Let’s just get this out of the way: The Georgia Dome is not a happy place for Tennessee. Hasn’t been since that wonderful year of 1998.The football Vols are 0-3 in SEC championship games at the Dome since beating Mississippi State there during the national championship run. They’re 0-2 in Peach Bowl fiascos since then. The Basketball team hasn’t fared much better. They’re just 3-7 in SEC tournament games at the Georgia Dome since 1998. They haven’t been out of the first round since 2002. They’ve never been to the semifinals since the conference expanded in 1992 — the only SEC team that has that dubious honor. While we’re at it, let’s get this out of the way: If Tennessee’s run of failure continues this year, let’s just skip the SEC tourney from now on. Not even bother with the drive down I-75 to the Peach Dome. Save everybody a little bit of time and money.
When you woke up this morning, you had to like Tennessee’s chances to at least reach the semifinals of the SEC tourney — no matter who you root for. The Vols won the regular-season title by two games. They’re the only SEC team to have been ranked No. 1 this season (even if it did just last long enough for Bruce Pearl to hiccup). And, with a first-round bye in the tourney, they only had to win one game to make those Friday night hotel and dinner reservations worthwhile. This afternoon, you have to REALLY like their chances. South Carolina tipped off the SEC tournament with a 77-73 win over LSU. With the win, the Gamecocks will now play Tennessee at 1 p.m. (EDT) Friday in the quarterfinals. Considering Tennessee was one JaJuan Smith miracle steal away from going to overtime with the Tigers in the Bayou earlier this season, a matchup with LSU may have caused some problems. South Carolina? Not so much. Let’s recap: Last Sunday, the Vols trounced the Gamecocks 89-56 in Knoxville. It was the largest margin of victory for the Vols this season in SEC play; the largest margin of defeat for the Gamecocks. Second on that list for both teams? UT’s 80-56 drubbing of the Gamecocks in Columbia back in January. So yeah, if the Vols find a way to extend the Georgia Dome misery Friday, I’d say Tennessee fans are better off just avoiding the place altogether from now on.
Beyond South Carolina though, I’m curious to see how this Tennessee team reacts to the SEC tournament this year. A No. 1 seed could be at stake. A No. 1 seed may already be secured. The Vols have been No. 1 in both the RPI and SOS virtually all season - or longer than even Pearl can hiccup. Would a loss in the SEC semis be enough to push Kansas or Texas into the top line, assuming one of those teams wins the Big XII tourney? (I’m assuming North Carolina, Memphis and UCLA have the other top seeds locked up). Pearl has said all the right things this week - about how top-seeded teams statistically have a better chance of reaching the Final Four than a two-seed. About how Florida has used SEC tournament titles as a springboard for national title runs the last two years. And you have to figure the Vols would like to add the tourney title to the regular-season title to completely wipe out years of frustration.
But, until whipping South Carolina the other day, this Tennessee team has looked a bit tired heading down the stretch. Playing at Memphis, at Vanderbilt, home vs. Kentucky and at Florida in a two-week span will do that to a team. Maybe taking Sunday off and letting two other teams grind it out for the tournament title will help. Tennessee’s theme this season has been history. They talked about it before ending the Coleman Curse in Tuscaloosa. They talked about it before taking the No. 1 ranking from Memphis. They talked about it before beating Florida to end a 41-year conference title drought. They talked about it after beating South Carolina for a school-record 28th victory. They can make some more by simply winning Friday. But I think a win on Sunday is the one they’re looking to add to the history book.
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Good points, all.
I don’t think that playing on Sunday would tire UT out for the NCAA tourney, though. There are several of days rest between them - more than enough for young healthy bucks like them. Additionally, if they get a #1 seed (and to a lesser degree, a #2 seed), the first game of the NCAA weekend will likely be sewn up at halftime and Pearl can rotate players like crazy to keep them fresh for the second game. I understand the dangers of assuming a walkover win, but that’s really what the Vols should do, and what Pearl should be able to do with the rotation.
Additionally, this team is a very unique and special team for UT. (And no, cd or tfit, “special” does not mean “short bus” in this case…) Certainly the seniors want to play every game they can together, and I believe the other players want to extend their year as much as possible as well. They’ll never get to play with this particular team (i.e. this edition of the Vols team) again, so every moment will count.
I think Florida adequately debunked the playing on Sunday thing.
I agree. That’s why I wrote the last part the way I did. But it wouldn’t surprise me if Pearl is more focused on the NCAAs than the SEC.
But you’re right, the SEC tourney shouldn’t affect the NCAAs. There’s enough time to recover. And that first game should be a breeze regardless.
As an aside, I still have no idea why the format goes haywire on my posts. It had paragraphs and everything when I wrote it.
I still can’t believe UT hadn’t won a conference championship in 41 years. That’s Ole Miss football territory.
I agree with the others. Look at what they had to do earlier this year. Play Memphis on Saturday and turn around and play Vandy on Tuesday. It’s not that much different in the tourney’s. Not to mention, you’re already at a site without having to travel.
PowerT (RE: comment #4),
Not knowing the grand post system used here, are you required to use HTML encoding, or does the software automatically convert to HTML when you submit? You might need to use p’s and br’s with the appropriate pointy-brackets and endslashes. But ask the overlords that one. I’m just guessing.
cd,
That’s also Ole Miss b-ball territory. They’ve never won the regular season men’s b-ball title, despite being a SEC charter member.
I like to think the Basketball Vols do what the baseball team did under Delmonico — they just went in and laid an SEC tourney egg because it didn’t mean anything.
The difference now is that this year, the players have talked way too much about their desire to win the SEC tourney to excuse an early loss as a lack of meaning. So hopefully that changes this time around.