The crowd was still processing the information from the TV screens on the wall of the Ray Mears Room.
Tennessee: No. 6 seed. Opponent: San Diego State. Site: Providence. Date: Thursday. Likely second-round foe: Georgetown.
That was the who, what, when and where. TV commentator Seth Davis of CBS and Sports Illustrated offered an unflattering how.
Practically the first words out of Davis' mouth Sunday night when the Midwest bracket of the NCAA tournament was revealed was predicting No. 11 seed San Diego State would send the Vols packing on opening day.
So, take that: You're a six seed, not a four or five. And the talking head says you're the upset special.
"I feel a little insulted, as far as the commentator picking us to be upset,'' senior guard Bobby Maze said.
"I'm more upset about that than the seeding we got.''
Don't know if Maze saw another early assessment online from ESPN.com's Pat Forde.
Forde lumped the Vols in the Dogs Playing Poker category - junk art at heart, he said - along with late-season fades Texas and Wake Forest.
Wrote Forde, "Any Top 25 team that gets pasted by 29 points in its conference tournament - even if the opponent was Kentucky - has issues.''
The reference was to the 74-45 beating Tennessee absorbed Saturday in the semifinals of the Kentucky Invitational (aka the SEC tournament).
Tennessee, it would seem, didn't do itself any favors in Nashville.
UT struggled to an ugly win over LSU. The Vols had a nice victory over Ole Miss, but the good work was undone Saturday when they let a six-point deficit deteriorate into a blowout at the hands of Kentucky.
"If Seth Davis wants to say we're going to be a first-round out, that's fine,'' UT coach Bruce Pearl said. "That's a pretty big bash on our program.
"To just come right out and have that be the number-one upset in he tournament, right off the bat. What does that say?''
It says the selection committee and the various media pundits were taking notes on the SEC tournament.
So, of course, were Pearl and his staff.
"My point to the team,'' he said, "was that much of what troubled us was us, as opposed to not necessarily just Kentucky's outstanding play or outstanding players.
"This is a team that knows if it defends and rebounds it can win. If you look at our body of work, when we have defended and rebounded we have won.''
At any rate, the mood Sunday in the Ray Mears Room was muted. There was virtually no reaction from the team and little from the crowd when UT's name appeared in the bracket.
Later, men's athletic director Mike Hamilton tried to rally the gathering, saying, "Let's go make Seth Davis a liar.''
Pearl underscored the "let's go'' part.
He has made great strides in changing the culture of UT basketball in the past five years. The Vols are a contender in the SEC. Thompson-Boling Arena is a great scene.
Tennessee sticks around for the weekend at the SEC tournament now. The Vols are five-for-five in NCAA tournament bids.
"One of the last things is to get the fan base to travel,'' Pearl said. "It's very, very important. It makes Tennessee football what it is.''
This last item is fresh in Pearl's mind after observing Kentucky fans occupy an estimated 90 percent of the seats in Nashville on Saturday.
Too, Pearl is still haunted by the Preseason NIT experience on the holy basketball ground of Madison Square Garden in his second year. Present were North Carolina, Butler and Gonzaga, three great basketball traditions.
Then there was Tennessee.
"We showed up without our pep band and cheerleaders and nobody (UT fans) in the building,'' he said.
"I was embarrassed. We looked like an SEC football school that rounded out the NIT field - and played like it, too.
"We've done some things to change that.''
This is bigger than an NIT field. And Providence is a longer haul.
But Pearl, who's from just up the turnpike in Massachusetts, is the city's newest advocate. Just listen. Rich hoops heritage. Wonderful Italian restaurants. A town that knows how to celebrate St. Patrick's Day.
A town where the Vols hope to make Seth Davis a liar. But they could use a presence in the stands to help make it happen.
Mike Strange may be reached at strangem@knoxnews.com or 865-342-6276.
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Comments » 110
ut18vols writes:
Good article to read, hopefully Vols can prove the "experts" wrong
chefjorge writes:
Seth Davis is a complete hump. He's the same a-ess-ess that said that whoever lost the Pac-10 tourney would be out and it would be a one team league. Granted the Pac-10 is lousy, but the Cal-UW game yesterday was the best game of the day.
Welcome back to kindergarten forum and censorship.
TommyJack writes:
Ska-roo Seth Davis.
OrangeVeins writes:
He'd probably like that? But I second that!
ATH writes:
The Vols are looking at a second-consecutive first-round exit. Go ahead and count on that; this team is done. No enthusiasm, no purpose, and no heart. This team takes after its coach and only gets up for the "big" games, and Pearl won't be able to convince these guys that this is a big one. Hey, Bruce, you know what else was a bash on the program? Having it handed to you on national television. Quit whining about a 6 seed and try to win some games you're actually supposed to win. It really doesn't matter if you beat Kansas and Kentucky when you get shellacked by Georgia and can't split with Vandy. Your program is no better than third in the East. Accept it and deal with it.
Halls3 writes:
Guys Purdue got hosed too. Top 5 team gets the worst 4 seed out of anybody. Granted they lost their best player but jeeze. If Tennessee wants to make a statement beat SDSU & GTown. I believe the seed lies a lot on last year's egg as well as losing to Kentucky bad & USC in the Pac 10. I'd say if the polls came out tomorrow UT would be a low Top 25 team after its performance this weekend against LSU & UK. That would fit with around a 6 seed. Plus, looking at all the teams seeded ahead of UT, all are just as deserving as UT of that seed. It's jsut how the cookie crumbles sometimes. This team needs to actually play to their potential against SDSU or they may not need to worry about GTown b/c SDSU is a very good mid major team. I'm not gonna lie the NCAA Tourney is garbage and a joke anyways. They always say well we determine it on the court. Well, then put the best 65 teams in the tourney instead of teams that get in off of winning a conference tourney. I also like how all the little guys usually draw the big dogs in the first round to pick them off.
1vavolfan writes:
Tennessee would have been better off getting beat by 3 or 4 points by Ole Miss than the performance it turned in against Kentucky.In the span of 9 minutes we went from a 4 seed to a low 6th.
bryanvolsfan writes:
If we had won the SEC tourny, MIKE SLIVE would see to it that Tennessee was a low seed. Slive is a worthless lump of POOP, I hope one day Hamilton and Pearl stand up to that idiot and tell him exactly what he is.
Halls3 writes:
You're an idiot. Mike Slive would fight for UT to be a 2 seed if that happened. He clearly pushed to get UT what he did. A beatable SDSU & GTown team. Yeah if UT doesn't show up they'll get beat but if they do they could easily beat either. GTown isn't a strong 3 seed which is an advantage for UT, thanks in large part to Mr. Slive. Just b/c Lane Kiffin was a moron who pissed Slive off doesn't mean he has it out for UT. I guess then again to fans like you the refs, ESPN, & every non Vol has it out for UT too.
ThugTillIDie writes:
Slive is all about the money. He'd tie his mother to a railroad track for a buck.
Smallmike4pres writes:
I didn't know Slive's mom lived in Halls.
senatorgip#470888 writes:
Both Tennessee and Miss State got the shaft. The vols had an RPI in top 20 and beat the # 1 and # 2 teams during the regular season. If one bad game in the tourney can cause a team to fall from 4 to 6, then explain why the NCAA didn't recognize Miss State's tourney run and near upset of UK. The bottom line folks is that Mike Slive and the NCAA only care about two things: Kentucky and Revenue. Slive is an embarrassment to the SEC and should be fired.
GerryOP writes:
It is what it is. Nothing anyone can do to change the perception except go out and prove these folks wrong. Time to play some ball guys!
Brillovol writes:
Keep in mind that if Pearl wasn't our coach right now, you wouldn't have anything to crow about. I'll take what we've got this year. We just don't have consistent scorers, and it shows.
Games we're supposed to win? We only lost 8! Considering the mid-season distraction and the team chemistry change, I'll take that anyday. Pearl has done a masterful job of coaching this year and has been widely considered for SEC coach of the year. I guess you can't deal with it that he's a great coach.
77VolFS writes:
No Heart ? Have you been in a cave since Jan.1 ? Wayne has that printed on his jersey. Tennessee was a team of overachievers this year and CBP did some of his best coaching dealing with adversity. We're much better prepared for a Vandy/Georgia/Georgetown presence inside with an in-shape Williams. Miss. St. should have beaten UK - we handed it to Bully at their place. We had no legs at the end of the UK game - it was the 3rd game in 3 days. This committee/Seth Davis snub was seized quickly for pre-tourney motivation. We'll dispose of SDSU and then have a great matchup with the Hoyas. Go Vols !!
GreeneVol_TN writes:
I'm trying to figure out how we go from Bobby Knights sleeper pick in the tournament a few weeks ago to CBS's goat this week. I just watched a bracket analysis video on CBS Sports website and "analyst" Jon Rothstein point blankly stated that any team with Bobby Maze as their point guard would not make the sweet 16!
What a load of crapola! These guys have bled orange for us all year and we have to sit here and listen to this tripe. I would give anything to have tickets to Providence this weekend. I hope the more fortunate fans get their butts up there to support the guys. I'm looking for a strong sweet 16 run and hopefully a decent shot at the elite 8!
GO VOLS! and go somewhere else CBS!
jryevols#222657 writes:
Lets just say all of you so called Vol fans posting the negative comments are the loosers.Take a trip back a few years when NC State was predicted to loose the first game.You set back in your leather worn sofas , crying the blues , and preparring yourself for a loss , and then when a win happens, your running out in the driveway to see if anyone else is jumping up and down " because you just knew all along they would win ". Then you slip upstairs to your closet and find some Tennessee Orange to wear , heading down to Wal-mart to let everyone else know your pride.... give me a break and reach down and find the excitment that all the other schools are having ...just to be part of the show. This is normally the time of the year when you are out tuning up your lawnmower and getting ready for football. Just remember the best fuel that this little engine can have is everyone saying they can't. When they win and they will, go grab another beer ,sit down and shut up , cause the band wagon will be full.
eduardo writes:
Did they even see the rook job of officiating in the kenlucky game??? Anyone that knows bball could see that!!!
Carlitovol writes:
Agreed 100%.. Everybody needs to just chill out and support this team, win or lose.. We're light years ahead of where we were before CBP arrived on the scene, and all the complaining and whining doesn't change anything.
I realize it's frustrating to watch the inconsistency and the lazy play at times. But the bottom line is this: UT will most likely never be a perennial powerhouse in b-ball and may very well never make it to a final four. Just like UK will most likely never have a dominant football program and may never make it to a BCS bowl game.
With the tradition and recruiting capabilities that programs like UK, UNC, Kansas, Duke, etc. have, it's extremely difficult to compete with them. They'll occassionally have their down years (see UNC), but they'll be right back in the Nat'l Championship hunt before long.
UT has always been and will always be a football school. Just like UK has always been and will always be a b-ball school. It is what it is.
The moral of the story is that Vol fans just need to take a chill pill, enjoy the ride thru march madness (even with a Vols one-and-done), and support this team.
Oh, and shut the hades up about the officiating. There are no conspiracies, and there is no blatant bias for/against certain teams. They do make a lot of mistakes, but all the teams are in the same boat.
BTW, congrats to the Cats on the SEC Tourney title. This year has been a perfect storm with all the ringers Calipari brought in.. It's going to be tough to replicate this level of talent in future years, but Cal will probably do it (not necessarily while abiding by the rules, haha).
GO BIG ORANGE!!!!
PennVol writes:
Jay Bilas picked us to lose our first game as well.
We have as good a shot as anybody getting to the elite 8 this year if we play well. There aren't that many great teams. Most have 8-9 losses. Unfortunately, you never know which UT team is gonna show up. Our inconsistency is scaring the experts (and us fans!). Go Vols.
Couchdummy writes:
I wish the crybabies over officiating would get over it! My goodness that lame excuse for our poor play gets so old! Waa! Waa! Waa! Shut up!
eduardo writes:
If you watched the game you could see what was really going on....Get real!!!
the58vol writes:
Miss State a victim of a "Lane" violation.... Calipari was saying "Rick made the right call, but it didn't work"...(because Wall is invisible to many at key times)..Yes he is quite talented, but the guy doesn't need any help..
Time to bring the "A" game Orange... Go get it done..GBO!!!
Volie writes:
I Like how your trying to talk to Bruce in your post. Hey, Buzz, if your reading this post, this clown wants you back!
jryevols#222657 writes:
Just for once , if you truly support your Vols like a sports fan with " Class " then lets just one time on this site show it by just entering your comment as " We are proud , we are TENNESSEE " .If we get 50 post on here with this comment ,we will win Thursday...... and the witch doctor will not need to bless it.
Come On Vol Fans.....just once....the basketball players read this site as well
jryevols#222657 writes:
" WE ARE PROUD , WE ARE TENNESSEE "
GO VOLS....
GerryOP writes:
C'mon dude, how many points did the refs score for UK? I'll buy our guys being tired, I'll buy UK had better talent, and I'll buy that Calipari did a better job of motivating the 'Cats. But the refs? Don't think so!
Get real folks, I've seen everyone from Slive to the fans to the rims to the peanut vendor blamed for Saturday's fiasco. But be honest, we got our butts kicked by a better team. Anyone else find it interesting that a team we blew off their home court a week ago played UK pretty even yesterday?
I love my Vols and they have proven they can win. Right? But don't forget UGa, USCal, Vandyx2, FL, and UKx2. Our Vols can do it, we know it and they know it. Time to man-up and play some ball!
But I do have a question for the NCAA. What's up with a 9:45 PM tipoff? That's almost past my bedtime! Oh, yup, I see ... that's 6:45 PM on the West Coast.
pdhuff#552644 writes:
Forget your meds this AM, GerryO?
LOL
tree_em_smokey writes:
Excellent post! You took the words right out of my mouth. The vols are pissed about their performance sat and they will be as ready as anyone come thursday. GBO!!!!
GerryOP writes:
What I saw in that game was poor shooting, poor shot selection, too many EASY TOs, unecessary fouls, lack of patience, poor blocking out under the basket, loss of composure ... and a highly motivated, highly talented UK team. Isn't that what you saw too? Yah, I saw Five-Step-Wall and Big-Ol'-Bully-Demarcus, but that didn't lose the game for us!
C'mon, excuses are for losers. Time for our Vols to stop pouting and man up and play some ball.
Vol_In_Ohio writes:
Maybe this was the the best thing that could happen. SDSU is a tough 11, but I'd rather play them than Cornell and some of the other low seeds. Plus, this group needs something to get them up since they can't motivate themselves that well. Who doesn't want to play Georgetown and set up a Sweet Sixteen rematch against Ohio State? We owe a win in that one to Chris Lofton, Dane Bradshaw, and JaJuan Smith!
The draw was tough, but we played ourselves into it. Good thing we weren't a bubble team going in.
eduardo writes:
Hey bro what do you call 3 of our guys in the first 7 min of the game with 2 fouls???? Kenlucky wasnt whistled for their 6th foul until there was less than a min to go in the first half!!! They outshoot us at the line 30-15....You get real!!! BTW nice push by Wall in the back of Barry Stewart on the sidelines with Teddy Valentine watching.....great officiating in this conf when it comes to kenlucky playing...I have found a new hate for the blue like none other!!!!
licknpromise777#651578 writes:
Still shaking my head how Maryland with a much lower ranking and an early tourney loss seeded above us...I find it hard to believe that a bad loss to KY should effect tourney seeding;it's supposed to be body of work..but it's seems that game must have had something to do with the 6 seed..Against #1 kentucky that was hitting everything they threw up; it's pretty easy for the score to get out of hand real quick;especially since they were arrogantly trying to humiliate us!!!On the plus side Bobby Maze and Wayne will enter the SDSU game with a big chip on the shoulder..Aztecs are definitely a good well coached but I believe they may crack outside the comfort zone of the mountain west..The vols will be unfazed because this is our 5th trip to the big show..Our guards will have step up and shoot better..Vol fans have to be happy with the way Williams has made the most of his 2nd chance..He has gone from being a liability to focused and confident!!
fundamentals83 writes:
As on and off as this team is, I can see us bowing to San Diego St as well. Would it really surprise anyone if we lost 1st round by 10? By that same token would it really surprise anyone if we won 1st round by 10? Respect is earned and this team hasn't earned it.
GerryOP writes:
Naw, but this dude blaming a 29-point-blowout on the refs rubbed my wrong nerve. Just ain't never seen no ref score 29 points. {;>p)
TommyJack writes:
Whether it be from: "home court", crowd participation, Mike Slive, NCAA, huge egos, affection for the camera, or raw incompetence, the officiating in the SEC is an abomination.
(no, it didn't cost us the KY game....MS St? Now that was a hose job.)
oldbasshead writes:
UT fans, if you don't want Ky fans to buy up all the tickets to the SEC tournament, you have to purchase your tickets just as soon as they become available. I was at the tournament and it was the Ky invitational, not the SEC tournament. There were very few fans from any SEC school including Vandy. Ky bought up all the tickets. The atmosphere they created in Nashville was like a home game everytime they played.
licknpromise777#651578 writes:
Your 100% correct..We couldn't buy a basket and they shot lights out..Our players didn't pout and make excuses though.I think they forgot about that game as soon as they sat down for the selection program.
GerryOP writes:
"3 of our guys in the first 7 min of the game with 2 fouls" -- stupid ball
"Kenlucky wasnt whistled for their 6th foul" -- smart ball
"push by Wall in the back of Barry Stewart" -- didn't stop MsSt from playing them close
Old adage about sports -- winners take advantage of the breaks, losers make excuses.
The refs didn't lose the game for the Vols, the Vols lost the game for the Vols.
Time to stop whining and making excuses ... man up and play some ball.
GerryOP writes:
Yup, if any team should be POed, it is MsSt.
cdtnladyvols931#663910 writes:
Mike Slive is a worthless piece of POOP! or he would do something about those worthless piece of A-- of officials. They cheated Miss St. out of that game Sunday, if they had called that lane violation on that piece of s---- John Wall it would not have went into overtime, Miss St Win!! Cousins little privates must have not been hurt to much he was right in there puching & knocking, he should have fouled out.KY IS A DIRTY TEAM AND THE OFFICIALS LET THEM
yabadabadoo1026 writes:
Eduardo, I call that 6 fouls in 7 minutes.
Guess you dropped out of elementary school before you heard about the fabled "cry wolf" story--------when you cry that same cry after every game you get tuned out as not-believable--------you might save it for when its actually maybe has some semblence of truth if you want rational people to pay any attention to your constant whine
Sitting there with Koolaide in 1 hand and a crack pipe in the other--------you embarrass yourself and the some of us other objective Tenn fans with your predictable BS after every loss
GerryOP writes:
Right Yogi... This dude makes more excuses that Carter makes liver pills.
usnavyvolfaninva_still_getting_paid writes:
Look, honestly, I don't care what a bunch of talking heads in a TV studio say about our team... They really don't know anything; it'll get settled on the court, one way or the other. The guys just need to show up and play like they know how... My bracket has them in the final 8, very much attainable.
235lbVol writes:
What scares me is San Diego St is VERY good, very athletic! I've watched them play. there's know doubt we could beat them, we could beat Georgetown, and then Okl.St to go to the elite 8. ( I have Okl,St beating Ohio.St ) but we also could lose to SDST in the first rd, and I'd hate for these smucks to get it right! I hope this fires up our boys and they come out with a purpose, this could be a blessing in disquise, what if nothing had been said? SDST would really be scaring me more, atleast this might fire us up instead of coming out big-headed!
volky writes:
Anyone who has ever picked an NCAA tourny bracket knows that you HAVE to pick some 11, 12, & 13 seeds to upset. It has happened nearly EVERY year since the field expanded to 64/65 teams. The fact that Tennessee played poorly against LSU and got their shorts pulled down around their ankles on national TV against Kentucky makes them prime fodder for the so called experts to pick them as an upset special. I don't like the fact that they are potentially looking at Georgetown, Michigan State & Ohio State down the road (that is, if they can get by SDSU, which by all accounts is this year's Western Kentucky). But, fair or not, it is what it is. If Pearl can get them up enough, and if they can play smart b-ball, they can get to the Sweet 16. Given everything that has happened this year I would call that a successful season.
eduardo writes:
You stupid non basketball followers aint got a clue when it comes to bball. Just go ahead and watch your lousy spring fball and leave the bball to us who know what we are talking about. cya!!
allntl1#565211 writes:
PAT FORDE wrote an article in the Louisville Courier Journal years back on why UK is better than DUKE. His article said Duke was a racist school and the white players like Bobby Hurley were not really good enough to be playing but they had to appease their white racist alumni.
PAT FORDE also bashed UT and Peyton Manning and loved Spurrier. Mr. Forde needs to read the words to my Old Kentucky Home next time the players are singing it and tell us what that word darkies means before he starts calling other schools racist and bashing UT. Pat Forde needs to be ignored, he is not credible.
GerryOP writes:
Here's a quote from someone who knows something about basketball:
"I brought them in today and we watched part of that Kentucky game. I wanted them to understand that a lot of what ailed us in that game, was us." -- Bruce Pearl, 3/14/10
You have a nice day....
VolinCalif writes:
Naa Naa You are wrong P-Man. It will be the Final 4 we are bragging about. Book it. Love the Vols. GBO
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