And you wonderful ladies and gentlemen know what that means. It’s time to hop into the little bumper cars, fasten your orange and white helmets, and smash through the Tennessee Volunteers related pillars of thought stuck inside my noggin.
Let’s do it.
1) My freaking word, what an ending on Saturday night. I legitimately was shaking in my recliner after it went final. I get REALLY worked up about March Madness. On the same level as a tie game in the fourth quarter against Alabama or Florida in football. Maybe even more amped up.
And I swore I’d seen how this movie was going to end. After leading by 11 points in the second half, Tennessee’s offense went in the tank again. According to Texas’ Rodney Terry, the Longhorns’ switch to zone appeared to bother Tennessee (I haven’t gone back to watch; that’s what he said at the presser). And yeah, when you can’t hit the broad side of the barn, it makes sense to run a zone defense against them.
2) And lord, how Tennessee couldn’t hit the ocean from the surf. 3 of 25 from 3. Under 35% from the field. I do wonder how much of it is mental. I mean, a lot of it has to be. That’s what playing tight is, letting yourself get into your own head.
But as I mentioned on here yesterday, what encouraged me was how they finished and held on. Two big stops down the stretch with solid defense and 7 of 8 from the line in the final minute closed it out. That’s nerves of steel stuff, especially at the line. So yeah, I’m left a little confused about the mental side of things. But then again, that’s just the game of basketball, I guess. A game of hot shooting one day and ice cold the next.
3) As a result, according to the university, Tennessee become just the second team in NCAA tournament history to win despite shooting under 34% from the field and under 12.5% from the three-point line. So yeah, that’s basically the basketball version of just win, baby. Find a way. Survive. Advance. Get ready for the next one.
4) And the next one is Creighton in Detroit LAAAAAATE on Friday night. I don’t really know what to make of them as far as how they match up with the Vols. Ergo, I turn to see what the sports books make of them. The going odds on Monday evening have the Vols installed as a three-point favorite. So, another anxiety-inducing Tennessee win is what they’re calling for.
Creighton fired up an astronomical 39 of their 75 shots from behind the arc in their 86-73 double overtime win over Oregon on Sunday. They won’t have as easy a time getting off shots against SEC defensive player of the year Zakai Zeigler the Tennessee defense.
I think the Vols find a way to give us all another cardiac on the way to a close win and the school’s second-ever Elite Eight appearance. Keep believing, Vol fans.
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