Poll Comments

With respect to the Was the 2007-2008 basketball season disappointing? poll, I voted for "Not at all" based on the team's regular season play.  Simply outstanding, with a few hiccups at Vandy and Kentucky.  Any time that a team wins a regular season conference championship, the season is a success.  Any time that you can claim #1 in the RPI and media/coaches polls late in the season, and finish the regular season with a 28-3 record, the season is a success...not to mention when it's accomplished with the #1 strength of schedule!

They accomplished all of this with unselfish teamwork (Department of Redundancy Department?), hard work, hustle, desire, care of the ball, skill, design, and strategy.  Mission: Accomplished, sirs!  In the voice of Borat: "Great Success!"

However, I was horribly disappointed in watching the team's various performances (wins and losses) in each of the tournament games (SEC and NCAA).  I wasn't disappointed in the fact that we simply lost to Arkansas and Louisville in the post-season; losses happen.  However, I was disappointed that the quality of the product had diminished.  As a team, the ball handling was atrocious, players weren't working to get open, defense went to sleep, and we were just out-played, out-hustled and generally out-wanted by the majority of the various tournament teams we faced.  Nearly enough to make me puke, regardless of the SEC Semi-final and NCAA Sweet-Sixteen appearances.

The good news is that this partial-disappointment is entirely based on high-expectations.  Under former Coaches Green & Peterson hot starts to seasons were known, rather--expected, to completely fizzle come the end of a season where we oft found ourselves lucky to just receive an NIT, let alone an NCAA, tourney bid.  I can accept loosing to superior competition; it's part of the game.  However, I have a difficult time in accepting an inferior product from what I became accustomed to watching over the preceding five  months.  Aside from the "J.P. Prince Experiment" in the NCAA Tourney (which I believe was a failure, but more on that later), I have no idea what changed or why.  It's certainly painful though.

However, looking at the season's work and realizing that I'm purturbed over a 31-5 mark?  Wow!  There's no shame in that!

It's great to be a Tennessee Vol!