My All-Time Favorite Players: 2nd - Wayne Chism

Wayne Chism is an all-time great Vol and he is my second favorite Tennessee basketball player of all-time for multiple reasons. First of all, he was a member of the Vols’ Elite 8 team, one of my favorite Tennessee basketball squads that I can remember watching. Another likable characteristic about Chism was the way in which he wore his headband. It was always more toward the top of his head, appearing as if it may slip off. Without seeing his face or jersey, if I saw that headband position, I knew it was Wayne. A big reason for Chism being ranked so high on my list is that I got to spend a week with him at a Tennessee basketball camp. In the summer of 2014, I experienced one of the funnest weeks of my life. At the camp, I was coached by Kevin Punter and Wayne Chism. Other former Vols coached our group as well, but these were my main 2 coaches. Going into the camp, I already considered Chism to be one of my favorite Vols of all-time, but this exciting week elevated him to second on my list. In the tournament we played throughout the week, against other groups of camp participants, I made the game-winning jumper to send our team to the championship game. As a 13-year old, having Wayne Chism brag about you to your dad afterwards is a dream come true. We would go on to win the championship game. It was crazy to think that just 4 years prior, he was playing in Tennessee’s first-ever Elite 8 appearance. Now, he was celebrating with me for making a clutch shot in Pratt Pavilion. I can’t call it a dream-come true, because as a kid, I never even dreamed of this happening to me. It was one of the best weeks of my life.

Chism was born in Jackson, Tennessee and attended Jackson South Side High School as a freshman and sophomore. Then, as a junior and senior, he played at Bolivar High School in Bolivar, Tennessee. He averaged 13.6 PPG, 10 RPG, 7 BPG and 2.2 APG as a junior, before recording 16.1 PPG and 10.6 RPG in his senior season. After averaging a double-double in each of his 2 final high school seasons, the McDonald’s All-American became a Tennessee Mr. Basketball finalist. Rivals gave Wayne a 4-star rating and ranked him as the No. 34 overall player in the country for the 2006 class. Chism received offers from Tennessee, Alabama, Arkansas, Memphis, Mississippi State and Ole Miss. 

As a freshman at Tennessee, Wayne scored 18 points against Texas and posted a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds versus South Carolina. He recorded 19 points and 6 rebounds at No. 1 Florida. Later, he was honored by being named the SEC Freshman of the Week after a 17-point, 12-rebound performance against instate rival Vanderbilt. On the year, Chism scored 9.1 PPG and led all SEC freshmen with 5.2 RPG.  He started in 18 contests and had 3 double-doubles, leading to his selection to the SEC All-Freshman Team, in unanimous fashion.

He made another remarkable impact in his sophomore year. Chism scored 18 points and 18 rebounds versus Vanderbilt and totaled 16 points and 9 rebounds at Georgia. He was known as a clutch player, and it showed when he made 2 free throws late in the game versus Florida, as the Vols claimed the SEC regular season title. Later, in the SEC Tournament, he posted 23 points and 5 blocks versus South Carolina. Wayne started in 34 of 36 games, recording 9.9 PPG and 5.8 RPG. Additionally, his incredible total of 49 blocks on the year are ranked sixth on Tennessee’s single-season record list.

Chism was tremendous in his junior season with the Vols.  In an early season matchup with Marquette, he logged 26 points and 11 rebounds in a victory. Then, he set a school record with 6 blocks at Kansas. The 19 rebounds he corralled versus Gonzaga were the most by any player in the SEC for the 2008-09 season. A 19-point showing against Ole Miss made him the 41st Vol to score 1,000 points in a career. In the SEC Tournament matchup with Auburn, he posted 27 points on a career-high 10 made field goals, including 4 made 3-pointers. He showed amazing grit in the NCAA Tournament, playing against Oklahoma State despite breaking his left thumb 2 days prior to the contest. He totaled 11 points and 6 rebounds against the Cowboys. Chism started in 31 of the Vols’ 34 games, averaging a solid 13.7 PPG and led Tennessee with 8 RPG on the year. Along with blocking a team-high 34 shots as a junior, the second-team All-SEC nominee shot 47% from the field and 32% from 3-point range on the season. Additionally, he recorded 7 double-doubles throughout the year.

I believe that Chism’s senior campaign was his best season. Early in the year, he scored 24 points against Purdue, before racking up 18 points, 6 assists, 5 steals and 3 blocks versus Charlotte. Then, after a 26-point effort against Ole Miss, he poured in 16 points, 11 rebounds and 3 assists in a victory over Florida. His 30 points helped Tennessee defeat South Carolina and he recorded 16 points and 15 rebounds in the SEC Tournament, against Ole Miss. Later, in what may be my favorite Tennessee basketball game that I can remember, he logged 22 points and 11 rebounds against Ohio State, as the Vols advanced to the Elite 8 for the first time in school history. Wayne averaged 12.6 PPG, 7.2 RPG and 1.3 BPG, while recording 8 double-doubles in his final season with the Vols. Wayne is Tennessee’s all-time leader for games played (142), wins (104), NCAA Tournament games played (11), NCAA Tournament wins (7) and rebounds in the NCAA Tournament (57). Additionally, he ranks second in the Vols’ storied program with 152 blocked shots, fifth with 930 rebounds, tied for fifth with 119 games started and twelfth with 1,608 career points. Of all the talented post players that have attended UT, Chism has made the most 3-point shots, with 131 in his career. He was named a first-team All-SEC member, along with his recognition on the NCAA Tournament All-Midwest Region Team.

During Chism's career, the Vols made the Sweet Sixteen 3 times, including 1 trip to the Elite 8. His famous headband position and the fact that he played in an elite era of Tennessee basketball are 2 key factors for which I like him. The week I got to spend with him was incredible, not simply because he played for the Vols, but because he was so dominant in doing so. I always got excited for his blocked shots. Wayne Chism is an awesome player and he is second on my list of all-time favorite Tennessee basketball players.