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Monday, February 25, 2008
This past weekend, Tennessee defeated the Memphis Tigers 66-62. Today, they're the number one ranked men's basketball team in the country. I'd intended to blog about the "big game" all weekend, but I've quite frankly been too interested in reading what other people had to say about it.
I know this much - I am jazzed about UT hoops, and have been since we pasted Texas in Austin in 2005 (Bruce Pearl's first season). There's just something about this guy and his team that is contagious. It used to be that we'd yawn through basketball season, asking when kickoff for football was going to be. Now, quite frankly, football is the last thing on my mind. I don't want this basketball season to end. It's been that much fun.
I'm trying not to drink the orange Kool-Aid, but I know that if Bruce Pearl is selling it, I'm probably going to be taking a swig. I can imagine this guy talking to his players about winning an unwinnable game, but never wavering in his confidence in them. I imagine that if he told them they could fly, they'd be leaping right off the roof of Gibbs Hall, flapping their wings all the way. Of course, the way things have gone for the Big Orange, I wouldn't be surprised if the team took to the air and looped around campus.
Seriously though, if we can somehow manage to take down the Commodores, Wildcats, Gators, and Gamecocks, even without an SEC Tournament win, we're getting a number one seed. Did anyone think seriously that we'd be a number one men's basketball seed, ever? Seriously? I didn't. I gotta believe that Bruce Pearl is the only one who believed that.
One more thing. Today's poll reflected a unanimous choice of the Vols as #1 by the coaches, but, undeterred, three nincompoops chose UNC or UCLA as the new #1 in the AP poll. To those writers, I ask - did you even watch the game? What does it take for you guys to vote for the Vols for the top slot? I can figure out the 2 Illinois writers, since the whole state still carries a grudge against Bruce for ratting on the Illini for recruiting violations. But what's with this joker in Tacoma? Didn't he see the Vols smack around the Zags in Seattle? Probably not, based on the voting. But you know, voting isn't nearly as relevant anymore anyway. I'm just asking - what's the reasoning?
You might believe that UCLA or UNC would beat UT, but so what? Look at the body of work. Did UT lose to the ninth place team in their conference? Did they lose to unranked opponents on their home floor? Did UNC or UCLA beat a previously unbeaten foe on the road? When they do, give me a ballot, and I'll vote for them too. Until then, you're crazy not to give the Vols their due.
Oh, and if we somehow make it to San Antonio, I am there. (Please, honey... can I go? :-) )Labels: Basketball, Vols
.: posted by
Dave
4:11 PM
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