You may or may not have heard, but Tennessee has a big basketball game coming up this weekend in Memphis. So big in fact that the entire scene is surreal on so many levels that it's hard for many Vol fans to actually get their head around. But believe it people, Tennessee is part of a One vs. Two match-up with Memphis that is not only the biggest regular season game in the program's history, but also the biggest game of the year in college basketball.
Associated Press
Tyler Smith and the Vols are firmly on the national stage this week.
There are any number of angles and storylines that make this game interesting. And one thing's for certain, if you just leave ESPN in the background over the next couple of days chances are that you will hear plenty of them. That's because this week has suddenly turned into one incredible infomercial for the Tennessee basketball program.
The kind of exposure that the Vols are getting around the nation this week is priceless, and may serve to raise their profile as much as anything that's happened since Bruce Pearl has been in town, including last year's run to the Sweet 16.
And while I've got a couple of points to make here, I want to start with this one.
Know what the best part of the whole set-up for the Vols and Bruce Pearl is this weekend? It's a no-lose situation.
That's right. The Vols are playing with house-money at this point.
Bruce Pearl is rolling into Memphis like the guy who got hot in Vegas the first night at the blackjack table; paid off his room, his plane-ticket and socked away enough for a few days worth of…ahem..entertainment. And now, after a quick shower and dinner, he's headed back down to the casino floor with a 'what the hell' attitude and a notion of making a run at the dealer's chip rack.
Simply put, in the big picture, there is no downside for Tennessee coming out of this game.
Make no mistake, winning would be grand, especially for Tennessee fans, but it's not going to have a lot to do with how the season plays out one way or another. And as far as the benefits of playing in the game, all those will have been realized by the time it tips-off, thanks to the week-long media blitz.
Some want to argue that a win would be a boost for recruiting. I disagree. The 'win' in this situation as far as recruiting goes is simply being able to show prospects that you're a program worthy of competing on the kind of stage the Vols will be on Saturday night.
The tangible benefit of winning the game for Tennessee is that it arguably locks the Vols up for a one-seed assuming the wheels don't fall off for them in the next three weeks. That's certainly worth playing for, but it's also something that's not out of their reach even if they leave Memphis with a loss. Unlikely yes, impossible, no.
And while the seeding talk is fun, it's also an exercise in splitting hairs. Barring food poisoning at a team meal, this Tennessee team is headed for an SEC regular season title and likely couple of wins in the SEC tournament. At this point in the season, there's no way Pearl and the Vols are heading into the Big Dance as anything less than a two-seed.
Just hearing Tennessee in the discussion of who's deserving of a one-seed alongside the likes UCLA, Duke and North Carolina is the kind of thing that will make you wonder if it's time to start stocking up on canned goods and potable water.
Which brings me to the other point I threatened to make earlier, and this one is for you Tennessee fans. (especially the 'prone to ridiculous meltdown crowd, you know who you are)
This Saturday, while you're either headed to the game or making your plans around it, just remember how incredible the whole entire scenario is. Appreciate it. And most of all remember just how far this program has come in an unbelievably short time.
Here's a quick reminder for you. Three years ago this week Tennessee was coming off a 60-58 loss on the road to Ole Miss that dropped the Vols to 4-8 in league play and 11-14 overall. The vultures were circling around Buzz Peterson and the level of excitement around the program could be measured by all the empty seats in the stands, of which there about 13,000 in the Vols home win over South Carolina later that week.
It wasn't that long ago when chances were, at a home game, if you saw someone you recognized sitting in the stands on the opposite side of the court, you stood a good chance of being able to yell at them and get their attention. These days you might not be able to scream at the person sitting four seats over from you and get them to notice you if it happened to be a crucial moment in the game.
Fast forward to 2008 and Tennessee is a team that every national pundit is familiar with and has an opinion on. Pearl is a fixture on national talk shows and one of the coaches in the college game that national writers go to for quotes and thoughts on issues not even related to his team.
In short, Tennessee basketball matters in a way that was simply unthinkable not that long ago. Appreciate it Vol fans. Win lose or draw on Saturday the program is on the national map and playing on the kind of stage that only a few teams get to enjoy in the regular season.
And the best part? This team is playing with nothing to lose on Saturday. Just as Memphis won't be dismissed as a national title contender if Tennessee pulls the upset, the Vols won't be going anywhere if they come back to Knoxville with a loss.
The game will be a great measuring stick for both programs, but it's not a make-or-break affair for either side. And truth be known, it's a much bigger game for Memphis in terms of exposure and prestige, as much as John Calipari might want you to believe otherwise.
Tennessee is going to be on national television (ESPN & CBS) two more times next week alone against Vanderbilt and Kentucky. The Vols can also expect some national exposure on the weekend in the SEC tournament. Meanwhile, Memphis is about to fade back into the shadows of Conference USA until they pop up at an odd-time to accommodate ESPN during their conference tournament.
The Vols have arrived, believe it and enjoy it on Saturday.
And as far as house-money goes, don't forget that they have a coach who isn't afraid to double-down on 11, even against a face-card.
(Translation: It may be a 'no-lose' situation in the big-picture, but make no mistake about it, Pearl and his team are going into this game looking for a 'W')
Associated Press
Tyler Smith and the Vols are firmly on the national stage this week.
There are any number of angles and storylines that make this game interesting. And one thing's for certain, if you just leave ESPN in the background over the next couple of days chances are that you will hear plenty of them. That's because this week has suddenly turned into one incredible infomercial for the Tennessee basketball program.
The kind of exposure that the Vols are getting around the nation this week is priceless, and may serve to raise their profile as much as anything that's happened since Bruce Pearl has been in town, including last year's run to the Sweet 16.
And while I've got a couple of points to make here, I want to start with this one.
Know what the best part of the whole set-up for the Vols and Bruce Pearl is this weekend? It's a no-lose situation.
That's right. The Vols are playing with house-money at this point.
Bruce Pearl is rolling into Memphis like the guy who got hot in Vegas the first night at the blackjack table; paid off his room, his plane-ticket and socked away enough for a few days worth of…ahem..entertainment. And now, after a quick shower and dinner, he's headed back down to the casino floor with a 'what the hell' attitude and a notion of making a run at the dealer's chip rack.
Simply put, in the big picture, there is no downside for Tennessee coming out of this game.
Make no mistake, winning would be grand, especially for Tennessee fans, but it's not going to have a lot to do with how the season plays out one way or another. And as far as the benefits of playing in the game, all those will have been realized by the time it tips-off, thanks to the week-long media blitz.
Some want to argue that a win would be a boost for recruiting. I disagree. The 'win' in this situation as far as recruiting goes is simply being able to show prospects that you're a program worthy of competing on the kind of stage the Vols will be on Saturday night.
The tangible benefit of winning the game for Tennessee is that it arguably locks the Vols up for a one-seed assuming the wheels don't fall off for them in the next three weeks. That's certainly worth playing for, but it's also something that's not out of their reach even if they leave Memphis with a loss. Unlikely yes, impossible, no.
And while the seeding talk is fun, it's also an exercise in splitting hairs. Barring food poisoning at a team meal, this Tennessee team is headed for an SEC regular season title and likely couple of wins in the SEC tournament. At this point in the season, there's no way Pearl and the Vols are heading into the Big Dance as anything less than a two-seed.
Just hearing Tennessee in the discussion of who's deserving of a one-seed alongside the likes UCLA, Duke and North Carolina is the kind of thing that will make you wonder if it's time to start stocking up on canned goods and potable water.
Which brings me to the other point I threatened to make earlier, and this one is for you Tennessee fans. (especially the 'prone to ridiculous meltdown crowd, you know who you are)
This Saturday, while you're either headed to the game or making your plans around it, just remember how incredible the whole entire scenario is. Appreciate it. And most of all remember just how far this program has come in an unbelievably short time.
Here's a quick reminder for you. Three years ago this week Tennessee was coming off a 60-58 loss on the road to Ole Miss that dropped the Vols to 4-8 in league play and 11-14 overall. The vultures were circling around Buzz Peterson and the level of excitement around the program could be measured by all the empty seats in the stands, of which there about 13,000 in the Vols home win over South Carolina later that week.
It wasn't that long ago when chances were, at a home game, if you saw someone you recognized sitting in the stands on the opposite side of the court, you stood a good chance of being able to yell at them and get their attention. These days you might not be able to scream at the person sitting four seats over from you and get them to notice you if it happened to be a crucial moment in the game.
Fast forward to 2008 and Tennessee is a team that every national pundit is familiar with and has an opinion on. Pearl is a fixture on national talk shows and one of the coaches in the college game that national writers go to for quotes and thoughts on issues not even related to his team.
In short, Tennessee basketball matters in a way that was simply unthinkable not that long ago. Appreciate it Vol fans. Win lose or draw on Saturday the program is on the national map and playing on the kind of stage that only a few teams get to enjoy in the regular season.
And the best part? This team is playing with nothing to lose on Saturday. Just as Memphis won't be dismissed as a national title contender if Tennessee pulls the upset, the Vols won't be going anywhere if they come back to Knoxville with a loss.
The game will be a great measuring stick for both programs, but it's not a make-or-break affair for either side. And truth be known, it's a much bigger game for Memphis in terms of exposure and prestige, as much as John Calipari might want you to believe otherwise.
Tennessee is going to be on national television (ESPN & CBS) two more times next week alone against Vanderbilt and Kentucky. The Vols can also expect some national exposure on the weekend in the SEC tournament. Meanwhile, Memphis is about to fade back into the shadows of Conference USA until they pop up at an odd-time to accommodate ESPN during their conference tournament.
The Vols have arrived, believe it and enjoy it on Saturday.
And as far as house-money goes, don't forget that they have a coach who isn't afraid to double-down on 11, even against a face-card.
(Translation: It may be a 'no-lose' situation in the big-picture, but make no mistake about it, Pearl and his team are going into this game looking for a 'W')