NASHVILLE -- Tennessee played a game worthy of its preseason expectations Friday. That's not good.

It also played a game worthy of its SEC basketball tournament history. That's not good, either.

It was tournament business as usual for a program that hasn't made the semifinals in 15 years. The Vols not only lost, they looked awful doing it.

In losing 79-71 to South Carolina, the Vols more closely resembled the team picked to finish fifth in the East than the one that won the division and clinched a berth in the NCAA tournament by winning 21 regular-season games.

The big difference in this tournament mishap and all the others was the number of witnesses.

Last year in the Georgia Dome, you not only had time to introduce yourself to every UT fan in the stadium, you could have had a five-minute conversation with each one before the end of the first half.

UT fans numbered in the thousands at Gaylord Entertainment Center. Their team was a no-show.

What went wrong?

Answer: What didn't?

UT committed more turnovers than it forced, the Gamecocks shot 70 percent from the field against a defense that all but ushered them to the basket in the second half, and sharpshooter Chris Lofton only made four of 14 field-goal attempts.

Other than that, the Vols did OK.

Unlike most of their SEC tournament disasters, this one could lead to a happy ending. Their season isn't finished; they won't even be exiled to the NIT. But the certainty of an NCAA tournament invitation didn't make the loss any more acceptable to UT coach Bruce Pearl.

"I don't see any bright side," he said. "You won't always have a team capable of winning a championship. We felt we could. So we're disappointed."

There were plenty of explanations for UT's poor showing:

* Pearl said a lack of depth has prevented his team from practicing hard enough to improve late in the season.

* Having played UT twice during the regular season, the Gamecocks were attuned to the Vols' personnel and system.

* UT's full-court defense and up-tempo offense have left it with tired legs.

* South Carolina, which beat Florida twice in the regular season, is better than its 14 losses would indicate.

None of those losses, least of all the two to UT, seemed to faze the Gamecocks entering the tournament.

They beat Mississippi State by 15 points Thursday and led the Vols by 17 with 5:10 to play.

"We felt we should have won (the two regular-season games against UT)," South Carolina guard Tre Kelley said. "You have to be believe you're a better team (than your opponent).

"Tarence (Kinsey) kept telling us before the game, 'We can beat these guys.'"

The Gamecocks established their superiority so quickly, UT's fans didn't really get into the game. And the Vols never got back into it.

Comebacks have been commonplace this season for UT, which overcame a 16-point lead in the same town last Saturday against Vanderbilt and overtook the Gamecocks after trailing by 15 in the SEC opener in January. But there was no comeback Friday. No spark. No hint of the team that won the SEC East, beat Texas by 17 points on its home court and defeated Florida twice.

Instead, you were reminded of the Vols' tournament history, which is a quick read and a quicker exit.