I may have gotten a bit over zealous with my response.
I can understand what Mike is saying, but I refuse to reduce the season and post-season to mere analysis and statistics. We all know the history of our men's BB program. This is an almost magical time for us. Every game I'm sitting on the edge of my seat just as I am during college football season. There is no difference... to me. Every game has meaning. During the regular season there are the conference rivalries. Yes, from a purely numbers perspective, losing or winning a single game to South Carolina or even Kentucky may not mean as much in basketball as it would in football...; but does it still matter? It still matters just as much for us as fans. We could lose to Vandy tonight, and our season would not go down the drain. But we're in the hunt for an outright SEC championship. That gives this game added meaning. Hey, it's Vandy. Who wants to lose to those 'dores? So it's about pride, also. Will we be able to win tonight after the big win at Memphis this past Saturday? That would mean something. The last time we had a short turn-around between games... we didn't do so well. We managed to win. But Vanderbilt has not lost on their home court this year. Can we bring another opponent's win streak to an end? How will we handle being ranked #1? Will we be able to even the score against Kentucky on Sunday? Each of these games carries with it its own special significance. And now, they carry all the more significance as we find ourselves with the bullseye of the #1 ranking painted on us.
Go Vols!!! Beat Vanderbilt! Beat Kentucky! Beat Florida! Beat South Carolina! This is much more long overdue than was Pat Summit's 7th NC. And it is only another few games away from reality. Go Vols!!!
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