Tennessee's defense!

Just keeps getting better and better.

And with the most difficult games on the schedule behind them, don't be surprised if they end up in the top 5 in the conference.

I hope they win the conference tournament and get in the dance...that shut everyone up about whether Martin was a good hire or not!

If they go 5-1 or 4-2 the rest of the way, they may get in without having to win the conference tournament.

If they go 5-1 or 4-2 the rest of the way, they may get in without having to win the conference tournament.

You're an optimist, I think....

Their remaining schedule only has 2 meaningful games left....Alabama and Vandy. The rest aren't top 50 RPI games, so while winning those is important, they won't turn the committees' head much without these two games.

If the Vols advance to the SEC title game but lose that, I think they're in, assuming they go 6-0, 5-1, but I doubt it if they go 4-2.

4 losses outside the RPI top 100 (one of those to Austin Peay...RPI #204), kills them for an at large unless they have a good conference tournament showing...in my opinion only, of course.

What ever happens...good luck!

Watching that game got me starting to think that Tennesse could slide in. They played great defense and looked to be able to score in the paint at will. Martin looks to be a great hire, and picking up Stokes is really gonna help this team moving forward. I really enjoyed watching Tennessee basketball over the past few years and I'm glad to see that their not going away after the Bruce Pearl debacle.

LSU beats Bama tonight and Tennessee is tied for 5th I believe.

Well, regardless, we swept the Gators this year so, that has made this season somewhat enjoyable. Maybe the Gators will burn those ugly uni's.

mrtibbs, you might have the most nauseating collection of favorite teams I have ever seen 

I guess Tennessee has Florida's number and they apparently match up well against the
Gators.  That happens in basketball.  They beat Florida and I would not be surprised if they beat them again in the conference tournament, if they can beat the other teams to get to Florida.  Florida had better hope they don't meet them again.

I guess Tennessee has Florida's number

Exactly. Tennessee defends the three very well and Florida has NO post presence what so ever. Patric Young is their Scotty Hopson. Oh and Billy D is 16-17 all-time vs the Vols since he has been at Florida.

Vols are definitely hitting their stride now.  Stokes seems to adding whatever was missing at the beginning of the year.

However, I think they may have dug too big of a hole at the beginning of the season.  They remind me of Bama last year.  Playing pretty strong and picking up some good wins at the latter part of the season, but too many bad losses at the beginning to overcome.

Even if they don't go to the Big Dance this year, I think it's pretty cleary that Martin was a good hire though. 

Other than Kentucky, tell me who is playing better than the Vols right now in the SEC?

Other than Kentucky, tell me who was playing better than the Crimson Tide this time last year in the SEC?

It's not a slight on the Vols.  New coach, new players, its gonna take a while to get the ball rolling. I just don't think their going to make the tournament barring a pretty remarkable run in the SEC Tourney. 

mrtibbs, you might have the most nauseating collection of favorite teams I have ever seen 

I'll admit, growing up in the 90's in a city without a pro team, I jumped on a few bandwagons. UK was forced on me from birth. NYY was just to tick off an uncle from Atlanta. And the Cowboys was pretty much all about those D.Sander's shoes. As far as the Celtics, I dont really care for any particular NBA team, but Rondo was one of my favorite UK players.

Other than Kentucky, tell me who is playing better than the Vols right now in the SEC?

Nobody...and that's why I think a good run in the SEC tournament will be enough...if they win out in the regular season.

If they make the finals, I think they're in as a 12/13 seed.

But to get on the bubble, they need a win over Vandy and over 'Bama.

That would go a long way towards making them worth looking at.

vol.....hopefully this will help our RPI instead of bringing it down. 

But to get on the bubble, they need a win over Vandy and over 'Bama.

Well, we get Vandy at home and Bama will probably be without Green and Reliford (top two leading scorers) for that game due to beinf suspended indefinetly.

Well, we get Vandy at home and Bama will probably be without Green and Reliford (top two leading scorers) for that game due to beinf suspended indefinetly.

Exactly...the stars are aligned just right...can the Vols pull the trigger?

Vandy @ Knoxville should be a good game.  Bama has been going the wrong direction for a while now so you should be able to handle them easily while they're short handed.

But with an RPI of 135, you got a long way to go and a short time to get there (RIP Jerry)

If UT ends the season on a 5 or 6 game win streak, that'll leave them as a 12 or 13 loss team, with a bad RPI several bad losses and a few decent wins.  (If UConn continues to slide they won't be a tournament team)

So At large teams that UT will have defeated by the end of the season: Florida, Vandy (maybe) and...? Arkansas MIGHT make it in.  Bama MIGHT make it in (if the suspensions last very long, they'll likely drop from contention.