Strange: Prosperity eludes Vols' grasp

The pregame media meal at Thompson-Boling Arena on Sunday included scrambled eggs. It was a fitting prelude to the egg Tennessee laid on Senior Day.

Let's be fair to the Vols. They did the heavy lifting last Sunday and again Thursday night.

Placed on the scales of context, road wins over SEC Eastern Division contenders Florida and South Carolina outweigh a 70-67 loss to Alabama.

Before he had even left Colonial Life Arena in Columbia on Thursday night, UT coach Bruce Pearl worried that for the first time in a long time he faced the challenge of how his team would handle success.

Sunday, he got his answer.

And so did the debate as to whether the Vols were genuinely peaking or merely matched up favorably with the Gators and Gamecocks.

Forty minutes of grinding it out with the big, bruising Crimson Tide illustrates that Tennessee still has the issues that have kept it from rising to greatness all season.

The Vols couldn't force the sluggish tempo to their advantage.

Nor could their outside marksmen make Alabama pay often enough for sitting back in a zone defense that smothered Tyler Smith into a miserable 3-of-15 shooting day.

Worst of all, the Vols were atrocious at the free-throw stripe, especially in the second half when they hit only six of 16 attempts. Pinch-shooters picked at random from the stands could have done as well.

"It's not always about effort,'' said Pearl. "Sometimes it's about focus.

"It's lost focus. It's a lost sense of urgency.''

Alabama's hero, Anthony Brock, had both in spades.

Brock, who banked in a 3-pointer at the buzzer to win the game, had attended his grandmother's funeral on Saturday in Little Rock, Ark.

He missed his flight Saturday night and was driven with a sense of urgency through the night by a cousin. He arrived in Knoxville early Sunday morning.

Brock hit all three of his 3-point tries and each of his free throws. Focus apparently was not a problem.

So what's the price tag for UT's lost focus?

Instead of outright Eastern Division champion, the Vols are co-champs with South Carolina. Instead of finishing 11-5, the second-best record in the league behind LSU, they're lumped in with the Gamecocks and Auburn at 10-6.

But that's not the real damage.

"We put a lot of emphasis on this game today related to seeding,'' Pearl said.

"This will hurt our seeding and our chance to advance in the NCAA tournament.''

Tennessee doesn't have to win a game in the SEC tournament this week to merit an at-large bid in the NCAA bracket. That hay is in the barn.

The Vols, however, were and still are playing to improve their seeding. After a couple of nice steps forward, a loss at home to Alabama was a step back.

Pearl thought a fourth-consecutive win would have at least put UT in the discussion for a No. 5 seed. Maybe that's a tad optimistic, but it's a moot point now.

"I told the guys that basically with every win or loss we move up or down half a seed,'' Pearl said.

There's still a chance to move up in Tampa, Fla., this week. Tennessee has a dubious history with the SEC tournament, but this particular edition is going to be compelling.

The SEC might not be a great league this year but it's a balanced league. Furthermore, Tampa is going to be as neutral a site as the tournament has ever seen.

That anybody could beat anybody in any given game is not a cliche.

"The thing we lose sight of,'' said Pearl, "is how competitive and hard-fought this league is.

"It's a tournament that's wide open, up for grabs. The hungry teams that want it the most will have an opportunity to win that championship.''

Tennessee's side of the bracket seems loaded with teams that fit that description.

Auburn and Vanderbilt are playing their best basketball of the season. Alabama has refused to quit under an interim head coach. Florida's NCAA tournament hopes are on life support, which is motivation aplenty.

With all that hunger about, the Vols best not lay another egg.

Mike Strange may be reached at strangem@knoxnews.com or 865-342-6276.

© 2009, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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