When Brandon Crump signed with Tennessee in November, 1999, the Vols were halfway through a run of four consecutive NCAA tournament appearances.

A few months later, Crump drove from Houston to Austin, Texas, to watch the Vols play in the Sweet 16.

"I thought that was how it was going to be every year,'' Crump said, "just because of who Tennessee was.''

It hasn't exactly worked out that way. Crump is a fifth-year senior and still waiting to play in his first NCAA tournament game. (He redshirted in 2000-01, UT's final trip of the Jerry Green era.)

Who is Tennessee now? The Vols -- along with Arkansas -- are the SEC teams with the longest absence from the Big Dance.

As the early national signing period begins next week, college coaches will have tangible results of how players are responding to their sales pitch. For UT's Buzz Peterson, selling the NCAA tournament is getting tougher with each passing year of being left out on Selection Sunday.

"Of anything we do,'' Peterson said, "I think that may help more than anything in recruiting.

"When you don't get in, it gets harder and harder. That's why we need to get in there so badly. It's such a fine line.''

The Vols and the Razorbacks last played in the tournament in 2001. Last year, Vanderbilt broke a six-year drought and South Carolina ended a five-year absence.

The Commodores didn't just show up. They made it to the Sweet 16.

"There's kind of a buzz around Nashville and the Vanderbilt community,'' said senior guard Jason Holwerda of Chattanooga. "Players are walking with their heads high, playing with a lot more pride in that Vanderbilt jersey.''

Holwerda's testimony validates coach Kevin Stallings' assessment.

"The biggest thing it does,'' said Stallings, "is it changes the image the players have of themselves and of the program.

"When you have a run like we had last season it just changes the place you feel like you're starting from each season.''

And it also uplifts recruiting, although to what degree is debatable.

"What happens,'' said Stallings, "is you have the opportunity to get involved with a different level of players. Whether you come up with those players in any given year is another story.''

Coach Rod Barnes has an interesting perspective on how NCAA appearances changed recruiting at Ole Miss. The Rebels had been in the bracket only once, in 1981, until they reeled off five trips in six years from 1997-2002.

"It made it easier to get recognized,'' said Barnes. "We can go in kids' homes and show them it can be done at Ole Miss. Before, we couldn't do that. You were just hoping some of 'em would buy into it.''

That's the good news.

"But it made it tougher,'' Barnes said. "Immediately following was the toughest times because people would say we went to the Sweet 16 (in 2001) and we had a ton of guys coming back.

"Kids are going to find a place where they can get to the floor and play.''

Most coaches agree that winning helps, but PT -- playing time -- is what most recruits desire most.

Florida has been to six consecutive tournaments and played in the championship game in 2000. Has that success helped the Gators recruit nationally?

"I don't think that has any bearing on anything,'' said coach Billy Donovan. "Like Mike Miller (an ex-Gator playing in the NBA), we signed him coming off winning 12 games and he could have gone to a lot of different places.

"These kids are totally focused on one thing: to have an opportunity to come in and play. Does the tournament play a part? With some it does ... but most of the really good ones have enough confidence in themselves to believe if they're going to a place, that they're going to win regardless.''

Stallings, in fact, said Vanderbilt signed three important recruits last November when his job security was at low ebb.

"I'll always be appreciative of those guys,'' said Stallings, "because they jumped out on the limb when the limb was at its weakest point.''

Alabama's limb had all but broken off during a seven-year NCAA hiatus until a return in 2002. Last season was the Tide's third consecutive trip and it didn't stop until Alabama was one win short of the Final Four.

"Why can't Alabama be in a Final Four? That's the message we've sold to people,'' said coach Mark Gottfried. "Now the fact that we were 40 minutes away from it gives us that much more credibility.

"Most kids want to know how much they're going to play, but when that's all done and they start to evaluate programs, I think they want to play for a winning team.''

Mike Strange may be reached at 865-342-6276 or strange2@knews.com.