Argh. Thursday night's second half felt like a root canal. To the soul. Followed by a kick to the pants. With a hangover thrown in for good measure.

Beat Ohio State and the Tennessee men's basketball team was on its way to its first Elite Eight in the NCAA tournament. Lose and fans would be left with a stinging bitterness that only time could wash away.

Hope you have a lot of time on your hands.

In a game of two extreme halves, Tennessee's hot first half (when the Vols controlled tempo and could do no wrong) fell just short of Ohio State's hot second half (when it was the Buckeyes' controlled tempo and could do no wrong).

When the halves were put together, the Buckeyes were one-point better. One point.

It was a painful way to end the season, no doubt. But Thursday's loss was just the end of the season, not the end of the story.

Two weeks ago, I wrote in this space that Tennessee would have to earn the respect of the basketball world. That meant eventually padding their sad sack tournament resume.

Piling up 121 points in a single tournament game, beating the Atlantic Coast Conference co-champions, reaching the Sweet 16 and then taking top-ranked Ohio State to the wire (again), should go a long way toward proving that UT hoops is about more than just orange body paint.

This season Tennessee faced six teams that reached the second weekend of the tournament. Kentucky and Texas almost made it, too. In running that gauntlet, the Vols proved that they could roll with the big boys, even in defeat.

More importantly, they showed that they could battle "name" schools at tournament time. With all of America watching.

Texas, Ohio State, North Carolina, Florida, etc. Those are the teams that are now the Vols' peers. Just a couple of seasons ago, UT's peers were more along the lines of West Dakota State and UNC at Winston-Marlboro.

That's a monumental jump in only 730 days. So the grieving in Big Orange Nation should be kept to a minimum.

After all, Thursday's loss was just the end of the season, not the end of the story.

Second-year coach Bruce Pearl will be back in Knoxville for the 2007-08 season. A few folks began to panic when they heard the news that Tubby Smith had left a vacancy in Lexington. But fear aside, do you really think Pearl would head to Kentucky?

The Master Marketer is the King of Knoxville, thanks to three tournament wins in two years.

Tubby tallied a National Title, a Final Four appearance, four Elite Eight appearances and five SEC championships in 10 seasons. Yet he STILL felt enough pressure to flee a $2 million-per-year job.

If Kentucky comes after Pearl, if Tennessee doesn't match any offer made, and if Pearl heads to UK (or anywhere else), I'll be the first one to eat this column and wash it down with a glug of Old Crow.

The fit in Knoxville is just too perfect. Pearl and Tennessee have each rescued the other from long hikes in the basketball wilderness. Don't expect a break-up anytime soon.

So Thursday's loss was just the end of the season, not the end of the story.

Unfortunately, Thursday was the end of the line for a player who will be remembered as the embodiment of Pearl's system and Tennessee basketball.

Dane Bradshaw has joined UT athletes like Dale Jones and Al Wilson in "Volhalla."

It's home to those athletes who weren't the right size, didn't have the right talent, weren't the top prospect but they worked so hard and showed so much heart that they were always in the right place at the right time.

In the end, Bradshaw could barely hit a lay-up, but his assists, no-look passes, dives for loose balls, rebounds and other intangibles more than made up for his lack of points.

The people who couldn't see that? They wouldn't know a basketball if they sat on one.

How many coaches do you know who've donated one-tenth of a year's salary to establishing a scholarship in a player's honor? Bradshaw was special. Pearl recognized it. Smart fans recognized it. And next year, he will be missed.

But Thursday's loss was just the end of the season, not the end of the story.

As Kentucky searches for a coach and Florida says goodbye to a wave of NBA early draft entrants, the road to the SEC East championship should run through Knoxville in 2008.

Further, Tennessee is in the mix of teams that can compete for a national title. In basketball. I can't believe I just typed that.

When you play the best in the country toe-to-toe (including at tournament time, finally), you're in the mix.

The more trips UT makes to the Dance, the more the odds increase that the Vols will someday break through to hallowed ground.

Face it, Vol fans, Thursday's loss was just the end of the season, not the end of the story.

John Pennington hosts The Hall's Salvage Sports Source on Sunday at 11 a.m. on WATE. His guest today is Tennessee men's basketball associate head coach Tony Jones.

© 2007, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.