The Story of the Season…In a Week

Now that it’s over and done with, I think it’s time to take a look back at this past basketball season. As is with seasons in most sports, this year’s Vols had quite a number of ups and downs and everything in between over the course of a long season stretching from November to mid-March.

But this year’s ups and downs (more downs than ups really) seemed to be more prevalent this season, since this team showed a numerous occasions it’s ability to be terribly inconsistent. At times you thought that this team might still be playing at this point of the season. Other times you wondered what the hell the Bruce and the players were thinking and why they looked like they didn’t care and if they would even make it into the Tournament.

The last week of the season was the story of the season in a complete and total nutshell. A nutshell that interestingly enough was paired up with Tennessee’s spring break and my trip to New York.

From promising thumpings of Alabama and Auburn...

Two Fridays ago: I’m sitting in the Detroit airport Friday evening on my three-hour layover between flights from Knoxville en route to Ithaca, NY, where my roommate’s house is located (roommate’s dad = Cornell alum). Reduced to “watching” the game on my phone’s “internet” with a constantly refreshing updating play-by-play, the Vols roll Alabama 86-62, thanks to a 17-0 run to start the second half. I noticed a high rate of “(Insert Vol player) makes two-point jumper/dunk shot/lay-up,” so I assumed it went well.

Last Saturday: Fortunately the semifinal game with Auburn ended up being on ESPN2 instead of solely on RayCom, so I wasn’t forced to listen to it online. Wayne Chism dominated inside-and-out and the Vols rolled Auburn to avenge the earlier last-second loss to the Tigers and punch their NIT tickets. Holy crap, Tennessee in the SEC Tournament final?

Last Sunday: So here’s Tennessee, off two really well-played games, with a chance to win the SEC Tournament for the first time in 30 years. All the Vols have to do is beat a team that (a) they already beat, (b) is playing its fourth game in four days, (c) has one inside presence who’s any good (and he’s very good, granted). Simple enough, right?

And of course, the bad Tennessee rears its head. The Vols come out a little flatter, blow a bunch of lay-ups, fail to put Mississippi State away early when Jarvis Varnado gets two fouls. The Bulldogs hang around and win it late thanks to Tennessee’s late turnovers and Barry Stewart’s three. I will also simply point out the odd stats from this game: State took 19 two-point shots, yet shot 32 free throws. Tennessee shot over 40 two-pointers, but under 20 free throws. Huh?

...to choking away an SEC Tournament title...

That was not the only Huh? moment of that day. No, the other was during the Selection Show, when Tennessee’s name pops up in the bracket – with a freakin’ 9 next to it. I still say last year’s denial of a one-seed was a bigger screw-job, but how Tennessee got a 9 I’m not sure. I’m also not sure Oklahoma State or LSU deserved eight-seeds either, to be honest. For Tennessee to have its RPI and SOS numbers and get a 9 confounds me. What does the committee want?

At the same time, I understood that 8-9 games – death warrants in terms of Sweet 16/second weekend hopes – are the home of inconsistent teams with good computer numbers…

...yet a stop away from an NCAA Tournament win...

Fast-forward to Friday: After spending the early part of the week in New York City, the return to Ithaca meant a couple more days of relaxing – and the NCAA Tournament. Since Ithaca is about an hour from Syracuse and the Orange played Stephen F. Austin at the same time slot at UT-OSU, I knew I would have to resort to watching the game via March Madness On Demand, which I’ve done for the past two tournaments (for other games).

In their promotions for MMOD, they say it’s live; that is a lie. It’s actually like a possession behind. So say I look at the TV of the other game and catch the score of the game I’m watching online, I’ll see it before it happens. Fortunately, the SU-SFA game looked about as exciting as paint drying, so not looking up was rather easy.

I don’t remember too many specific details about Friday’s game. I haven’t watched any highlights of it and honestly I don’t want to. The main ideas: Tennessee took lots of three, and hit alot of them too. Oklahoma State made a number of mid-range jump shots and played a really good (they gave Pitt a great game as well – point is, OSU surprised me by how good they were). The game was back-and-forth and each team answered mini-runs made by the other – it might have been the best game of the tournament (until Friday night).

But as had happened countless times this year, the good Tennessee – a team playing together, hitting shots, playing smart – and bad Tennessee – poor team defense, shooting too many three against a guard-oriented foe, turnovers – clashed. And like so many times this year when Tennessee had chances to put teams away or win games, they simply couldn’t get it done.

...to your season being toast - all in one week.

Gonzaga. Memphis. LSU. Auburn. Alabama. Mississippi State. Oklahoma State. Call it a lack of toughness, poor coaching, lack of players’ effort (I’d argue that), unlucky – whatever. It was the story of Tennessee’s year. Tennessee played well enough to win the games I mentioned above and Friday, but couldn’t do it.

The last two defensive possessions of Tennessee’s season just put the whole thing simply. Tied at 72, OSU ran your basic pick-and-roll play at the top of the key. Byron Eaton went to his right, his defender went under the screen, and Eaton took two dribbles inside the arc and drilled the jumper – the same jumper OSU had been draining all game long.

After a incredible play by Tyler Smith, Tennessee needed just one stop and my satisfaction level of the second round was there. I don’t know if it was a miscommunication or what, but the two defenders left Eaton a wide-open lane and a great player made a tough play. Boom, season over.

Now many of you were probably pissed, disappointed, indifferent. But I was more just bummed out. Losing obviously sucks, and losing when you have opportunities to win doesn’t make it any better. Now it’s what could be an unbearably long wait until the next meaningful Tennessee event.

There’s also quite a feeling of dissatisfaction for the season on the whole. I had said that winning a game in the tournament would be fine, and even winning the SEC Tournament would have taken care of it. But now, it’s somewhat of an empty feeling of underachievement, really. This team was better than a first round loss. I know it was supposed to be a rebuilding year considering the new pieces, but the team teased us all with some flashes of great basketball, then shattered hopes with no-shows and hard-to-watch basketball. What we’ve been wondering all year is why. We’re still wondering…

And so, the focus for this program now focuses on Smith and Chism’s NBA draft statuses and the potential loss of an assistant or two (Tony Jones). Daniel West and Kenny Hall come in next year and assuming both Smith and Chism stay and Cameron Tatum and Scotty Hopson continue to improve (they did at the end of the season), things are going to be just fine.

Welcome to football season, folks.

– … to me.

Images Courtesy of: Associated Press • Amy-Smotherman Burgess / GVX

About the Author:  I'm from Memphis but I'm now entering my third year at the University of Tennessee here in Knoxville. I am majoring in Journalism/Electronic Media and hope to go into sports broadcasting/writing/something like that. I'm a huge Vol fan and have been going to games for as long as I can remember. I started my on blog called "The View From The Hill" but moved here to Gate 21 for bigger and better things. In addition to my passion for Tennessee football and basketball, I enjoy watching the NFL and the NBA as well. Basically, sports are a big part of my life. >> Read more from this author

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