March, 2006

It's been a while!

I've been living on our WATE 6 Basketblog page for weeks now, and loving it.

With basketball dominating our sporting lives in recent weeks, it has been easy to overlook the other stuff (like, do I dare say, UT football).

I've been trying to re-energize my mind with some other topics. Believe it or not, baseball is important to me.

So is the belief that we're often too focused on what WE think is important.

It's finally here. The Vols are in the postseason. But they're carrying some serious baggage to Nashville. UT's history in March is, well, worse than Julius Caesar's. Et Tu? Translation: In March, history shows, the Vols are pathetic.

In their last two trips to the SEC Tournament as a #1 seed, the Vols have flamed-out after one-game.

They haven't made the semi-finals in 15 years.

They haven't won one of these things since.. (ugh) the BeeGees were cranking out bad disco hits.

I'm hanging-out in Little Rock.

The Lady Vols roll through Auburn in their SEC Tournament opener. Check-out our Tennessee Basketblog for more.

See ya there!

Gulp!

The Vol basketball team is officially on a late-season slide.

But let's put things in perspective. UT is still 20-6. They're East Divison Champs in the SEC. They've got a first-round bye in the SEC Tournament next week. And they haven't broken my confidence that this is a team that can make some serious noise in March.

The most concerning thing about their losses to Arkansas and Kentucky is that in both cases, they let massive leads slip away.

Not unusual in basketball, but two-straight games makes for an uncomfortable trend.

You have to read between the lines on this one.

Three days before she left for the SEC Tournament in Little Rock, Pat Summitt told me this is a "team like none other I've coached" when it comes to defense.

Worst ever?

She didn't say that.

Certainly the coach isn't pleased that the Lady Vols gave up 95 points to Florida (in overtime), and lost their final game of the regular season (at home).

Upon closer inspection, the Lady Vols are giving up 77 points a game this year.
In their undefeated season of 1997-98, they gave-up 74 points a game.