Volpundit

Tourney #1

2006-03-10T08:26:00.000-05:00

This afternoon, Tennessee takes on South Carolina for the third time this season. I feel that if the Vols can make it through this one, then they'll make it to the final game. The first game is the toughest, because the initial nerves have to be fought through. Carolina has already had that chance.
I'm predicting a 84-76 victory for the guys wearing white.

Beat the Cocks!

Big Blue is in town...

2006-03-01T10:24:00.000-05:00

The Vols take on the Cats tonight at the Tommy Bowl. I'll be there, giving my all for Tennessee today.

SWEEP!

SEC East Champs, 76-72.

2006-02-23T08:00:00.000-05:00

They did it. They did it with heart, guts, timely shooting, and a brilliant steal and lay-in by Dane.

It was a great night to be a Tennessee Volunteer. No one gave this team much of a chance. Everyone said that they COULD win, not that they WOULD win.

Nothing is going to take any of the satisfaction away from this one, not whiny Florida fans, not Mickey Dearstone, and not ESPN's inevitable replays of BPP (Bruce Pearl's Perspiration).

To the whiny Florida fans who say that they got jobbed by the refs:
The door swung both ways last night, my friends. UF got the calls in the first half, and UT seemed to get more in the second. You will remember the calls in the second half, the one where your guys lost the game by scoring 12 points in the first 12 minutes of said half.

To the whiny Florida fans who say that Tennessee plays dirty:
Why yes, you're right. C.J. Watson shouldn't try to clear out against Noah. He shouldn't try to create space against a great player who harassed and stole the ball from our rebounders ALL NIGHT, leading to easy dunks and layups. He should let Noah smother him, of course. Watson was called for the foul, and sometimes fouls draw blood. You got the ball back, what more do you want in a tight game?

To Mickey Dearstone, who took away credit from Tennessee by clearly placing the loss on the shoulders of Billy Donovan, who called a timeout with under 20 seconds left, which MD called a "bonehead" move:
Go away. The biggest bonehead move was inserting yourself into the morning airwaves of Knoxville, Tennessee. There was as much of a shot of Tennessee stealing the ball away from Florida in that last 20 seconds as there was for a steal on the inbounds play. The team made a great play. Give them the credit, because that's where it should be. And shut up. And go away. And shut up.

To ESPN:
Go ahead, show the sweat. The guys in orange won.

Big one tonight...

2006-02-22T08:55:00.000-05:00

The game is at 8 pm on JP, and a win clinches the East #1 spot for the Orange and White. It will be a tall task.

Florida boards have been constantly referring to the fact that Brewer was hurt in the first meeting, and that's why the Gators lost. Florida fans are assuming that they got Tennessee's best shot, which they didn't. CJ had an awful game, and Major didn't show up either. To get a win tonight, it's gonna take UT's best effort-probably their best of the season. If Lofton stays hot, and he's able to get 15 shots, UT's chances rise dramatically. I'm betting Brewer will be guarding him, though, and it will be tough to get that many shots.

Looking ahead, Arkansas will be coming in hot Saturday afternoon. Hopefully the Tommy Bowl crowd can cool them down.

Ironing is imminent...

Looking for some sweet threads?

2006-02-21T14:15:00.000-05:00

I'm working on some official Volpundit gear at CafePress. Details to follow...

Respect...

2006-02-21T06:06:00.000-05:00

The Vols only dropped two spots in the AP to #10 and one spot in the coaches' poll to #11. This either means that the Vols have gained some respect in the minds of the voters, that Alabama is perceived to be a pretty good team, or that the AP writer in Tuscaloosa really spun Saturday's events well for the Vols.

The AP wire story really portrayed the outcome as the result of Alabama performing perfectly, rather than the Vols laying an egg on the defensive side of the ball in the first half. It was some of both. I'm taking some of all the theories in moderation.

Wednesday night makes me nervous. I've decided to catch up on my ironing during the game, in hopes that it will relax me. I've been quite wrinkly lately, and the game should smooth things out for me, and hopefully for the Vols as well.

2-2 the rest of the way should sew up the #1 seed in the East. Anything worse would be really disappointing heading into the postseason.

The Vols' two home games suddenly look much tougher, with Arkansas gaining a big win against the Gators, and Kentucky playing well on the road at South Carolina. They've gotta hold serve at home, just like Bruce has been saying.

USA Today releases preseason Top 25. This just in: 2 D-I head coaches admit to lacking a brain.

2005-08-05T09:17:00.000-04:00

The coaches have the Vols at #3 behind USC and Texas.

Of note: Two coaches voted Texas #1. Their votes should be stripped immediately.

Tennessee jumped 12 spots in the offseason from their final ranking last year (15 to 3). The only team ranked at the end of last year who jumped more? Florida (25 to 11). Biggest dropper still ranked? Auburn (2 to 15).

Under construction...

2005-06-24T12:32:00.000-04:00

Coming soon...all Vols, all the time.