The sheer size of Neyland Stadium tells you this is a football town. The scoreboards tell you something else.
If you want to tailgate, get festive or watch the Vols run through the "T," go to Neyland Stadium. If you want to see Tennessee win a meaningful game, go to Thompson-Boling Arena.
UT fans were reminded again Saturday that they can count on basketball — even when they think they can't. And I'm not just talking about the women.
The UT men are rebuilding under a new coach. Their last outing was a lopsided loss to Memphis. They were muddling along at 7-7 when the 13th-ranked Florida Gators came knocking on their door Saturday morning.
But when the Gators knocked, the Vols rocked.
UT's 67-56 victory will resonate beyond basketball. It took new coach Cuonzo Martin one SEC game to register a bigger victory than two different Tennessee football coaches have managed in the last three seasons.
Sure, it's apples and big oranges. The degree of difficulty in achieving a major upset in basketball isn't close to pulling off one in football. But don't bother UT fans with such trivial matters. All they know is they attended a sporting event on the UT campus and didn't return home with their stomachs churning.
Martin probably didn't notice or care, but his Ten
nessee fan club was growing by the basket Saturday. He was too busy plying his trade at court-side. In fact, he was still barking commands in the last two minutes, although the victory had been tucked away.
His presence contrasted sharply with that of Florida coach Billy Donovan, who sat through the last five minutes as lifeless as a weary commercial-airlines traveler waiting on an overdue jet. To his credit, Donovan didn't attribute the outcome solely to his team's inadequate play. He said more than once in his postgame analysis that when you don't execute, the opponent often has a big hand in it.
"You have to give the other team credit when you don't necessarily do the things that you want to do," he said.
Florida forward Erik Murphy dismissed another possible excuse by saying UT's early-season struggles didn't burden the Gators with overconfidence.
"We play Tennessee every year," he said. "We know how good they are. I think they're better than their record shows. They played well today and deserved to win."
The Vols were all over the Gators before the end of the first half, leading by four before pulling away in the last 20 minutes. They shot better, defended harder and seemed vastly more interested in the outcome. Their superiority was so apparent in upping the lead to 16 points, I wondered if Martin would be accused of running up the score.
The Vols didn't just beat the Gators. They hurt them. Florida's Casey Prather actually fell to the floor and injured his ankle as UT's Cam Tatum changed directions on the dribble.
The Gators sometimes looked as helpless in the second half as UT's football team once did trying to defend Tim Tebow and Percy Harvin, reminding you that Tennessee's basketball rivalry with Florida has become the antithesis of the Vols vs. Gators in football.
In football, the Vols have lost seven consecutive games to Florida. In basketball, they have won 12 of the last 19 meetings.
The UT basketball program doesn't just prop up its football buddies against Florida. It also takes the heat off them during the bowl season.
In 2005, when a UT team picked to contend for a national title was trying to figure out how it finished 5-6, Bruce Pearl's first UT basketball team beat sixth-ranked Texas by 17 points in Austin. In the 2009-10 season, less than a couple of weeks after the Vols were waylaid by Virginia Tech in the Chick-fil-A Bowl, their basketball team upset No. 1 Kansas.
Now, as the Vols sit out another bowl season, the basketball team has managed to do two things in one day that the football program can't: beat a nationally ranked team and beat Florida.
The Vols will have a couple of chances to enhance their reputation for upsets in the next week. They will play at Mississippi State on Thursday before taking on Kentucky at Thompson-Boling two days later.
Maybe UT's football team will have a new defensive coordinator by then.
John Adams is a senior columnist. He may be reached at 865-342-6284 or adamsj@knoxnews.com. Follow him at http://twitter.com/johnadamskns.
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Comments » 26
vut5686#1405392 writes:
What mindless drivel. This day's basketball success is not enhanced by comparing it to the football team, nor..is there any valid point in making the comparison to begin with. However, consider: thus far, 256 readers have logged in to this site, with mostly positive comments. Last week a multiple...or two..of this many registered their view of a mere freshman leaving the football program; one out of 85..or so. Basketball trumps football?
Such pointless non-writing just trivialized both programs...without a valid reason or punch line.
txvolsfan writes:
Great win for Coach Zo, no need to pile on CDD!!!
Very unprofessional article!!!
Razor784 writes:
Accurate article, this has been going on for years, where it's taken basketball for us to have something to REALLY cheer about. This win was was huge for their confidence and hopefully a nice building block for the rest of the season. GBO
imw8n4u writes:
Would fans prefer both teams sucked? I doubt it, and I'm sure Dooley is happy for Coach Martin. A good basketball program is good for the football team, just as a good football team is good for the basketball program. Dooley needs to be able to take recruits to TBA and have the same atmosphere as when Martin takes basketball recruits to Neyland.
BankerVol writes:
John Adams is a miserable POS!
OwensboroVol writes:
And if Dooley doesn't hire a couple of Defensive Coaches soon this recruiting season will be a lost cause. I don't know why he is waiting, but the damage being done daily is growing and I don't blame the kids. I wouldn't come to a School where I didn't know who my position coach or coordinator was either. I guess we can continue to lose recruits to South Carolina, like Diggs, because we are waiting for some reason that no one knows including the head coach I believe.
FWBVol writes:
The national coaches convention is this weekend so I imagine Derek Dooley will be making a few announcements by Monday or Tuesday.
We've been without a defensive coordinator for one week, but Florida still hasn't named a replacement for Charlie Weis and he took the Kansas job Dec. 8.
I know the position coaches and coordinators play a big part in the decisions a lot of kids make, but I want a kid that is coming to Tennessee for all of the things we fans and alumni love about the Volunteers.
That said, Adams left a lot of factors about the differences between the football and basketball programs out of this column.
The basketball program this year isn't in as bad of shape as the football program was when Derek Dooley took over.
And, as a rule, there are usually more upsets in basketball than football.
AtLannaVol writes:
This is a good article and a good take on what's happening with UT athletics. As for you--vut5686#1405392--you're just a bitter little s---t who needs to get a life. Keep up the good work John. I don't know what hole these creeps have crawled out from, but I wish they'd get the hell off this site so grown up fans can stay tuned to UT sports.
Pointless non-writing?!? Really!? Go to bed you little s---t so you can get up in the morning and deliver the paper!
DwayneElizondoMountainDewHerbertCamacho writes:
Ya'll wanna blast Adams every opportunity you get...and for what reason? Because he isn't a gigantic orange pompom waiver for Derek Dooley?
He's right. Basketball IS upstaging football and it's because we have a basketball coach who coaches rather than obsesses over his outfit and spends most of his time coming up with creative metaphors to explain the most recent blowout.
Martin may not lead UT to a Final Four (or maybe he will, who knows) but he doesn't throw his kids under the bus. He doesn't make excuse after excuse for his failings...he coaches and he does it well.
Right now the UT football program is a joke and the major reason is that we have a joker running it. Cuonzo is no joke. He's a coach. He's a role model. And pretty soon we might, just might...discover that he's a champion.
Go..Freaking...Vols!
DwayneElizondoMountainDewHerbertCamacho writes:
"The basketball program this year isn't in as bad of shape as the football program was when Derek Dooley took over."
The current pathetic state of UT football is due to Derek Dooley's lack of leadership. He's had two years to make his mark on this program and it's worse than it was when he took it over.
It's funny though, because I bet that if he amazingly succeeds next season, it will be because he's such a wonderful coach...but if he fails, well...then it will be because the program was in such a horrible state when he took it over.
You can't have it both ways.
OrangePride writes:
I'm absolutely thrilled for Martin and this team to get this great win over a very good Florida team. But why use this to further beat up the football program? What is to be gained in that? Does JA think this is just good insight and that fans will appreciate his sterling analysis??? You aren't surprised at his tone and message, but like so many others I'm quite sick of it. Dooley will be here next year. We WILL have a better season next year. And football, like basketball just a handful of years back, will turn around. Heaping garbage on them is totally unhelpful.....but then JA has NEVER been accused of trying to "help." Congratulations and thanks VOLS!!! A great effort and showing!
Sowegavol writes:
We should not compare apples and oranges, otherwise throw in volleyball, soccer, swimming, etc.....
GoVolsReally writes:
Dude, you and Adams need to look at the calendar. Football season is over and now we are in the basketball mode. You need to let it go, brother. That is you and Adams. You two together are not going to change the way things are and you sure as heck will not change the coaching staff at Tennessee. This was a great win. For Tennessee.
snakeplissken writes:
The few Dool-Aid drinkers left are struggling to find a position to defend, and want to have it both ways hoping something will just magically happen.
The knowledgeable Vol fans recognize that Martin inherited a total mess, with NCAA sanctions, yet in his first year takes a much less talented bunch and gets his signature win over a ranked Florida team! In fair comparison, Dooley has lost to the two worst Florida football teams in the past three decades.
The entire nation still laughs at Dooley's loss to the worst Kentucky team in decades, and that was before Kentucky had to play a 4th string wide receiver as quarterback - but STILL upset a double-digit favored Tennessee!
OrangePride writes:
Frankly Dwayne, I think most fans are simply looking for progress. This year could hardly be viewed as that, but perhaps the injuries to Hunter and Bray have given Dooley a bit of an out in that regard. Kentucky, on the other hand raised real concerns. The only place I might differ is what a good 2012 season might suggest. If, as you say, he amazingly succeeds, how would that NOT be a result of good coaching and recruiting? As for failure....just how might you define that? If you are saying failure would be another losing season of 5 or less wins, then I would agree with you, it's a bad statement on the coaching. But suppose he gets to just 7-6 with a bowl win? To my mind that would be progress and perhaps Dooley gets the benefit of the doubt. He DID inherit a bad situation, and I don't think a 3-5 year window to get us back to somewhere in the 9 win mark is too much to ask. For now, let's see who we get in here to fill the coaching vacancies and just where we end with this recruiting class. That will tell us a very great deal. And I think most would agree that the, "we inherited a tough situation" excuse is over in 2012. I'm still cautiously optimistic we are going to look a LOT better next year. Whatever....I will be there rooting like h*ll for Dooley to succeed and my Vols to win!
Bigger_Al writes:
Eff Adams. Uses a basketball win as an excuse to keep pouring salt in the wounds of UT fans. Hope this makes you happy, A-HOE!
Futurecoach16 writes:
The truth hurts, doesn't it? If you can't handle it, maybe you should watch some poker or something? Fact of the matter is, the football team is painful to watch, and the basketball team is a nice change, despite the record.
tennrich1 writes:
I dont slam on John Adams but I really dont see the point in this article....There were a LOT of angles to journalistically cover this game...but I didnt see this one coming....
agentorange writes:
Completely unnecessary negativity from Adams. Yesterday was a great win for the Vols and it has nothing to do with the football situation. The crack at the end about the d coordinator is especially dumb.
vut5686#1405392 writes:
ATLannaVol,
Thanks for your mature and reasoned response. You thought it a good article; I thought it drivel. Should it not end there, each of us having made his (her's or it's) point?
I could debate you on my already having "gotten a good life," residing in other than a hole and probably having been grown up before you were born; however, like Adams, you obviously don't know proper language; just profanity and nonsense.
Nope, I will leave the lectern to you; you earn it with your erudition.
murrayvol writes:
A basketball team is to a football team as a bass boat is to a supertanker....much easier to turn around.
No disrespect to CCM but he would be first to admit that his situation is better than Dooley's was.
Bigger_Al writes:
Here's the truth, geek: The basketball team played hard and got a good win. That has nothing to do with football, Pat Summitt's medical condition, the Swim Coach's situation, or Todd Raleigh's record at baseball. But Tuscaloosa John decides to take a 'feel good' win and put a sour spin on it.
Are you that stupid, or are you a lap puppy for Adams?
VolunteerLifer writes:
Well, Adams, that wasn't worth the time to read.
tovolny writes:
I wish I could think of something nasty to post about how sorry John Adams is. By the way, is he anywhere near retirement?
The other KNS guys are pretty good. I think Erin Chapin is at the top of her game. John aaaaaaaalways tries to shade the light beaming on the Volunteers. I often wonder if he receives a check from LSU. Does anybody know?
johnlg00#206211 writes:
As long as the new guys are on board a couple of weeks before NSD--and if anybody has heard of them nationally, of course--I'm not too worried about the effect the void is having on recruits right now. If the new guys are who we need them to be, many if not all of the decommits will come back.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
I think most everybody knows Dooley is just about out of excuses if he doesn't get it done next year, whatever "get it done" means in the context of recent UT football. The only valid excuse he will have is if he loses 15-20 guys to injuries in the preseason. Lots of us like some things, if not all things, about Dooley's personality and demeanor, and no reasonable person can fault his progress in rebuilding the program's overall numbers and depth if he can get most of this year's pretty good class nailed down. Nobody will CONTINUE to give Dooley the benefit of the doubt, whatever they may think about him personally, unless he has more on-field success next year. Some people with long memories and a tendency toward bitterness and negativity will hold that UK loss against him even if he wins the SEC East next year, but most fans won't. I was and am willing to give Dooley a reasonable chance and I think next year will be enough time to make a valid judgment about him.
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