CNNSI: v. Tennessee for #12?
Luke Winn (CNNSI) thinks it will be us v. the Vols for banner number 12:
I liked Bruce Pearl's admission that he wasn't sure coming into Saturday's game -- and still might not be sure -- that Tennessee is the nation's best team. He said that all he kept telling his Vols was, "I don't know if we're the best team in the country, but can you believe we're 40 minutes away from being No. 1?"Now that Tennessee has dethroned Memphis 66-62 and is less than 24 hours away from officially being named No. 1 in The Associated Press and Coaches' Polls, it's worth revisiting the subject: Should the Vols now be considered the favorites to win the national title?
There's only a small pack of legitimate title hopefuls: Tennessee, UCLA, North Carolina, Duke, Kansas, Memphis and Texas. Our national champion won't come from outside that group, because the drop-off to the crowd that includes the rulers of the Big East (Georgetown, Louisville, Notre Dame, and UConn) and Big Ten (Wisconsin, Purdue, Indiana) is too big. Of the seven contenders, none has the mix of athleticism and quality depth that the Volunteers do. But if I were to fill out a bracket today, I'd be inclined to set up a Tennessee-UCLA title game with the Bruins winning, for three reasons:
- Much of UCLA's roster already has either one or two Final Fours under its belt ...
- Florida, the only team the Bruins have ever seemed to cower and hide from, is finally out of the picture
- The lone UCLA starter without Final Four experience, Kevin Love, gives them an interior dimension that the Vols simply do not have.
Lets hope our boys take care of business on the road this week. If we can get it done this week, we are going to be set to make a run.
Go Bruins!!
This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of BruinsNation's (BN) editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of BN's editors.
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7 comments
Comments
I wasn't that impressed either
by Ollie on Feb 25, 2008 11:20 AM PST reply actions 0 recs
As I said before
by Fox 71 on Feb 25, 2008 1:28 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
Need To Hit Some 3's
On a positive note, the recent shooting slump does emphasize one of Howland's basic coaching philosophies; defense doesn't take a night off. When a player's shot is not falling they can still play great defense. That gives the Bruins a chance in every game, regardless of their offensive output.
by Bruin77 on Feb 25, 2008 4:19 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
You said it
Kansas, UNC, and Texas are the best all around teams I've seen play. I'm not including us in that group until we start shooting better.
by godblesstyus95 on Feb 26, 2008 9:38 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
I've seen more than enough bad games
by Tydides on Feb 26, 2008 9:42 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Exactly
Tennessee lost to an average (at best) Kentucky team. Memphis barely beat the likes of UAB. KU lost to Oklahoma State. Texas lost to a bad Missouri team. There is no team head and shoulders above the rest of the pack this year. Every one of these top teams have weaknesses and they are having these weaknesses exploited by inferior teams, not just other top teams.
by Raisin on Feb 26, 2008 10:41 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Kansas
by Ollie on Feb 25, 2008 5:40 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

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