council, designed to enhance athletes' communication and motivational skills. NBA star Grant Hill was one of the many speakers. "It was very beneficial," Watson said. "It helped me improve as a person and a player. Glad I did it."

Rob Miech can be reached at 259-4087 or at miech@lasvegassun.com.