Posted by tnvol737 on March 10, 2008 at 3:12 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I hope UT stays the under-dogs all the way to the final 4! We Play much better in that role!

Posted by KnoxVol_in_TX on March 10, 2008 at 3:14 p.m. (Suggest removal)

First time first! I hoped to move up one given the "questionable" nature of the UCLA wins, but all I can say is I hope we win the SEC tournament and get the oh so desired #1 seed.

Posted by KnoxVol_in_TX on March 10, 2008 at 3:14 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Guess I wasnt first...dang

Posted by imwithphilly on March 10, 2008 at 3:25 p.m. (Suggest removal)

UCLA=u cant lose anyway. I hope they dont get all the calls in NCAA tourney.

Posted by ggriggs939 on March 10, 2008 at 3:28 p.m. (Suggest removal)

The VOLS don't have the media support to get the top votes. Not only lacking in tradition, none of the local media is favorable to us in this situation. Practically every article written or broadcast has a downside that is picked up and discussed by other media types, particularly ESPN.

Posted by Volchaz on March 10, 2008 at 3:43 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Obviously ESPN has their Agenda, but after our ratings bonanza for the memphis game, i Could see this happening. KU homers will scream if they win out, and don't get a #1 seed. The Sec tourney is set up nicely for UK, they should coast to the finals, we, on the other hand, have some tough games ahead.

Posted by superk on March 10, 2008 at 3:43 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I think the Vols will be lucky to make it to the sweet 16.We are horrible at the line and the farther we go in the tourney the closer the games will be and the more important free throws become.Plus we have no bona fide big man, plus we have Jordan Howell, plue I saw Steven Pearl on the floor in the 1st half in a close game at that point.

Posted by 87UTVOL on March 10, 2008 at 3:45 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Amazing. Tennessee...No. 1 RPI since January. Top 1 or 2 toughest schedule. Play on the road against tough teams. And, we're No. 4.

I don't have a quarrel with UNC. But, Memphis amassing wins courtesy of a weak Conf. USA schedule and playing few tough teams and none on the road AND UCLA who has a No. 6 RPI with not as many 'good' wins. I guess in the end I can swallow UCLA, but not Memphis. Not given the above and that we beat 'em at their place.

I hope Pearl preaches that these guys are getting no respect. I take heart that the tourney selection committee doesn't rank teams like the AP or Coaches. Let's win 3 in Atlanta and give us a No. 1 seed.

Posted by ThaiVolFan on March 10, 2008 at 3:50 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Volchaz,
I haven't seen the SEC tourny bracket. I see where you posted about our tough games ahead. Who is in our side that we will have to beat to win the SEC? Thanks
Go Vols!

Posted by 99gator on March 10, 2008 at 3:56 p.m. (Suggest removal)

you are not going to get a fair shake for several reasons so, again, don't weat the small stuff.

kentucky having the season they did makes the SEC look even weaker than previously thought. it is tenn's non conference schedule that should signal to everyone how legit they are, but winning the SEC is not going to be too impressive to the committee.

sometimes geography plays a part in seeding. right now it would make a lot of sense to put ucla as a #1 out west (phoenix region) and north carolina a #1 (charlotte region)

the other two are up for grabs between tenn, kansas, memphis and texas. i would not give it to memphis because of the whole conference USA thing, but who knows.

i for one, am tired of the paved road to the final four that seems to be consistently set up for duke and/or north carolina.

a round of 64/32 in raleigh and a round of 16/8 in charlotte just isn't right.

wouldn't tenn love to play in memphis for the first rounds and nashville in the second rounds.

Posted by mtnvol on March 10, 2008 at 4:11 p.m. (Suggest removal)

superk, Little Bruce was on the floor because a few players had, as the coach said in his post game radio show, "issues with daylight savings time." They slept through the AM shoot around.

It could be me, but it doesn't seem that free throws are the same liability they were in January. Could be perception, I don't know.

Personally, I wouldn't trade a "classic" center for 10 guys who can run the opposition into the ground. USC had us by several inches at each position but were run out of TBA in the second half. Speed kills! DEFENSE, DEFENSE, DEFENSE!!!!

Posted by HotlantaVol on March 10, 2008 at 4:11 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Tournament brackets!! Get your tournament brackets!!
http://www.secsports.com/doc_lib/bkc_...

Posted by VolBall on March 10, 2008 at 4:13 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Agreed, gator. Well said

Posted by HotlantaVol on March 10, 2008 at 4:19 p.m. (Suggest removal)

99 Gator is right. The SEC appears down this year. Only UT and VU are ranked (and Vandy just dropped a few spots to 18 this week). Miss State has a good case for an at-large, but after that it's a toss-up. UK makes it with at least one SEC tourney win, but that may be it. SEC usually has 5 or 6 strong candidates to make the NCAA. UT looks legit because they beat Memphis, Gonzaga, Xavier, WVU, Ohio State, etc. in non-conference.

Posted by StaytheCourse on March 10, 2008 at 4:19 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I love how the RPI and the sos mean nothing in todays rankings. Its funny how the media( rome, espn and so on) have a ton of respect for pearl, but show very little respect to tennessee...

Posted by IdahoVol on March 10, 2008 at 4:22 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Looking at the tourney bracket, there is nothing there that keeps me from thinking we will be in the finals for sure. LSU or South Carolina, then either Vandy, Auburn or Arkansas - of course any one can lose any day, but none of those teams should beat us.

Posted by HotlantaVol on March 10, 2008 at 4:31 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I would much rather face a west team for a second time than an east team for a third time. I think it works to the underdog's advantage to get two looks at a team and then play them again.

On the other hand a revenge game against Vandy might be very motivational . . .

Naaa. Go Auburn!!

Posted by mparker on March 10, 2008 at 4:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)

JMHO, but I think the selection committe WILL VERY MUCH look at how UT ended the season, and the 'road' wins over Memphis, Xavier, and Gonzaga.

I have to be quite honest: I can't see how UM could be a 1 seed. UNC and UCLA most likely are locks.

After that, I can see the selection committe going through game-by-game....for UT, they have a set of positives: the losses to TEXAS (top ten, and hot at the time), UK, and Vandy (both UK and Vandy held serve at home in conference play) are 'excusable' losses. Memphis lost at home, so that's a big negative.

I guess, all in all, I'm just more concerned with the matchups than anything else.

Posted by mparker on March 10, 2008 at 4:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Uk: balls-to-the-wall in the tourney.

LOOK for a SUPER effort by UK; they know they can play their way in. Oughta be interesting.

Vandy goes down quick, they aren't at home.

Posted by TurboFan on March 10, 2008 at 4:41 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Anybody know who voted us #1?

Posted by HotlantaVol on March 10, 2008 at 4:43 p.m. (Suggest removal)

OMG, you have got to check out this article.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/03/10/...

Posted by 99gator on March 10, 2008 at 4:44 p.m. (Suggest removal)

ky should be in already. they are 12-4 in the league. if that doesn't get you i don't know what does. i don't care what happened in the non conference schedule.

Posted by invisiblekid on March 10, 2008 at 4:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I'll settle for being number one on April 8. These rankings mean next to nothing so no point in grumbling about them as long as the Vols get their due respect come next Sunday. It wouldn't hurt my feelings to see things shake out like Lunardi has them on ESPN. The Midwest bracket sets up as the easiest IMO.

Agree with the post by mtnvol, our free throw shooting has improved somewhat although I still want the ball in Lofton's hands at the end of the game. As far as not having a bona fide big man, how many teams have a true 5 nowadays? A center that can play the low post and dominate is a luxury few teams have anymore. I think that guard play is more important come tournament time. That's why I believe R. Smith and Jordan Howell are going to have to be solid and take care of the ball for the Vols to make a deep run.

Posted by invisiblekid on March 10, 2008 at 4:56 p.m. (Suggest removal)

99gator, KY probably sealed their fates and the Gators on Saturday IMO. Personally, I'd like to see both of them get in and think your guys may have some life left in them if they get a deep run in the SEC which is possible. Don't get me wrong, I hate the Gators but when it comes bowl season or Selection Sunday, the more the merrier as far as I am concerned with the SEC.

Posted by snowvol on March 10, 2008 at 4:58 p.m. (Suggest removal)

What is it with so many Vols fans who prefer UT being viewed as underdogs? Honest to goodness, I don't get it. Go through all of sports, both pro and college, and look at the champions: You will not -- absolutely will not -- find players wanting to be viewed as underdogs. The whole "chip on our shoulder" mentality.

This crap at UT started with our football players, not all but many of them, going off the "we get no respect" garbage and "we're better when our backs our to the wall." If any of you know Bruce Pearl, you damn well know he wants nothing of the underdog business. He wants his players to respect opponents but EXPECT to win. Not play and think like an underdog, but play and think like they EXPECT to win.

That's the psyche of a champion. Don't tell me the Florida Gators from the past two basketball seasons wanted to be thought of as underdogs. Not a chance.

Newsflash for some fellow Vols fans: This basketball team is not coached by Phillip Fulmer. This team goes out every night and wants to destroy teams. They don't play with the idea of grinding out anything. The sooner they can put a team away, they do it. They follow the John Wooden doctrine that says "we practice with the idea of winning; we play with the expectation of winning."

It is an insult to Bruce Pearl and this team to even suggest they play better as underdogs. Far too many Vols fans have the idea we're better if we're viewed as a scrappy little team like a Winthrop . . . we're Tennessee. Thankfully, Pearl understands this better than anyone.

Posted by 99gator on March 10, 2008 at 5:03 p.m. (Suggest removal)

invisiblekid

i would love to see florida get in, but they really don't deserve to. there are other bubble teams with similar or equal league records in better leagues and better non conference schedules to florida.

i will be rooting for tenn and think the league sleeper is arkansas. arkansas is deeper and more talented than all other teams in the league, except tenn. i don't know why they did not have a better year, but they did not.

tenn will have to bring their half-court defense, free throw shooting, and some disciplined shot selection with them to the tourney against the teams that slow them down into a half court game.

last year was the year of the gator, if tenn had won the sec champ game in football, 2007-08 would clearly be the year of the vol. it is very conceivable tenn brings home the men's and women's basketball titles.

Posted by brownsvillevol on March 10, 2008 at 5:08 p.m. (Suggest removal)

my prediction, we get sc again, miss st gets florida, ole miss wins against georgia and kentucky loses to florida after beating miss st, vandy loses to auburn wich loses to arkansas wich loses to us.what does all this equal kentucky is out ole miss and arkansas and florida get in after we beat them in the sec champ.

Posted by brownsvillevol on March 10, 2008 at 5:19 p.m. (Suggest removal)

chkrbrd we were a5 seed last year and a 2 seed in 06

Posted by brownsvillevol on March 10, 2008 at 5:34 p.m. (Suggest removal)

agreed as long as we don't lose to sc or lsu we should be alock for a#1 seed but i still think we win it all.

Posted by VolJunkie on March 10, 2008 at 5:49 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Thankfully the polls don't mean as much in basketball where the NC is actually decided on the court, not in the newspapers or some hard to explain computer program.

UT has the best resume of any team out there and should be a #1 seed. But I am not worried if they are seeded as a #2 because this team can win from anywhere in the bracket. Free throws, much improved (75% yesterday), I'll stack our "bigs" against anyone, Wayne, Duke and Brian are playing great ball and they can get up and down the court. Killer bench play and depth, great outside shooting, senior leadership, and an unbelievable "X" factor in Tyler Smith, he will be a match-up problem for any team we meet. Am I wearing orange colored glasses? You bet, all the way to San Antonio!

Go VOLS!

Posted by jawbreaker on March 10, 2008 at 5:59 p.m. (Suggest removal)

snowvol, you're right on about the underdog thing.

Posted by VolJunkie on March 10, 2008 at 6:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Dick Vitale is a crack head ... his top 6:

1 North Carolina
2 Memphis
3 UCLA
4 Kansas
5 Duke
6 Tennessee

Are you kidding me?

Posted by Colliervol on March 10, 2008 at 6:40 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Voljunkie, not sure how Memphis snuck in there but Vitale is a shill for those other four programs. Always has been. Especially Duke. They could be 5 and 22 and he'd still be yelling about that bunch. (He's almost as bad as Packer with the ACC bias.) RPI, SOS and the fact that the Vols walked into Memphis and snatched their lunch money makes no difference to him I guess. Thank goodness he's not seeding the brackets.

Posted by pdhuff on March 10, 2008 at 7:03 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Let's win the next game.

Posted by VOLS85 on March 10, 2008 at 7:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Vitale lives his life on emotion, not facts...That's why he didn't last as a college basketball coach in detroit...his vote counts for nothing, and it's very evident that he has not fully assessed the situation.

Looking at SOS and RPI shows that we are stronger than any other team in the country, so realistically the only two teams that can claim to be above us right now are carolina and memphis...and memphis is a stretch. The tourney seeders are all that matter...IMO, if we make it to the SECCG on sunday and lose I think we'll still be #1, but I think we'll win because we're deeper than anyone else we face.

Amazing season, and as a Senior about to graduate from UT, Senior day was really moving yesterday...

GO VOLS

Posted by Phowell23 on March 10, 2008 at 7:45 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I like the fact that UT doesn't have to play again until Friday. Let everyone rest their bodies after several hard fought end of season games. I would like to see us finally go far in the SEC tournament and get at least to the Championship game. We are a definite lock for a #1 seed in the NCAA tournament with 30+ wins and #1 overall RPI.

Posted by eb502us on March 10, 2008 at 8:24 p.m. (Suggest removal)

First round games are March 20/21

Posted by jasvol on March 10, 2008 at 9:07 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Vol Junkie: Kansas has not beaten anybody in the Top 25! They shouldn't even be in the top 10. Vittles just doesn't like the SEC. He's proven that over the years. I'm not sure what league he's a 'homer' for...baby.

Posted by jasvol on March 10, 2008 at 9:10 p.m. (Suggest removal)

99gator: are you really a 'gaytor' fan? Your making too much sense in your post at 5:03PM.

Posted by bsvolfan on March 10, 2008 at 9:14 p.m. (Suggest removal)

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http://www.seniorclassaward.com/VOTEL...

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Posted by jasvol on March 10, 2008 at 9:22 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Here it comes: DISRESPECT on the National level. Fox Sports writer names his All-American Team(s)
UT has only one and guess which team...#4.
http://msn.foxsports.com/cbk/story/78...

Posted by GerryOP on March 10, 2008 at 10:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)

One beauty of college basketball is that everything is decided on the court. So, forget the disrespect whine, for Dick Vitale, forget everything except the scores. It's simple. From this day forward the team that does not lose wins the NC -- regardless of what the talking heads and ESPN "experts" say. The strong will survive ... and ... this year's basketVol team is strong!

Yes, it would be nice if some of the guys got some individual awards. But, I would bet any amount of money that every player on this year's basketVol team would give up every individual award in exchange for a NC! These guys are winners! Go Vols!

Posted by murrayvol on March 10, 2008 at 10:21 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Three teams are locks: UNC, Memphis, & UCLA.

Tennessee's resume deserves a 1 seed regardless of what happens in SECT: RPI, SOS, road record, record vs top 50 RPI, gave Memphis it's only loss (at home). That said, I'm confident that if the Vols lay an egg in the tournament and Kansas wins the Big 12 Tourney, they will get the last available 1 spot. To paraphrase Clint Eastwood, it won't have nothin' to do with deservin'.

Win 3 and remove all doubt.

Posted by dfreeman on March 10, 2008 at 11:20 p.m. (Suggest removal)

CRAP I HIT MY VOTE BUTTON TWICE!!! LOL

Posted by utmdm on March 11, 2008 at 12:55 a.m. (Suggest removal)

PD Right focus. Let's win the next one. Let's not be one and done as number one in the SEC as we were with the national ranking number one.

Posted by VolJunkie on March 11, 2008 at 7:39 a.m. (Suggest removal)

bsvolfan ... thanks again for keeping this front and center. Looks like Chris is moving ahead ... nice.

Do you know why Candace Parker is not listed among the women's candidates?

Go VOLS!!

Posted by dfreeman on March 11, 2008 at 8:15 a.m. (Suggest removal)

VolJunkie - technically she's a junior! That's why she's not, because this is for seniors!!

Posted by VolJunkie on March 11, 2008 at 8:37 a.m. (Suggest removal)

dfreeman ... thanks ... duh!

Posted by dfreeman on March 11, 2008 at 12:35 p.m. (Suggest removal)

No prob!!

Posted by missrvrvol on March 11, 2008 at 1:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)

UNC, UCLA, and Memphis are locks. UNC and UCLA due to conference and Memphis due to being 33-1 after their tourney, and #3 RPI. We need to at least make tourney finals. But hey, no huge difference being 1-3 seed, in fact, a lot more pressure being a #1. Just win 6 starting next week. GO VOLS!